At a glance, Williams College and USC might seem like the two most polarizing colleges in America. Both very prestigious, Williams is a tiny liberal arts college located in a rural, one-street town in Massachusetts, whereas USC is a large university that sits in the bustling, noisy heart of sunny LA. These two opposites were what CHS senior Benji Huang was caught deciding between. After a visit to Williamstown in the Berkshire Hills of western Massachusetts, the decision was not so difficult—he chose Wiliams.

Huang made his choice for a few reasons, but his final decision largely hinged on the size of both schools. As a smaller liberal arts college, Williams offers classes that are drastically smaller than most courses at USC. This enables students to have more of an opportunity to bond with their professors on a personal level.

“The reason I ended up choosing Williams was because I knew I could thrive in a more intimate classroom and social setting and Williams had exactly that to offer,” Huang said. “Another one of the main deciding factors was the location. I knew I wanted to get outside of the West Coast, and what better way to spend my transformative college years than in a traditional New England setting.”

Once there, Huang plans to major in economics, but he is also interested in psychology and statistics, and is considering double majoring in one of the two. After college, he has hopes of working in the finance industry somewhere on the East Coast. Additionally, he plans to transform the math tutoring website he created during his sophomore year into a site that teaches young adults how to handle money.

“I feel like a lot of young adults, specifically people ages 18 to 25, don’t really know how to manage their money,” Huang said. “They’re spending their paycheck the moment they get it. … Rather than making the website about math I’m going to reframe the website completely and start writing lessons on personal finance.”

Huang, who describes himself as a “passionate skier,” is also ecstatic about joining the Williams Outdoor Club, where students do everything from whitewater rafting to skiing and snowboarding. However, he admits that part of him will miss the California lifestyle, namely the diverse and delicious food options only a quick drive away, a luxury that rural Williamstown does not share.

Between his math website, being a part of the speech and debate team for all four years of high school, and serving as the National Honors Society President, there is no doubt Huang has been a very involved CHS citizen. He gave this advice on surviving high school:

“Throughout high school, definitely find something that you are super passionate about, as cliche as it sounds, the more passionate you are about something the more inclined and driven you are going to be,” Huang said. “If that interest develops in junior year or late in your high school years, don’t be afraid to let other things go, because as long as you are super motivated and interested about that subject you will do great things…College admissions officers can tell whether you’re actually interested.”