william and mary jdp essay

College of William & Mary 2024-25 Supplemental Essay Prompt Guide

Early Decision: Nov 1

Regular Decision Deadline: Jan 5

College of William & Mary 2024-25 Application Essay Question Explanations

The Requirements: Two essays of 300 words or fewer

Supplemental Essay Type(s): Community , Why , Oddball

How to Write William & Mary Supplemental Essays

W&M offers five options for your supplemental essay(s) and gives you the option of writing one or two. Read them carefully, as you may be able to recycle something you’ve written for another school! (Talk about living sustainably!) W&M wants to fill their class with students who are “seeking to be challenged & engaged & inspired,” so choose the prompts that challenge, engage, and inspire you to share something admissions can’t learn about you in the rest of your application. And when a college offers you the chance to tell them more about yourself, you should take it, so we recommend drafting that second essay. Keep reading to learn how to write winning W&M essays!

William & Mary Essay Prompt Breakdowns

William & mary is a community that fosters deep human connection. we reflect on the lessons of history to meet the challenges of a rapidly changing world. we engage diverse perspectives and seek wisdom in bridging differences. together, we are unceasing in our efforts to make a meaningful difference in our communities, the state, the nation, and the world., to help us learn more about you, we invite you to share additional information by answering up to two of these optional short-answer prompts. think of this optional opportunity as show and tell by proxy. (300 words each), are there any particular communities that are important to you, and how do you see yourself being a part of our community.

This is a classic Community Essay, through and through. Tell admissions about a community you are a part of and what significance it holds in your life. Then think about how your involvement in that community will impact the way you show up at W&M. What you address can be a larger cultural community—think race, sexuality, religion—or as specific as your after-school knitting club. Address the role that your community plays in your life, then consider why your particular background or experience within this community will enrich W&M’s campus once you step onto the scene. How will it help inspire and/or inform others? What is important to you and how will your experiences in communities bring something of value to William & Mary?

Share more about a personal academic interest or career goal.

This prompt will likely jump out to applicants who have a specific major or future career path in mind. To prevent your essay from reading as generic, try to tell a story about the origin of your interest in your chosen area of study or career and be as specific as possible when exploring your interest and motivation. Look ahead five or ten years and imagine what you’d like your professional life to look like. Maybe you’ve been interested in the human brain ever since you were an inquisitive little kid. Will William & Mary’s Neuroscience major aid you on your quest to understand humankind? Perhaps you come from a family of entrepreneurs and you dream of running your own business one day. How will a W&M education help you to achieve your goal? Build a bridge between your past and your future for admissions so they can see your commitment and demonstrated interest in this field. 

How has your family, culture and/or background shaped your lived experience?

Admissions wants to know what has made you who you are. What has shaped you as a person and how has that made your perspective unique? What you write about can really run the gamut because admissions is giving you a lot of leeway here. Maybe you’ve lived on multiple continents, which has shaped your worldview and made you feel like a citizen of the world. Perhaps you’ve spent every summer at your grandparents’ farm since you were little, where you learned the value of hard work and developed relationships with the animals that you cherish to this day. Whatever story you want to tell admissions here, be sure to infuse your essay with as many details as possible in order to set yourself apart from other applicants.

What led to your interest in William & Mary?

This prompt will likely speak to those of you who feel very confident that William & Mary is the school for you. If that’s the case, lean in. To ace your response, you will want to: (1) demonstrate a solid knowledge of what the school has to offer, (2) leverage that knowledge to clearly show your interest in the school, and (3) connect your past experiences to the ones you hope to have in the future at William & Mary. Start by researching William & Mary (if you haven’t already), directing your attention to the departments, majors, and other opportunities that interest you. What do you want to learn? Read about professors and notable alumni in your field—is there any research going on or awards that interest you? Pick out classes to take and clubs to join, visualizing yourself there. Then connect your interests to experiences you’ve already had to demonstrate fit. For example, if you’re excited about a certain major, have you already taken classes or joined clubs related to that academic area? Stellar answers will also demonstrate a mutually beneficial relationship—their community would gain as much from having you there as you would from attending.

Tell us about a challenge or adversity you’ve experienced and how that has impacted you as an individual.

William & Mary wants to accept students who possess qualities such as resilience, determination, and humility, so tell admissions about a time when you faced a challenge or adversity and how that experience has shaped the person you are today. Once you have a topic in mind, be sure to summarize your challenge in as few words as possible; that way, you’ll have plenty of room to discuss the impact it had on you, what you took away from the experience, and (if you have any extra words at your disposal) how you will apply that insight to your time at William & Mary. Admissions wants to accept thoughtful, reflective individuals to campus, so show them that you fit the bill!

If we visited your town, what would you want to show us?

Admissions is giving you the opportunity to think fast, not hard, and roll with the punches—so, take advantage! Maybe you want to encourage admissions to stop by the old diner in your town; you know, the one with photos of Frank Sinatra on the walls, where you have dinner with your grandparents every Sunday. Perhaps a visit to your town is never complete without a visit to the quirky downtown district to check out the latest street art, where you may or may not have left your own mark. Whatever it is about your hometown that you think is worth noting, make sure to connect your answer back to you. After all, like every prompt, this is an opportunity for admissions to get to know you better, wherever you come from.

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William & Mary

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Want to see your chances of admission at William & Mary?

We take every aspect of your personal profile into consideration when calculating your admissions chances.

William & Mary’s 2023-24 Essay Prompts

St. andrews joint degree program essay.

As an applicant to the Joint Degree Programme, you are required to submit an essay outlining your interest in the particular academic area to which you are applying — Classical Studies, Economics, English, Film Studies, History or International Relations; and what particularly interests you about the JDP in your chosen major. Be as specific as you can. Demonstrating that you are familiar with the JDP website—its policies and curriculum—will be helpful to your application, as will examples of your ability to take on a particularly challenging, as well as rewarding, educational experience that demands adaptability, flexibility, and an appreciation for other cultures and institutional practices.

Select-A-Prompt Essay

William & Mary is a community that fosters deep human connection. We reflect on the lessons of history to meet the challenges of a rapidly changing world. We engage diverse perspectives and seek wisdom in bridging differences. Together, we are unceasing in our efforts to make a meaningful difference in our communities, the state, the nation, and the world.

To help us learn more about you, we invite you to share additional information by answering up to two of these optional short-answer prompts. Think of this optional opportunity as show and tell by proxy.

Beyond your impressive academic credentials and extracurricular accomplishments, what else makes you unique and colorful?

Are there any particular communities that are important to you, and how do you see yourself being a part of our community?

How has your family, culture and/or background shaped your lived experience?

Share more about a personal academic interest or career goal.

Tell us about a challenge or adversity you’ve experienced and how that has impacted you as an individual.

If we visited your town, what would you want to show us?

Common App Personal Essay

The essay demonstrates your ability to write clearly and concisely on a selected topic and helps you distinguish yourself in your own voice. What do you want the readers of your application to know about you apart from courses, grades, and test scores? Choose the option that best helps you answer that question and write an essay of no more than 650 words, using the prompt to inspire and structure your response. Remember: 650 words is your limit, not your goal. Use the full range if you need it, but don‘t feel obligated to do so.

Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.

The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?

Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?

Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.

Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?

Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you‘ve already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

What will first-time readers think of your college essay?

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William and Mary Supplemental Essays 2024-25 — Prompts & Advice

August 7, 2024

Founded in 1693, the College of William & Mary is the second oldest institution of higher learning in the entire United States. With an acceptance rate that was 33% for the Class of 2028, W&M is a very selective school. It is even more challenging to gain admission for out-of-state students. With that in mind, it’s important to put maximum effort into every aspect of your application. Of course, this includes the William and Mary supplemental essays.

 (Want to learn more about How to Get Into W&M? Visit our blog entitled:  How to Get Into William & Mary  for all of the most recent admissions data as well as tips for gaining acceptance.)

When applying to an institution like the College of William & Mary that rejects roughly two-thirds of those who apply, you’ll need to put maximum effort into every area of the application, including the Common App and supplemental essays. Below are William and Mary’s optional essay prompts for the 2024-25 admissions cycle. Additionally, you find our advice for composing strong essays.

Should I answer an optional essay?

In such a  hypercompetitive college admissions environment , not filling out an essay would be a suboptimal decision for a prospective applicant. With such cutthroat competition at a highly selective school like William & Mary, it would be foolish not to avail yourself of every opportunity to make a strong case for admission. Applicants applying to a dozen or more schools may be exhausted after already plowing through countless other supplemental prompts. However, this is simply not the place to cut corners.

Unfortunately, skipping an optional essay of this nature could hurt your candidacy at William and Mary, as this institution only offers non-evaluative interviews with current W&M seniors. As such, there are limited ways to connect with an admissions officer, and the supplemental essay(s) will be one of your very best opportunities.

William and Mary Supplemental Essays – Optional

William and Mary gives applicants the option to choose one or two of the six available prompts. Additionally, you’ll have 300 words of space for each prompt.

1) What led to your interest in William & Mary?

This is a classic “Why Us” essay. If you select this option, here are some ideas of how you can most productively utilize the space:

• Cite specific academic programs, professors, research opportunities, experiential education programs, study abroad programs, student-run organizations, W&M’s mission, etc. Be sure to discuss why they interest you and how you hope to take advantage of them.
• Share how W&M will support your past/current endeavors.
• Discuss why you decided to apply, particularly if connected to a William & Mary-related personal experience, such as a campus visit, conversation with an admissions rep, event you attended, etc.

2) Are there any particular communities that are important to you, and how do you see yourself being a part of our community?

Keep in mind that William and Mary has already seen the President’s Volunteer Service Award and the impressive number of hours you volunteered at multiple nonprofit organizations. They know that you have been an active member of your high school/local community. The admissions committee now desires to understand precisely how you will contribute to  their  community of undergraduate students. Highlighting the link between your past efforts and future aims is critical here. For example, if you dedicated many hours to volunteering at your local animal shelter throughout high school, it will be more impactful when you now express your commitment to joining William and Mary’s Animal Rights Club.

The strongest William and Mary community essays show evidence of meaningful school-specific research. In addition, this research process will actually give you a better idea of how you would sincerely like to become engaged at each prospective school on your list. Admissions officers will appreciate a William and Mary-centric answer far more than a generic (often recycled from app to app) response.

3) How has your family, culture and/or background shaped your lived experience?

Take note of the wide-open nature of this prompt. You are essentially invited to talk about any of the following topics:

• A perspective you hold
• Your upbringing
• Your cultural background
• Your religious background
• Your family background
• Your race/ethnicity
• Your sexual orientation or gender identity

William and Mary Supplemental Essay Prompts (Continued)

Although this prompt’s open floor plan may feel daunting, a good tactic is to first consider what has already been communicated within on other areas of your application. What important aspect(s) of yourself have not been shared (or sufficiently discussed)? The admissions officer reading your essay is hoping to connect with you through your written words, so—within your essay’s reflection—be open, humble, thoughtful, inquisitive, emotionally honest, mature, and/or insightful about what you learned and how you grew.

You’ll then need to discuss how family, culture, and/or background has influenced your life and perspective, and in what ways.

4) Share more about a personal academic interest or career goal.

Out of everything on this Earth, what makes you tick? What keeps you up at night? What subject makes you read books and online content until your eyes bleed? Immerse the reader in your intellectual journey of choice. Share what made you interested in the topic and how you’ve pursued knowledge. Finally, be sure to address what you’ve learned about yourself and how you hope to continue pursuing this interest in the future (tip: this is a great place to incorporate William and Mary specifics).

