Williams College

If you want to apply to Williams, the deadline for Fall 2023 admissions is January 10 and the application fee costs $65.

Students who submit their applications to Williams for the fall semester should anticipate a decision by April 1.

Williams Admissions Stats at a Glance

Here is an overiew of some of Williams's admissions stats.

Williams 2022	Admissions Statistics
Admitted Students in Top 10% of Graduating Class	90%
Mean SAT Score	1500
Admissions Test Policy	Test Optional
Applicants Who Submit SATs	43%
Applicants Who Submit ACTs	28%
Waitlist	Yes

Williams College Application Deadlines

These are the application deadlines for Williams College.

Application Type	Offered	Application Deadline	Notification Deadline
Early Decision I	Yes	November 15	December 15
Early Decision II	––	––	––
Early Action	No	––	––
Regular Decision	Yes	January 1	April 1

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Applying Early to Williams?

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Williams offers early decision but not early action. Early decision is binding, meaning you must attend if you are admitted, while early action allows you to apply early without committing.

🗓️ Early Decision I applications are due by November 15 EDI applicants should receive a decision by December 15.

The early decision acceptance rate at Williams is 33%, compared to an overall acceptance rate of 9%. Last year, Williams admitted 238 of the 715 students who applied early decision.

Some students apply to college early to help their chances of getting in. When you apply early, your application is considered before all the regular decision applicants apply. Applying early may increase your chance of admission, since it demonstrates your interest in a school.

➡️ Find a list of some competetive colleges that accept significantly more applicants during early decision or early action than during regular admission.

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More on Williams College Admissions

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Is Williams Difficult To Get Into?

Williams is an extremely difficult school to get into.

In 2021, Williams accepted 9% of students, approximately 1,099 from the 12,452 applicants.

Schools that are extremely difficult to get into, like Williams, accept fewer than 30% of all applicants. At least 75% of admitted students have GPAs in the top 10% of their high school class and scored over 1310 on the SAT or over 29 on the ACT.

Transferring to Williams College

It is extremely difficult to be admitted as a transfer student.

For Students Waitlisted to Williams

Williams has not reported data for waitlisted and admitted students.

What's Most Important for Getting Into Williams?

Colleges consider a range of factors when deciding who to admit for their next incoming class. Each college has a different way of determining which factors are are most important in the admissions process. When assembling your list of schools to apply to, you may want to consider your strengths and any possible weaknesses in your application, and choose schools that put the most emphasis on the areas where you're strong.

Admissions Factors at Williams

What does Williams consider during the admissions process? Take a look at the list below to see which factors are most important during the admissions process.

Admissions Factor	Level
Academic GPA	Very Important
Character/Personal Qualities	Very Important
Class Rank	Very Important
Recommendation(s)	Very Important
Rigor of Secondary School Record	Very Important
Standardized Test Scores	Very Important
Alumni/ae Relations	Important
Work Experience	Important
Extracurricular Activities	Important
Application Essay	Important
First Generation	Important
Racial/Ethnic Status	Important
Talent/Ability	Important
Volunteer Work	Important
Geographical Residence	Considered
Religious Affiliation/Commitment	Considered

Make sure to check with Williams for more information on admission factors.

Williams Application Requirements

To apply to Williams, all applicants must submit the following items. Check with Williams's admissions department to confirm all application materials and requirements.

Area	Required	Recommended	Required for Some	Details (If Any)
Interview
Transcript(S) of College Record
Standardized Test Scores
Statement of Good Standing From Prior Institution(S)
Letter(s) of Recommendation	3
Written Essay or Personal Statement	√
Other Requirements	√			1 counselor recommendation and 2 teacher recommendations
Transcript of High School Record	√

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GPA and Testing

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What GPA Do I Need To Get Into Williams?

Williams has not provided an information about GPAs of accepted students. Any questions regarding applicant expectations should be addressed directly with the school.

Out of all students that were admitted, 18% submitted a class rank. At Williams 90% of students ranked in the top 10% of their graduating class in high school, 100% were in the top 25% and 100% were in the top 50%.

GPAs of Admitted Students

At Williams College, student GPAs fall in the following ranges.

GPA	Percent of Students
4.0 GPA	––
3.75 and 3.99	––
3.50 and 3.74	––
3.25 and 3.49	––
3.00 and 3.24	––
2.50 and 2.9	––
2.00 and 2.49	––

This chart depicts the percentage of all enrolled, degree-seeking, first-time, first year (freshmen) students who had high school grade point average within the given ranges.

Note: Some schools choose not release this information. If you have any questions regarding missing numbers, be sure to reach out to Williams directly.

About GPAs

Your high school grade point average (GPA) is a number that highlights your high school academic performance. A weighted GPA or an unweighted GPA are the two possible GPA scores considered by colleges.

An unweighted GPA is an average of your scores from each class on a four-point scale. Unweighted GPAs range from 4.0 to under 1.0. A weighted GPA considers your average grade and the difficulty of your classes. A weighted GPA boosts your average by adding extra points for honors or Advanced Placement courses.

Standardized Test Scores

Williams considers standardized tests scores during the admissions process.

Williams has a test optional admissions policy. Test optional schools allow students to choose if they want to submit ACT or SAT scores with their applications or not.

In 2022, 43% of Williams's first-year students submitted their SAT scores with their application. 28% of admitted applicants sent ACT scores.

What is a Good SAT Score for Williams?

To be competitive with other Williams applicants, you should strive to earn between 1470 and 1550 (or higher!) on the SAT. At Williams 25% of admitted students scored higher than 1550 and 25% of scored lower than 1470, but the majority of students scored somewhere in between these two numbers.The mean composite SAT score for a Williams student is 1500.

On the SAT Math Section, 25% of Williams students scored 790 or higher and 75% of students scored 720 or higher. On the SAT Critical Reading section (formerly called the Verbal section), 25% of Williams students scored 770 or higher, and 75% scored a 720 or higher.

What is a Good ACT Score for Williams?

To be most competitive at Williams, you should strive to earn between 33 and 35 on the ACT.

An ACT score of 35 means you fall in the 75th percentile for Williams's admitted students. One out of every four students scored above a 35, and three out of four students scored lower than 35 on the ACT.

A 33 on the ACT is the 25th percentile for Williams students. Only one out of every four students scored below 33.

Want To Bring Up Your ACT Score? Access ACT practice tests and study tips and see upcoming ACT test dates.

More Information on Transferring to Williams College

For transfer students, it is extremely difficult to get admitted to Williams.

For transfer students wishing to start in the fall, the deadline to apply is March 1. Applicants should hear back by April 15.

Transfer students can enroll in Williams during the following terms:

• Fall Term

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Williams Admissions FAQs

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Can I defer my acceptance to Williams?

✅ Yes, admitted students can defer their admission to Williams.

Does Williams accept transfer credits?

✅ Williams accepts eligible transfer credits from accredited institutions.

Do I have to submit test scores to Williams?

❌ No, Williams is test optional, so you can choose whether to include your standardized test scores. If your scores are higher than the school's average, you probably want to include them. If your scores are average or below average, you it might make sense to leave them out of your application.

What is Williams's acceptance rate?

✅ Williams has an acceptance rate of 9%.

What is the early decision acceptance rate at Williams?

✅ Williams's early decision acceptance rate was 33% in 2021.

Want To Learn More About Williams?

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