The General Feel Toward W&M

Colleges and Universities A-Z College of William and Mary
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<p>I've recently begun really interested in William and Mary, and in hopes of getting a better understanding of the school, I'm wondering if anybody could help give me a general overview of the school... like how is it academically, socially (political views) etc.</p>

<p>Thanks for any information!</p>

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<p>I’m sure you can find the numbers, but without looking them up (meaning, these are probably slightly off), the middle 50% SAT scores are roughly 1250-1450 and the admissions rate is in the low 30% area. Each class has roughly 1450 students, for about 5800 undergrads and another 1500-2000 grad students. More than half of the undergraduates live on campus, and as a result, W&M is a very campus oriented school. Like the vast majority of colleges, W&M leans to the left. There is an active chapter of both the College Republicans and Young Democrats. The W&M student body is very accepting, very passionate, and most people are fairly humble. 2/3 of the W&M student body comes from the state of Virginia, and 1/3 from elsewhere. W&M students are responsible for over 300,000 hours of community service every year, including many service trips, both domestic and international.</p>

<p>W&M academics are top notch across the board. Unlike many other top schools, W&M’s reputation comes from the undergraduate level, since there are limited graduate programs. W&M has excellent placement into medical schools and law schools, as well as graduate schools in general. You will find students who start studying for exams weeks ahead of time, and some who study just a day ahead. W&M is a “study first” school, but the students definitely have fun too. You will always find people throwing frisbees /football or kicking a soccer ball. Students frequent the [newly upgraded / remodeled] rec center and you will always see people jogging. Intramural (and club) sports are very popular at W&M. If you want to drink Wednesday - Sunday, you can do it, but you will be in the minority. There is a dedicated Thursday night partying group, and Mug Night (Sunday) at the Green Leafe is popular with the over 21s.</p>

<p>The campus is 30% greek, but they are not exclusive, and greeks and nongreeks interact all the time. You don’t have to be greek to attend the frat parties. If you are looking for a typical southern greek scene, W&M is not the place to find it.</p>

<p>The library system at W&M was ranked #8 by the Princeton Review (I have no idea what it actually measures though, lol). W&M has a beautiful campus (one of the best in the country) in arguably the most historic location in the US. You can ride your bike (or drive) to Jamestown or Yorktown.</p>

<p>The varsity sports scene at W&M is fairly subdued. We play in a conference with Delaware, James Madison, George Mason, Virginia Commonwealth, Hofstra, Northeastern… among others. W&M is not a big time sports school, and the teams get decent student support, but not great.</p>

<p>hopefully this helps some…</p>

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<p>Here’s a thread that touches on several aspects of life at W & M: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-william-mary/645664-w-m-parents-perspective.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-william-mary/645664-w-m-parents-perspective.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>There are a number of other helpful threads on this forum.</p>

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<p>This information was definitely very helpful, thanks!</p>

<p>Soccerguy, I know that William and Mary’s history program is top-notch, but do you know where the quality of its science programs rank (in particular biology or neuroscience?)</p>

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<p>W&M</p>

<p>academics- top notch quality/excellent in sciences/best med school accept rate in VA</p>

<p>socially- nonconformist attitudes/def not 13th grade/fun parties but not Animal House.</p>

<p>politically- one step left of center.</p>

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<p>I don’t know where they “rank”, but they are very good. Many of these students continue to various graduate schools. Opportunities for undergraduate research are definitely available.</p>

<p>Here is the Bio Department: [William</a> & Mary - About](<a href=“http://www.wm.edu/as/biology/about/index.php]William”>About | Biology | Arts & Sciences | William & Mary)</p>

<p>And Neuroscience: [William</a> & Mary - About](<a href=“http://www.wm.edu/as/neuroscience/about/index.php]William”>About | Neuroscience | Arts & Sciences | William & Mary)</p>

<p>You can see where some of the graduates go with this search [Outcome</a> information](<a href=“http://web.wm.edu/career/OutcomesIndex.cfm]Outcome”>http://web.wm.edu/career/OutcomesIndex.cfm)</p>

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<p>My best advice would be to visit campus. I visited after being accepted and discovered that W&M really wasn’t the place for me. To each their own, and what turned me off may be what makes it a first choice for you, but here’s what I didn’t quite like about the atmosphere, which may be things to think on as you make your decision:

  • I found Williamsburg to be much less quaint (like it appeared to be on the W&M website) and very touristy. It felt a bit like being in disney land, except instead of the castle there was the Wren building.
    -From what I could gather (current students correct me if I’m wrong), W&M seemed a bit bureaucratic and rules-oriented as far as student life is concerned- it was made very clear during the student Q&A session that the alcohol policy is strictly enforced and parties are few and far between. I’m not huge on partying but I am huge on administrations treating their students like adults.
    -Personally, I’ve lived in suburban sprawl my whole life so I’m looking for a College experience/location different from what I’ve experienced. The area around Williamsburg was reminiscent of my hometown in its suburban atmosphere, which was a bit off-putting for me.
    -It seemed like the main selling point for the school was “its small” and “its old,” which was repeated like a mantra throughout the admitted student visit. However when you’re choosing between a group of schools that fit the “small” and “old” criteria, W&M really gave me nothing to go on as far as identifying the type of experience I would have as a student both academically and socially, whereas with the other schools I visited I definitely had a clear idea of what life would be like if I attended. I think this was the hugest thing for me in eliminating W&M off my list- I simply couldn’t imagine myself there, and therefore couldn’t decide if i would enjoy life at the school or not. </p>

<p>My best advice is to visit the schools you’re interested in before applying, rather than wait until after like I did. I guarantee you’ll make a connection with a certain school or a certain type of school, and really be able to focus your search to fit a certain criteria.
Best of luck, hope this helps.</p>

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Yeah, they like to say that but its not true at all. The closest I’ve seen to enforcement of the alcohol policy is campus police breaking up a party after furniture started coming out of windows. During the school year there are parties practically every thursday night, and guaranteed every friday and saturday nights if that’s your thing. Most rules are student made, enforced, and ruled on. I’ve heard stories from other schools in the state that have it much worse. The hardest administration to deal with is the City government, and with student voting numbers increasing in Williamsburg that shouldn’t be a problem, even if things can’t be talked out.</p>

<p>And in Disney Land you can’t actually go in and take classes in the castle =P</p>

<p>But yes, visiting is always a good idea. Although W&M is not easy to fit into a stereotype as it is large enough to accommodate all types of people.</p>

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<p>This is important, IMO. No school is perfect for everyone, and there is definitely a school that you will go visit and immediately go “I can definitely see myself here”.</p>

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<p>yea… it’s great to have a student on the soil and water council, or whatever beato got on. There are always going to be problems with the city government.</p>

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<p>Wow, I went to W&M 30 years ago but I never thought of the Wren building as Disney Land. The English Department was housed in the building so I had lots of classes there and always loved being there. There were tourists around. I remember running down the stairs one day by an elderly couple and the lady grabbed her husband’s arm and said admiringly “Look Harvey, a student!” No autograph was requested however.</p>