Chance me - William and Mary ED Class of 2026

Colleges and Universities A-Z College of William and Mary
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Hi everyone! I am a rising senior from Northern New Jersey planning on applying ED. I am scheduled for a visit in 2 weeks and an interview in August.

I plan to major in either Government or American Studies with a minor in Theater.

Gender: Female
Race: White

GPA (weighted): 4.4
School does not rank
Member of National Honors Society
Planning to be initiated into French Honors Society and complete my Seal of Biliteracy in French and English in the fall, will hopefully be initiated into International Thespian Society (I am eligible but my school has to decide to hold an induction ceremony)

ACT: 34 (never took SAT)
Math: 33
English: 36
Reading: 34
Science: 31

9th Grade: Honors Geometry, Honors French II, Honors English I, Honors Biology, Honors World History I, Journalism I
10th Grade: Honors Algebra II with Trig, Honors French III, Honors English II, Honors Chemistry, Honors US History I, Financial Literacy, Public Speaking
11th Grade: Honors Pre-calculus, Honors French IV, AP Lang, Honors Physics, AP US History II, Studio Art I (AP scores have not come in yet)
12th Grade (will be taking): Dual Enrollment Calculus, AP French, Honors Dual Enrollment Literature of the Holocaust, Honors Dual Enrollment Psychology, AP Government/Dual Enrollment Public Policy, Honors Advanced Journalism and Media

ECs (in-school):

  • Theater (9-12)
  • Gay Straight Alliance (9-12, community outreach leader in 11, will hold leadership position in 12)
  • Trailblazer Newspaper (9-12, In-Depth Section Editor in 10, College Corner Section Editor in 11, TV show anchor in 11, Co-Editor-In-Chief in 12)
  • Teens Against Cancer (9)
  • Powerback Club (9, was certified as leader)
  • Female Empowerment Club (9, club was discontinued after that year)
  • Model UN (9, 11)

EC’s (out of school)

  • 13 years of dance training

Leadership:

  • founded the official Diversity and Inclusion Committee for my town
    - through this, I worked very closely with the Mayor and Council, County Commissioners, and State Assembly members, spoke at many council meetings, led initiatives including increasing Census returns, Diwali Celebration, Black History Month Celebration
    - My biggest achievement through this committee was organizing our town’s first ever Pride event this past week, which was attended by over 200 people!
    - member of the committee’s public relations sub-committee, which involves doing promotion for our events including writing press releases and making promotional flyers
  • I have worked for the Recreation Department of my town as both a virtual stage manager/assistant director for their virtual youth theater program (2020) and as an Assistant Camp Counselor (2019)
  • I volunteered as a classroom assistant at my dance studio for 3 years but stopped due to Covid
  • I have volunteered on multiple political campaigns both local (canvassing door to door) and national (phone and text banking for March For Our Lives and the Biden campaign)
  • I am planning on volunteering for a county level or equivalent political campaign this summer

Awards:

  • Helen Hayes Youth Theater Nomination for Outstanding Featured Ensemble Member for my role as Hunyak in Chicago (2019)
  • Outstanding Delegate, for representing the country of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in UNODC at VIMUN-7 (2021)

My essay is going be about the isolation I felt by my small town by being a member of the LGBTQ+ community and how forming the Diversity and Inclusion Committee allowed myself to not only create a community for myself but for other underrepresented members of the town as well.

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I normally don’t participate in chance me threads but I’ll bite, as my D applied ED out-of-state and is an excited incoming freshman for W&M class of 2025. I remember feeling how difficult It was to guess the likelihood she would get in, as the freshman profile didn’t break down the difference between stats of incoming Virginia students and OOS students. I just knew that admissions is more selective OOS.

I think you have an excellent chance! Of course, like so many schools, William & Mary is holistic in its admissions decisions, so one never knows. Also, if you will need considerable financial aid, that could have an impact on admissions chances, (sadly). However, you are strong in areas W&M values (academic rigor across the board, long-term dedication to skills/interests outside of academics, diversity and community involvement).

You don’t state your unweighted GPA but it looks as if it’s probably close to 4.0 (maybe around 3.8-4.0?) and your ACT score is solid for William & Mary. My D had a 4.0 unweighted and at the time of applying, somewhere around a 4.4 or 4.5 weighted GPA. She had a SAT superscore of 1470 (which corresponds to a 33 ACT, I believe, and, like you, also a difference between ERW and math (780/690).

I think your essay topic is an excellent one, and a way to show character strength, inner growth and initiative. William & Mary should appreciate the aspect of doing something courageous while building community. My D also wrote about the difficulty of doing something important to her within a small-town context and how she transcended that…first traveling to get what she needed from afar but eventually finding a way to adapt by applying her skill/interest in a new way locally and gaining a sense of membership in something she cared about (I am being vague here on purpose). Her second one (the optional W&M one) was more lighthearted and casual, and showed fun sides of herself. I think William & Mary seeks multifaceted students who are not afraid to have both serious and goofy/quirky sides, and who can be both introspective and active in community life. William & Mary also seems to favor students who exude a lot of enthusiasm for the school itself. Good luck on your visit/interview and feel free to PM me!

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I think your odds are better than 50:50. I think you should reconsider your essay or ensure it’s really written to highlight the personal impact on you. I say this because when you read the CC it’s the most common topic. When you read other sites it is as well. If the writing is colorful perhaps it’s fine. Otherwise I would find something more unique yet still personal. Good luck

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Wow thank you so much!! As to your questions, financial need is not an issue and my unweighted gpa is about 3.7. I may take you up on that offer for more information!

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Thank you for your feedback, I really appreciate it.

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When you say need is not an issue but you are talking about William & Mary, you are talking about $65K a year. Do you want to spend $65K a year. You can find cheaper, much cheaper and with good “theatre” minors such as Bama, South Carolina, Florida State. So you might say Bama - no way. My son goes…it’s 60% OOS. The school itself - there’s no issues.

W&M is FANTASTIC - but do you want to spend $65K when your parents can $25-30K at a place like Florida St. or venture further - to Arizona.

Over four years - that money can buy a lot for you, for them, and you’ll likely end up in a similar spot.