<p>My best advice would be to visit campus. I visited after being accepted and discovered that W&M really wasn’t the place for me. To each their own, and what turned me off may be what makes it a first choice for you, but here’s what I didn’t quite like about the atmosphere, which may be things to think on as you make your decision:
- I found Williamsburg to be much less quaint (like it appeared to be on the W&M website) and very touristy. It felt a bit like being in disney land, except instead of the castle there was the Wren building.
-From what I could gather (current students correct me if I’m wrong), W&M seemed a bit bureaucratic and rules-oriented as far as student life is concerned- it was made very clear during the student Q&A session that the alcohol policy is strictly enforced and parties are few and far between. I’m not huge on partying but I am huge on administrations treating their students like adults.
-Personally, I’ve lived in suburban sprawl my whole life so I’m looking for a College experience/location different from what I’ve experienced. The area around Williamsburg was reminiscent of my hometown in its suburban atmosphere, which was a bit off-putting for me.
-It seemed like the main selling point for the school was “its small” and “its old,” which was repeated like a mantra throughout the admitted student visit. However when you’re choosing between a group of schools that fit the “small” and “old” criteria, W&M really gave me nothing to go on as far as identifying the type of experience I would have as a student both academically and socially, whereas with the other schools I visited I definitely had a clear idea of what life would be like if I attended. I think this was the hugest thing for me in eliminating W&M off my list- I simply couldn’t imagine myself there, and therefore couldn’t decide if i would enjoy life at the school or not. </p>
<p>My best advice is to visit the schools you’re interested in before applying, rather than wait until after like I did. I guarantee you’ll make a connection with a certain school or a certain type of school, and really be able to focus your search to fit a certain criteria.
Best of luck, hope this helps.</p>