Admitted Students Day

Hi - My daughter has already decided on W&M and we’ve already paid our deposit. Is it still worthwhile to attend Admitted Students Day, or is that a day geared more towards accepted students who have yet to make up their minds? We toured the campus last fall and spent most of our day on campus / in the surrounding area - we did the tour, we walked around campus on our own and nearby Merchants Square and had lunch, she attended a STEM panel discussion and she had her interview. So we were there for a good part of the day. We live just a little more than two hours away, so the trip itself won’t be an issue but didn’t know if it will be “worth it” for a student who’s already decided, especially since it may be super packed on campus that day. What do you think and what are your plans, if you / your child has already decided that W&M is the school for him/her? Thanks!

We attended “Admitted Student” days at 4 colleges last year (one of them was at W&M) and at each one found a mix of students who had already decided, already committed, or were still uncertain. My son was one of the latter. We thought it was a worthwhile event (although we live only an hour away and have been to campus many times). The community spirit was evident, and the sessions seemed to go deeper into the student experience than was possible as a prospective student. One of the best events for him was an opportunity to meet and Q&A with several faculty members from his intended major for over an hour. But YMMV, of course.

We are driving 8 hours for Admitted Student/Monroe Scholar weekend. Any suggestions on best whats to use the time? Also, neither Math or Music are represented on the “meet the professor” panel. Are you aware of how to get some face to face with faculty from either department over the weekend? Or should we come a day early? Also- son is very independent. Should my husband and I plan to see Colonial Williamsburg - or what do parents do during the weekend? Thanks

Hello @listener76. I don’t mind sharing a few of my thoughts if it helps. DD and I have only been to one Admitted Students event to date & it was at another university. I can report that parents & students experienced the event together through much if not all of the day. I recommend reviewing W&M’s tentative agenda for the Day for Admitted Stifents (DFAS) event which can be found on the W&M website as well as the W&M app. The agenda is quite impressive with an amazing variety of topics addressed throughout the day. Towards the end of the day you will see that students & parents are separated into two separate sessions so that both groups can ask questions of their peers. Not sure how best to go about meeting music or math professors so you may want to call the admissions office & make an inquiry. Hope you enjoy Williamsburg & W&M.

@listener76 There is a STEM Panel in Session Block A/B and a Fine Arts discussion in D/E. No departmental open houses for either Math or Music that I could see but you might check with Admissions or those specific departments to see if any faculty will be available. Coming in a day early for some exploration/contact on your own might be a good solution depending on your needs. DFAS is packed (with activities and people) and has a different feel than a calmer day.

There is a good mix of sessions for parents and students (but plenty of parents in with their students, too). Last year, our son picked which ones he wanted to attend and then we (parents) either attended ones he was interested in but had a schedule conflict, or ones that we were interested in ourselves. Plenty to do and the day will pass quickly.