W&M April Admission Letters

Colleges and Universities A-Z College of William and Mary
141

<p>Congrats to all of you. This is your first big “adult” decision. Tiny piece of advice. Its time to ignore rankings, your friends opinions, CC opinions, and focus on that quiet spot in your heart that is your soul. This part knows you and what your dreams are and what truly makes you happy. Nurture and develop it and give it the freedom to guide you. I promise it wont lead you wrong. </p>

<p>All of you have great schools to choose from so you cant go wrong. Try to envision yourself at each school and the one that “feels” right is…right…for you. And that is all that matters.</p>

<p>Enjoy the moment, go to the admitted student day, have a great end to high school, love you parents and friends, make the decision and hit the future head-on. It will turn out great.</p>

<p>Enjoy. You have earned it.</p>

142

<p>Swish 14,
As a parent who has been reading, learning and posting on CC for 3 years, I have to tell you that I am so impressed with your wisdom and maturity. Your advice needs to be posted on the parents section as food for thought-since all too often parents want desperately to live their lives through their kids. I especially loved your reference to focusing on the quiet spot in your heart that is your soul-I wonder how many of your peers are truly in touch with their soul and what it wants. </p>

<p>A friend of mine from many years ago use to refer to certain people as “old souls”-those individuals who were wise beyond their years-certainly that describes you. All the best as you begin a wonderful journey into college to explore your dreams.</p>

143

<p>I live in New Jersey, and everybody from my school has already received letters (on Wednesday). Do you think mine got lost in the mail or something?</p>

144

<p>My daughter went to the mailbox today and retrieved her big envelope from W&M. She was ACCEPTED. She’s thrilled. We live in Massachusetts.</p>

145

<p>Yes, it could get lost in the mail, Buffy. Daughter was accepted in 2007 and we live about an hour from WM. Her best friend applied and her acceptance showed up a week later. Was tense for that week.</p>

146

<p>My son recieved his acceptance yesterday in NJ. He is at boarding school and didn’t recieve the “big envelope” until late mail. Nervewracking!</p>

147

<p>An acceptance here in Missouri…we are thrilled for our son and he is planning on attending the Accepted Student Day on the 17th.</p>

148

<p>I received my letter today, and I’m thrilled!!! William and Mary is my #1, but I’m unsure on whether I will be attending.</p>

<p>STATS:
White Female
Out of State (Texas Panhandle)
IB Diploma Candidate
100.75 GPA (Weighted)
Rank: 15/527
SAT: 2040 (single sitting) 2080 (superscore) 1410/1600 (730-Math, 680-Critical Reading)
ACT: 30
ECs: Orchestra (President), International Forum…International Club (President), National Honor Society, Suzuki Program, and Latin Club (Officer).
Essay: All my teachers thought it was excellent. It was a metaphor, comparing a drone used in Celtic music to my family history, stating how both provided the foundation needed to make music and live life.
Letters of Recommendation: Both were good, my IB Coordinator wrote an excellent letter that made it sound like I was the best thing since sliced bread.</p>

<p>Supplement- Superb…I really think I was admitted instead of waitlisted because of my supplement. I chose to make something instead of writing an essay, and I included little trinkets to symbolize who I was, explaining their meaning to me.</p>

149

<p>Oos accepted!!!</p>

150

<p>thank you for those wise words swish14. Right now, S is reveling in the outcome of his years of hard work. Sadly, our school district does not send many to selective schools such as W&M, so outcomes such as his are viewed with awe. We hope and pray that he finds time over the next 28 days to calm down and listen to his inner self.</p>

<p>no matter where you go, there you are</p>

151

<p>I got accepted yesterday!! I live in North Texas (near Dallas).</p>

152

<p>My daughter has been “wait listed” at W&M. Does anyone know what that process involves? Should she be making alternative plans?</p>

153

<p>Yes. Even if she chooses to remain on the W & M waiting list, she should decide on one of the schools where she has an acceptance, send her deposit, and be enthusiastic about it. If she was deemed qualified at W & M, her other options are probably quite strong. Last year, over 1200 students accepted a place on the waitlist at W & M, and fewer than 20 were accepted. Sounds ridiculous, I know! Best of luck to your daughter. If she chooses the W & M waitlist, she can write admissions a letter and update them about her recent achievements. Someone is going to get off that list, and it might be your d - but it would be best for her to move forward with other plans while she waits to hear. She may decide that she likes her other choices better after all.</p>

154

<p>Radicalistic, my daughter ¶ was waitlisted: GPA unwtd 3.93, SATs 1470/2250, 7 APs, pretty good ECs. you posted SATs… what were your other stats?</p>

155

<p>I got in, didn’t believe it. Fully expected a waitlist/rejection. In fact, I was fighting to stay awake and felt sort of depressed after being waitlisted at Rice ( prolonging the process = annoying unless they’re seriously considering admitting you…) Anyway I was sleep deprived due to my course load senior year (hadn’t slept the night before) and I was trying to see what was in the mail. I saw WM and welcome, but the font seemed different than was described based on the scholar’s acceptances. I thought it was going to be a waitlist or something really annoying but I got in, pretty fantastic feeling. </p>

