So every day we count new deposits, follow-up with those who have been made an offer off of the waitlist but haven’t responded, determine whether or not anyone who initially committed to W&M is withdrawing their deposit and assess whether or not we need to make additional admission offers.  As we make additional offers we do so on a case-by-case basis; not so much in waves but one offer here, another offer there.  So just because you haven’t heard anything doesn’t necessarily mean you won’t.

We do ask that if you are no longer interested in remaining on our waitlist, please email us at admission@wm.edu and ask that we withdraw your application from consideration.  This helps us to avoid considering any student who no longer remains interested, and therefore makes the process more efficient.  And remember, all students remaining on the waitlist will hear from us via email with a status update in mid-June.

Wendy Livingston ’03, M.Ed. ‘09
Associate Dean of Admission

Why is the number of remaining admission offers a moving target?
There are numerous reasons actually.  The first is that we continue to receive enrollment deposits from those admitted initially.  The second is that we have to be careful not to under-enroll our class (we are working to avoid that now but admitting students from the waitlist), but we also have to be careful not to over-enroll.  So if we make an offer to student A, we may have to wait his/her response before making an offer to student B.  Now of course we’re going to the waitlist for more than one student but hopefully that illustrates our point.  Third, as other colleges and universities activate their waitlists, some students who initially committed to W&M may decide to go elsewhere.  This may mean we get to make even more offers than initially expected.  Finally, there are often students who have admission buyers’ remorse (meaning though admitted to W&M, they turned us down for another school and then decide W&M is a better fit).  As those requests come in we need to carefully consider them and how allowing those students to deposit late would impact our class size.

How we make decisions about the waitlist?
Well, essentially our process begins anew.  Each of our regional deans is asked to assess all of the students within their region who remain on the waitlist.  We then, as a staff or Committee, try to determine who the most competitive students are that remain on the waitlist.  We will continue to do this throughout the process until our class is full.

How are students admitted from the waitlist notified?
Step 1: Initially we reach out to any student by phone (we will first call the cell phone if provided in the application and then the home phone if listed).  If we are not able to reach a student at any phone number we will leave messages and follow up via email.  These messages will ask you to get in touch with us (specifically the regional dean who reached out) within a day or two.  The initial contact will be done to assess whether or not you remain interested in attending W&M.  SO CHECK YOUR VOICEMAIL AND EMAIL (and yes that’s bolded and in shouty capitals for emphasis).

Step 2: If you remain interested, we will send your Good Things email that evening and put an admit pack in the mail to you the next day.  If you do not remain interested, we will withdraw your application.  If you do not respond to our messages, we will do one more follow-up email and then withdraw your application.

Step 3: If you are admitted, we ask you to make the enrollment deposit as soon as humanly possible.  We do allow two weeks to make that final commitment if necessary, but we ask that students be as expedient as possible with this process.  First, it’s in your best interest (the sooner you make your decision the sooner you can move forward with new student transition materials for W&M).  Second, if you are not serious about the offer, please decline it so that we can make the offer to another interested student.

Step 4: Once you submit an enrollment deposit you will have access to the online site designed specifically for entering students.  Those admitted from the waitlist have not missed any deadlines or programs.  They are on the same footing as those admitted in April.

Step 5: We will continue to assess where our class stands and if additional offers of admission can be made.  This process can certainly take several weeks to run its course.  As previously noted, we will be in contact with all students who remain on the waitlist by June 15 (via email) to provide an additional update.

Our process will likely be in this state of flux for the next few weeks as we reach out to those initial students we wish to admit from the waitlist.  We will do our best to keep everyone informed should there be any additional helpful information.

Wendy Livingston ’03, M.Ed. ‘09
Associate Dean of Admission

May 1 is a postmark deadline.  Additionally, when necessary, we do grant some extensions on the deposit deadline.  So we will continue to collect deposits and analyze the status of the incoming class over the course of the next few days.  We hope to have more information early next week or shortly thereafter.  When and if we are able to go to the waitlist we will let you know how that process (which can be a relatively short one or a lengthy one) plays itself out.

We ask again for your patience.  We hope to have another update soon.

Wendy Livingston ’03, M.Ed. ‘09
Associate Dean of Admission

Decisions are emailed to the applicant only. The sender is College of William & Mary at undergraduateadmission@wm.edu.  This will likely appear as a “Do Not Reply” email. We use a do not reply email address not to offend or because we don’t want to hear from our applicants, but because we need to keep this channel open to release decisions. Decisions are sent to all applicants for fall transfer admission; regardless of decision (unless your application remains incomplete in which case you will not receive a decision email today).  The subject will be either “Good News” or “William & Mary Admission Decision.” Only those students who are admitted will receive a follow-up in the mail. Waitlisted and denied students receive the email only. If you do not receive an email, you can contact us on Monday at 757-221-4223, and we will attempt to resend the decision using a different email tool or find an alternative method of communicating your decision to you. Read on to find out more about the decisions we made and how we made them.

