<p>If you are considering applying and/or coming to W&M, I strongly urge you to read this post from W&M's own Dog Street Journal before making up your mind and deciding if W&M really is right for you or not.</p>
<p>Despite what any rep will come in here and try to say in order to save W&M's reputation, this post is exactly how a solid percentage of people feel on campus once they are actually here. So again, I strongly urge you to read this carefully, as it can save you from 4 years of being miserable here.</p>
<p>Aren’t W&M professors always ranked very high? personally, this isn’t deterring my excitement at all I feel like every school can complain about some professors.</p>
<p>While I’m not going to try to invalidate the original author’s POV, DD attended W&M in roughly the same period of time, and probably the only complaint she’d agree with was “parking services.” </p>
<p>And the primary complaints in the column are in direct opposition to her experience - she found her professors to be engaged and prepared, and she considered many of them to be personal friends and mentors to her; she participated in a number of advanced research projects with several of them, and she was deeply impressed with them, and their commitment to teaching. </p>
<p>And, in fact, once in a rather well-known grad school, she’s remarked she didn’t realize how good she had it at W&M, when in her graduate studies, many of her “professors” seemed to think reading a Powerpoint presentation aloud constituted “teaching” and an adequate response to classroom questions was “it’s in the assigned materials.”</p>
<p>Others may have different, more negative experiences at W&M - I can’t and won’t claim they didn’t - maybe she was just “lucky” - or the author “unlucky.” And things weren’t perfect for her, all the time - and she did work very hard, no question of that. But she enjoyed her time there, as did her friends and classmates, and it certainly prepared her well for her graduate studies.</p>
<p>Besides being several years old, the article linked to in the first post reads like it was written by someone with an axe to grind. It is a rant – s/he complains about anything and everything. . . </p>
<p>Frankly, I find many things in this article to be inaccurate or simply outdated, especially the section regarding faculty. Perhaps it’s because I’m a Government major, but I’ve never encountered anything remotely similar to what this article described; all my professors were immensely helpful and challenged us to reach our full potentials. Even if I forget all the information I learned, I will forever remember the brainstorming, writing, and strategic communications skills that I developed in class. These days, regurgitating information just won’t get you an A. Skillful, succinct argumentation and creativity almost always will. Besides parking services, I’ve generally had extremely positive experiences with the staff and students. Feel free to message me for more details. Can’t speak about the sciences though.</p>
<p>Annise, why did you choose to post a link to a letter that is 8 years old, and expect us to believe that “a solid percentage” of students share the feelings expressed by the wreiter? It’s tempting to think that you had to dig that far back to find such damning assertions … But I know that it’s possible to find unhappy people on any campus. Periodically we have people surface here who join CC simply to criticize a given school. Their motives are clear; the reliability of their information less so.</p>
<p>I’m sure you’re right that there are students at W&M who experience “four years of being miserable here.” If that’s your situation, no one, certainly not the school, is more responsible for it than you are. Transfer, for God’s sake. Take a gap year. Find a job. Or exert yourself to make the best of a college experience that many prize highly, and many others envy. There’s no question that W&M is not for every student. Nor are Harvard, UT-Austin, or Wellesley. When you’re unhappy, do something about it. Trashing the school is not really productive for you.</p>
<p>I suggest that the 8 year old letter of one unhappy student does not support this statement:
I find the very high freshman retention rate, and second-highest graduation rate among US public universities, far more compelling.</p>
<p>frazzled1 does such a wonderful job of addressing this post I almost hate to jump in here. The first thing that came to my mind when I read this was the 2013 Princeton’s Review of the Nation’s Best 300 Professors. I remember looking at the list when it was first released and being impressed at the number of W&M professors that were recognized. Ten professors were named, more then Amherst (5), Brown (5), Cornell (5), Dartmouth (1), Harvard (2), Georgetown (4), Princeton (1), or Yale (2). In looking at any list you obviously have to consider the methodology. This, in part considered ‘rate my professor’ which the researchers saw as a valuable consumer tool. They then worked with the universities to further break down the list.</p>
