Since I have a bunch of free time before school starts next semester, I thought I’d take the time to answer any questions you have about the school. When I applied, I remember I had a million questions and people were more than willing to help me out. So I’d like to do the same.
Anything goes! Be as specific as you’d like and feel free to introduce yourself so it feels like a discussion. The only thing I cannot promise to answer are admissions questions or “chance me” questions, as only the admissions office is qualified to answer those.
Anyone is free to ask or answer questions (I gotcha back mods) If there are other current students or alumni out there, feel free to contribute as well. Different perspectives are always good. Now without further ado, bring it on.
First of all, I love Psych.
Secondly, how easily did you find people with similar interests? Was it easy to make friends? I’m looking at mostly smaller liberal arts colleges (about 1,200-3,000) students, and so I am worried about meeting people with similar interests in a medium sized school. Thanks!
Psych is an awesome show! I’m glad you got the reference. I surprisingly found it very easy to find people with mutual interests and make friends here. Coming from out of state and not really knowing anyone else beforehand, that was definitely something I was nervous about, but the transition has been really smooth. Part of the reason I think is because William and Mary has a wonderful five day orientation program right before classes start, so friendships easily carry over. It’s different than some other schools that have it on random days during the year and kind of leave you hanging. There’s plenty of free time to meet people and bond with people from your freshman hall.
Speaking of which, some of your closest friends will likely be people from your freshman dorm. There’s something about living with people you see everyday that makes you naturally closer. It’s where I found friends that I am meeting up with again in the city over break (can’t get enough of them). In my opinion, the freshman dorms are just the right size to form a small community. At W&M each hall is also given a certain amount of funds that the hall council and the RA’s can do whatever they want with. So far we’ve done pizza and pancakes, movie outings, smash bros tournaments, and even an informal dance with other dorms. You’ll likely find people with similar interests. Not everyone will be the same as you, but I think that’s a good thing because you are always learning from others (ex: I’m picking up an instrument with one of my hallmates next semester)
Outside of that, there’s many extracurriculars you can get involved with where you are bound to find people with the same interests. There’s a club fair at the beginning of the year and it’s really easy to get added to mailing lists that I always have something to do. At the meetings I’ve been to, people have been really friendly and welcoming, one of the major reasons I chose the school. It’s not too difficult to start a club either, one of my friends started a Native American culture club this semester. If you are looking for people with common interests, I daresay you might be better suited for a larger school because there will be more avenues to explore and more people that share those interests. Personally, I think William and Mary’s size is just right because it’s close enough to feel like a community, but large enough that you’re always meeting new people. If you don’t mind me asking @confin15 what are some of the things that you are interested in? I already know you have a great taste in television shows
I was wondering if you could comment on your perspective of the social atmosphere at W&M. Are the students collaborative or competitive? Is there a tight knit community, or are there cliques? Are there parties? What are the parties like? What is the housing system like? Does the school have any old or quirky traditions? If I were to pull aside one typical W&M student, what would he/she be like (I realize that students have diverse interests, but would he/she be enthusiastic about the school, involved, eager to help others, etc. Like what’s the personality of the school?)?
I graduated a few years ago but I will answer from my experience:
W&M has students that are motivated and want to do their best, but there were always study groups available and freshmen halls would often study together in some of the big into classes like chem/bio/econ.
W&M has 6000 undergrads, so obviously each person will develop their "group" of people, but one of the things I really liked was that people were in multiple groups. Student government, greek life, a capella, theater, performing music ensembles, athletes, community service, academic groups (IR Club) etc. Many students are in multiples of these groups, so they are not exclusive. Greeks do not isolate themselves like at some schools.
Parties vary. There are frat parties and house parties and different campus organizations have parties that are primarily for their members.
Students are randomly placed in freshmen dorms. Some dorms have A/C and some do not. Most W&M students (including all freshmen) live on campus, so there is a strong community that is geographically close.
W&M does have traditions, like opening convocation that welcomes the freshmen class (and new transfers), yule log at the end of the fall semester, blowout on the last day of classes in the fall and spring, charter day to celebrate W&M's royal charter, the crim dell bridge + associated superstitions, the W&M triathlon, the walk across campus at graduation, candlelight graduation ceremony, and I'm sure there are others. Kappa Delta's campus golf fundraiser could be considered a newer tradition; great fun for a great cause.
I think what you will find about W&M students is that they are passionate. Passionate about something. Could be perfecting their stand up comedy routine. Could be their sport. Could be a musical instrument. Could be community service. Could be an international cause. Could be campus politics or national politics. Could be their studies. Could be perfecting their home brew. There is something in W&M students that they care deeply about and they can talk about forever because of their passion. And a lot of them do it quietly. I had Monroe Scholar friends that I would've never known were Monroe Scholars if I didn't read the list of names; likewise with PBK honors. As is the nature of the school, W&M students are generally quite successful at whatever they choose to pour their time and energy into. And, they are always willing to lend a hand with studies, or return a lost ID or set of keys. The sense of community is pretty strong, IMO. "One Tribe. One Family." You will see students wearing tons of W&M stuff; I think overall they are very passionate about their school and community.
Hello! I am an in-state applicant who received one of the cypher postcards just yesterday. So happy since W&M is a “fit” for me and offers everything I want and need in terms of academics. However, I do have some questions about student life. Do you have any recommendations for campus dining and the meal plans? Is there single housing available for freshman? Can you live in the same themed house, say a language house, for all three years starting sophomore year? Thank you!