Alternatively, if you happen to have clear-cut career goals, such as becoming a physician, attending law school, or addressing coral bleaching, you can take this opportunity to tell the admissions committee more about it. How did this career goal develop, and what have you done to pursue it so far? Moreover, how do you intend to work toward your goal at William and Mary in particular?

5) Tell us about a challenge or adversity you’ve experienced and how that has impacted you as an individual.

Of course, some teens have faced more challenges than others, potentially related to an illness or medical emergency, frequent moving, socioeconomic situation, natural disaster, or learning disability, to name a few. However, you don’t have to have faced a significant challenge to write a compelling essay (and even if you have faced a significant challenge, you don’t have to write about it if you’re not comfortable doing so). Writing about a common topic like getting cut from a sports team, struggling in a particular advanced course, or facing an obstacle within a group project or extracurricular activity is perfectly fine.

Any story told in an emotionally compelling, honest, and connective manner can resonate with an admissions reader. The bottom line here is that there are no trite topics, only trite answers. The important thing to keep in mind is that the challenge/story itself is  less important  than what it reveals about your character and personality.

Given the 300-word limit, your essay needs to be extremely tight and polished. Accordingly, getting this one precisely right will involve a round or two of revision, ideally with some insight/feedback from a trusted adult or peer in the process.

6) If we visited your town, what would you want to show us?

No matter where you live, local spots of interest abound, so take this opportunity to show admissions something you genuinely love or appreciate about where you’re from. Perhaps it’s your local farm stand, a museum, a restaurant, a public art installation, the beach that you run on in the mornings…regardless of your answer, the most important part of this response will be why. Why do you want to show this particular location to an admissions officer, and what do you hope they learn about you in the process?

How important are the William and Mary supplemental essays?

W&M lists 12 factors as being “very important” to the admissions committee: rigor of secondary school record, class rank, GPA, standardized test scores, essays, recommendations, extracurricular activities, talent/ability, character/personal qualities, state residency, volunteer work, and work experience.

So, we know that the  Common App essay  and the optional supplemental essays are among the top dozen factors in what is a genuinely holistic admissions process. It is fair to say that the essays will be read carefully. Further, they can be a separating factor between two comparable “on the cusp” applicants.

Want Personalized Essay Assistance?

In conclusion, if you are interested in working with one of College Transitions’ experienced and knowledgeable essay coaches as you craft your main Common App essay and William & Mary supplemental essays, we encourage you to get a quote  today.

Looking for additional writing resources? Consider checking out the following:

• Common App Essay Prompts
• 10 Instructive Common App Essay Examples
• College Application Essay Topics to Avoid
• How to Quickly Format Your Common App Essay
• Should I Complete Optional College Essays?
• How to Brainstorm a College Essay
• 25 Inspiring College Essay Topics
• “Why This College?” Essay Examples
• How to Write the Community Essay
• College Essay

Kelsea Conlin

Kelsea holds a BA in English with a concentration in Creative Writing from Tufts University, a graduate certificate in College Counseling from UCLA, and an MA in Teaching Writing from Johns Hopkins University. Her short fiction is forthcoming in Chautauqua .

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College Essay (W&M and University of St. Andrews International Honours Joint Degree Programme)

*Once student begins sessions, they will be shared on all essays pertaining to college applications*

 “As an applicant to the Joint Degree Programme you are required to submit an additional 1500 – 2000 word essay outlining your interest in the particular academic area to which you are applying – Classical Studies, Economics, English, Film Studies, History, or International Relations; and what particularly interests you about the JDP in your chosen major. Be as specific as you can. Demonstrating that you are familiar with the JDP website—its policies and curriculum—will be helpful to your application, as will examples of your ability to take on a particularly challenging, as well as rewarding, educational experience that demands adaptability, flexibility, and an appreciation for other cultures and institutional practices.”

“Here, put the dirt on the back of your hand.” Confused, I followed Lena’s instructions and patted a small pile of dirt riddled with tiny twigs onto my clean skin. As an exchange student, I had learned how to grow comfortable with the unfamiliarity of many nights like this one. That is, of course, until Lena abruptly grabbed my hand and began to force the grains of dirt into my skin. She continued to press until my face showed distress, and finished her act by saying, “That is how an unbrushed horse feels when you put a saddle on it.” 

Lena tossed me the horse’s brush. Farm animals had never been part of my life, and I had only ever visited a farm once to learn about agricultural legislation. My distance from horses- and all farm animals- changed when I was assigned to Rhauderfehn, Germany with the Congress Bundestag Youth-Exchange. If you anticipatedly type “Rhauderfehn” into the Google search bar, like I did many times, you will find a short Wikipedia page. This page provides mundane quantitative identifiers and a few articles about Ostfriesland tea. Although the tea is to die for , Google is a dead end. So, let me try to fill in some gaps:

• Greet everyone with “Moin!” This is strictly an Ostfriesland greeting, and it means “Hello!” You will not be allowed onto the bus without saying “Moin!” to the bus driver. 
• Students here throw a class party called a “Schild Aufstellen” on their sixteenth birthdays. Everyone from their class paints them a big poster and bakes the student into a cake (by pouring flour, eggs, and sugar on them), like one happy family. Then, the birthday person will throw a second party just for close friends. You only give gifts if you are invited to the second party. 
• After presentations, students knock on their desks to signal that good work has been done. This action replaces applause or snapping. 
• Whether or not you are team Damon or Stefan from Vampire Diaries will be a topic of conversation more so than Donald Trump.
• The church I attend with my family marries gay couples. There is an air of acceptance in this corner of the world. 
• There is a language called “Plattdeutsch,” an old form of German from the Ostfriesland region. People will try to teach it to you, even though you have just started learning Hochdeutsch (Standard German).
• There are horses everywhere. 

Point 7 sparked my interest, so I asked my friend Lena to show me the stable. Although I was tempted to slip my hands into my pockets in the windy, two-degree weather atop my uncooperative little horse Obelix, Lena’s excitement melted away my frustrations. She articulated little bursts of nostalgia- “I remember feeling like I was flying when I rode my first horse at age four,” and shared words of wisdom- “You’re a team, but you’re the leader.” 

The fervor and enthusiasm with which Lena taught me made me want to work harder. Within an hour of animated lessons on communicating through saddles and reins, the sky was blushing with hues of pink. Just as I was moving to dismount the horse, Lena confidently exclaimed, “Okay, now ride alone!” She tapped Obelix’s side and he started forward. There was no time to be nervous. Lena’s conviction that I was ready was empowering, but my confidence wavered as I realized that there was no path. As I surrendered to the situation, I begin to communicate with Obelix, fluidly coordinating my taps on his side with light tugs of the reigns. The first few seconds were fun. And then, I fell off Obelix onto the cold, hard ground.

In the place of pain was shame. Lena had dedicated her afternoon to teaching me about something she loved- and I had failed. Her footsteps sped up as she ran to me, and her chuckles began to grow louder. Lena lent me her hand, and contently said, “We stayed so late because everyone needs to fall on their first try.” Lena reminded me that you do not get to pick and choose when your failures knock you down, but you can accept that they will happen. Her giggles prompted me not to take myself so seriously. I went to Obelix to check that he was okay, grinned, and pushed myself back onto the horse. I realized that it did not matter that I was failing; what mattered was my teacher’s passion, and my willingness to try again. And eventually, I got better. 

People hold values that often can only be articulated in their native language in their native land. These idioms inherent to human interaction make me want to learn every language and visit every corner of the world. As a Youth Ambassador for the State Department, I came to Germany expecting to express myself. This anticipation initially served as motivation to meet others and work on my language skills, but I found a better catalyst when I began to create comfort through saying, “Du kannst auf deutsch sprechen.” When I let individuals know that I will meet them in their own world, through speaking and listening to their German, their relief is visible. I am in Germany to listen; I seek to learn the language not just to express myself, but to understand passionate individuals when they speak at a thousand miles per hour. 

Lena’s love for horses is just one of the many examples of someone in a corner of the world with a singular passion deserving of advocacy. I aspire to attend the Joint Degree program with William and Mary and St. Andrews to further discover the passions of others while pursuing my love for risk taking and problem solving. The best way to encourage civic engagement in others is through the lens of their intense devotion to a cause. Lena and I have begun speaking about laws surrounding the transportation of competition horses, and I have been able to steer her to improve the conditions of her passion. We have since researched legislation and begun to collaborate with local stables to ensure better treatment of the animals. I was able to marry Lena’s enthusiasm for horse riding with my commitment to advocacy and policy. I am creating worldwide connection through interdisciplinary, international public policy. 

Through the International Honors program with the college of William and Mary and the University of St. Andrews I can continue my quest of employing public policy to meet the needs of others. The Program puts me in the best position to effectively immerse myself in two global communities in pursuit of global competency, language learning, an expanded network, and new ways of thinking. The ability to find balance between breadth and depth through two vastly different, but equally rich styles of education is liberating. My education thus far has been built through a dynamic life of falling off horses and reading voraciously, so I find it promising that I will not have to sacrifice either learning style with the Joint Degree track. The ability to take classes in a broad range of fields including international security, world trade, environmental politics, human rights, and the impact of globalization excites my love for comprehensive, versatile problem solving. 

The International Honors path at the College is attractive because each academic year is categorized. The first year provides a strong base regarding the basics of foreign policy, which is ideal because most of my social science education thus far has been self-taught through books, real-world work, and exchange. It is empowering to know that my knowledge gaps will be filled upfront. At William and Mary, the culture of “small, smart, and historic” is exemplified by global citizens such as Peace Corps graduates and devoted community servants. Traditions such as Opening Convocation, the Yule Log, and the Candlelight Ceremony promise that I will be part of the Tribe community in a unique and deeply meaningful way. 

The fourth year capstone at the College is especially attractive due to my desire to leverage my network of domestic government officials and non-profits to conduct research. After two years of theoretical study at St. Andrews on an ABBA track, I will be able to study international civics education reform- my deepest passion. The foreign language elective opportunity and the partnering 202 class at St. Andrews allows me to continue my hunt for linguistic fluency. I currently speak five languages, and am looking to add Arabic and Mandarin to my arsenal in order to expand civics education in regions where there is great opportunity. Having an independent study in my fourth year means that I can apply my language skills and theory background by consulting with international civics policy experts. The option to take more than three classes per semester during my William and Mary years means that I can use my time gaining a broad practical education. I will learn how to be a mindful global citizen while knowing where it is appropriate to employ the theoretical critical thinking skills learned at St. Andrews. The traditions of wearing Red Gowns at graduation, avoiding stepping Patrick Hamilton’s initials, being part of an Academic family, Raisin, and Harry Potter-themed events are inviting bonuses to a world class academic experience. As someone who has already been “The American” in Germany, I have learned how to push past surface-level judgements and find joy in being among young academics living life. 

St. Andrews demands its scholars explore through social sciences how we should understand the world and how we should comport ourselves accordingly. The access to community outreach programs and research teams allow me to help local groups through legislation as academic application. I intend to work with Dr. Hazel Cameron on studying global elite bystanders in the creation of war crimes, Dr. Ryan Beasley on representation in coalition governments, and Dr. Jeffrey Murer on the human condition after conflict. Additionally, I will invest my time outside of collaboration, modules, and a minor to help coordinate seminars at the Centre for Global Constitutionalism to be more inclusive of languages and disabilities, and to focus on the intersection of STEM fields in creating constitutionalist societies. 

