So I LOVE W&M but I’m looking for a liberal arts college which is kind of a drag. I really want accessible professors, small class sizes, a close-knit community, and a great discussion-based classroom experience, which mark a liberal arts college…
Would W&M fit this criteria? Or does it match the normal university model of large universities with large lectures and many visiting professors?
It probably won’t feel quite as liberal-artsy as some small private schools, but I think it would definitely fit the criteria you laid out; one of the most common praises for W&M is the community feel. Also, the professors are fantastic. US News ranked us as the fourth best school for undergrad teaching (behind only Princeton, Dartmouth, and Brown), and you can see why when you get here. http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-universities/undergraduate-teaching
It really isn’t that big of a college, especially for a state school. Pretty medium-sized, but I guess it’d be above average size for liberal arts.
A few of your early classes (but definitely not all of them) are going to be lecture halls with 100+ students, but once you get into upper-level classes specific to your major I’ve heard they get smaller (i’m currently a freshman). Even in the big lectures, my professors have been accessible and happy to help.
Let me know if you have any other questions!
Thank you! I’m a transfer so I’d be an incoming sophomore… I’m concerned mostly about the atmosphere of the school, like how would you describe the student population? (though obviously it varies). I’m a driven student and happy to do the a big school load, but I have a laid back and more liberal/outdoorsy personality - would I fit in here in some regard?
The student body is pretty work-oriented, and the most common complaint is that the workload is too stressful. Similarly to what you described, I’m a hard-worker but pretty easy-going at the same time, and I’ve found plenty of people like me. I addressed this topic in another thread, if you want to check it out:
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-william-mary/1885718-academic-rigor.html#latest
Hey Northeastransfer,
I would say that the college definitely has a liberal arts vibe to it. William & Mary has relatively small class sizes. Most of my class sizes have been 35 people or less and only two of my intro courses have surpassed this. Professors are always super accessible and willing to help you out as well, even with non-academic stuff. I have gotten a meal with three of my professors so far and am facebook friends with two more. In my opinion William & Mary has the best of both worlds: it has a small, close-knit vibe you’d expect at a liberal arts university, however it also has the opportunities (research, reputation, etc) of a larger university.
The school is pretty well known for its close community, also known as “One Tribe, One Family” and generally there is a feeling of trust or respect for one another even among strangers. When I was looking at colleges, I initially looked at many small liberal arts schools, but I am glad I chose a school with the size of William & Mary’s. You still get those intimate experiences that you’d expect and I love running into familiar faces, but there is always more to explore and more people to meet. Academically speaking, most students do genuinely care about what they are learning rather than are there just to get a degree.
I would describe the school as generally down-to-earth, compassionate, and intelligent with a slightly quirky/nerdy vibe. Definitely people that are very involved. As a student, I am pretty laid back as well and you will find that I spend more time doing stuff outside of class socializing or being part of more club organizations, although you will find that most people do take school seriously. Honestly I think you will fit in just fine.
The school has Lake Matoka (which is beautiful) and is in a wooded area, but there are not that many mountains nearby. The closest ones in the are probably an hour or two away. The Campus Recreation Center does trips throughout the year and if you become a trip leader you get paid to lead these trips. I am a fan of outdoors activity as well and I have found that the Outdoors Club is a great outlet. They carpool and go on trips once or twice a month into the mountains, waterfalls, and sometimes even go canoing or camping. The trips are usually five or ten dollars too, so it’s completely affordable. If you are a geology major, they constantly go on field trips like this as well. The school definitely leans liberal and the Student Environmental Action Coalition is one of the biggest on campus, but not exactly “hippie” like you might find at Warren Wilson College or Hampshire College.
Best of luck! If you have any more questions about William & Mary going forward, let me know.
Answer: yes and no.
No, because W&M’s campus does not feel like a liberal arts campus. It is bigger than a traditional LAC and has graduate schools with a noticeable presence. Additionally, most top LACs are in New England and this campus does not carry that same New England vibe. The campus is beautiful, no doubt, but distinct from the typical liberal arts college campus, with fewer open lawns that people hang out on (besides the Sunken Garden).
Yes, because of the focus on undergraduate education and great profs. I think most intro classes (like psych, econ) tend to be large wherever you end up (even at a very small LAC like Amherst). Talking to friends that go to LACs in the past, I think that upper-level classes at W&M are slightly larger (typically capped at 35, at least for non-lab courses). Less popular majors will have smaller upper-level classes though. I’ve taken some phenomenal classes at W&M; you will leave the College feeling like your academic desires have been satiated, so long as you put in the appropriate effort. The majority of my professors have been tenured or on the tenure-track, even in intro classes. I’ve had a few visiting professors, but most of the time they have been accomplished professionals that teach courses related to their expertise.
I could talk about the sense of community on campus more specifically, but that kind of stuff is typically hard to describe. Instead, I think that looking at alumni giving provides a strong indication for how alumni enjoyed their time at the College. As of this year, alumni giving is over 40%, which is on par with the giving rate at Dartmouth and Princeton, two schools renowned for their sense of community and alumnis’ love for their school.