<p>I suppose my point would be twofold. W&M professors are recognized for being excellent educators. This is no surprised or huge revelation to those of us who are long time residents of Virginia, or have had any affiliation with W&M. Secondly, part of the methodology uses the sometimes maligned “ratemyprofessor”, and some may feel that is not a very scientific or valid way to build an initial list. For the purposes of this conversation I think it is very much relevant as it reflects directly the student opinion on campus. This contradicts what the OP is asking you to believe based on an 8yo article. I’m sure if I spent 5 more minutes on google I could cite numerous additional sources praising W&M professors. I don’t think that’s necessary.</p>
<p>Although repetitive to frazzled1, I entirely agree, not every school is going to be a great fit for every student. If you find that’s the case there are far too many excellent universities offering different social and academic experiences to stay where you are unhappy. It is up to the student to make the decision if it’s time to initiate plans to transfer.</p>
<p>for your replies. I guess I was so surprised by the article I did not notice the date. This is my 3rd child in the college process and I am using one of my son’s acct. as she has not set one up yet. We have gone to a local info session and had just booked a visit when I saw this. I know I should always be wary of posts, it just really caught me off guard. Thank you again for giving honest advice.</p>
<p>Some people are just negative. No place is perfect. I’m sure the author is humiliated that he wrote something so juvenile and reflects a spoiled brat perspective. W&M is a great place but its not for everyone. Just like the Marines; the few, the proud, W&M!</p>
<p>Parents, pay no attention to this idiotic post. W&M was my daughter’s dream school, and she was lucky enough to get in. She is now in her second year and continues to love her experience at this great institution. She admires her teachers. She has an active social life, joining a service sorority and playing club rugby. There are malcontents at every institution. It is true that W&M has extremely high academic standards. Most students have to face the reality that they are now competing with everyone who was at the top of his or her class in high school. Some people are unable to get used to that. Also, students who want a “party school” are better off at the large school in our neighboring state. It’s called West Virginia University. Here in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley, we say Jon Stewart and Thomas Jefferson can’t be wrong.</p>
<p>Lots of replies to my “idiotic post”, 3 main things to cover all of them:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Yes, the article is old. However, if you go on campus RIGHT NOW, you will see almost all of these problems still there. Don’t kid yourself.</p></li>
<li><p>Your son/daughter that had a great time at W&M is not enough evidence to refute the feelings of a significant percentage of other students.</p></li>
<li><p>I graduated W&M with a 3.7 overall GPA, much higher than the average GPA at the college. Your insults and assumptions about my grades do nothing but show how butt-hurt you are at a little attack on your precious school.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Quite simply, W&M is just not the school that it can be. The college can either accept that and try to improve, or reject it and do nothing as the school has continued to do.</p>
<p>Annise - Since you obviously had a very bad experience, it would probably be best if you put it behind you and move on. Let other students make up their own minds as you are doing nobody any favors with your vitriolic posts.</p>
<p>Since I have only spent about 2 hours on the W&M campus, I really can’t weigh in on the school itself. However, I would point out that the violent and confrontational style of both the original poster and the letter writer weakens their case.</p>
<p>I also know that the William and Mary Admissions account is very prompt about replying to posts on CC. I would imagine they read this thread, gauged the level of emotion, and decided to stay away!</p>
<p>The post is still nonsense. It offers no specific examples or complaints, just the old rant by an obviously embittered student. What does the Dog St. Manifesto really say? When you look carefully, you see: I want higher grades, I want to throw water balloons out of windows, the Mayo Clinic should move to Williamsburg, and I don’t have time to do my homework. The Harry Potter reference is nice, though. W&M is a haven for Potter fans. I addressed my first post to parents worried about their child attending the school. I am 60, an academic for 33 years [not at W&M] Neither Anisse nor the original poster offers any evidence that “a significant percentage of students feel the same.” When a school has a high retention rate, a selective acceptance rate, and a consistent reputation for teaching, it is usually doing much that is positive. I am only slightly “butt hurt” Ah, the eloquence!</p>
I feel like every school can complain about some professors.</p>
But I know that it’s possible to find unhappy people on any campus. Periodically we have people surface here who join CC simply to criticize a given school. Their motives are clear; the reliability of their information less so.</p>