As someone who has always been interested in the role of theory in Constitutional governments, St. Andrews’ modules such as “Legal and Constitutional Studies” allow me to develop depth. My additional passion for the “how” of international policy is fed through modules such as ”Strategic Studies (MLitt),” which allow me to take a critical approach to intellectual curiosity and complex political philosophy. After lectures I will work with my Academic Family and attend Tutorials to discuss opinions on content with small and qualified groups. Through comprehensive reading lists and finals requirements that necessitate a deeper focus in one field, I will use the three-module limit to enrich myself with specialized knowledge. The deep theoretical education at St. Andrews perfectly compliments the broad liberal arts education at William and Mary. Theory allows me to debate and consider how systems function, and why they function a certain way. Practical application allows me to implement my vision. Theory and practical application cannot exist independently in a vacuum; they must be paired together to have groundbreaking implications. 

In six months my heart will sink as I pack my bags to leave Rhauderfehn. Many habits I have developed are side effects of living here. I cannot replicate easy access to horses, Ostfriesland tea, and double birthday parties. I can, however, replicate my desire to understand the hearts of others and use that understanding to catalyze global political engagement. Like many communities in Scotland and across the globe, the vibrancy of Rhauderfehn cannot be found through a book or Google search. There are villages, cities, and suburbs filled with people that are passionate about their community’s needs. Only they can articulate what they need, and I intend to use my soul’s desire for an adventuresome life to meet each and every one of them where they are. 

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William and Mary/St. Andrews Joint Degree Program

I was recently accepted into William and Mary’s Joint Degree Programme, but I’m torn on whether or not to take part! I would be studying international relations with the hope of being involved in international peacekeeping in the future. I really want to work abroad for an international ngo (like IRC or International Crisis Group) which makes me think that this program would be extremely helpful for future careers. At the same time, I am really looking forward to joining the William and Mary community and I’m worried that I won’t want to leave. Which path should I take? Any advice would help a ton!

Congratulations on the Joint Degree program acceptance. Awesome. My S21 is interested in that program so it’s exciting to see someone who has the option to pursue it. Our planned visit to W&M was canceled due to the virus but from what we’ve read, you couldn’t go wrong with it. That’s assuming you are ready to split your 4 years between the two programs, etc. We met with the St. Andrews rep last fall and we were impressed with what she shared with us. Obviously, some things will be impacted with the current virus and aftermath, but overall, it’s likely still a meaningful and unique experience. (And, I’ve read that if there is a regret, it’s that people didn’t apply directly to St. Andrews to be a student there for the whole 4 years versus split time between the two schools.)

QQ - When you applied to W&M, I’m assuming it was a direct application for the St. A joint program…So, when you were accepted by W&M, were you automatically accepted into the joint program at the same time, or was it a two step application/acceptance process - e.g., first accepted to W&M and then applied for the Joint program and waited for that acceptance?

Thank you so much for your reply! Last fall I applied through common app. There is an option right on there to select your interest in the JDP Programme and you can submit you additional essay with the rest of you W&M application through common app. The decisions for W&M and the JDP come out differently though. I got my JDP acceptance a few days after my WaM acceptance.

Congratulations on being accepted to the William & Mary Joint Degree Program. The international relations program is the most selective and the most popular program based on the reputation of both universities. I have had several friends go through the Joint Degree Program.

Whether you will get the most out of the program or really enjoy it is kind of dependent on what type of person you are: Do you enjoy traveling and consider yourself independent type of person? Do both the environment of William & Mary and St. Andrews appeal to you? There have been students that have both really enjoyed the experience and also students who wished they stayed at one university.

For what it’s worth, I think if you want to work internationally, I think doing the program will help but you can still do that having gone to one university. You can still get global experiences from studying abroad if you choose not to do the program. I think the St. Andrews Program provides a unique opportunity to make connections and get a degree from both universities, but the value of that is kind of up to you.

Something that they don’t tell you, and is not advertised because they don’t really want students doing this, but you could always accept your offer into the program and then if you decide you don’t want to do the program later you could always stop doing the program. I recommend reading through the W&M blogs, watching the youtube pages about the program, and doing your research on St. Andrews to see if that is something that you are interested in. The Flat Hat has also interviewed a couple of students about the experience.

I am happy to connect you with friends that have gone through the program if you PM me. Although W&M would likely also could provide you contacts as well if you email them and I believe there are several facebook groups online where you can find current members. For what it is worth, I was also accepted to the St. Andrews Program when I was accepted to W&M, which I ultimately decline because my heart was set on William & Mary and that’s where I wanted to be for four years, but was impressed by the many people who have gone through the program.

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William and Mary Supplemental Essay: 3 Key Writing Tips

College Essays

The College of William and Mary in Virginia is the second oldest university in the country, and it's consistently ranked in the top colleges in the nation. Their acceptance rate reflects that: every year, only 36% of students who apply are admitted.

That means that if you're interested in applying to William and Mary, you'll want your application to shine. Simply having good grades and test scores isn't enough on its own—in fact, 75% of accepted William and Mary students were in the top 10% of their high school class .

This is where the optional William and Mary essay comes in. This is your chance to make your application stand out ! So what is this optional essay, and how optional is it ? This article will tell you everything you need to know about the William and Mary supplement essay, including:

• Explaining the William and Mary supplemental essay prompt
• Walking you through how to answer the prompt
• Going over what admissions counselors are looking for in an excellent supplemental essay

We have a lot to cover, so let's get started!

What Is the William and Mary Supplemental Essay?

The William and Mary supplemental essay is an optional essay that you can choose to submit as part of your overall admissions packet . The goal of the essay is to help admissions counselors get to know you a little better...and to showcase your writing skills one last time. Since this essay is optional, you don't have to write it in order to submit your application. (We'll talk about whether you should write it a little later, though!)

So where can you find the optional essay? Within the online application itself, there is a separate drop down box labelled "Optional W&M Essay." If you expand this box, you'll see the prompt. If you choose to submit the supplemental essay, you'll have to turn it in as part of your overall application packet. In other words, you can't go back later and submit the supplemental essay—once you turn in your application,

The text box itself allows for 650 characters, but you'll notice the prompt states that they're looking for 500 words or less . They're allowing you a little leeway so you won't get cut off in the middle of a sentence, but you should follow the instructions and try to limit yourself to under 500 words.

6 Steps to Writing the Perfect William and Mary Supplemental Essay

Now that you've been introduced to the William and Mary essay, it's time to talk about how to write one that makes admissions counselors sit up and take notice.

Here are six simple steps that will help you develop your essay into the exact thing the admission committee might be looking for.

Step 1: Read the Prompt

To help you get a handle on what the prompt is asking for, let's take a closer look at it:

"Beyond your impressive academic credentials and extracurricular accomplishments, what else makes you unique and colorful? We know nobody fits neatly into 500 words or less, but you can provide us with some suggestion of the type of person you are. Anything goes! Inspire us, impress us, or just make us laugh. Think of this optional opportunity as show and tell by proxy and with an attitude."

At its core, this prompt is all about you. Admissions counselors want to learn about what makes you unique and different from everyone else around you. In other words, admissions counselors are going to use this essay to get to know you better!

More importantly, this prompt specifically asks you to "show and tell," which is a sneaky way of saying that admissions counselors want you to tell them a story. Instead of providing a laundry list of your best qualities, pick one thing that makes you unique and then write a story around it. We recommend that you choose a specific event from your life that showcases your unique personality, then use that as a springboard for the rest of your essay.

Keep in mind that you're still writing an essay for a college application— just because the prompt asks you to inspire, impress, or amuse the admissions committee doesn't mean you shouldn't take the assignment seriously . More importantly, your job is to show admissions counselors that you're a great fit for William and Mary.

Step 2: Choose Your Unique Attribute

You've probably realized that 500 words is not a lot of room to write an essay. It turns out that 500 words is about one typed, single-spaced page of text. So even though there are hundreds of things about you that make you unique, if you tried to write about them all, you'd run out of room!

In order to write a great essay, you'll have to choose one or two attributes that make you unique. That way, you'll be able to tell a story that captures your readers' attention while still showcasing the special person that you are!

But how do you pick the unique quality you want to write about? We recommend that you start your writing process by brainstorming about twenty or thirty things that make you unique. Once you have that list, choose the one that you feel is both A) individual enough that you wouldn't expect someone else to choose it, and B) important enough to you that you could easily convey a lot of passion about it.

If you're having trouble picking a quality to write about, try talking to your parents, teachers, and best friends. Show them your list and ask them which traits stand out. They may even suggest some attributes of their own! Sometimes an outside perspective can help you narrow down your choices.

Keeping your focus narrow helps you write a more compelling essay.

Step 3: Narrow Your Focus and Choose a Story

Once you've chosen your most unique qualities, you'll need to figure out how to talk about them. Like we said earlier, we recommend that you use a story to help readers understand you better. A good story is specific and allows you to include unique and interesting details. If your story is too long or too broad, you'll need to summarize the events or aspects, which will make them unexciting and bland.

Here's what we mean: let's say Bryan has decided that his most unique attribute is that he's the first male soprano in his school's history. He decides he wants to tell the story of how he tried out for choir and discovered he could sing high notes. If Bryan tried to tell the story from the first moment he learned he could sing soprano, then he'd need thousands of words to write his essay! By narrowing his focus down to the actual audition, he can share more details...which will help the admissions committee get to know him even bette r.

Once you've narrowed your focus to one specific moment, it's time to craft your story. Good stories help readers feel like they're watching a movie. As you write, include sensory details , including sounds, sights, smells, etc. so that your essay is as vivid to the reader as the memory is to you!

Step 4: Remember Your Audience

Even though the William and Mary supplement essay is an informal prompt meant mostly to help the admission committee determine what type of person you are, keep in mind that it is still a college application. That means there are certain values about yourself that you want to emphasize. You want the people reading this essay to think of you as an intellectually curious, genuine, and thoughtful potential student.

While you may have an entertaining story that involves illicit or illegal behavior, this isn't the place to share it. Additionally, make sure you're not using off-color, racially charged, or potentially offensive language. At the end of the day, you want to show admissions counselors that you're a good fit for William and Mary's values !

Also, remember that your audience is reading over 14,000 of these essays between January and March every year, and many of them have been doing it for several years. Don't lie in your William and Mary application essay! We guarantee that admissions counselors will be able to tell. Trust us: with a little effort, you'll be able to tell a story that is both truthful and compelling.

You're unique! Letting that shine through in your essay is a good way to catch the admission committee's attention.

Step 5: Explain Why You're a Good Fit for William and Mary

While this definitely isn't a "why this school" essay , you still want to tie your William and Mary application essay into the rest of your application.

To do this, use the last two sentences of your essay to explain how your unique qualities will help you fit into the William and Mary campus . Even better, you can tell admissions counselors how you plan to use your unique personality to help support William and Mary's mission!

Take Bryan's topic that we talked about before. He knows what it's like to feel different, and he's learned how to be comfortable in his own skin. That means he can't wait to join William and Mary's choir , where he hopes to both share his talent and support others as they share theirs, too. Ending the essay like this shows admissions counselors that Bryan is ready to become a central part of William and Mary's vibrant campus community.

