<p>My child and a close friend both applied to WM. They attend a small, obscure private school, and we fear that WM may not admit many students from this school. The friend was deferred in ED to RD, while my child received a “likely letter” from UVA, and would likely prefer UVA. </p>
<p>Would it help the friend’s chances if my child withdrew from applying to WM? Or would this be a futile and annoying gesture?</p>
<p>I would not. I think that is too risky of a gesture to make. </p>
<p>I went to a public school, and nobody had gone, or even applied to, William and Mary in at least 15 years (out of state), but myself and another person in my school both applied and we were both accepted.</p>
<p>I’d speculate such action would have no cause-and-effect impact. I trust cases are evaluated individually, not as a package, except in the case of Siamese twins perhaps. A nice gesture though. Your child’s friend has a nice and thoughtful friend’s parent.</p>
<p>WM may have limits for some schools but it is likely too late for your gesture to have the desired effect. In any case, a likely letter is not an offer of admission and until you have that offer, you should keep your other applications in play.</p>
<p>Withdrawing your child’s application would probably have little to no bearing on whether or not your child’s friend will be accepted RD. I think W&M does a better job than most universities looking at the whole student and I doubt they wouldn’t admit a qualified student just because of the number of applications coming out one high school. My daughter had 4 girls accepted ED from her graduating class and the high school ended up sending 7 students to W&M last August.</p>