<p>I was accepted to William and Mary with an undecided major but I think that I will eventually go into business. I am an OOS student with 2 unemployed parents and almost zero financial aid so my question for current students or WM graduates is how well did WM prepare you for the work force? If I spend the extra money for WM I will graduate with over 20k debt and before I consider that I want to know whether a WM education will allow me to pay that back relatively quickly...?</p>
<p>Also, religion is not at all a part of my life. Would this keep me from getting along with WM students? Now that I have been accepted I am worried that the presence of religion might be a little too strong in the south.</p>
<p>If I don't go to WM I will probably go to my state school, which is huge, not as prestigious, and not as expensive. The remaining (and most unlikely) option is a small, selective liberal arts college that was my first choice but is outrageously expensive.</p>
<p>Virginia is a bit different than the rest of the American South. Especially since Northern Virginia seems a bit more like the American Northeast than the South.</p>
<p>And the majority of kids at William and Mary are from the liberal enclave that is the People’s Democratic Republic of Northern Virginia. ;)</p>
<p>Virginia went blue in 2008, by the way. Also, Virginia has 2 Democratic senators, as well as a Democratic governor.</p>
<p>Average starting salaries for BBA grads was in the $50k range. Whether or not you consider that “enough” comes down to your personal finances and the kinds of loans you would have to take. Your state school might be able to provide these figures if you ask.</p>
<p>Given the current economic climate, it’s worth noting that business majors are being hit hard. Jobs in finance for new graduates are down 70% according to Time. Accounting was down somewhere around 30-35%. Other fields (business and otherwise) are not immune to the current crisis, but business has been hit harder than most. Whether or not you think things will turn around in four years should be a factor in your decision. (<a href=“http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1882979,00.html[/url]”>http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1882979,00.html</a>)</p>
<p>As I just said in another thread, it all comes down to what you want to do. If you want to do scientific research with professors, go to graduate, law or business school, then W&M may definitely be worth it. Hopefully, the economy will be better in 4 years as well. All historical indications say that it will, as the last recession that lasted 4 years was the Great one (iirc).</p>
<p>There is plentiful diversity within the College - including religious diversity. Everyone can find people just like them, but I’d advise against making religion one of the things you base your choices of friends on.</p>
<p>20K over 4 years is very manageable, IMO. If it’s 20K each year, I would go to your state school in a heartbeat.</p>
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<p>Please do not let this worry you at all. I have never been to church in my life (except for weddings and funerals) and I did not feel a strong religious presence on campus, or really any religious presence. Sure, there are religious groups, but they do not go out attempting to find converts or anything. I was friends with people who never went to church, people who went to church sometimes, and people who went to church every sunday.</p>