Step 6: Revise, Revise, and Revise

After you've chosen your topic and have written your essay, y ou need to reread it . If you have enough time, wait a few days before starting the revision process so that you can bring a fresh perspective to your essay. You'll likely find that there are places where you can add more detail, clarity, or explanation

Once you've finished your revisions, choose one or two people whose opinions you trust to read the essay and offer their criticism . Don't choose someone who loves everything you do and already thinks you're brilliant—that's not going to help you make your essay better. Choose someone who you think will offer you honest feedback on how you might improve your essay. If you have a good relationship with your English teacher or high school counselor, you should definitely ask them to read your essay and offer feedback!

If this sounds like a lot of work...well, it is. Creating a great essay takes time and effort. That means you'll need to plan ahead . We recommend starting your essay more than a month in advance so you have plenty of time to write and revise.

What Are William and Mary Looking for When They Read These Essays?

What do William and Mary essays that worked include? Usually, you just have to guess at what the admissions committee wants. Not this time! Brad Harlan, the Assistant Dean of Admission at William and Mary, wrote a helpful blog post about what William and Mary's admissions counselors look for in a good optional essay. Harlan explains:

"How does this individual articulate themselves? What is this individual genuinely passionate about? What motivates this individual. These, and countless other questions, can be answered by your essays. They provide us with meaningful insight into your personality, and give you a chance to "speak" directly to the admission committee. We see essays that cover a wide array of topics and which employ many different tones and styles. Some are funny, some are serious, some are quirky, and all of them provide for engaging and enjoyable reads as we review our many impressive applicants…

"No matter what approach you take, just be sure that your essay covers something that excites you, and that it adds a new dimension to your application. If you write genuinely, enthusiastically and carefully, no matter what the subject, then I can pretty much guarantee that we will very much enjoy reading your work."

Note that the word "genuine" is used twice in two paragraphs. That tells you that admissions counselors are looking for you to express yourself honestly and sincerely. They're not looking for a formal answer that you think they want to hear; instead, admissions counselors want to read an essay that lets them see why you would be a good choice to add to their student body .

Another William and Mary Admissions blog post gives more tips for tackling the optional essay. Wendy Livingston, the Senior Assistant Dean of Admission, writes:

There is something about you that isn't commonplace. Find that thing and write about it. If it's something big like growing up in a foreign country, write about it. If it's something small like you always wear socks with stripes for a particular reason, write about it. If it's something in between like your life-long hobby of collecting McDonalds Happy Meal toys, write about it. The key is to find a topic that few others can write about. There are most definitely fairly generic college essay topics: death of a relative, parents' divorce, traveling abroad, a service/mission trip, a sports injury, your epic love of Harry Potter books (that one has come on strong in recent years). It's not that these experiences/interests aren't salient or important; they are. But they are also fairly commonplace for 17-year olds and the ways in which you write about them will be incredibly similar.

In other words, make sure you're writing about something that is truly unique !

If you're one of ten siblings, practice oil painting in your free time, or spend your weekends playing guitar in your family's 90s cover band...write about it! While it's certainly not bad to like popular things or share common experiences, those don't always give readers true insight into your character.

Instead, choose a topic or quality that might take the admissions committee a bit by surprise (in a good way). That will help you show readers how your unique personality makes you a great addition to William and Mary's student body.

Should You Submit the William and Mary Supplement Essay?

After reading through the steps you'll need to take to create a killer supplement essay, you're probably wondering whether you really need to write it. Couldn't you skip it and save yourself a bunch of time and effort?

If you're serious about getting into William and Mary, then you absolutely need to write the William and Mary supplement essay. Put yourself in the admission committee's place. Imagine a scenario in which you have room for one more student and you're choosing between two candidates. They each have similar GPAs and test scores. However, one of them has a remarkable optional essay and the other didn't even fill in the box. Which student you choose to admit? Probably the one who went the extra mile!

Here's a different scenario. Imagine a candidate who has a pretty average GPA and an unexciting SAT score, but that candidate has a breathtaking optional essay that allows the admissions committee to see that the mediocre grades and SAT scores aren't a fair reflection of the candidate's potential. If you were in the admissions committee's place, wouldn't you be tempted to give the candidate a chance to show what they can do as a student?

As you can see, the essay may be labeled "optional," but it's actually a key piece of your application packet if you really want to get in. The William and Mary application essay is an opportunity to differentiate yourself from thousands of other applicants and make yourself more attractive to the admissions committee.

Granted, if you wrote a very poor essay it may harm your chances a little, but have no fear—after reading this article, you will have the tools you need to write an excellent William and Mary essay!

Analyzing an essay that helped a real student get admitted to William and Mary can help you figure out how to make your supplemental essay even more compelling. ( Ken Lund /Flickr)

Analysis of a Real William and Mary Supplement Essay Sample

Reading other people's successful William and Mary essays can help you write your own. He's an actual William and Mary supplement essay posted to an online forum :

"I've read this prompt seventy-six times. The number is actually much higher, but I only started counting recently. My backspace key is almost worn out from my attempts to conquer this essay. I've tried everything from Poe quotes to inspirational sport tales, but none of them seem to fit. Why is that? I think it's because for the first time, I am not writing to fit some sort of outline. From 7th grade through 9th grade I had the same English teacher. While comical, she did not teach me how to write very well. To her, good writing involved two things: MLA format and the hated five paragraph essay. As a middle schooler, the five paragraph essay seemed like God's gift to sub-par English students. Was I naive or what? Fast forward to 11th grade, and my AP History teacher is having a breakdown from reading so many of these manufactured abominations. She put me on the right track. Unfortunately, now instead of five paragraph papers, I write class response essays, that must contain three examples and a thesis statement. You see the pattern?

Paper after paper, and none of them written under the pretense that I can run wild with it. I no longer associate free expression with writing. They all fit some format and come with a set of rules that would make the creators of Monopoly jealous. Which is why, this essay means more than just acceptance to college. It took me enough attempts to realize it, but for the first time, the rule book has been thrown. I can write about whatever I want in whatever way I want. I don't have to turn this in for a grade. Long words no longer carry points or increased chances at success. I could talk about soccer, Stop Hunger Now or even my acting stint (in the role of Tupac). There are no longer cords that are holding me back from showing who I am. This must be what revolutionaries feel like. As I said before, I've tried quotes and anecdotes. However, all of them were intentionally generic. For once, I want to use one that is not restrained and, to be completely honest, really cool. It's from the book Fight Club:

"One minute was enough," Tyler said. "A person had to work hard for it, but a minute of perfection was worth the effort. A moment was the most you could ever expect from perfection."

After almost fourteen years of writing, I have yet to write one thing that I would consider close to perfect. This paper is different. Whether it's perfect or not, this essay is my moment, and all I needed was for the rule book to be thrown out to reach it."

Let's break this down and see why this supplemental essay helped the writer get into William and Mary.

What Makes This a Strong Example Essay?

The student who wrote this was accepted into William and Mary , so we can consider this a successful essay. The choice of topic is a bit unusual: the student writes about their experience writing the William and Mary supplemental essay.

The topic is fairly narrow, but it doesn't exactly recount an episode from the author's life. Rather, the author places the audience in the experience of writing the essay in real time. They give vivid descriptions, like wearing out their backspace key, which makes readers feel like they're writing the essay, too.

The strength of this essay is its voice , meaning the way the choice of words and the pace of the events helps to develop the character who is speaking. It helps readers experience the writer's frustrations and triumphs, and it also tells readers a lot about the person writing the essay. We learn this writer is a creative person who wants to push boundaries. They're also dedicated—it takes a lot of time to read the prompt over sixty times! Finally, it's clear this person is persistent. Setbacks and frustrations aren't enough to keep them from reaching their goals.

This essay uses a very unique approach to address the prompt, and it succeeds in helping the admissions committee get to know the writer better. Mission accomplished...and student admitted!

3 Key Tips for Writing the William and Mary Supplemental Essay

Now that you know what admissions committees expect from your William and Mary essay, here are our top tips to help you succeed.

Tip 1: Write Passionately

It's easier to write passionately when you're writing about a topic that you care about. Luckily, this William and Mary supplement essay prompt asks you to do just that! Find the topic that most excites you , and use language that conveys your passion to your audience. Allow your excitement about your topic to come out, and readers will be blown away!

Tip 2: Be Yourself

The point of the William and Mary essay is to show the admissions committee that you're a strong, well-rounded candidate. That can be intimidating to lots of students. But don't worry: you're unique and special just because you're you . Don't try to exaggerate to make yourself seem like the type of person the admissions committee is looking for. Remember: the admissions committee is trained to sniff out falsified essay. Just be genuine and authentic, and you'll set yourself up for success.

Tip 3: Have Fun!

The William and Mary essay is unique because it's open ended. You have free reign to express yourself however you see fit! Take the opportunity to stretch yourself and to grow as a writer. (Just make sure you're not being vulgar or offensive!)

Ultimately, the admissions committee wants to see your potential and your personality . If you use this prompt as a way of allowing your creativity to flow, the selection committee will see your willingness to challenge yourself. If you're having fun, then there's a good chance that will come across in your essay. And guess what? Fun essays stand out from the crowd, too!

What's Next?

Like we mentioned earlier, William and Mary is a selective college . Make sure you get all the details about the school, its admissions criteria, and application information before you start writing your supplemental essay.

Most students who are admitted into William and Mary graduate in the top 10% of their high school class. Make sure you understand the class ranking system so that you can set yourself up for success. Heck, you may even decide you want to be your class valedictorian or salutatorian !

Finally, you'll need to knock your test scores out of the park if you want a shot at getting into William and Mary. Learn what it takes to get a 1600 on your SAT or a 36 on your ACT so you can study smarter and harder.

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Ashley Sufflé Robinson has a Ph.D. in 19th Century English Literature. As a content writer for PrepScholar, Ashley is passionate about giving college-bound students the in-depth information they need to get into the school of their dreams.

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Application.

Apply and be admitted to each program (admission to one program will not affect admission to the other).

• Apply to the American Studies Program by the Program's stated deadline.
• Apply to the Law School by March 1.

Typically, students in the joint program are already William & Mary JD students at the time of application to the M.A. program. So, if you’re accepted to the M.A. program and plan to attend, you will need to tell the Law School’s Associate Dean of Administration by May 15. If you’re accepted to the joint program simultaneously, you’ll need to tell the Admission Deans of both programs and you will begin the joint program at the Law School.     Contact us

Plan of Study

• The first year is taken in the Law School.  The first-year curriculum must be completed prior to beginning the other program. 
• In the remaining two to three years, you will take courses in both programs.  Typically, some of your elective law courses will compliment the nature of your work in American Studies and your joint degree will be truly integrated in nature.

Degree Requirements

• 6 specified (AS 551 and one elective) non-law credit hours will be applied to the law degree.
• 65 credits must be by a William & Mary Law School course graded by letter grade (i.e., A, B, C).
• Complete the first- and second-year Law School course requirements.
• To be able to continue in residence at the Law School as a 2L or 3L, a student must maintain a term and cumulative grade point average of 2.3.
• 30 M.A. hours
•  AS 551 and 5 elective courses.
• The total credit hour requirement for the J.D./M.A. is 110 credits total.

Tuition and Fees

• You will pay tuition and fees at the Law School rate for three years.
• You will pay tuition and fees at the Graduate Arts & Sciences rate for any remaining term needed to complete the M.A. degree.

Financial Assistance

• If you’re eligible, you can be considered for available scholarship funds at either school. 
• If you’re eligible, you can receive up to three years of Law School-administered aid. 
• If you receive Law School scholarship funds or aid, they are not available during the year you’re paying tuition to the other program.
• Educational loan applications are processed by the Office of Student Financial Aid for William & Mary.

