The College of William and Mary

“Extracurricular activities and decent SAT scores and secondary schoolSep 28 2005History/Histories (art history/etc.)
Extracurricular activities and decent SAT scores and secondary school records.
SAT: 1380 Male

“I would suggest playing up your committment to theAug 18 2005Political Science
I would suggest playing up your committment to the community because that is very important in the admissions process.
ACT: 24 Female

“William and Mary seems to consist primarily of all-aroundAug 12 2005Economics
William and Mary seems to consist primarily of all-around type students. All students seemed to have excelled in high school academically and extracurricurally, though there is some noticible differentiation between "hard worker" types and the truly brilliant.
SAT: 1540 Male

“W&M is hard to get in, that's obviousAug 07 2005Political Science
W&M is hard to get in, that's obvious. Particularly for out-of -staters. I'm from North Carolina, and I managed to slip in with a GPA that was way below what would be a safe bet for even an in-stater. I didn't really apply myself in high-school, as it were, and I managed to get in because W&M admissions tend to "look beyond the numbers." I had some very unique extra-curriculars (Revolutionary War Reenactor, State Debate Champion, several leadership positions in student organizations, founder of several student organizations, job at a historic site) and good testing (National AP Scholar, AP Scholar with Distinction, National Merit Commended, 760V 700M SAT), which definitely helped. The thing that got me in, at least as much as I can tell, was the optional additional sheet. That's the part of the application that says take a sheet of paper and put whatever you want on it to tell us more about yourself. DO THIS!!!! I cannot stress enough how important this is! Mine was a little essay about myself, just various things I thought were interesting about my character, habits, hobbies, etc. and some unique pictures that really drove that point home. My college advisor at my highschool called the Dean of Admissions on the day I got my acceptance letter to ask about my status for her own information, and after mentioning my name the Dean said, "Oh, the kid with the picture!" It was a picture of me in my re-enacting uniform, and it really got their attention, and I think that's what got me in. I applied regular decision, by the way. So the key, I think, is to get something down that really shows you're a unique individual who's got a lot to add to the community, and find some way to really drive that point home and make yourself memorable. Good luck!
SAT: 1460 Male

“Worked my butt off in high schoolJun 24 2005Business - Management and Administration
Worked my butt off in high school. Scheduled a visit and an interview after submitting my application. Got a ROTC scholarship before applying. 3 varsity letters, NHS, National Merit runner-up, and good board scores.

Competition is not AS bad as the Ivy League, but it's still tough. I wouldn't even apply if your SATs are below 1300.
SAT: 1490 Male