Admission
Waitlist Update — The Process Continues Slowly but Surely
May 15, 2013 by Admit It!
We Admit It! We wish the waitlist was a fast-moving process. Unfortunately that is not the case. It’s definitely a step-by-step, day-by-day process. As many of you know, we activated the waitlist on May 3 with the intention of making a few select additional offers of admission. Over the course of several days, we made phone calls to the first wave of admits who the Committee saw as the most competitive students remaining on the waitlist. Many of those students accepted our offer (because the Tribe is awesome of course, at least in our humble and biased opinion). Others needed some time to make a decision. Others, very understandably, had moved on and gotten excited about another institution.
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
Waitlist Update — Some New News, Some Good News
May 6, 2013 by Admit It!
We Admit It! The waitlist process is far from a standardized one. It takes a lot of back and forth, a lot of incremental steps, a lot of analyzing and reanalyzing. But here’s what we know for certain: we are able to go to the freshman waitlist for a select number of additional students (whether or not we go to the transfer waitlist won’t be determined until mid-to-late May). The exact number of students who will be admitted is always a moving target (more on that below). What we do know is that our enrollment numbers are just a bit shy of where they need to be. Therefore we are going to the waitlist for more than a handful of students but still for a relatively select group. All students who completed the online waitlist response form (linked in your decision email) are being considered for those spaces we do have available in the entering class. Below is more about how we make decisions from this point forward and how those who are admitted from the waitlist hear from us.
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
Waitlist Update — No New News
May 2, 2013 by Admit It!
We Admit It! May 1 doesn’t necessarily bring an end to the admission cycle and the anxiety that comes with it. For students on our waitlist or any waitlist, the hope for good news is still out there. During the past few days, we’ve had several phone calls, emails and social media inquiries about the status of the waitlist. At this point we have no additional information to share.
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, Decisions — Fall Transfer Applicant Edition
April 26, 2013 by Admit It!
Admit It! transfers. You’re more than ready for that decision email. Well today is the day; we’re even a few days ahead of schedule. We are releasing decisions as we speak, and all decisions should be in your inbox within the next few hours (we will post a comment when all emails have left our server). Keep in mind that we are in the process of emailing nearly 1,000 students. This will take some time on both the part of our email server and yours. Please be patient. All decisions come in the form of an email and are sent to the email address you provided in your Common Application.
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
Overheard in Transfer Committee — It’s Not All About Academics
April 23, 2013 by Admit It!
We Admit It! The transfer process has been moving forward with each passing day. Yesterday, a small cohort of transfer applicants received good news in their in-boxes. Much like we send a likely postcard to a small cohort of freshmen applicants who move through the review process early and whose applications distinguish themselves, we send out admission decisions to a small cohort of our admitted transfer applicants a bit early on in the process. Those who did not receive an email need not worry. We still have numerous applicants under review in transfer committee, and most transfer applicants have yet to hear from us. We still have more admit offers to make as well as waitlist and deny decisions to release.
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
A Final Piece of Advice
April 22, 2013 by Admission Ambassador
I bet you are super stoked, nervous, excited and ready to finally start your freshman year at William & Mary! If you are anything like me, I bet you’ve already picked out a few student groups and organizations that you would like to get involved with on campus. That’s great! But if you have no idea at all what you want to get involved in at William & Mary, that is completely fine as well. Commitment is great, and if you plan on continuing a hobby or activity that you did in high school then go for it! At the same time, my biggest recommendation for all of you is to try something new too!
Take this opportunity of starting over in a new place with new people to expand your limits and to let loose. Try something that makes you a little nervous, uncertain, and uncomfortable. Do something that will totally surprise your parents when you call home to talk to them. My surprising involvement was my participation in the Vagina Monologues this year. I had never done any sort of theatre production in my life and the idea of the Vagina Monologues made me a tiny bit unsettled. However, I strongly connected with the mission of the Vagina Monologues and decided to audition to perform, in spite of all of the voices inside of me telling me not to. Being a part of the Vagina Monologues was way outside of my comfort zone, but at the same time, I really liked seeing the reactions on people’s faces when I told them what I was doing. My family and friends were beyond shocked that I was in it, but they were also so proud of me. I loved challenging myself and knowing that I tried something so out of the ordinary.