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	College of William & Mary
	Oct 10, 2024   2012 - 2013 Undergraduate Catalog     2012 - 2013 Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG] The Joint Degree Programme between the College of William & Mary and the University of St Andrews is one of the few of its kind in the world. Students complete two years at each institution and earn a single diploma—a Bachelor of Arts (International Honours) - with the insignias of both institutions. The requirements and restrictions unique to the Joint Programme are spelled out here; otherwise, Joint Programme students have access to the services and are governed by the policies spelled out in the front of this Catalog. Mission. The Joint Programme melds the best aspects of two academic traditions, while offering to students a greater range of academic choices and the opportunity to acquire direct knowledge of two distinct intellectual and national cultures. Existing degree programs in each institution are designed according to contrasting principles: William & Mary offers a broad Liberal Arts education with a majority of study hours devoted to subjects outside the Major; St Andrews offers less breadth in a degree characterized by increasing depth in a single discipline. The aim of the curricula in each of the four disciplines will be to offer more breadth than a traditional St Andrews degree as well as more specialization than is usual at William & Mary. Programs. The four participating disciplines at the College of William and Mary have identified significant complementarities with St Andrews. By effectively pooling faculty and courses in Economics, English, History, and International Relations, the two institutions can offer students a broad range of new academic options unavailable at either institution alone or on traditional study abroad programs. Individual program requirements and William and Mary course offerings are explained below. Admission to the Joint Programme Students apply to the Joint Programme through either William and Mary or St Andrews; they may not apply to the Joint Programme through both institutions. Students may apply simultaneously to William and Mary and to the Joint Programme, or to the Joint Programme alone. Applications are due by January 1. There is no early decision. Because students must spend two full years at each institution and because of the continuance standards specified below, transfer credits from other universities will not be accepted, nor will credits from IB or AP (but see below). There can be no concurrent courses, admission during senior year of high school, FlexTrack, or admission as a non-degree seeking student. The institution to which the student is admitted is the home institution and the one at which the student will spend year one; the other institution is the host institution and the one at which the student will spend year two. Students’ interests and courses of study will determine at which institution they spend years three and four, but they must spend one of those years at each institution. Transfer from William and Mary into the Joint Programme: First-year students at William and Mary may apply to transfer into the Joint Programme no later than March 1st of Spring semester. Students applying for a first-year transfer will have to demonstrate that they are on track to complete 30 credit hours at William and Mary (not counting AP, IB, or transfer) before they begin their second year at St Andrews; and they must consult with the appropriate program advisor about enrolling in the appropriate first-year courses in the major during both semesters. William and Mary students who apply to the Joint Programme after their first year will be admitted only under extraordinary circumstances and with the consent of both the College and St Andrews; such students will still have to complete two years each at William and Mary and St Andrews, and so will very likely require five years to complete their requirements. All students transferring from William and Mary into the Joint Programme will pay an additional entrance fee. Transfer from the Joint Programme into William and Mary or St Andrews: Students admitted into the Joint Programme through William and Mary (i.e., whose “home” institution is William and Mary) may, at their request, become regular degree-seeking students at the College provided they meet the normal requirements for continuance. Students admitted through William and Mary who wish to become regular degree-seeking students at St Andrews must apply to transfer to St Andrews via its normal admissions process. Readmission: Students whose home institution is William and Mary, who are in good standing in the Programme per the continuance standards below, but who have not been in attendance for one or more semesters must submit an application for readmission to the Office of the Dean of Students. Normal deadlines apply; however, readmission is contingent upon discussion with and the recommendation of the appropriate program advisor and the consent of both institutions. Summer School: Joint Programme students may take breadth or general elective courses in summer school at William and Mary (including William and Mary Summer Study Abroad). Student Financial Aid. There is limited financial aid for St Andrews Joint Degree students. Financial aid initiatives such as Gateway William & Mary will not be applied to the aid package for joint degree students. Grants and loans will be awarded to meet demonstrated financial need for Virginia residents; need-based grant funds for out-of-state students will be much more limited. Students accepted to both the Joint Degree Programme and the standard program will receive two separate award letters. Tuition and Other Expenses. The fee for the Joint Degree Programme is $32,000 for the academic year 2012-13, to be charged at $16,000 each semester. This amount covers tuition and fees with the exception of the following: Residence Hall fees and room damage deposit Meal Plan fees Orientation fee(s) Special instructional fees (music, labs, art, activity courses) Books and printing fees Fines, returned check, and other penalty fees Parking Transportation Summer School tuition Personal Expenses Because of the nature of this Joint Programme, there is no tuition differential based on domicile. Detailed information on these fees and other tuition policies can be found in the “ Tuition and Other Expenses   ” chapter of this catalog or on the Bursar’s Office website. Academic Regulations Academic Advising. Students whose home institution is William and Mary (and host students once they arrive at William and Mary) will be assigned to the Joint Programme Advisor in their major; the individual program’s designated Advisor will advise the student during both years in residence at the College and, via email, when the student is at St Andrews. First-year students are required to attend three advising meetings during each registration period and before they will be permitted to register. Second-year students (i.e., those for whom William and Mary is the host institution) are also required to attend three advising meetings: one when they arrive, one before they register for their second semester, and one at the start of the second semester to determine where they will spend their third and fourth years. Students must also meet with their Advisor at the start of the academic year in which they return to William and Mary, and, if they return for their third year, again before they register for their second semester and before they register for their fourth year. These are minimal requirements; students are encouraged to meet regularly with their Joint Programme Advisor when they are in residence and to communicate via email when they are at St Andrews. Academic Records, Confidentiality and Privacy. Joint Programme students sign a release at the time of matriculation that allows William and Mary and St Andrews to share student record information. The federal laws and university policies explained in the “ Academic Records, Confidentiality and Privacy   ” section of the “Academic Regulations” chapter at the beginning of this catalog apply to all Joint Programme students while in residence at William & Mary. Classification of Students. In the Joint Programme, academic classifications are as follows: First-year: 0-30 credits earned (0-120 St Andrews credits) Second-year: 31-60 credits earned (124-240 St Andrews credits) Third-year: 61-90 credits earned (244-360 St Andrews credits) Fourth-year: more than 91 credits earned (364 St Andrews credits) Enrollment Statuses. All Joint Programme students must maintain full-time status, with the extraordinary exception of a student forced to take a medical underload (see below). “Full time” at William and Mary is defined as a minimum of 12 credits per semester. “Full-time” at St Andrews is in most cases 60 credits (15 W&M credits) per semester. While at William and Mary, Joint Programme students are permitted to take as few as 12 credits per semester, but only in consultation with their Advisor, as Joint Programme students must have earned 60 W&M credits (240 St Andrews credits) by the end of their second-year Spring semester. In exceptional circumstances, a student may petition for a medical underload; such petitions will also require the approval of the Program Advisor and the consent of both institutions. Because underloads might make it difficult to meet continuance standards, only underloads for medical reasons will be possible in the Joint Programme. Withdrawal or Medical Withdrawal from the Programme is possible consistent with the procedures in “ Registration and Withdrawal   ,” except that the student shall, if at all possible, first discuss the withdrawal with the program advisor and should be aware that withdrawal might make it difficult to meet continuance standards . System of Grading William & Mary Letter Grade Quality Points (W&M) St Andrews Numeric Grade Meaning A 4.0 20 Excellent A 4.0 19   A 4.0 18   A 4.0 17   A- 3.7 16   B+ 3.3 15   B 3.0 14 Good B- 2.7 13   C+ 2.3 11.5   C 2.0 10.5 Satisfactory C- 1.7 9   D+ 1.3 8 Minimal Pass D 1.0 7.5   D- 0.7 7   F 0.0 0 Fail W   Not trandscripted Withdraw WM   Not transcripted Medical Withdrawal G   G Deferred Grade I     Incomplete St Andrews Numeric Grade William & Mary Letter Grade Quality Points (W&M) Meaning 16.5 to 20 A 4.0 Excellent 15.5 to 16.4 A- 3.7   14.5 to 15.5 B+ 3.3   13.5 to 14.4 B 3.0 Good 12.3 to 13.4 B- 2.7   11.0 to 12.2 C+ 2.3   10.5 to 10.9 C 2.0 Satisfactory 9.0 to 10.4 C- 1.7   8.0 to 8.9 D+ 1.3 Minimal Pass 7.5 to 7.9 D 1.0   7.0 to 7.4 D- 0.7   0 to 6.9 F 0.0 Fail G G   Deferred Good D I   Incomplete Repeated courses: Any course in which a student receives an “F” or a “W” may be repeated for a grade; however, students should be aware that these grades will make it very difficult to meet continuance standards. Incomplete Grades: Grades of “Incomplete” (or “D” at St Andrews) require the approval of the instructor; students must complete outstanding essential coursework while they are still in residence at the institution at which they took the course. Pass/Fail and Audit: Although Joint Programme students may elect to audit a William and Mary course or to take one Pass/Fail, such courses will not count toward credits for the Joint Degree. Continuance Standards The following are the recommended standards for continuance for Joint Programme students: Semester Cumulative GPA (in WM terms) Cumulative Credits 1 1.7 12* 2 1.7 24* 3 1.85 45 (180 St Andrews) 4 2.0 ** 60 (240 St Andrews)** 5 2.0 72* 6 2.0*** 90 (360 St Andrews) 7 2.0 102* (408 St Andrews) 8 2.0 120 (480 St Andrews) *Normally, students may take below 15 credits per semester only when they are in residence at William and Mary and when they have devised a plan with their advisor to make up the credits before beginning the next academic year. **By the end of their fourth semester, students must have accumulated 60 (240) credits, must have passed with a D (7) or better, on their first attempt, all courses in their major subject or required for the major, and earned at least a C+ (an 11 at St Andrews) on their first attempt in the following 2nd year courses (Honours Entry courses at St Andrews and their WM equivalents: Economics. At W&M, in both ECON 303   and ECON 304   ; at StA, in both EC2001 and 2002; English. At W&M, in ENGL 203   and in one other course above the 100-level; at StA, in both EN2003 & 2004; History. At W&M, in two History classes, at least one of which should be at 300-level; at StA, in two 2000-level modules with HI-, ME- or MO-prefixes. International Relations. At W&M, in GOVT 327   ; in one of GOVT 303   , GOVT 304   , or GOVT 305   ; and in one of GOVT 324   , GOVT 325   , or GOVT 328   ; at St A, in both IR2005 & 2006. ***In order to pursue an Honors thesis at William and Mary, students must have an overall GPA of 3.0 (an average of 14 at St Andrews) by the beginning of their seventh semester, or a GPA of 3.0 (average 14) for their third year. Continuance Standard for Cumulative GPA: Joint Programme students who do not meet the minimum continuance standards for the regular track at William and Mary at the end of the academic year, regardless of whether they are home or host students, will be placed on academic probation; the general policy will apply except 1) that Joint Programme students will not be required (though they will be strongly encouraged) to participate in the Academic Intervention Program while they are in residence; 2) that no official action* (i.e., the notification that the student is on probation or has been suspended) will be taken until the end of the academic year; and 3) that Joint Programme students will have the academic year after they have been put on probation to achieve the minimum Continuance standard. *Nevertheless, students in residence whose performance at the end of the semester falls below the Continuance Standards listed above will receive a letter from their Program Advisor and will be required to meet with the Program Advisor to discuss strategies and services available. Students on probation who do not meet the Continuance standards by the end of the academic year will be suspended from William and Mary and asked to leave the Joint Programme; if they are home students, they may apply for reinstatement to William and Mary but they may not be reinstated into the Joint Programme. See policies for “ Continuance   ” and “ Reinstatement   ” at the front of this Catalog. Continuance Standard, Prerequisites: If, at the end of the add-drop period in any given semester at William and Mary, a student has dropped or failed to enroll in (a) prerequisite(s) necessary for that student to continue in his or her program, or in the final semester a course required to graduate, that student may be administratively dropped from the Joint Programme. (An exception