academics and such...

<p>I know that W&M is one of the best state schools in the country, but like what percentage of students get into the law school of their choice. On that same note, how good is W&M Law. Finally, what is there to do in Williamsburg? Thanks a lot.</p>

<p>As you will eventually find out if you decide to pursue law, the LSAT is really the most important factor in your application. I would suggest beginning to prepare for it early in the game if you are shooting for a really competitive law school. GPA comes in at a close second and the name of your undergrad can really help. The application process is much more cut and dry than applying to undergraduate schools and masters/PhD programs where they take an all encompassing approach to your application. If you have the LSAT and the GPA that are consistent with the law school you apply to, you generally have a good chance (unless you are applying to extremely hard schools to get into like Yale etc.) Obviously it is good to be able to show you were involved in some organizations and maybe did some volunteer work while in college. W&M has a good law school, but many people like to get out of Williamsburg after 4 years for a change of pace. It is pretty difficult to get accepted to it, but it does pretty well career-wise as many grads end up working in big firms in DC. I am currently in law school and I think having W&M attached to my resume helped me get accepted to some schools I probably wouldn't have if I had gone to another school. I believe I read a statistic somewhere that said W&M grads who maintain a B+ average have around an 80 percent acceptance rate to law schools. If you go to this website: Outcome</a> information you can get a feel for what schools people got into with certain LSAT scores and GPA's from W&M. As far as Williamsburg, you'll be able to have a social life on top of your studies and there are some good avenues to hang out. Understandably, it's not going to be buzzing like NYC and there won't be open kegs in a ton of apartment complexes on Friday night like JMU. But, I am someone who likes going out on the weekend and was able to have some really good times. The Greek scene is pretty big on campus if you think you would be interested in that. W&M is the kind of place where no matter what your idea of fun is you can likely find it.</p>

<p>thanks so much, that was really helpful!!!</p>

<p>Thanks for that info Tribe1693, as a current student thinking about law school that helped me too!</p>

<p>The numbers that are usually thrown around are that the W&M law school is ranked somewhere near #30 for all public and private law schools of all sizes, similar to the undergrad program. I've also seen an 80% acceptance rate into both law and med school from the undergrad program.</p>

<p>Hey Tribe1693, what do you like most about William and Mary? How would you "sell" it to somebody deciding which college they would like to go to? Thanks in advance</p>

<p>If I were to tell you what W&M means to me personally and why I hold the college in such high regard I would have to leave the rankings and statistics behind. While the history of the place and the grandeur of the campus are certainly compelling, they too cannot adequately explain what sets the college apart. You see, the thing that makes William & Mary a special place is the community itself. The type of students who go there and the faculty are some of the most caring individuals you will ever meet. Whereas you might feel sort of lost and alone at another university at the beginning, W&M does a great job of making you feel welcome as soon as you set foot on campus for move-in day. Once you get settled in, you realize how empowering it is to receive an education alongside fellow students who have a way of really contributing to class dialogue and pressing the envelope. While the students work hard, I rarely felt any sort of competition. Rather, the students are immensely kind and considerate. A second aspect I'd like to discuss is the education itself. As you may already know, it is a freshman tradition to walk through the wren building towards the Duke of Gloucester St. with the rest of your classmates. On graduation you will once again walk through the Wren building in your cap and gown, but this time towards the sunken garden and onward to the commencement ceremony. When I walked through the Wren on graduation I could not help but think about how much my perspective of the world had changed since I walked through it the first time. I credit W&M for challenging me to go beyond what I thought was possible, to test the limits, and for building me up upon graduation to feel as though I could leave prepared to make a positive contribution to society. In summation, William & Mary is the kind of place where I can assure you that you will be provided with the type of supportive environment where you can grow and succeed not matter how great your ambitions. If you have any further questions, feel free to ask!</p>

<p>^ <em>sniff</em></p>

<p>oh my goodness i cannot WAIT till august!</p>

<p>I would agree with Tribe1693 that the best part of W&M is the community. The first thing you see when you pull up to your dorm in August for orientation is upperclassmen who came back to school early for the sole purpose of helping you unload your car and carry your stuff up to your room. At opening convocation you get to walk through the Wren building, and a tunnel of applause (courtesy of the upperclassmen) on the other side.</p>

<p>Professors are there to help you. Department heads and faculty with tenure teach introductory level courses.</p>

<p>I didn't experience any hints of competition while I was there. Students were always open to making study groups. And you can learn a lot from other students. The students are very concerned with their studies, but they are more than willing to take time to talk if you need someone. W&M students are generally humble as well. You could sit next to someone for an entire semester and not know that they are a published author, a president of a visible organization on campus, a talented musician, etc etc.</p>

<p>The W&M students put hundreds of thousands (300,000+) of volunteer hours into the Williamsburg community each year. They changed the spring break service trip sign ups because students were getting there hours before they opened to get in line. W&M has a huge number of international service trips, and its share of domestic ones also.</p>

<p>It's cliche, and a lot of schools say the "community" they have is what makes it special... but it really is true at W&M. That's not to say everything will be perfect... because it won't. You might not find your place in the community right away, but if you keep looking, you will find it, and you will have the best time of your life.</p>

<p>Well said, SoccerGuy315.</p>