Hi everyone! Thanks so much for all the great answers on previous posts. I want to know more about William and Mary. Is the population mainly from South or East coast? Is it a friendly/inclusive school? Is greek life inclusive? I would also like more info about the surrounding town. thanks!
I’m a parent of a W&M student and can report that W&M has the reputation for being a very friendly and inclusive school. I’ve been quite impressed with how welcoming the student body as well as university staff have been to me and my DD who attends W&M. Per the VA State legislature, W&M’s student population is 2/3 from VA and 1/3 from out of state. You’ll find a sizeable population from nearby East Coast states including PA, NJ and MA. As far as Greek life, wish I could be more positive. It may depend on if you’re rushing a frat or sorority. Our experience was that Greek Life (sororities) was not at all inclusive. My DD is from out of state and knew no one at W&M before arriving. She’s a cute, intelligent, and accomplished young woman and out of the 8 sororities she was allowed to pref, not a single one invited her to the 2nd round. DD bounced back quite well and has found much more rewarding organizations that have welcomed her with open arms. Williamsburg is a lovely small town and the W&M campus is beautiful. If you’re looking for a large town atmosphere, you’ll probably want to look elsewhere. In summary, DD is very happy at W&M and we’ve been equally happy that she made the decision to attend. Even though out of state tuition is not cheap, so far we feel like we’re getting our money’s worth.
Just visited William and Mary. It seemed very friendly and inclusive. Our tour guide said that Greek events are open and inclusive to all (she didn’t talk about the membership selection, as referenced above). She said that Greek life isn’t the typical “southern Greek style, with all the drinking” (not being from the south not quite sure what that means but I have an image) Right across the street is Colonial Williamsburg which is interesting, its a living history museum although I suspect students don’t do much there, but still extremely close by is Williamsburg which is a charming small town with lots of tourists due to the Colonial museums. Definitely a small town atmosphere, livened a bit by the tourist and history.