may be made if the student plans to attend summer school and has a note from the program advisor agreeing to the plan and assuring that the necessary courses will be offered, OR if the student receives an exemption per the procedures in “ Exemptions from Degrees” below.) Continuance Standards, progression to the third year: Students who fail to achieve the specific standards for progression to the third year may be asked to leave the Joint Programme (see below); however, students whose home institution is William and Mary may continue in the regular track provided they meet the Continuance Standards for cumulative GPA. Students who have not met the continuance standards for progression to the third year but who wish to continue in the Joint Programme may appeal to both the Director of Teaching at the appropriate School at St Andrews and to the W&M Joint Programme Committee. The appeal must be submitted as soon as the grades are published at the end of the fourth semester. In order for the appeal to be considered, Students must have earned 30/120 credits in year 1 and at least 23/90 credits in year 2; William and Mary home students must have received grades averaging 10 in their Honours entry courses at St Andrews; St Andrews home students must have received grades averaging “C” (2.0) in the corresponding courses at William and Mary. The respective authorities at both institutions will decide together whether the student will be permitted to continue on probation. If permitted, the student must have earned 90/360 credits by the end of the 3rd year, and must earn grades of at least 13.5 in two 3000- or 4000-level modules in their major subject (if year 3 is spent at St Andrews) or a grade of B in at least two 300- or 400-level courses in their major subject (if year 3 is spent at William & Mary). Students who do not meet these conditions of probation will be asked to leave the Joint Programme. Religious Accommodations Guidelines. The College’s Guidelines apply to all Joint Programme students in residence. St Andrews does not have these same guidelines: students in residence at St Andrews need to notify their instructors as soon as they discover any conflict between religious observances and required academic activities; students have the responsibility to arrange course schedules to minimize conflicts. Requirements for Degrees The undergraduate degree of Bachelor of Arts (International Honours), or BA(IH), combines the breadth and flexibility of a liberal arts degree with a four-year program of in-depth study in one of four disciplines: Economics, English, History, or International Relations. The Joint Degree Programme requires students to plan carefully with their Program Advisors a course of study suited to their particular needs and interests. All Joint Degree Programme students will take a common reading-, writing-, and discussion-intensive seminar (the Joint Programme Seminar) during their first year of residence at William and Mary. This seminar satisfies the College’s freshman seminar and writing proficiency requirements. The goal of the seminar is 1) to initiate students into the culture of critical thinking and independent inquiry, 2) to foster interest in liberal education via the seminar’s interdisciplinary approach, and 3) to introduce students to their cohort in the Joint Programme. The College of William and Mary has identified a series of knowledge-, skills-, and values-objectives critical to a liberal arts education; students in the Joint Programme will develop a “breadth portfolio,” choosing from a range of courses offered at both institutions that satisfy these objectives. And Joint Programme students will pursue in depth a major in one of the four disciplines, with opportunity for both independent study and Honors. The Faculty of Arts and Sciences at the College of William and Mary and the Faculties of the respective Schools at St Andrews determine the degree requirements for the BA(IH), including the regulations for continuance in the Joint Programme. Therefore, the “ Requirements for Degrees   ” section that appears earlier in this catalog has been modified for this Programme. Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, and Transfer Credit Students in the Joint Programme may not apply credit from College Board Advanced Placement Examinations or International Baccalaureate examinations toward the Joint Degree. However, exam scores may count toward course exemptions and satisfaction of learning objectives for breadth as outlined at the front of this catalog. No transfer credit may be applied toward the Joint Degree, and there is no credit by examination. Summer School and Study Away Joint Programme students may apply summer school courses taken at William and Mary (including William and Mary summer Study Abroad), toward the BA(IH), as long as 1) the courses are not in the major subject or do not satisfy requirements for the major; 2) the student has earned 60 W&M (240 St Andrews) credits by the end of the Spring semester of their second year, and—except in unusual circumstances —120 W&M (480 St Andrews) credits by the end of the Spring semester of their fourth year; and 3) the student spends two complete academic years in residence at each institution. No other study away may be counted toward the Joint Degree. Requirements for the Baccalaureate Degree, International Honours General Requirements . 120 W&M credit hours (equivalent to 480 St Andrews credit hours) are required for graduation and a minimum GPA of 2.0 (10.5 St Andrews). William and Mary home students must complete at least 61 W&M credit hours in residence at W&M. Students are expected to complete the Joint Degree in four years of full-time study; only in exceptional circumstances (such as medical withdrawal) may the time to degree be extended. The 72-hour rule does not apply to students in the Joint Degree Programme. Credit Hour Limitations in Applied Music, Military Science, Physical Activities, Statistics, and Theatre/Speech/Dance. Joint Programme students may not apply credits from courses taken in Applied Music, Military Science, Physical Activities, and Theatre/Speech/Dance toward the Joint Degree, with the following exceptions from Theatre/Speech/Dance, which may be applied to the Joint Degree: THEA 150   / THEA 150W   , THEA 152W   , THEA 200   , THEA 328   / THEA 328W   , THEA 329   / THEA 329W   , THEA 331   / THEA 331W   , THEA 332   , THEA 333   , THEA 340   , THEA 410   / THEA 410W   , THEA 461   / THEA 461W   , THEA 481   ; DANC 220   , DANC 230   , DANC 333; and SPCH 311   and SPCH 410   . Joint Programme students may count only two introductory statistics courses from either institution toward the Joint Degree. Exemption from degree requirements : Requests for exemption from any Joint Programme degree requirements must be presented to and approved by the student’s Program Advisor, and must be supported by documentation (for example, by a letter from a physician). Requests will go to the Committee on Degrees at William and Mary and must also be approved by the relevant administrators at St Andrews. Course Specific Requirements Joint Programme students are required to complete the College’s foreign language, writing, digital information, and major computing proficiencies and a first-year seminar (the writing and major computing proficiencies and the first-year seminar are built into the Joint Degree structure). All William and Mary home students will also take, in the Spring semester of their first year, a 1-credit course that will prepare them for their first year abroad. (This course is not required for St. Andrews home students, although they may take it if they wish). Joint Programme students will, in consultation with their program advisors, compile a “breadth portfolio” comprised of courses satisfying the six knowledge—nine skills—and three values-objectives that underlie the College’s existing General Education Requirements (GERs). Knowledge objectives: An understanding of the world of nature; An understanding of individual and social behavior; A general historical knowledge of Western civilization; An acquaintance with a non-Western cultural tradition; A general knowledge of masterworks, genres and movements in art, music, and literature; A general knowledge of major philosophical and religious systems. Skills objectives: Critical thinking skills; Verbal skills; Quantitative skills; Scientific skills; Aesthetic skills; Historical inquiry skills; Language skills (i.e., proficiency in a foreign language); Information acquisition skills; Computer literacy skills. Values objectives: Intellectual values; Social and civic values; Personal values. The Major . Unlike William & Mary undergraduates, who are admitted in an “undeclared” status, BA(IH) Joint Programme students are admitted to one of the four programs, the specifications for which appear at the end of this section. In Years 3 & 4, Joint Programme students must complete the equivalent of 45 W&M/180 StA credits in upper division courses (300-400 or 3000-4000) counting toward their major. This means that typically students must take at least 5 upper-division courses in courses counting toward their major at W&M. A Joint Programme student who wishes to change programs may petition to do so through the program advisor in the prospective department. Such changes are difficult, but when the student has taken the appropriate courses and space permits, the petition maybe granted. Minors or double majors are not possible in the Joint Programme. Honors and Special Programs Departmental Honors Projects are available in the individual programs and are governed by the stipulations in the “ Requirements for Degrees   ” section found earlier in this catalog. (Such projects are required in History and IR when the student meets these stipulations and spends the 4th year at W&M). Graduation (Latin) Honors will be calculated for Joint Programme students as described in the “ Requirements for Degrees   ” section and will be reflected on the transcript at both institutions. Degree Class will be determined for Joint Programme students by the following matrix and reflected on the transcript at both institutions. Degree Class 1: St Andrews Average 16.5-20 Degree Class IIi: St Andrews Average 13.5-16.4 Degree Class IIii: St Andrews Average 10.5-13.4 Internships for credit are not available to Joint Programme students. The Joint Degree Programs •  Economics, BA (International Honours) •  English, BA (International Honours) •  History, BA (International Honours) •  International Relations, BA (International Honours) How to Write the William & Mary Supplemental Essays 2024–2025 Subscribe to our newsletter for college app advice! The College of William & Mary (W&M) is a highly ranked public research university located in Williamsburg, VA. Chartered in 1693, W&M is the second-oldest university in the United States and accepts around 34% of applicants each year. Their accomplished alumni include George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Jon Stewart, Mike Tomlin, and Michelle Horn. Hoping to join their ranks? First, you’ll need to nail the William & Mary supplemental essays. Let’s dive in. William & Mary’s 2024-2025 Prompts Choose up to two prompts from the list below to answer. Unsure of which prompt(s) to choose? Take a look at our General Tips below! Optional Short Essay Questions (300 words or fewer) Are there any particular communities that are important to you, and how do you see yourself being a part of our community? Share more about a personal academic interest or career goal. How has your family, culture and/or background shaped your lived experience? What led to your interest in William & Mary? Tell us about a challenge or adversity you’ve experienced and how that has impacted you as an individual. If we visited your town, what would you want to show us? We’ll review your essay Receive edits in as little as 24 hours General Tips There are six William & Mary supplemental essays. Writing essays for W&M is optional, but we encourage you to respond to at least one prompt. You can respond to as many as two of the prompts, and each essay permits a maximum of 300 words. Writing an essay or two for W&M will demonstrate your interest in attending, as well as give you more opportunities to tell the admissions team about yourself. Moreover, the more time the admissions officers spend thinking about you and your application, the higher your chances of scoring an acceptance letter. Although you need not write any essays in order to be accepted, a strong essay or two can only boost your application. That said, there are a lot of prompts here to choose from. Let’s go over why each one might be right for you—or not! 1. Are there any particular communities that are important to you, and how do you see yourself being a part of our community? This prompt is a great choice for a community-oriented student. If you engaged in community service throughout high school, then you may want to bring that up here. Alternatively, if you have no evidence of community involvement elsewhere in your application, and yet community is important to you, then this is your chance to help your application feel a bit more well-rounded. If community isn’t especially important to you, then don’t force it, and give this essay a pass. If you were never really connected to any communities growing up, or you have a negative or traumatic relationship with your community, then this also may not be the prompt for you. 2. Share more about a personal academic interest or career goal. If you haven’t been able to thoroughly or comprehensively address a personal academic interest or career goal, then here’s your chance. If your career goal might seem obtuse to a reader—it’s not directly related to your major, for instance—then you may feel it is beneficial to explore this goal further in an essay. On the other hand, if your academic interests are not particularly defined and/or you don’t know what you want to do with your career yet, then this may not be the prompt for you. Furthermore, if you have fully addressed these topics in, say, your Common App personal essay, you should not repeat that discussion here. 3. How has your family, culture and/or background shaped your lived experience? Everyone has some family, culture, or at least background to speak of. Thus, this prompt is a strong option for most applicants. In addition, many other universities ask similar questions to this one. Thus, you may already have a fully formed idea in response to this topic. Similarly, you may have a completed essay that just needs a few edits in order to fit within the word count. If so, choosing this prompt could save you a lot of time. That said, if one of the other prompts speaks to you more or you simply have more to write about with one of the other prompts, then turn your attention there. In addition, if you have the time, it can be beneficial to write a new and unique essay versus recycling another essay. 