Hi everyone! I was recently accepted into all of the above schools and am really at a loss as to which one would be right for me (I plan on visiting, but if I could narrow it down to two schools that would be great).
I’m the type of person who will have a conversation about 18th century Russian politics with you, but will also go barhopping on the weekends- so having an intellectual atmosphere and a strong social scene are both important to me. I’m worried that UVA will be too preppy for me (not sure if I’ll join a sorority) and while I like the quirkiness of W&M, it seems like I might end up surrounded by introverts and stuck in a less than exhilarating town for 4 years. A tight community is also really really essential, and it seems like Emory might not have that.
Also, I’ll probably major in English and I definitely want to participate in theatre, so if any of you know anything about those two aspects that would be great!
Hi @rachela1214! I am currently a student at William and Mary, and I really do recommend visiting (particularly on admitted students day) to your choices if you can. One thing that I love about William and Mary is that you can really have really cool discussions about life and other intellectual discussions with so many different people. I feel like I am always learning from others and everyone is passionate about something. Heck, this even happened late night at 2pm after going to a party. Most of the parties and whatnot will likely either take place on-campus or slightly off-campus, but you’re right that there are limited amount of bars close to campus. Nevertheless, there is CW to explore and Busch Gardens leads to fun day excursions. Personally, I really like outdoor adventures so the outdoors club does many trips into the mountains each weekend that I find enjoyable.
I would say the community here is exceptionally strong, and it is not something I have come to appreciate until I step off campus. There is such a community of trust that I don’t feel nervous about leaving my laptop out in public and there are just many friendly people on campus, which is such a contrast from high school. There are introverted people here, but I have a mix of friends that are introverted and extroverted and I can cross between friends that want to go out on weekends and ones that prefer to have mafia nights fairly easily. Like I said, community is important, and though “One Tribe, One Family” sounds more like an admissions mantra, it definitely has its place on campus where there are people that support one another.
What are your interests in English? One of the good parts about William and Mary is the focus on undergraduates, which allows for some cool research projects. Like one of my freshman friends has work-study so he emailed his professor asking for any job openings in the English department. And as a result, she forwarded it to every single professor in the English department and he is now working on research for a book a professor is writing as well as working with the office of community engagement. Professors are generally helpful and willing to assist you. Outside that, I am not too familiar with the English or theatre program to comment, although there is a consistent amount of really cool spoken word performances on campus.
In general, it is very difficult to put people into boxes. Like my roommate is in a fraternity but is not a “typical fraternity dude” or at least not the image that comes up. because he is also involved in the same type of community action research that I am and he does other things. Likewise, when I hosted prospective students and listened to my some of my friends’ comments, they said they might look into joining greek life here versus other schools because it was “not as crazy” and people were involved in other things beside greek life.
In any case, I hope you find what you are looking for in your college search. Definitely look into each of your options to see if you still have any concerns. If you are concerned about the social life, do try and stay overnight if possible and see which type of environment suits you. I was considering similar schools when applying to colleges. UVA has a good english program, Emory has the Oxford campus option for a closer community, and Wake Forest is around the same size as WM. Each of them do have their differences though. Good luck with your college decisions!
UVA and Emory have very strong English departments (my D is at Emory), but I don’t know about W&M or Wake Forest. There was a recent poll listing the Top 10 Colleges for Writers, featuring both UVA and Emory. D has found Emory’s English faculty to be extremely helpful and approachable, with high expectations, which is what she wanted. The school annually hosts world renowned poets and writers (S. Rushdie has lectured and sat in on fiction classes) and writing competitions. Since there’s a new playwriting and theatre studies co-major, one could assume that new plays are regularly premiered as well.
Emory’s student body is more supportive of performing arts than sports (Div.III, no football team.) The state of the art Schwartz Center for Performing Arts regularly presents world class artists on tour.
Emory has plenty to do for students who are not into Greek life (which my D is not), with community service options, music, etc. My D is somewhat of an introvert but is very happy with her circle of friends.
One of my D’s friends is at W&M and is very happy. She decided to attend W&M because she was interested in US history, but has since changed her major.