<p>Hopefully, I didn't offend anyone with my comments. I recognize that our impressions were merely a snapshot of that particular day and not those developed from an extended visit.</p>
<p>FLVADAD, I appreciate you adding a disclaimer. I'm the mother of a 2005 W & M grad and an incoming freshman this fall. My impressions of this school could not be more different than yours, based upon many visits. I mention this because, to me, the student body is one of W & M's most outstanding assets, second perhaps only to the faculty. Though if my d had been a bit more "beaten-down," perhaps she'd have graduated with a higher GPA :) . </p>
<p>I've noticed that, in general, W & M doesn't get a whole lotta love on CC. In the past two days, I've read a reference to it being the school with the highest suicide rate (it isn't) and several references to it sending particularly nasty rejection letters. And of course there were several threads about Gene Nichols' resignation, including one on the Parents Forum in which a number of posters stated they wouldn't want their students at W & M either because a controversial performance had been permitted on campus, or because Nichols resigned, in part, due to the controversy.</p>
<p>Not every student will be happy at W & M, to be sure. And I have great sympathy for waitlisted/rejected students, because each of my older daughters was waitlisted at her first choice school. Like the great majority of students, each found herself over-the-moon-happy with the excellent school at which she enrolled. To the accomplished students who have been surprised by their waitlist status - the same fate certainly awaits you at a wonderful school. Come September, you won't even remember any surprise or anxiety you're feeling today.</p>
<p>You guys are great!:) I guess this anxiety is normal when I've been feeling for a long time that I have what it takes to make it into WM. The school is my dad's favorite not so much mine (but it was the in-state school that i preferred) so it's quite a disappointment for my family (which makes it that much worse).
I just hope that in the coming week I can reassure myself that there may be a school accepting that I would like even better, we'll see :)</p>
<p>p.s. thanks again</p>
<p>bbailey said this above</p>
<p>"Even though i was not planning on going there it was definalty a like confidnece killer getting waitlisted."</p>
<p>You are one of the reasons so many get waitlisted, you applied there even though you didn't want to go. This is so counterproductive, and probably causes a lot of people who did want to go to be rejected or waitlisted.</p>
<p>From what I have read, the admissions focus presently is on increasing diversity and increasing access for poorer students. WM has had a skewed population relative to the state demographics, in the past, as I understand it. Someone from VA may be able to correct that impression if I am wrong.</p>
<p>S1 is at WM and I can assure everyone that he and his friends are not beaten down. There appears to be adequate time for partying and other activites (smile). He even manages to get in some golf every week - poor him (!). However, grading is tough at WM. I believe they only graduate 1 or 2 students a year with a 4.0 GPA. Whenever we visit I am impressed with the "bubbly" nature of the student body. It's interesting how one visit can really give two different impressions.</p>
<p>nikki9 - students this year are truly getting a raw deal - there are just too many applicants this year. I hope you get off the waitlist but I also know that you will be successful wherever you go.</p>
<p>Oh how this thread brings back some memories! Just like you, our D was waitlisted at WM and like your Dad, I thought about the in-state tuition, not too far from home, beautiful campus, great academics and reputation, on and on. I was much more upset than she was with the waitlist and actually considered sending in the waitlist card without her knowledge. Thank God I remembered myself and didn't do it. In my mind it was to be the perfect place for "us" except college is for her, not us. </p>
<p>Two years later, she is at a wonderful school and has absolutely thrived. You will too. You've worked hard and as a result you already have some very good choices. It's still early in the decision phase so you will have even more choices. All colleges have advantages and disadvantages when compared to other schools, even WM. As D eliminated each school, I tended to think of them as "dates"-are you sure don't want to go there? That one is so tall and handsome, that other one is more fun, etc. because I saw great potential in each one. Carolyn has some great suggestions on her blog. Go through some of her checklists (know thyself to find the right college) of what you want in a school. [url=<a href="http://collegehunt.blogspot.com/%5DAdmissionsAdvice.com%5B/url">http://collegehunt.blogspot.com/]AdmissionsAdvice.com[/url</a>]</p>
<p>should I write a letter to the admissions people at WM? I feel like I need to tell them why I felt WM might have been a good match for me, and I really want to know why i wasn't accepted. I know I need to let go and move on, but I want to know whether there was something wrong with my stats/other credentials that made them waitlist me.