Admitted! – The subject line “Good News” should tell you all you need to know. Congratulations and welcome to the Tribe! This email is just a preview. A shiny admission package, complete with letter suitable for framing, is on its way to your mailbox. The email you got has a link to our transfer welcome site. You will find a great deal of information there that is often helpful to newly admitted students.

Your applications were truly impressive, and we are honored to have you join the Classes of 2015, 2016 and 2017. You will add so much flavor to our student body. We hope you will join us on campus on May 4 for Day for Admitted Transfer Students to learn more about what awaits you in Williamsburg.  And don’t forget to submit your enrollment deposit by May 15 to officially join the Tribe.  Again, congratulations!

Waitlisted – We know this wasn’t the “Good News” you were hoping for, but a waitlist isn’t the end of the line. First of all, it recognizes the competitiveness of your application. The transfer process is a selective one and this year we had an increase in the number of transfer applications forcing us to make some tough decisions. A waitlist decision recognizes that your application was strong, that you were right to apply. We know you would be successful at W&M, and we’re sorry we do not have room at this time to make you a formal admission offer.

There could be a number of reasons for the waitlist decision. Maybe you’re part of one of our guaranteed enrollment programs and we’re waiting for you to finish your semester (or even summer work) to see if you meet the terms of the agreement. Maybe we didn’t receive mid-semester grades so we’re waiting to see how you fare this semester. Maybe your application was incredibly solid but other applications were just a bit more compelling. Whatever the reason, again, do not look at this as something you did wrong.  It’s simply the case that so many applicants do everything right.

So where do you go from here? Well, if you remain interested in W&M, complete the waitlist response form linked in your decision email. Then, be sure to send us a final transcript when the semester ends. We will then wait and see what happens among those who were offered admission.  If come late May or early June we find that we have room to admit additional transfer students, we will turn to the transfer waitlist (initially about 100 students are placed on the transfer waitlist).

Denied – That’s never an easy decision to get. It’s disappointing, it’s frustrating, it’s irritating, it’s sad, it’s a million different other things. It may not even seem fair. We totally get it. You’re allowed to be upset, mad, enraged, confused, miffed; just realize this decision in no way conveys a judgment about you or your accomplishments. Most of the students who are denied are smart, capable, talented men and women. They simply aren’t as competitive in a selective admission pool as other students. We know how fortunate we are to have such accomplished individuals apply to W&M. The not-so-great flip side to selective admission is that we have to send out bad news. For that we are sorry.

Yes this is the end of the road for this particular application cycle.  However, it may not be the end of the road to W&M.  There are students who have reapplied and gotten more favorable news after taking additional courses and receiving additional grades. That’s not always the case, but it is sometimes. If W&M remains the place you want to be, feel free to contact us in the coming weeks. We can try to guide you as to how to improve your application.

We would once again like to give a shout out to all of our fall transfer applications. We’ve very much enjoyed the opportunity to learn your stories and review your applications. We Admit It! We’re glad this reading season has finally come to a close. Thanks for helping us to wind down the cycle on a high note.

Wendy Livingston ’03, M.Ed. ‘09
Associate Dean of Admission

Okay, now with that out of the way, let’s move on to this edition of “Overheard in Transfer Committee.”  Today’s blog gets to the non-academic side of our review process.  There are so many great backgrounds and perspectives that transfer students bring to our campus.  You bring experiences that oftentimes our freshmen cannot.  Those backgrounds, perspectives and life experiences help round out your application.  Much like with our freshman process, it’s not just about numbers.  And that leads to this edition of Overheard in Transfer Committee.

Overheard in Transfer Committee today: Are they really doing nothing outside of class?

There’s a reason the Transfer Common Application asks about extracurricular activities and work experience.  It’s because we’re admitting an entire person; not just who you are in the classroom.  Whether you’re a typical college freshman getting involved in anything from Greek life to service to debate or whether you’re a non-traditional student who’s working, who’s in the military or who has full-time family responsibilities, we want to know how you’re spending your time outside of class.  Not only does that provide us with a fuller picture of what you might be able to contribute to campus, but it also helps us put into context your educational history such as gaps in enrollment, grade trends, course loads, etc.  For example, if you’re a varsity athlete at a Division I school, we know that you have a lot to balance and that helps us to put your courses and grades in context.  If you’re a spouse and parent who’s working, going to class at night and taking care of a family, that helps us not only see what kind of unique perspective you can bring to W&M, but also helps us understand why maybe you took several years off from school.

