W&M Blogs
The Proverbial Light at the End of the Tunnel
February 14, 2013 by Admit It!
We Admit It! This is definitely a lengthy process. We know you feel like the wait between January 1 and April 1 is an eternity. As we get deeper into the process, we begin to feel the same way, but there’s a light at the end of the reading season tunnel.
Just a quick update on where we are in our process.
- For all intents and purposes, we have downloaded from the Common Application every regular decision application submitted. That means every applicant and his/her parents have received an initial email from us confirming receipt of their Common App.
- We have completed every application that we believe we can with the materials we have in our office. We are in the process of emailing those whose applications remain incomplete to let you know what’s missing and how to submit it. Those emails should be in your in-box by the end of the week. Please respond to them immediately so that we can complete your application and review it.
- The last batch of our likely postcards will be sent in the coming days. Remember, not receiving a postcard does not portend any particular decision. We are still completing the review of numerous files. Plus we have our entire committee process ahead of us.
- As mid-year grades are arriving we are filing those appropriately.
- We will begin our committee process in the coming days so stay tuned for our “Overheard in Committee” blog series.
- We do not yet know our decision release date. We cannot guess at it or predict it. Our process is made up of so many moving parts that there’s really no way to know when decisions will be released until just a few hours before we release them. We will absolutely announce that decisions have been released on our website and social media. We will also post our “Decisions, Decisions” blogs once the decisions are on their way to your in-boxes.
Thank you faithful readers for your patience and for sticking with us through this process. We can see the light at the end of the tunnel. We hope you can too.
Wendy Livingston ’03, M.Ed. ‘09
Associate Dean of Admission
Hi – I was wondering if any of this information (including the likely postcards) applies to graduate applicants or if it only pertains to undergrads. Thank you.
If a student was deferred from the earlier decision process, should we still be receiving an email confirming that their application was rolled into the regular decision group? I have not received anything and it makes me a bit nervous since you stated above that you sent out emails. Thanks!
@Gradstudent, we don’t work with any graduate admission processes. Our best guess is that we are the only admission office on campus that sends the likely postcard. Other offices may have their own kind of likely communication but you’d have to check with the one you’re applying to.
@Momofsenior13, the emails we are referring to above would have been sent when your student sent in his/her application in the fall. A student who is deferred is automatically reviewed again during regular decision but receives no additional emails until they receive their final decision email.
RE” “the emails we are referring to above would have been sent when YOUR STUDENT sent in his/her application in the fall.”
Dear Admin office,
We do not have “students.” We have sons and daughters. They are our CHILDREN, not our students.
Hello Admit it,
Do you know what the recommended length for the 1693-Murray Scholarship essay is?
@ParentofaChild
As a high school senior, I am greatful that W&M refers to us as students. This blog is not just for parents, but it is also for us STUDENTS. Yes, I self-identify as a student. Yes, I consider myself to be a student of my parents because they have taught me so much.
I feel sorry for your son/daughter that you would publicly point out that you have taught him/her nothing and/or that you have nothing to teach him/her.
@ParentofaChild, we meant no offense. The parent themselves who posted the comment referred to their child as a student and since we didn’t know the gender of the student we just felt using similar language made the most sense but we appreciate the feedback.
@J, those instructions are generally provided when asked for the 1693 essay. If they weren’t, feel free to reach out to whomever contacted you and ask for clarification.
My daughter is graduating in January 2014 and would like to apply for admission in the Spring semester. Is that an option? if so, where can I find deadlines. Also, do you accept day students? Thank you.
@Alum and Parent, unfortunately that is not an option. First-time freshman applicants can only apply for the fall semester so that we can be sure they get a full Orientation process. We certainly do accept day students but again, for first-time freshman, only for the fall semester.
Thank you for your answer. What is your opinion of having her take TNCC classes for the Spring semester and applying as a Freshman in the Fall. Or is it better to have her stay in high school for the Spring semester.
@Alum and Parent, that’s hard to answer without additional information. We generally recommend that students graduate on time and not early so as to allow themselves to have the fullest opportunity in and outside of class as far as their college applications go. If she were to take TNCC classes after graduating from high school, she would need to apply as a transfer applicant.
I never received a confirming receipt, but I have received all of the other pieces you are talking about. All of the required materials were sent in on time, and I have gotten other emails that the school has sent out to students who have applied. The only thing I have not received is the confirmation receipt for the Common Application.
@Mike, if you got an email saying we had completed your application then you did get the email confirming receipt of your Common Application (which would have come several weeks earlier) and may have just missed it. As long as you have communcation from us that your application is complete you’re good to go.
Would you have emailed me otherwise if my application was not complete?
@Mike, yes. As we mentioned in this blog we emailed everyone a few weeks ago whose application was incomplete.