William & Mary: A STEM & Flower College

Updated: Jul 24

Founded in 1693, William & Mary is a historic public university in Williamsburg, Virginia, known as the original "public Ivy." William & Mary has a student body of 6,800 undergraduates and 2,800 graduate students, classifying it as a mid-sized institution.

The university has a rich history, having educated three U.S. presidents and created Phi Beta Kappa. Its campus, divided into historic, old, and new sections, includes the Wren Building, the oldest college building in the U.S.

William & Mary is the second oldest college in the U.S. William & Mary

· is the birthplace of the Phi Beta Kappa honor society,

· founded the first law school in the US,

· was the first college to offer instruction in modern languages, and

· is home to the first student honor code.

Wren Building at William & Mary — Wren Builiding: The Oldest College Building in the U.S.

William & Mary Academics: STEM & Flower

William & Mary's rigorous academic programs emphasize liberal arts, with popular majors in STEM, government, and business. The curriculum includes first-year seminars, interdisciplinary courses, and a senior capstone project. There are two first-year seminars:

1) a COLL 100 class that emphasizes nonwritten work, and has a 25-student cap and

2) a COLL 150 class, which focuses on writing and has a 15-student cap.

Most William & Mary students are STEM majors. However, William & Mary’s courses history, global studies, and international relations are the “flower” that really impress me. Not surprisingly, William & Mary has a COLL 300 global education requirement, which students can fulfill on- or off-campus.

The university supports research through the Charles Center. Eighty percent of students participate in faculty-mentored research. William & Mary provides competitive grants for students to stay on campus to conduct research with professors over the summer.

William & Mary Research Wall — Student Coauthored Papers

Over one-half of the classes at William & Mary have fewer than 30 students. Roughly three percent of the classes have over 100 students, but those classes most always break into smaller sections.

William & Mary Students

William and Mary is an excellent choice for academically inclined students. All too often, highly selective colleges do not offer a particularly rigorous academic environment. William & Mary, however, is not a party school for students who performed well academically in high school.

Students who are “burnt out” academically or are likely to peak the day they are admitted to their dream college should avoid going to William & Mary. William & Mary students describe a cooperative and supportive culture despite a "stress culture" related to academic rigor.

The student body is predominantly Virginian, with efforts to improve socioeconomic and racial diversity ongoing.

William & Mary Admissions

Unlike most public universities, William & Mary offers Early Decision I & II for admission as well as regular admissions. It has holistic admissions, and every application is read at least twice. Students declare majors their sophomore year, and a student’s major is not a factor in admissions.

William & Mary has some unique standards when it evaluates students for admission, particularly its emphasis in foreign language. William & Mary wants to see four classes in each academic subject area, including a foreign language.

William & Mary does not convert GPAs. It evaluates student transcripts in the context of the student’s school. William & Mary evaluates transcripts for rigor as well as grades. A straight-A student who only takes one AP class (but attends a high school that offers many AP classes) is not likely to be admitted.

William & Mary looks for deep involvement in an extracurricular activity as opposed to a breadth of involvement. William & Mary emphasizes that meaningful extracurriculars can take place outside of high schools.

William & Mary wants to see student essays that reflect who the student is. Students should not try to impress the admissions office by writing about their accomplishments. William & Mary would prefer for students to write about what they care about. Students should complete the optional essays.

William & Mary requires one letter of recommendation, but it encourages students to submit two from core academic teachers.

William & Mary is both test-optional and interview optional. The availability of interviews can dry up in the fall. Current Seniors conduct the interviews of prospective students.

William & Mary Off-Campus Programs

Wiliam & Mary offers unique programs at St. Andrews in Scotland and in Washington, DC. Students in the joint-degree program with St. Andrews have their choice of six majors: English, History, International Relations, Classical Studies, Economics, and Film. Students must apply to the joint program during their senior year of high school. The DC Semester program offers classes taught by William and Mary professors. The program includes an internship. The DC program is popular with Government and International Relations majors but open to all.

William & Mary Housing

William & Mary Housing is outdated, but William & Mary has a 10-year plan to improve on-campus housing. Kudos to the tour guide who volunteered that some dorms lack air conditioning instead of trying to hide that from prospective students. Students are typically required to live on-campus their first two years at William & Mary.

Jim Houser Educ8Fit Consulting Touring William & Mary — William & Mary Campus Tour

William & Mary Extracurriculars

William and Mary's Division 1 sports teams don't draw large crowds. The arts, however, are highly valued, with strong attendance at arts events and a new arts building. There are numerous student organizations, and Greek life is active, though not dominant.

William & Mary Affordability

The level of attention students receive at William & Mary is closer to what you find at a private college rather than a public college. Consequently, the cost of attendance is high for a public university, around $45 K for in-state students and $71 K for out-of-state students.

William & Mary prioritizes need-based aid for in-state students. Virginia residents can learn more about state-based financial aid here: https://www.educ8fit.com/post/save-money-on-virginia-tuition. William & Mary requires applicants for need-based aid to submit both the CSS profile and the FAFSA.

William & Mary offers nearly 300 athletic scholarships annually.

Educ8Fit Consulting

I work with students and families on the college and graduate school admission process. I help them navigate such complexities as merit aid and international admissions. Please contact Educ8Fit Consulting at either Jim@Educ8Fit.com or College Admission Counseling | Educ8fit Consulting | United States, contact for a free 30-minute consultation.