The student whose application we were reviewing earlier today was a college sophomore who listed no college activities or employment.  They listed a few activities from high school and that was it.  So while as a student they were certainly competent, we wondered what else they could bring to the table if admitted.  From the information they provided, it appeared to be very little.  So we implore you, don’t slough that part of the application off.  Let us know what you’ve been up to.  Provide the fullest picture of yourself possible.

As of today, we hope to conclude our committee deliberations in the next few days.  After that we need to finish any last-minute completed applications, enter all decisions into our system, double and triple check them, and prepare all of the decision emails to be released.  We cannot, with any certainty, say how long this will take.  Each step depends on finishing the previous one.  Just know that we are working hard to bring this process to a close and will do so by the May 1 release date we’ve always advertised, if not before that.  Keep an eye out for our “Decisions, Decisions – Transfer Edition” blog.  That’s how you’ll know that all decisions have been released.

Wendy Livingston ’03, M.Ed. ‘09
Associate Dean of Admission

Overheard in Transfer Committee: It’s nice to see she’s making her way through the GERs.

What the heck does that mean you ask?  Well it means that the student who we were reviewing was taking a good assortment of classes across the curriculum.  William & Mary is a liberal arts university.  We don’t hide from that.  In fact, we’re quite proud of it.  Yes we understand that college is a time that you get to specialize and take the classes you’re super interested in.  But we also know there’s value in studying diverse subjects, in being pushed outside of your comfort zone, in approaching learning from a variety of pedagogies.  So here at W&M we have a system of General Education Requirements or GERs which ensure that all students at least get their feet wet in a broad variety of subjects before they graduate.

The particular applicant we were reviewing was hoping to transfer to W&M as an incoming junior.  We of course assume that the farther along you are in college, the more you’ll want to spend your time at W&M focusing on your major(s) or minor.  So we were glad to see that she had taken classes that would transfer to W&M as fulfilling most of our GERs.  That way, once at W&M, she really could pick and choose her classes instead of worrying about a variety of graduate requirements.  In other words, she could spend the bulk of her time at W&M in the departments in which she was most interested.  And it was specific W&M academic departments that in fact attracted her to W&M in the first place.  That’s what we would all call a win-win right?

Certainly transfer students do not have to fulfill every single GER prior to transferring.  However, W&M freshmen and sophomores certainly take several if not most of their GER classes during their first few years on campus.  Therefore, we like to see prospective transfer students behave similarly.  What we don’t always like to see is transfer students who are clearly taking only the classes they really like and who are in fact avoiding the classes that are outside their comfort zone (for example the English major who’s avoiding science courses or the math major who’s avoiding history courses).  Being challenged is a good thing.  Being liberally educated is a good thing.  This applicant was doing a good thing.

So transfer applicants, continue with us on this journey.  Committee will last for several more days, and we’ll have another “Overheard in Committee” blog for you before it’s all said and done.

Wendy Livingston ’03, M.Ed. ‘09
Associate Dean of Admission

And they’re off. Letters go out.

A few weeks ago we were so excited to send off the thick envelopes.  Now we want to put all those names with faces.  Come to campus on Saturday.  Explore it.  Soak it in.  Meet our students, our faculty and our staff.  Everyone, and we do mean everyone (and that includes a mythical beast that is 1/3 lion, 1/3 eagle and 1/3 awesome), will be on hand to make sure you have an amazing day discovering what W&M has in store for you over the course of the next four years.

Want to meet with our pre-professional program advisors?  They’ll be there.  Want to learn more about study abroad?  We have a session for that.  Want to explore the vast array of student organizations you can join as a member of the Tribe?  The Activities Fair will help you with that.  Have questions about fraternities and sororities?  Our Greek Life staff will be on hand.  Already decided to attend W&M and want to know what comes next?  Our Orientation staff is also presenting a session.  And then there’s the mock faculty lectures, the student panels, the spring football game, the sessions on everything from Career Services to residence life, the campus tours, the student performance showcase, the departmental open houses, the list goes on and on.  This day is intentionally jam-packed so that you can determine whether or not W&M is the best fit for you.

More information about Day for Admitted Students including a schedule of events and registration information can be found through the Welcome website.

One Tribe and now it’s yours.  Enjoy it.  We’ll see you Saturday.

Wendy Livingston ’03, M.Ed. ‘09
Associate Dean of Admission

So a brief update as to where we are in our process.

• Those applicants whose applications are complete and ready for review have received an email to that extent
• Those applicants for whom we are missing something have also been emailed.  That email lets you know what we’re missing and how to submit it.  Please check your email and submit whatever we’re missing ASAP!  There’s no penalty assessed or anything; we just want to be able to complete and review your application.
• If you have not yet submitted your mid-semester grades, please do so now.  Simply download the Common Application’s Mid-Term Report, have each of your professors note your current grade and sign the form.  Then simply fax the completed form to us at 757-221-1242.
• We are reviewing transfer applications every day.  Committee will begin in a few weeks (keep a look out for the return of the “Overheard in Committee” blogs).
• We do not have a release date for decisions yet.  Like our freshman process, we will not know that date until it’s upon us.  It will be by May 1 at the latest.