The fear is that maybe all my other colleges will see that same problem in me and reject me too.
But I'm gonna try to be more optimistic this week and feel that all might turn out well and for the best like it did for you guys and your kids!</p>
<p>nikki ... your desire to understand and address any possible flaws in your applications is laudable. don't expect to gain any substantial insight from your rejection sources. They would likely be most reticent to open themselves up to any potential ramifications from that type of communication.</p>
<p>More important may be to recognize the potential degree of randomness in this process, especially in a year with so many top students submitting so many applications to so few schools. That says more about the process, the demographics, and its very real potential for disappointment, especially in the absence of any meaningful negatives among those who may be disappointed.</p>
<p>You're obviously a fine student who will do well and be a treasure for the campus where you land. Good luck. Don't worry about water under the bridge, over the dam, spilt. It's wasted.</p>
<p>Nikki: If you are at all like I am then you should write a well-crafted letter that speaks from the heart. I can't say that my daughter would have gotten in without the letter. BUt...if you don't then you will always be wondering and second guessing your decision not to. In our case our daughter clearly wanted W&M over UVA. She felt a difference immediately on the campuses. To this day I don't understand it but she knew. More than one out of state person would give their right arm to attend UVA and here she was giving up her legacy status and ultimately our deposit. I do believe that she would have found her spot at UVA and any other school. It really does all work out.</p>
<p>The currently waitlisted...don't despair. I got my acceptance letter, and I'm not planning on going. I know plenty of my other accepted friends who say the same.</p>
<p>I wouldn't worry about W&M. I got a "likely" letter from UVA and a full ride to VCU, but I was waitlisted at W&M.
I think W&M likes to take a lot of students early decision (they don't have any competition that way, haha). I'm ranked 3rd in my class. There's a football player in my class (his rank is somewhere close to 50) who got in on early decision.</p>
<p>Who knows? Maybe W&M thinks we're so good that we wouldn't want to go there =).</p>
<p>hm. I got waitlisted too, although I still can't believe it. I know a couple of people who go in early who I'm certain were worse than I am.</p>
<p>Maybe they made a mistake? haha. I'm just hoping to get into UVA now.</p>
<p>nikki9... you are way too invested in WM for a school you don't even want to attend. Think about it. You don't want to attend, so even if you got accepted, it would be like you getting rejected, b/c you wouldn't be going here. The admissions office is not going to spell out why they did not accept you.. Maybe your application subtly said "I don't actually want to go here."</p>
<p>bellpeppers... WM accepted a football player?!?!?! How dare they...</p>
<p>For all... WM and UVA decisions not correlated the way you might expect from 2 schools in the same state with very similar admissions statistics.</p>
<p>Did you all receive emails from W&M or letters? Havent heard anything from them yet...</p>
<p>Thank you, frazzled, for your excellent post. My opinion too. CC generally seems to knock WM. For persons that really didn't want to attend, why bother applying? Guess I don't understand the point of staying on a thread if I didn't like a school unless it's a public service to warn potential applicants.</p>
<p>For those waitlisted....it is futile to compare your scores with someone you know that was accepted. Scores alone to not sway any admissions committee. If WM is still your top choice, send in that post card. Write a letter with any additional accomplishments or your strong interest in WM. And good luck. For the rest of you, time to move on and good luck with the school you truly wish to attend.</p>
<p>WM was my top instate school and i have 1-2 outof state favorites, so I didn't apply for no reason to WM, I like the school and i would like going there!
But now all i can do is hope for the best
This week is going to be a long one..April 1st could not come any slower :)</p>
<p>nikki, I think we are chastising those who applied and had no intention of attending. They probably kept you from being accepted.</p>
<p>I toured WM today and one of the deans of admission said instate applications was up 17% this year. That is probably why some of you got waitlisted even though you had great stats.</p>
<p>Waitlisted...wonderful..
Some stats:
1360 Sat 680 and 680
10 APs
Good Essays
3.8ish GPA</p>
<p>William and Mary...where your best hasn't been good enough since 1693 haha</p>