My hope is that all of you will have the same sort of out-of-body experience, where you realize that you can and should join groups and organizations that may not have been something you would have done in high school. Take advantage of this opportunity to be daring and creative. It will definitely be worth the risk. Welcome to William & Mary! I can’t wait to hear about all of the new opportunities you will take advantage of during your time here.
-Grace
A Final Welcome
April 22, 2013 by Admission Ambassador
WELCOME CLASS OF 2017!
We are so excited to have you here. For those of you I didn’t meet on Day for Admitted Students (DFAS) I look forward to getting to know you a little better in the fall.
Before making this post, I was going to attempt to write a long list of different pieces of advice for all freshmen over their 4 years here. While that may be possible, I think it is better to be simple and say: just be you.
I was certainly nervous coming to college. How do I meet new people? What if everyone on my freshman hall is weird? Worst of all … what if I was the weird one? These questions and others streamed in and out of my mind as move-in day occurred. Then it hit me…
All of this won’t matter. If you just act like yourself, get involved with activities you love, and be a little open-minded, you will have the time of your life at W&M—I guarantee it. Have you ever wanted to play water polo but never had the opportunity? We have that here. Have you always wanted to audition for a play but was too scared? Do it. Have you ever wanted to research a certain subject, but didn’t know how to start? Our professors can help.
College is a new beginning, a fresh start—embrace that!
See you in the fall, ya’ll!
-John A.
Greetings and Goodbyes
April 22, 2013 by Admission Ambassador
As a senior at William & Mary my time is oh so very quickly dwindling. Currently, we have one full week of classes left until the whirlwind of final exams and graduation. I honestly can’t believe it has flown by this fast and I am so jealous of you all, the class of 2017, because you are just starting out on your adventures with W&M, while my chapter is coming to a close.
I know you have heard this at least 100 times by now, but congratulations class of 2017, you did it! The excruciating application process is done, there are no more Saturday mornings of standardized testing, no more forms to fill out or essays to write—it is truly time the to celebrate! So welcome, welcome to a place that I have come to truly call home in the last four years. Welcome to a place that will challenge you to become a better student, a better friend, a better person. Welcome to a place I love, a place I hope you will learn to love as well.
Of course I feel like it is my right, or duty to pass on at least one piece of wisdom to you. Here it goes … EMBRACE William & Mary and William & Mary will EMBRACE you. Take advantage of the multitude of opportunities offered by this wonderful institution: do research, study abroad, join clubs and organizations, play sports, go to shows and musicals, GET INVOLVED!! Let this process begin in your freshman dorm, don’t be afraid to wander around the halls wrecking havoc and introducing yourself to others, you never know who will become your best friends and make all the difference to your college experience (shout out: YATESMATES love!).
-Rebecca Avison
Overheard in Transfer Committee — It’s Your Turn Transfer Applicants
April 18, 2013 by Admit It!
Admit It! transfers, you’re ready for it to be your turn for all of the committee excitement. Well that time has come. We began committee deliberations for fall transfer applicants this afternoon! Who’s excited? We know we are. We’ve spent the past few months reviewing your applications and learning your stories. Now it’s time to decide who joins the classes of 2015 and 2016. So without further ado…
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
One Tribe Y’all
April 9, 2013 by Admit It!
We Admit It! We’re pretty excited about the upcoming Day for Admitted Students. Okay, we’re over-the-moon, so-ready-for-the-day-to-get-here, can’t-wait-to-celebrate-the-Class-of-2017, out-of-our-minds enthusiastic. Saturday can’t get here soon enough. So, future members of the Class of 2017, this blog is for you.
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