<p>To those out there that were rejected some things to consider:
30% of people graduate from a 4 year university. Consider that when you’re considering schools in the top 50 or even the top 100 on the USNWR. You’re already looking at top 10% or higher. Now look at famous scientists. Most of them went to undergrad at a fairly standard university and went to a more prestigious school for grad school. It is unbelievable how many famous scientists this applies to. Tour the schools you got into, and you can always transfer (although don’t go to college with the goal of transferring, you’ll be miserable). </p>

<p>My stats (quick):
White, Male, OOS (California)
SAT 2150 (1500/1600)
GPA: 4.0W (sophomore+Junior), 4.2W with senior year ( Senior year GPA is 4.75 for first 2 quarters, should be 4.5 second two for total of 4.63 or so)
EC: pretty generic, some clubs, computer jobs etc.
Why I got in (imo): I think I really nailed the essays, partly because I researched the schools I applied to and REALLY knew why I wanted to go there. Juniors, I think my senior year course rigor (5AP) really was a factor in my decision. Good luck to all accepted/rejected!</p>

156

<p>ADHDFTL, congrats! :)</p>

<p>I remember feeling the same way the day I got in. I was fully ready for a deferr/waitlist, was literally sick and sleep deprived after staying up til 4 AM almost everyday for that week. But god, that acceptance made all that worth it! :)</p>

<p>Also, I completely agree with what you said about the scientists thing. So true. Congrats to class of 2014 so far.</p>

157

<p>No problem!</p>

<p>White, Female, Ohio
Catholic All Girls School
5/160
2170 (1420)
GPA: 4.31
ECs: 4 years Varsity Tennis, President of NHS, Secretary of Student Council, Vice President of Environmental Concerns of students, other leadership positions, tutoring at local library, loads of community service</p>

<p>Honestly, I think I owe my acceptance to my essays/counselor rec combo. They all included a bit of that quirky humor that characterizes William & Mary, at least in my opinion.</p>

158

<p>Thank you very much.</p>

159

<p>I am sorry but the coment on “quirky humor” put me over the top.</p>

<p>W&M Admissions isn’t quirky the are epitome of smarmy and self indulgent.</p>

<p>As you might guess my daughter wasn’t accepted after going early decision and having her heart set on W&M for a couple of years so I have an edge on. She got a curtesy wait list at ED and then denied RD.</p>

<p>She comes from a small school in NoVa and was the classic “good citizen” candidate with weak SAT’s.</p>

<p>Her profile was as follows:</p>

<p>GPA: 3.9 Unweighted
SAT: 1290
ACT: 28
Varsity Soccer Four Years, Captain Junior and Senior Years
Varsity Basketball Four Years, Captain Junior and Senior Years
Varsity Vollyball Four Years, Captain Senior Year
Varsity Cross Country Senior Year, 23rd out of 220 runners in VA Independent School State Meet (she ran this part time in the Fall while playing Volly Ball and travel soccer)
Washington Area Girls Soccer League - Premier Washington area travel league through out HS
Tutored Underclassmen in Algebra annually
Worked part time job managing local parish gym during CYO basketball season
Worked in Summer Bible Camps for local parish
Editor and Photographer for HS Yearbook Four Years
Leader of HS Service Org
Etc, etc</p>

<p>She has received Presidential Scholarships (or similar from Saint Joseph’s, Shenandoah University, Catholic University, Randolph, Randolph Macon, Duquesne.</p>

<p>She made a preliminary application to the Naval Academy after being named camper of the week at their soccer camp and had her phone ringing off the hook from the Blue/Gold Officer assigned to her encouraging her to apply because of her leadership attributes.</p>

<p>But I knew the true tenor of W&M when she went for her interview last summer. The kid doing the interview was originally from South Dakota and only applied to W&M “because it was easy to click the Common App button.” You could tell he had his and he was being pretty superior about holding some role in deciding who got theirs. After the interview it was clear from the sneer in his face that my D wasn’t up to snuff for him. After talking to my daughter I could tell that she had been too open and without guile with him. When she emailed several months later with a question and comment about whether the interviewers kept track of the percentage of folks they interviewed that actually applied or got admitted, he never responded. </p>

<p>Two kids from her school were accepted to W&M. No legacy, no EC’s of consequence, lower or equal GPA’s just stratospheric boards and they were male. A Lebanese friend or hers from another school didn’t crack 1200 in the boards, a 3.5 GPA with no honors and had no EC’s to speak of; accepted.</p>

<p>All the baloney about the holistic approach to class selection is just that. If you are white, and female you better have a lead on the cure for cancer to be assured of admittence. All Henry B’s kumbaya goes out the window and they rank order the SAT’s.</p>

<p>My D was accepted to a number of six year DPT Programs which is were she is focusing on at this point. So when the PolySci majors get out of W&M looking for jobs or their parents to pay for grad school, she will be on track to be a Doctor of Physical Therapy and have a profession within two years. </p>

<p>I am sorry we ever applied.</p>

160

<p>I hope that your daughter quickly embraces her path (6-year DPT) - I know that my life has benefitted more from a physical therapist than a polysci major (quirky humor #1)- that being said, a dose of reality - from the list of schools it would appear that W & M was a ‘reach school’ from the start. You did not provide a list of courses but one might suspect that other W&M applicants accepted a more rigorous course load. MANY worthy candidates did not receive the results they had hoped for (and I am sure the student from South Dakota did not interview them all - quirky humor #2). If you find a degree of comfort in blaming a specific element of the process - good for you, but for your D’s sake, let it go.</p>