Sure thing @bsalum
I have a 4.35 weighted GPA, 2020 SAT, in the top 10% of my class, and full IB diploma candidate. I am also a URM and have a few national awards.
Congratulations @WorldExplorer, and you too @CoMoMom! So happy for you guys. I recommend either the Gold 19 or the Gold 14 for freshman year, depending on whether you usually get breakfast or not. The former allows for more meals per week, while the second allows for more dining dollars which can be used at the local eateries and the student exchange. I would NOT recommend the unlimited meals option, because it is unlikely that you will use up all your swipes per week. There’s also a kitchen in every dorm if you are so inclined to make food for yourself.
There is single housing available for freshmen, although it is limited, so you may want to make a notation of it when filling out your preferences with residence life. Yes! You can certainly live in themed housing as an upperclassman. There are themed language or culture houses, eco-housing, the international village, substance free housing, the mosaic house, and even a house in colonial Williamsburg. You do have to apply for the housing, writing a brief excerpt of why you would like to live in the themed house.
Aside from that, Monroe Scholars have the option to live together as well as Sharpe Community Scholars freshman year. If you are lucky enough to be selected as a 1693 Scholar, they have an off campus house that they can hang out and do things in.
Just to add a caveat to shawnspencer’s great answer. Single housing for freshmen is very limited and generally reserved for students with documented medical issues. If you do not have a medical issue that would require you to have a single, it is highly unlikely you would get one.
If you’re asking about a single because you’re anxious, I do have to say, the idea of sharing a room can be a scary one. I’m super introverted, so the whole roommate scenario was my biggest anxiety when I started college. However, the freshman roommate experience is one that you should just embrace; learning to live with someone will force you to develop interpersonal skills quickly. Also, W&M does a decent job at matching roommates, so you’ll likely be fast friends. Alternately, it’s no big deal if you’re not. Ultimately a good roommate just needs to be someone you can agreeably share space with.
By junior year if you are still gunning for a single-- bear in mind that Living Learning Communities tend not to have single housing (which I why I ultimately decided to not apply for Colonial Williamsburg house)-- there’s now enough housing options that you’d have a good shot at it. I personally have lived in a single for the last two years-- love it, but I’m super glad I did have that freshman/sophomore roommate experience
I just came across this. Could anyone on this forum share their views on Mason School of Business at W&M? How well does their graduate accounting program place?
Hi, just found this thread and its really awesome! I am a rising senior in high school and I was wondering how the
On Campus Interview is like, and what type of questions do they ask? Also, what does receiving the “Postcard” mean, becoming a Monroe Scholar? Finally, what is the criteria of becoming a Monroe Scholar?
Please advice, and thanks so much!
@sIronMan the postcard is W&M version of a likely letter. You can read more about that on their Admit It! Blog (written by the admissions office and a good source of info). The Monroe Scholars designation is made by the admissions committee, and is approximately the top 10% of the admitted students. There are no specific criteria, but they shared stats with us at an event and the average was basically 1500 SAT and close to 4.0 UW GPAs. That notification comes in the acceptance letter for regular decision, in the spring for early admits.
The on campus interviews are conducted by seniors in the college. I am a parent, so my info is second hand, but the kid was excited to have talked about shared favorite TV shows and hobbies - found the interviewer very friendly and encouraging. As I sat in the lobby and watched the other kids get walked out and th interviewers shake hands with the other parents, it seemed they were all ending similarly “happy”.
From what I have heard about the on-campus interview, it is really informal. They are typically conducted during the summer by rising seniors and it is really to get to know you as a person. There are some more threads about this topic located [url= <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-admissions/964526-on-campus-interviews-for-william-and-mary.html%5Dhere%5B/url”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-admissions/964526-on-campus-interviews-for-william-and-mary.html]here[/url] and [url= <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-william-mary/1636171-can-someone-describe-a-w-m-interview.html%5Dhere%5B/url”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-william-mary/1636171-can-someone-describe-a-w-m-interview.html]here[/url]. Receiving a postcard is basically a “likely letter” right before decisions are released telling you are probably going to get “good news.” Not receiving one certainly does not mean you are rejected or deferred, but it is simply a nice way to ease the minds of those that are clear admits early on in the cycle.
Monroe Scholars are typically selected from the top 10% of the incoming class. They primarily consider academic ability, but also things like a concern for the community and intellectual curiosity. You can find out more about the criteria [url=<a href=“http://www.wm.edu/as/monroescholars/%5Dhere%5B/url”>http://www.wm.edu/as/monroescholars/]here[/url]. If you are interested in research or a living learning community, however, Monroe Scholars are far from the only way to get involved. There is also the aforementioned Sharpe Scholars program, which you can apply for after you are accepted.
@2016senior William & Mary is an exceptional place to study political science. There is a reason it is nicknamed “the alma matter of the nation.” In all seriousness though, the government department is one of the best on campus. There is a multitude of research opportunities, such as with the Social Network and Political Psychology Lab to the Institute for the Theory and Practice of International Relations which hires multiple students for research each year. There is also a undergraduate think tank (PIPS) on campus that works on projects actually presented to policy makers and a semester in DC, which includes networking and internship opportunities. What are your particular interests?
@2016senior If you’re interested in foreign policy, you should definitely check out TRIP: http://www.wm.edu/offices/itpir/trip/
I also second @shawnspencer’s suggestion of looking at the PIPS program. It’s competitive, but a terrific opportunity.