4. What led to your interest in William & Mary? This prompt is also a strong choice for any applicant. Writing a response to this essay will demonstrate your interest in W&M more clearly than almost any other response. Furthermore, unless you make the fatal error of accidentally sending in an essay intended for another school, the admissions team will know that you spent extra time writing this essay and didn’t recycle the essay you composed for another school. The only reasons against writing this essay are if you have compelling reasons for focusing on some of the other prompts in lieu of this one or you don’t have enough time to write a thoughtful and substantive response. 5. Tell us about a challenge or adversity you’ve experienced and how that has impacted you as an individual. This prompt is also a great choice for most applicants. We’ve all faced challenges and adversity, and everyone’s experience is unique. Thus, writing a unique response to this essay and demonstrating your resilience can only benefit your application. If you feel that the challenges you have faced in your life are not significant or compelling enough to warrant an essay, perhaps choose one of the other prompts (but don’t sell yourself short; ask a trusted adult for advice before you forgo your response for this reason). If you have already addressed all of the significant challenges you have faced in your life in your Common App personal essay or other William & Mary supplemental essays, then you have no need to write this essay. 6. If we visited your town, what would you want to show us? This prompt is a good choice for the student who feels that their hometown represents who they are in some significant way. Even if this way is not obvious or only applies to one aspect, place, or tradition in your hometown, this prompt could still be right for you. If you feel very disconnected from your hometown, you’ve moved around a lot and haven’t built connections to places, or you want nothing more than to get away from your town, then this might not be the prompt for you. Now that you have a good understanding of what prompt(s) are right for you, let’s dive into how to answer them! William & Mary Short Essay Questions (300 words or fewer) This prompt asks you to consider who you are as community member. You should also address how you interact with the communities you belong to. There are few components to this prompt: List the communities that are important to you. We recommend no more than three communities, in order to give you the space to explain each one’s context and significance. You can even list just one! Explain how each community you listed is important to you. In order for the reader to understand why you’ve listed these communities, you’ll need to explain why they are important to you. Perhaps these communities have helped you personally. Perhaps you have learned lessons from these communities. These communities may also be part of who you are, and you can’t envision yourself without them. Note how you have contributed to these communities. This information may not be asked for explicitly, but it is no less important. The William & Mary admissions team hopes to understand how you have contributed in communities in the past and present, so as to predict how you will contribute in the future. Describe the ways you envision yourself fitting in and contributing to the William & Mary community. This part of the prompt should likely come at the end of the essay and not take up the majority of the words. That said, it is one of the most important components of your essay. Be as detailed as you can be by mentioning the specific clubs or community organizations you hope to join, the initiatives you imagine yourself founding, or however you intend to contribute to the W&M community. After you’ve addressed each of these components, remember to proofread your essay and provide smooth transitions between the different ideas addressed. This prompt is open-ended and provides applicants with the opportunity to discuss whatever academic or career interests/goals that have not yet received attention in their applications. Whatever you decide to write about in this essay should be specific and important to you. This shouldn’t be any old interest you have, but rather one that will shape your college experience. Remember to focus on one personal academic interest or career goal . The essay should provide plenty of detail regarding at least a few of the following topics: Why you are interested in this topic, or why you are pursuing this career goal. What the origin of this interest or goal is. When this interest began or you formulated this goal. Who has mentored you in this area and/or encouraged/inspired you toward this goal or interest. How you have pursued this interest or goal in the past, how you are currently pursuing it, and how you intend to pursue it in the future. Having focused on some of these topics authentically, concisely, and precisely, your essay should be well on its way to leaving a positive impact on your reader! This prompt gives you the opportunity to discuss the person you are today, as a result of your experiences. To be specific, you should focus on the experiences that relate to your family, culture, and/or background. The latter is the least specific, and you can interpret it broadly. The word “background” in this context can refer to your socioeconomic background, academic background or context, gender or sexual identity, geography, the community(ies) you come from, etc. Authenticity is the key to making this essay stand out. An authentic essay about where and whom you come from will necessarily be unique. If you feel like your essay in response to this prompt isn’t unique, then focus on writing a narrative that includes concrete, sensory details. These details are what will make your essay yours, versus anyone else’s. No matter what, your experiences are your own and unlike any other applicant’s. Especially if you have any unique interests, goals, motivations, or experiences, then there are many opportunities in this essay to let your difference show through. A unique essay will stand out. An essay with personal touches unlike any other applicant’s will be unique. And an essay that stands out, whether because of its unique content or writing, will be more memorable to the reader. You want the admissions officers to remember your William & Mary supplemental essays the next day. Assuming they recall them positively, this can only help your application’s chances! This is the “Why William & Mary?” essay. Universities ask this type of question for a few reasons: Students who are genuinely interested in a school are more likely to attend if admitted. This means that universities can maximize their yield . From reading responses to this prompt, admissions officers will be able to tell who the students are that have done thorough, comprehensive research on a university before applying. These students give the impression of being more hard-working, mature, and ready to attend college. By researching a university, you can better understand how you will fit in to their community, both academic and social. In turn, the college can see you fitting in at their school. A student who can envision themself at college with clarity and self-awareness demonstrates their maturity and preparedness for college. In this essay, you’ll want to mention specific classes, professors, programs, clubs, and other opportunities at W&M that pique your interest. Explain the source of your curiosity. Will this class bring you closer to your career goals? Will joining this club fulfill a childhood dream of yours? Do you have a particular reason to want to live in Virginia for the next four years? Do you have a personal or historical connection to the university? Whatever your reasons, share them with the reader clearly and concisely. This prompt shares similarities with the Common App personal essay. Although it needs to be a bit shorter, many students choose to focus on this same topic in their personal essay. If you were between two topics for your Common App personal essay topic, maybe you could turn to that other topic here. Alternatively, you may have a specific eccentricity in your application that could do with some explanation. For instance, is there a drop in your grades that is reasonable and explicable? Does your application lack significant extracurricular time commitment as a result of your time-consuming familial obligations? If so, then here’s your opportunity to write about it. Remember, you are writing about one challenge or adversity that you have experienced. Whatever you do, don’t rehash the same topic as addressed in your Common App essay. Make sure that this essay is totally new and different from your other William & Mary supplemental essays too. This essay should provide new insight as to who you are. In addition, make sure that the essay places heavy emphasis on your resilience and ability to overcome this obstacle. College is hard! Admissions officers want to see that you have the ability to meet future challenges with confidence, courage, and a problem-solving attitude. Consider focusing the second half of your essay on the lessons you learned from this experience. Everyone has faced some kind of adversity in their life. What makes you unique is how you have grown and matured as a result of the experience. What were your takeaways? Clearly identify them for the reader. This is how you will effectively address the second half of the prompt. This more prompt gives you the opportunity to let the reader in on your life. Consider the tourist attractions of your hometown, the local secrets, and the landmarks of your personal life. Remember that this essay is about you. The topic of your hometown is merely a lens onto you as a person. There are many ways you could go about this essay. You could write an essay about the aquarium that sparked your interest in marine biology and draws in hundreds of visitors a day. You could take your reader on a tour of your high school, pointing out all the places where you’ve had important, formative experiences. Perhaps you could take your reader through the nature preserve where you seek peace. Or you could take your reader to the gravestone of your grandfather and write about what he meant to you. Think creatively and expansively about how to approach this essay. If you’re stuck on what to write about, think about the topics you’d like to have written about in your application and haven’t yet had the chance to write about. Any gaps in your application story? You can likely fill them in here! If you need help polishing up your William & Mary supplemental essays, check out our College Essay Review service. You can receive detailed feedback from Ivy League consultants in as little as 24 hours. Sign Up for More College App Tips Subscribe to the Next Admit newsletter, a weekly newsletter where you'll receive our best college essay and college app advice. You can unsubscribe at any time! Students Also Read What are your chances of acceptance? Calculate for all schools, your chance of acceptance. Your chancing factors Extracurriculars. How to Write the College of William & Mary Essay 2020-2021 The College of William & Mary, located in the eastern-most part of Virginia, is the second oldest institution of higher education in the country, after Harvard. As such, the school has educated some of the earliest and most influential names in American history, including Thomas Jefferson, John Marshall, Henry Clay, and George Washington. It has since been designated a Public Ivy, one of only eight U.S. institutions to receive this title.  Last year, the College of William & Mary saw over 14,500 applicants, ultimately admitting just 38%. If you’re set on taking part in a chapter of William & Mary’s long history, the first step is going to be perfecting your essays. We’re here to help you break down the prompts and make your responses be the best they can. Want to know your chances at Willaiam & Mary? Calculate your chances for free right now. For All Applicants Optional: Beyond your impressive academic credentials and extracurricular accomplishments, what else makes you unique and colorful? We know nobody fits neatly into 500 words or less, but you can provide us with some suggestion of the type of person you are. Anything goes! Inspire us, impress us, or just make us laugh. Think of this optional opportunity as show and tell by proxy and with an attitude (650 words). * The prompt mentions a 500-word maximum, but the box on the Common App for this essay allows up to 650 words*  Let’s shorten this wordy prompt to just the bones: “What makes you unique? Inspire us, impress us, or make us laugh.” The great thing about this prompt is: anything goes. There are hardly any restrictions. The tough thing about this prompt is…anything goes. It can be hard to focus in on an appropriate response.  While this essay is optional, we highly recommend completing any “optional” essays, as this further demonstrates your interest in the school. Another thing to remember is to choose a topic that hasn’t been covered in other parts of your application. If you already wrote about your love of magic tricks in another essay, try to cover something else in this one! Before you even start writing, brainstorm as many ideas as possible. Think of the qualities, or experiences, that make you different from everyone else and write these down. It can be a unique story, hobby, project, passion, or whatever else you can think of, with the caveat being that you want to tie it into a bigger picture about yourself. Let’s dive into some example essay subjects to give you a sense of how to do this: After learning origami, you decided to fold 1000 paper cranes in a year. One thing you can do here is actually talk about how your life changed over the course of this undertaking, which is a great opportunity to introduce a personal story. Maybe you started the process in your childhood town and halfway through, your family moved to a new town—you can talk about this experience and how it impacted you, using the cranes as the anchor to your story. The bigger picture here is possessing the tenacity to reach 1000 cranes, but in the process, the reader will learn about you and your life. Perhaps you turned a wall of your bedroom into a chalkboard and have everyone who visits your house write or draw something on the wall, never erasing any of it. Talk about your motivations for wanting everyone to leave their mark there. The bigger picture here might be your passion for art. Or it might be your interest in preserving and sharing people’s voices. This example could go a lot of different ways, depending on the motivation of the writer. Obviously, these examples aren’t going to apply to you. This is simply meant to give you an idea of potential topics. Something as simple as a chalkboard can be turned into an essay if you feel it speaks to who you are as a person. The goal is to let the reader learn more about what makes you who you are, using a specific story or example as a vessel to do so.  