Just wanted to drop in with a quick vignette, for those of you still on the fence.
Last week I visited W&M with my class-of-2025 twins (and wife) for a campus tour. One of them is really interested in environmental biology, and found an interesting class happening the morning of our (afternoon) tour. She reached out to the professor to ask if she might be able to sit in on the class, and he warmly welcomed her to join it. (The other three of us just bopped around campus for a bit and got lunch.)
After the class ended, he said “I have to run over to the lab; want to go take a look before your tour?” She jumped at the chance, of course … but it gets better, and more “William & Mary”: he had to swing by his office first, and realized that she hadn’t had lunch yet, and was probably getting hungry. So he heated up some leftover Thai food he had in the office fridge. (I’m pretty sure he gave her HIS OWN LUNCH‽‽) They then headed over to the lab, where he showed her how he collects data in his research. It was fascinating and she absolutely loved it.
I have my own stories (from back when I was at W&M) about professors going out of their way to support me, but I’m so glad that she now has one of her own … and she hasn’t even applied yet!