The College of William and Mary
“It's hard to be positive about W&M becauseQuite Bright
It's hard to be positive about W&M because I am about to graduate. This school is unbelievably hard. I don't care how great you think you are or how smart you think you are, you will have a hard time here. Mostly no matter how hard you try, your best just isn't good enough. Only pick this school if you care deeply about getting into medical school or some equivalent. Otherwise you'll waste your life away in the library. It sucks here.
view full review→Oct 30 2008
2nd Year Female -- Class 2009
Useful Schoolwork: A+, Social Life: C+
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Recommended: I Don't Know Where to Start (General College Advice)
“Overall, I was very happy about my decision
Overall, I was very happy about my decision to attend WM. Having transferred from a school in southern california to WM on the east coast, I feel that I have a diverse view and a very objective opinion about WM. Students who transfer in have a more balanced opinion than those that are there for all four years.
To begin with, the overall sentiment regarding social aspects at the College are correct. There are a limited number of social outlets for parties on the weekend. Before you are legal, there are few options since the recent fraternity drinking law reforms. Once you can legally drink, there are only three bars (all on the same corner) that everyone goes to on a regular basis. However, if you are not into drinking, or don't feel like it that night, there are plenty of social events that are planned by the all-inviting clubs that campus has to offer every night of the week. In general, the student population consists of 1/3 extroverts who are out every weekend, 1/3 who go out every once in a while, and 1/3 who rarely make a social outing.
Regarding school spirit, everyone is fairly apathetic towards the sports teams. I find this odd considering that the level of involvement in IM and other recreational sports is very high.
Academically, it is possible to do well, but you will not be in the majority. You will have never worked harder for an A in your life...and you still may miss it by just a few points. In another review, an author indicated that the average gpa is low; just a 3.0. I agree with this, but it's more like 2.7. Regardless of your department, your gpa will hurt your chance of acceptance into graduate school. I am currently attending medical school, and although WM has a good reputation, admissions committees do not take into account the difficulty of the curriculum (esp. the sciences). The faculty is great though. Even though they are extremely 'olde school' when it comes to the conduct of the course (moving exam dates, makeups, extra credit does not exist), the faculty is enthusiastic to be there for you and assist in your education. The Princeton Review quoted WM as: "Where the fun goes to die". You will need to study on the weekend to get anywhere near that average gpa. This does not mean Sunday night. This means Saturday during the day and Sunday (at least)...esp. if you are in the sciences. I would like to conclude by saying that it is difficult to find a happy balance of social and academic life here. The gpa factor when applying to medical school outweighs the College's reputation factor. I would do it again though.
view full review→Sep 24 2005
Alumnus Male -- Class 2000
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“For the most part, students here are extremelyBright
For the most part, students here are extremely friendly approachable and supportive. The faculty is of high quality despite the low pay this school gives them, but we are loosing professors. The campus is one of the most beautiful, when things aren’t falling apart, that I have seen. It’s a small school, you have to find your own fun, but there are plenty of school hosted events to attend, we are not a party school.
The short version is, everything is great here @ W&M save for the administration. I came here because I enjoyed the sense of community here, which exist! But the administration treats students poorly, is constantly broke, does not listen to the student body, and has made a number of decisions, which have caused me to dislike this school. (Like destroying a HIGHLY utilized field to build a dorm on despite a large amount of protest from the student body) I’ve also been an RA at this school for two years and Residence life is also a mess that has questionable hiring practices and cares more about paperwork than it does about the students it is charged with housing. We are getting a new president in the 05-06 school year so some things may change. But please if you are looking at this school, beware of the administration. But when you’re not dealing with them, you will be having fun with your fellow students and enjoying an excellent rapport with your professors.
view full review→May 05 2005
3rd Year Male -- Class 2006
Faculty Accessibility: A+, Individual Value: C-
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