Most importantly, have fun with this prompt. Get creative, get quirky, and don’t limit yourself. For applicants to St. Andrews Joint Degree Program As an applicant to the Joint Degree Programme, you are required to submit an essay outlining your interest in the particular academic area to which you are applying — Classical Studies, Economics, English, Film Studies, History or International Relations; and what particularly interests you about the JDP in your chosen major. Be as specific as you can. Demonstrating that you are familiar with the JDP website—its policies and curriculum—will be helpful to your application, as will examples of your ability to take on a particularly challenging, as well as rewarding, educational experience that demands adaptability, flexibility, and an appreciation for other cultures and institutional practices (1500 – 2000 words). This prompt is asking a few different things. First, it wants to know why you’re interested in the particular subject you’re applying to. Second, why the Joint Degree Program? And third, what experiences have you undertaken that prove you want to learn more about other cultures and institutions? You can begin the essay by talking about your interest in, and experience with, the major you are applying to. If it’s film studies, for example, open with the story of when you first fell in love with film. Maybe watching Birdman, uniquely filmed in a never-ending shot, made you want to learn more about camera angles and the science of cinematography. This is a good way to lead into how you have pursued this interest (i.e. your experience in film studies). Prove that you have lasting passion for the academic area, rather than choosing it on a whim.  Next, you need to demonstrate that the Joint Degree Program is the best way for you to study this topic. That’s going to require specificity, and in order to get there, you need to extensively research the program at both W & M, as well as St. Andrews. As you research, take notes on what makes both institutions unique in this area of study.  Continuing with the example of film studies, here’s an example of some things to note at both schools: At William & Mary: WMTV is a student-run television show at W & M Students can submit their films or volunteer at the W & M Global Film Festival At St. Andrews: Film studies boardroom has unique virtual reality facilities Byre conference room has 3D projection St. Andrews’ library has one of the best cinema collections in the world, with over 9300 AV materials You’ll want to note specific characteristics at each school, but you have to make it clear that simply attending one of the institution’s programs is not sufficient to help you reach your goals. For help with this, be sure to check out the corresponding page on the subject’s Joint Degree Program.  As an example, the film studies JDP has students work on an independent research project. Perhaps you are fascinated by the influence of national identity on mainstream media and hope to research this by using W & M and St. Andrews as contrasting case studies. Whatever your story may be, make it clear why the JDP program is a fit for your interests and goals and show that you have done research on the program. Finally, the third part of the prompt asks you to validate your interest in learning about other cultures and institutions. Perhaps, in the case of film studies, you created a short film in which you interviewed first-generation immigrants in order to study global perspectives and the impact it has on living and working in America. Show your interest in acquiring a global perspective.  If you haven’t had the opportunity to explore this interest concretely, discuss a way in which you hope to study it in the future. Conclude your essay by tying this back to your aspirations for the future and to how the JDP will help you achieve them. Want help with your college essays to improve your admissions chances? Sign up for your free CollegeVine account and get access to our essay guides and courses. You can also get your essay peer-reviewed and improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays. Related CollegeVine Blog Posts Admission & Aid Undergraduate Admission How to Apply For First-year Applicants William & Mary is a story over three centuries in the making. We celebrate our past while always looking to our future. Our first-year applicants are that future, and their applications are individual stories.  William & Mary currently accepts the  Common App.  Your transcript and standardized test scores tell your academic story, your extracurricular activities, recommendations, essay(s) and background, tell your personal story. Once submitted, every application will be read at least twice. At least one read will be your  Regional Counselor .  You do the story telling, we look forward to doing the reading. Application Checklist Early Decision For DACA Students/Undocumented Students Multicultural Students International Students St Andrews Joint Degree Programme Home-Schooled Students Gap Year or Semester After Applying Follow W&M on Social Media: Williamsburg, Virginia Accessibility Consumer Information Non-Discrimination Notice Privacy & Security 110 IMAGES William and Mary Supplemental Essays Guide: 2021-2022 How to Write the William & Mary Supplemental Essay: Guide + Examples William and Mary Supplemental Essay: 3 Key Writing Tips Reflective essay: William and mary supplemental essays #Transizion William and Mary Supplemental Essay: How to Write It! Reflective essay: William and mary supplemental essays VIDEO WILLIAM PACE SHOW ပြပ်ဝပ် & Worthy of it all 10.08 😖 ЧТО У МЕНЯ В ШКАФУ || Решаем домашние вопросы Scream Idol Somerset Songbirds Jogo/Treino de Vôlei COMMENTS St Andrews Joint Degree Programme In addition to the standard W&M application, you will submit a supplemental essay. This essay should demonstrate commitment to your intended field of study, awareness of the strengths of both universities, and a basic understanding of the Joint Programme. Students may not apply to the Joint Degree Programme through both William & Mary and St ... Standard W&M-vs-St Andrews JDP Disclaimer: William & Mary is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award baccalaureate, master's, educational specialist, and doctoral degrees. The University of St. Andrews is not accredited by SACS Commission on Colleges and the accreditation of William & Mary does not extend to or include the University of St. Andrews or its students. How to Write the College of William & Mary Essays 2023-2024 College of William & Mary Supplemental Essay Prompts. ... History, or International Relations; and what particularly interests you about the JDP in your chosen major. Be as specific as you can. Demonstrating that you are familiar with the JDP website—its policies and curriculum—will be helpful to your application, as will examples of your ... First Year J.D. Each essay must be 500 words each, double-spaced, and 12 point font. ... William & Mary Law School conducts a holistic review of every application and considers the LSAT score in the context of the entire application (transcripts, personal statement, letters of recommendation, evidence of leadership, and engagement and other information). ... College of William & Mary 2024-25 Supplemental Essay Prompt Guide College of William & Mary 2024-25 Application Essay Question Explanations. The Requirements: Two essays of 300 words or fewer. Supplemental Essay Type(s): Community, Why, Oddball. How to Write William & Mary Supplemental Essays. W&M offers five options for your supplemental essay(s) and gives you the option of writing one or two. William & Mary's 2023-24 Essay Prompts Select-A-Prompt Essay. William & Mary is a community that fosters deep human connection. We reflect on the lessons of history to meet the challenges of a rapidly changing world. We engage diverse perspectives and seek wisdom in bridging differences. Together, we are unceasing in our efforts to make a meaningful difference in our communities ... University of St Andrews Joint Degree Programme Joint Programme students may apply summer school courses taken at William and Mary (including William and Mary summer Study Abroad), toward the BA(IH), as long as 1) the student has earned 60 W&M (240 St Andrews) credits by the end of the Spring semester of their second year, and—except in unusual circumstances —120 W&M (480 St Andrews ... William and Mary Supplemental Essays 2024-25 August 7, 2024. Founded in 1693, the College of William & Mary is the second oldest institution of higher learning in the entire United States. With an acceptance rate that was 33% for the Class of 2028, W&M is a very selective school. It is even more challenging to gain admission for out-of-state students. Is the joint degree thing really worth it? : r/williamandmary Hello. I'm a William and Mary applicant who's currently taking a gap year for immigration reasons and to avoid possibly killing my mom with covid. I just want to ask some W&M students and alumni if the joint degree program with St. Andrews is really worth the extra work load and 2000 word application essay, because I've seen mixed ... How to Write the William and Mary Supplement 2020-2021 The W&M Essay: A Foreword. You might notice that, while William & Mary gives you 500 words to write your essay, the box on the Common App actually gives you a limit of 650. We recommend sticking with what the university tells you. It would be a shame to waste 150 words if the admissions committee won't read them. How to Apply The J.D. Program is a three-year course of study. Learn how to apply as a first-year student, a transfer student, or a visiting law student. The Combination Degree Program allows students to earn an additional degree in cooperation with the Mason School of Business (MBA), the Public Policy Program (MPP) or the American Studies Program (MA). St Andrews William & Mary Joint Degree Programme Founded in 1693, William & Mary is one of eight "Public Ivy" universities in the United States. W&M offers a broad Liberal Arts education. Regular students at W&M spend a majority of study hours devoted to subjects outside the Major. Students at W&M take courses outside their major for all four years. Founded in 1413, St Andrews is Scotland's ... St Andrews Joint Degree Programme The Joint Degree Programme is a unique experience where WaMStA students spend two years at William & Mary and two years at the University of St Andrews in Scotland. Learn about program majors, campus life at both universities, academic opportunities where depth meets breadth, and so much more. Hear from an Undergraduate Admission dean, the ... College Essay (W&M and University of St. Andrews International Honours At William and Mary, the culture of "small, smart, and historic" is exemplified by global citizens such as Peace Corps graduates and devoted community servants. Traditions such as Opening Convocation, the Yule Log, and the Candlelight Ceremony promise that I will be part of the Tribe community in a unique and deeply meaningful way. William and Mary/St. Andrews Joint Degree Program Last fall I applied through common app. There is an option right on there to select your interest in the JDP Programme and you can submit you additional essay with the rest of you W&M application through common app. The decisions for W&M and the JDP come out differently though. I got my JDP acceptance a few days after my WaM acceptance. How to Write the William & Mary Supplemental Essay: Guide + Examples What are the William & Mary supplemental essay prompt? How to write each supplemental essay prompt for William & Mary. Prompt #1: "Unique and colorful" essay. Prompt #2: "Community" essay. Prompt #3: "Family, culture or background" essay. Prompt #4: "Why major? / Career" essay. Prompt #5: "Challenge or adversity" essay. William and Mary Supplemental Essay: 3 Key Writing Tips Step 4: Remember Your Audience. Even though the William and Mary supplement essay is an informal prompt meant mostly to help the admission committee determine what type of person you are, keep in mind that it is still a college application. That means there are certain values about yourself that you want to emphasize. J.D. / M.A. Degree Program Application. Apply and be admitted to each program (admission to one program will not affect admission to the other). Apply to the American Studies Program by the Program's stated deadline.; Apply to the Law School by March 1.; Typically, students in the joint program are already William & Mary JD students at the time of application to the M.A. program. Do you regret going to William and Mary? : r/williamandmary Hi all, I'm currently a senior deciding where to go to college. On paper, William and Mary looks perfect for me -- natural environment, right population, a good reputation -- however I am nervous about everything I am hearing about grade deflation and workload. I have spent the past four years of my life at an extremely rigorous magnet school ... University of St Andrews Joint Degree Programme Unlike William & Mary undergraduates, who are admitted in an "undeclared" status, BA(IH) Joint Programme students are admitted to one of the four programs, the specifications for which appear at the end of this section. In Years 3 & 4, Joint Programme students must complete the equivalent of 45 W&M/180 StA credits in upper division courses ... How to Write the William & Mary Supplemental Essays 2024-2025 General Tips. There are six William & Mary supplemental essays. Writing essays for W&M is optional, but we encourage you to respond to at least one prompt. You can respond to as many as two of the prompts, and each essay permits a maximum of 300 words. Writing an essay or two for W&M will demonstrate your interest in attending, as well as give ... How to Write the College of William & Mary Essay 2020-2021 The College of William & Mary, located in the eastern-most part of Virginia, is the second oldest institution of higher education in the country, after Harvard. As such, the school has educated some of the earliest and most influential names in American history, including Thomas Jefferson, John Marshall, Henry Clay, and George Washington. For First-year Applicants William & Mary is a story over three centuries in the making. We celebrate our past while always looking to our future. Our first-year applicants are that future, and their applications are individual stories. William & Mary currently accepts the Common App. Your transcript and standardized test scores tell your academic story, your ... assignment business plan case study course work essay report research paper speech term paper thesis