William and Mary has blown my mind, and I love it. The classes are small and the professors are not only intelligent and talented but incredibly giving with their time, so personalized academic help is just a 5-minute walk or an email away. What surprised me, though, was how much I learned from my classmates! W&M is a tough school, and the intelligence, work ethic and dedication I see on a daily basis are positively humbling. Those same students are friendly, too, and often eager to share and listen to ideas. However the students are not competing with each other - the academic atmosphere both challenges and encourages students, and intellectual growth is almost inevitable, but not miserable and GPA-driven. W&M is also unique in its opportunities for undergraduate research. Professors who give so much time and effort to quality classes also often are conducting research, and they do not limit valuable research assistant positions to graduate students. Some friends of mine in a Biology lab discovered a new strain of bacteria phage - as freshmen! Few universities can offer both quality undergraduate classes and so many opportunities for both professor-led and independent undergraduate research.
Do you enjoy the experience at your school?
At William and Mary, work hard and play harder barely captures the atmosphere on campus. Academics come first, and everyone has that priority in common. Still, often the most difficult decision of the week is not how to come up with a thesis to answer a question for a paper, but what to do on a Friday night when four or five great possibilities all conflict! The students know how to have a good time, and most also have a good heart - volunteer work is common and constantly increasing.
Do you feel you’re getting value for the money you’re spending on college?
I am an in-state student, and chose William and Mary partly for the in-state rate, despite its shortage of financial aid. Still, W&M puts students first, and it shows! Not only is a W&M education top-notch, but there is someone on-campus to help you with any conceivable question, dream, problem, or idea - for free. Swem Library is phenomenal, and offers services that I never knew any school could provide, let alone in a library. The on-campus events, organizations, and activities are fantastic, and almost all the flyers advertising meetings or events or clubs usually promise free food.
Do you have any tips for prospective students?
Complete an optional submission - it can be anything! I submitted a DVD of a short film that I had completed during my time at the 2007 Virginia Summer Governor's School for the Humanities. It required no extra effort on my part except burning another DVD. I know other people who submitted essays written for other college applications. This is your chance to stand out!
Which types of students will excel at your college?
William and Mary is highly residential, meaning the vast majority of students live on-campus, a few live very nearby, and only a handful commute. Thus the College is great for students who want a traditional on-campus college experience and/or for students who will not have a car in college. I literally can walk everywhere I need to, and bike only if I'm running late.
For those interested specifically in a career in government or law, William and Mary's student body and location hold many possibilities. About two-thirds of the student body live in Virginia, and about half of those students live in northern Virginia, right outside of D.C. The W&M government department is huge, the W&M D.C. office coordinates more activities and internships every year, and chances are you will have at least one friend whose parent works for the government. That friend may or may not be allowed to know what exactly his/her parent does for the government!
William and Mary has solid academic departments across the board, and so also would be great for students who, like me, had no clue what to study in college right out of high school. You can choose to study anything at W&M and get a quality education. I recently decided on a Film Studies major while also undertaking pre-medical classes, which is completely possible. William and Mary academics and busy campus lifestyle are not for the faint of heart or for those who want life to be easy. However, the work pays off immediately - life at William and Mary is immensely rewarding and ridiculously fun!
William and Mary has blown my mind, and I love it. The classes are small and the professors are not only intelligent and talented but incredibly giving with their time, so personalized academic help is just a 5-minute walk or an email away. What surprised me, though, was how much I learned from my classmates! W&M is a tough school, and the intelligence, work ethic and dedication I see on a daily basis are positively humbling. Those same students are friendly, too, and often eager to share and listen to ideas. However the students are not competing with each other - the academic atmosphere both challenges and encourages students, and intellectual growth is almost inevitable, but not miserable and GPA-driven. W&M is also unique in its opportunities for undergraduate research. Professors who give so much time and effort to quality classes also often are conducting research, and they do not limit valuable research assistant positions to graduate students. Some friends of mine in a Biology lab discovered a new strain of bacteria phage - as freshmen! Few universities can offer both quality undergraduate classes and so many opportunities for both professor-led and independent undergraduate research.
At William and Mary, work hard and play harder barely captures the atmosphere on campus. Academics come first, and everyone has that priority in common. Still, often the most difficult decision of the week is not how to come up with a thesis to answer a question for a paper, but what to do on a Friday night when four or five great possibilities all conflict! The students know how to have a good time, and most also have a good heart - volunteer work is common and constantly increasing.
I am an in-state student, and chose William and Mary partly for the in-state rate, despite its shortage of financial aid. Still, W&M puts students first, and it shows! Not only is a W&M education top-notch, but there is someone on-campus to help you with any conceivable question, dream, problem, or idea - for free. Swem Library is phenomenal, and offers services that I never knew any school could provide, let alone in a library. The on-campus events, organizations, and activities are fantastic, and almost all the flyers advertising meetings or events or clubs usually promise free food.
Complete an optional submission - it can be anything! I submitted a DVD of a short film that I had completed during my time at the 2007 Virginia Summer Governor's School for the Humanities. It required no extra effort on my part except burning another DVD. I know other people who submitted essays written for other college applications. This is your chance to stand out!
William and Mary is highly residential, meaning the vast majority of students live on-campus, a few live very nearby, and only a handful commute. Thus the College is great for students who want a traditional on-campus college experience and/or for students who will not have a car in college. I literally can walk everywhere I need to, and bike only if I'm running late. For those interested specifically in a career in government or law, William and Mary's student body and location hold many possibilities. About two-thirds of the student body live in Virginia, and about half of those students live in northern Virginia, right outside of D.C. The W&M government department is huge, the W&M D.C. office coordinates more activities and internships every year, and chances are you will have at least one friend whose parent works for the government. That friend may or may not be allowed to know what exactly his/her parent does for the government! William and Mary has solid academic departments across the board, and so also would be great for students who, like me, had no clue what to study in college right out of high school. You can choose to study anything at W&M and get a quality education. I recently decided on a Film Studies major while also undertaking pre-medical classes, which is completely possible. William and Mary academics and busy campus lifestyle are not for the faint of heart or for those who want life to be easy. However, the work pays off immediately - life at William and Mary is immensely rewarding and ridiculously fun!