Williams Welcomes 237 to Class of ’18 via Early Decision

The college has offered admission to 237 students under its early decision plan. The 124 women and 113 men comprise 43 percent of the incoming Class of 2018, which has a target size of 550.

Students from 33 states and Puerto Rico as well as 17 countries make up the early decision cohort. American students of color comprise nearly one third of the group and include 23 Asian Americans, 19 African Americans, 25 Latinos and two Native Americans. Thirteen students are from families in which neither parent has a four-year college degree.

Academically, the early decision contingent rivals any in the college’s past. Scores on standardized tests were higher than those of previous cohorts, with average SAT scores of 716 in critical reading, 713 in math and 724 in writing; and an average ACT score of 32. Sixty-nine students say they’re interested in eventually pursuing a Ph.D.

“With so many qualified applicants to choose from, the selection process was as keenly competitive as it’s ever been,” says Richard Nesbitt ’74, director of admission.