We are very much enjoying your stories and we look forward to having those admitted join the classes of 2015 and 2016!  And as always, if you have any questions, feel free to post a comment and we’ll get back to you.

Wendy Livingston ’03, M.Ed. ‘09
Associate Dean of Admission

Decisions are emailed to all students regardless of the decision we made.  Those who are admitted will receive an email entitled “Good Things.”  Yes this means what you think it means.  Don’t second guess it.  Instead celebrate it; you’ve earned it!  Other students will receive an email with the subject “William & Mary Admission Decision.”  Because we do not mail anything to those who are waitlisted or denied, the entirety of your letter is replicated in your email.  Those who receive the “Good Things” good news will receive that exciting thick envelope in the coming days with more information.  In the meantime, there is a link provided at the bottom of your email to our admitted student website.  Click, browse and enjoy.

If you applied to both W&M and the joint degree programme with St Andrews, you will receive both decisions in the same email unless you are admitted to W&M and get the “Good Things” email.  If that’s the case, you will receive a second email regarding your admission decision for the joint degree programme.  You will also find a copy of that decision in the letter included in your admit pack which is on its way to you by mail.

If you do not receive a decision tonight there could be a variety of reasons.  Before assuming you did not receive an email, please first check your spam and junk filters as our emails can sometimes automatically land there.  If you do not see an email in any folder, please call us (757-221-4223) between 8:00am and 5:00pm any day this week.  We will investigate what happened and provide additional information as to how you can receive your decision.  In most cases, if a decision was not received we will email you again the evening you call using a different email method and we will put a hard copy of your decision in the mail to you.

Following this blog are three additional blogs.  One is specifically for those who are admitted, one for those who are waitlisted and one for those who are denied.  Each provides additional information for students in that particular decision cohort.  Please feel free to review and post any remaining questions as comments.  You are welcome to express joy, elation, confusion, sorrow, heartache, anger or outrage.  We just ask that you keep your comments appropriate and on point.  We will respond to everyone as soon as we are able.

We’re delighted to bring this process to a close.  We are sure you are also.  Regardless of the decision we reached on your individual application, we thank you for taking this journey with us over the course of the last several months.

Wendy Livingston ’03, M.Ed. ‘09
Associate Dean of Admission

Notice we say deny and not reject; this is a subtle but important difference.  We in no way reject you.  You were not at all wrong to apply.  The students who we do not admit are more than capable of succeeding at William & Mary and would no doubt lend great qualities to our incoming class.  And our decision is in no way a reflection of your intelligence, your accomplishments or your potential.  It is instead a reflection of the incredibly competitive nature of our pool.  No doubt you are in the upper echelons of your individual high school class.  You took rigorous courses, you have top grades, top SAT/ACT scores and you hold top leadership positions.  Now imagine students of your stature from every high school in every state, and in fact in many nations, are also applying to William & Mary.  We aren’t looking at the full spectrum of students in our pool; we are only looking at the very high end of that spectrum application after application after application.  We are only seeing applications from the nation’s best and brightest students.  Therefore the students who we deny are still the best and brightest, they simply don’t stand out quite as much in our pool.

You may feel that students who deserved admission less were in fact admitted (maybe they had a lower class rank or lower standardized test scores).  Please understand that we see little difference between the person ranked number 30 in the class and the person ranked say number 40 for example.  We see very little difference between a 1300 and a 1340 (just throwing numbers out there).  We may see differences in more subjective qualities like leadership potential, special talents, or unique and diverse backgrounds.  Some subjective qualities are rarer in our pool.  They therefore stand out more and are more sought after as we build our class.  Regardless of our justification however, you may find these decisions unfair.  We understand that.  What we can tell you is that while the outcome may seem unfair, the process we used to reach it was fair.  Your application received the exact same treatment as every other in our pool.  Your application was read twice, by two different members of our staff.  It was reviewed thoroughly from cover to cover by both readers.  It was compared to the quality of other applicants in your cohort (your particular high school and either other in-state students or other out-of-state students).

At the end of the day, we have to admit some students, waitlist others and deny others.  We’re incredibly sorry that your application could not have received a more favorable decision.  Please feel free to say to heck with you W&M; I’m going to this school instead.  We say congratulations and good for you.  We know we have missed out on the opportunity to admit and enroll hundreds if not thousands of amazing students, you included.  We thank you again for sharing your story with us, and we do regret that the outcome could not be different.  We wish you all the best with your future endeavors.

Wendy Livingston ’03, M.Ed. ‘09
Associate Dean of Admission