I have heard William and Mary is very competitive for out of state admissions and was wondering just how hard it is for OOS students. Is it even worth applying to OOS? I don’t want this to be a chance thread but I am a white male with a 4.00 UW GPA and a 31 ACT. I would apply regular decision. Would I at least have a reasonable chance? Also, are there a good amount of students from the midwest, like myself, in attendance? I have never been to the south (except Miami) and would also like to know what the city of Williamsburg is like.
It is very competitive for OOS students. That said, your stats look strong, so you’d certainly be a reasonable candidate for admission. Male applicants are accepted at a higher rate–female majority of students and larger number of female applicants, both in in-state and OOS pools.
Students from the Midwest attend. 30% of students are OOS, a pretty healthy number. I believe most come from the Northeast. A pretty large % of the in-state students come from the Northern Virginia area. The number of OOS students is large enough that OOS are not novelties at all, and there is not any sort of in-state network issue on campus. For example, in rushing a frat/sorority it’s NOT like most members are in-state, and it’s harder for an OOS student to join. I’ve never seen a difference in that type of thing. The college and town are only mildly southern. 30% OOS, lots from Northern Virginia, which has lots of families with roots elsewhere (true of other parts of the state as well). The area also attracts transplants from all over–know someone moving here from NJ this month.
The campus is beautiful, basically the traditional campus, which is wedged into the triangle formed by Jamestown and Richmond Roads, and a newer academic area that is contiguous. The school is immediately adjacent to the Colonial Williamsburg historic area. There are a fair number of restaurants, bars, delis, pubs, coffee shops, etc. within a couple of blocks of campus, all walkable in a very nice, safe area. The football stadium–a classic brick stadium–is on campus, no more than a 10-minute walk from any dorm, with the Greenleafe Pub, Paul’s Deli, College Deli, Brickhouse Pizza, and Culture Cafe right across the street. Most student time–academic and social–will spent in that area.
There’s a pretty much new Integrated Science Center with newly equipped labs. Several departments are in buildings on the Sunken Garden, essentially the main quad for campus. There are research opportunities. I know a freshman who was working in a lab within weeks of arriving and one of the most senior students working in the lab by sophomore year. They were doing real research that they found useful while doing some work at another institution during that period.
There are lots of nature around too. Lake Matoka is on campus and has hiking trails, canoeing, kayaking, etc. There’s a beach on the James River about 4 miles from campus. The James is 5 miles wide at that point. It’s about 2.5 hours by car to the NC Outer Banks, which have dozens and dozens of miles of pristine beaches. Students often go there at the end of the spring semester. Richmond is a great, fun city for college students and young professionals. W&M students don’t go there often, but it’s only an hour away.
Yes it is definitely worth applying! You have an outstanding unweighted GPA and solid test scores. I was admitted out of state with much lower grades and I procrastinated applying for a long time because I thought I didn’t have a shot. Low and behold not only did I get in, but I have now graduated. The out of state admission rate is approximately 29% which isn’t that much different from the overall admission rate of 33%. I would say there are quite a few students from the Midwest, one of my good friends is from Ohio and William & Mary. Since William & Mary is a public school, most students are from Virginia and there are good number of students that come from the East and West coasts. So while I wouldn’t say there is an overwhelming amount of students, honestly where you are from stops mattering after the first week of orientation and you just become a part of the family.
Williamsburg has a very small town vibe. It is a major tourist destination and has several major historical attractions. I wouldn’t really categorize it as “the south” necessarily compared to Miami. When I first came down there for school from the north, I expected everyone to be speaking in southern accents – but that wasn’t the case at all. The town has two movie theaters, an ice outdoors ice rink in the winter, a weekly farmer’s market, fireworks shows on major holidays, museums, and a bunch of local restaurants all within walking distance. There’s also a beach, bowling rink, go cart, escape rooms, and laser tag within 10 minutes driving of campus. One thing you should definitely check out if you have the chance to visit in Busch Gardens amusement park (look it up, it’s amazing). There’s roller coasters, a water park, haunted houses, and much more which is all in Williamsburg – students get discounts and all go on “Busch Gardens Day” which happens to be in the Halloween season. Nightlife isn’t as big as you would find in the city – students mostly frequent the local bars which also have trivia nights and some dance scenes. All in all – it isn’t your traditional college town, but there’s plenty of interesting things going on.
As a male applicant with, not incidentally, a commendably high GPA, your gender might offset your out-of-state status with respect to your overall chances of admission:
@TTG is right! I almost forgot about the nature. There’s great bike trails in the city and plenty of outdoor open space to lounge. There is even an outdoors amphitheater on campus where students often go to concerts. The weather is almost always guaranteed to be warm, if albeit a bit humid at times. I’ve always found this to be very energizing while many of the schools up north are cooped up in the winters. There’s even strawberry, blueberry, and pumpkin farms nearby for the seasons. The campus recreation and the outdoors club (which hopefully will become more active soon) do some amazing hikes because W&M is close enough to the Shenandoah Mountains – they do climbing, caving, backpacking, canoeing, and even skydiving/surfing trips. There’s also a free bus & trolley system available to students that can get you anywhere you need to go in town, and the city itself is connected by a train and bus station so you can visit friends or do things in other cities (ex: DC or New York) occasionally.
There’s a bunch to do in the local community, but I think the majority of student life is still centered around campus – which always has something happening. I recently was interviewed by a girl who was doing a research study on different college campuses – and she was surprised at how active and involved the students were, there was always something going on – which wasn’t the case at all the places she visited and interviewed.
Thanks everyone for the helpful information. I think I am going to apply and with a little luck I might get in. I see they offer on-campus interviews but not off campus interviews. Would I be penalized if I do not visit campus and partake in an interview because I live so far away?
No they will not penalize you for not doing an on-campus interview, it is optional. It is simply a good opportunity to show your personality and add another dimension to your application, so if you get the chance to visit it can be a good idea, but not necessary. When I visited I was so nervous because I had forgotten to sign up for an on-campus interview, and I asked them if I should come back and do one, even saying I would be willing to take the train back by myself. They said “Nope, absolutely not don’t worry about it.” And it is true, I got in anyway. Most students who are admitted do not do an on-campus interview, but it can usually only help you in the process. The interviews are completed by William & Mary seniors who are generally very friendly and fun-loving individuals.