How to get into WM with a 3.0 GPA

<p>I registered for this website to answer a question I stumbled upon doing a regular internet search, but I realized that I could help much more people if I post my own thread about this topic. This is for people who want to get a diploma from William and Mary, but are not accepted. </p>

<p>If you REALLY want to get into William and Mary and you don't get accepted, going to Richard Bland College is an AMAZING alternative.</p>

<p>I really loved WM but in high school I had a mediocre SAT and a 3.5 GPA. </p>

<p>At a college fair at George Mason I found a table for Richard Bland College. There was only one girl there, and no one was talking to her so I decided to see what her college was about. </p>

<p>Basically RBC is considered a sister school to William and Mary. It has very low requirements for admittance. It is a 2 year junior college with an articulation agreement to WM. Basically if you go to RBC and get over a 3.0 you are AUTOMATICALLY accepted to William and Mary. No questions asked. </p>

<p>After you graduate from RBC with an associates and get all of your core classes out of the way, you transfer to WM only having to fulfill major requirements. In two years you get a WM diploma. </p>

<p>If that isn't the only amazing part, RBC also costs half of what WM costs, so you are saving TONS of money in the long run. They also have brand new dorms which were finished in 2008 when I first started going there. </p>

<p>I didn't get into WM, went to RBC and got an associates and in just two years I was at
WM finishing up my Bachelor's in Philosophy. I am graduating on Sunday from WM and going to RBC is probably one of the best things I've ever done.</p>

<p>It's pretty unlikely that you are going to hear about this school unless you go to their website, WM doesn't have much information on them because it is a very small school and frankly, I don't think the idea of WM having to automatically accept people with barely over a 3.0 from a junior college is something they want to advertise. Go to RBC's website and read their articulation agreements with WM. </p>

<p>Honestly I am surprised there is not more information about this on this website. It is a seriously amazing loophole to take advantage of.</p>

<p>Apologies, I just looked at the articulation agreement and saw that they raised the requirement to 3.25 in 2011 after I had graduated. Still pretty low considering what’s required for the incoming high school students. </p>

<p>Here is a link to the agreement: <a href=“http://www.wm.edu/admission/undergraduateadmission/documents/2011RBCAgreement.pdf[/url]”>http://www.wm.edu/admission/undergraduateadmission/documents/2011RBCAgreement.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Congratulations Preslejen!</p>

<p>I believe William & Mary and other VA colleges are fully aware of this opportunity. In fact here is the link from W&M’s own site that explains the requirements. </p>

<p>[William</a> & Mary - VCCS Guaranteed Admission Agreement](<a href=“http://www.wm.edu/admission/undergraduateadmission/applytransferstudent/vccs_students/guaranteed_admission/vccsagreement/index.php]William”>http://www.wm.edu/admission/undergraduateadmission/applytransferstudent/vccs_students/guaranteed_admission/vccsagreement/index.php)</p>

<p>This is not a loophole by any means it is a guaranteed acceptance agreement between the Virginia Community College System and many colleges in the Commonwealth of Virginia. In fact here is a list of the colleges that participate:</p>

<p>[Transfer</a> List](<a href=“http://www.vccs.edu/Students/TransferList.aspx]Transfer”>http://www.vccs.edu/Students/TransferList.aspx)</p>

<p>This is great information to share though and there are students out there that may not realze this exist. Best of luck to you!</p>

<p>I didn’t mean to imply that they’re not aware of it, just that this school is so small and it’s rarely discussed when people are talking about admission to William and Mary. </p>

<p>The reason I thought this was important to mention was that the articulation agreement with the Virginia community college system is much different than the agreement between WM and RBC. </p>

<p>The GPA requirement is obviously much lower (3.25 as opposed to 3.6), and all but one of the GER s are entirely fulfilled when graduating from RBC. In the community college system there are multiple GER s that have to be fulfilled after transfer. </p>

<p>These are huge advantages when compared to the standard VCCS articulation agreement.</p>

<p>One would think you worked for Richard Bland. : )</p>

<p>You are correct it is definitely an option for students to consider.</p>

<p>Hah! definitely not. I just think it’s ridiculous that so few people take advantage of this. When I transferred there were only like 12 other people transferring with me. Also, most people I know gave up on their dream school if they didn’t immediately get in, and are now graduating from their second choice school because they thought they had no other option. </p>

<p>There are all these people on these forums killing themselves to get perfect GPA and SAT scores. It’s important to remember that a rejection isn’t the end of the world, and it doesn’t mean you are not going to get accepted eventually.</p>