William & Mary Forum

[musicfor18]

In via status checker and then received mailing! Application was complete on 2/5 and letter was mailed 2/10. I also got the Graduate Fellowship that others mentioned on here. Numbers: 167/3.7

[nyskidude]

DP 10/27.

Visited W&M over the long weekend. Absolutely loved it. Probably would attend if I was accepted, hinging only on the UVA/Vandy waitlists.

[smartblonde87]

Current Status: Application Ready for Review
Current Status Date: 1/13/2010
Decision Status: Decision Pending
Decision Status Date: 1/20/2010

I received an email from the office of the registrar on 2/5/10 asking a couple questions about my in-state tuition qualifications. She wanted to clear up a couple discrepancies, I guess, in order to approve me for in-state tuition. However, I have not yet received an acceptance letter of any kind. Of course, I live near DC, so the weather has delayed mail for a while now.

I'm wondering why the office of the registrar would go to the trouble to approve in-state tuition if I have not yet been admitted to the school. Has anyone else received a similar email - does anyone know what this means?

Thanks!

My status looks identical. I'll post what it means when I find out. I think it's been this way for a few weeks.

Did you also receive a letter from the registrar?

I don't think I have. Most of the letters I have rec'd have been from admissions. What did your letter say?

[smartblonde87]

In via status checker!! My first acceptance and I'm so surprised!!

Yay! Congrats!

[lawlife2010]

Does decision pending mean they are looking at it or waiting to look at it?

[lawlife2010]

P.S. Well done to all of you who have learned of your acceptance in the past few days! I'm jealous!

[HERetICal]

Does decision pending mean they are looking at it or waiting to look at it?

Waiting. We'll all find out come March.

[SportsFanatic]

In!!! My first acceptance, definitely excited. Very quick turnaround

Submitted 1/31
Complete 2/5
Admitted 2/10

DP 10/27.

Visited W&M over the long weekend. Absolutely loved it. Probably would attend if I was accepted, hinging only on the UVA/Vandy waitlists.

Can you share your experience? Thoughts on people, facilities, city, etc. What you liked in particular? What you didn't like, if anything.

[wakefield]

In!!! My first acceptance, definitely excited. Very quick turnaround

Submitted 1/31
Complete 2/5
Admitted 2/10

DP 10/27.

Visited W&M over the long weekend. Absolutely loved it. Probably would attend if I was accepted, hinging only on the UVA/Vandy waitlists.

Can you share your experience? Thoughts on people, facilities, city, etc. What you liked in particular? What you didn't like, if anything.

+1, I'm also interested.

[nyskidude]

Well, then, come sit around the fire, kiddies! It's story time!

So I went to DC/VA this weekend to visit GW, UVA, and W&M. GW was very off-putting (see the GW thread for my story on that), and I absolutely loved UVA (but I'm waitlisted there). W&M was a great school. Being a computer science major in undergrad, I really loved their courtroom (it really is as good as they say on the website). The person who brought me around was a 3L, and she talked about the strong alumni network. It was very impressive. Also, she mentioned how incredibly helpful the career services people were. Another thing that struck me is that there seemed to be a good relationship between her (a 3L) and some of the 1Ls on campus. The fact that 3Ls are such good friends with 1Ls makes me think that the student body itself must be a very close-knit bunch. There are also little quirky things that they have, such as the Blackberry wars (half of the campus hate blackberries and never use one, whereas the other half can't live without them). I ended up having a 20 minute conversation with a 1L who wasn't even my tour guide.

Another interesting thing is their honor code in which they vote not to "Lie, Cheat, or Steal in their personal or academic journeys at W&M", and they take this seriously. For instance, our tour guide told us that we could leave our coats (and purses for my mother and fiancee) right on the couches in the lobby of the building. We did, and nothing was missing when we got back an hour and a half later. The professors also allow students to go anywhere in the law school building to take exams (excluding the computer labs), and they trust that you won't look at notes or books or anything to cheat on the exam. It was a very unique feeling, and that trust would be incredibly calming during law school.

Their 1L program also seems very helpful. They divide the class into "Law Firms", and they give you cases and force you to work in a real-world-esque environment. Down the line, they also have agreeements with courts where, if you meet certain requirements, you can actually practice and defend real clients in real court cases as a 3L (one of my tour guide's friends was actually working a criminal trial as a 3L). The environment was just so pleasant. The campus is only okay from the outside, and the law school is kinda separated from the rest of the W&M campus (something I didn't like). It took away from the atmosphere of it truly feeling like a college (something I LOVED about UVA).

Another drawback for me is that I feel like I will get bored. They said that the law school is very into doing intramural sports as a group, and that law students can join any UG club offerred. However, Williamsburg is pretty empty. The closest night club is in Norfolk (I believe, anyways) which is an hour away. None of the sports teams I would be interested in watching (football, basketball) are very good consistently, and I feel like there may simply be not enough to do during vacations/weekends where I have a spare moment.

I hope this helps people out. If you have any other questions, feel free to PM me or just ask on here. I'm not the type to deny information (as long as it isn't too incredibly private). I'm really hoping that my DP turns into an acceptance, because I would love to go to W&M.

[bwana73]

Thanks this is great! and congrats to all those that have been accepted.

[UF Gators]

Well, then, come sit around the fire, kiddies! It's story time!

So I went to DC/VA this weekend to visit GW, UVA, and W&M. GW was very off-putting (see the GW thread for my story on that), and I absolutely loved UVA (but I'm waitlisted there). W&M was a great school. Being a computer science major in undergrad, I really loved their courtroom (it really is as good as they say on the website). The person who brought me around was a 3L, and she talked about the strong alumni network. It was very impressive. Also, she mentioned how incredibly helpful the career services people were. Another thing that struck me is that there seemed to be a good relationship between her (a 3L) and some of the 1Ls on campus. The fact that 3Ls are such good friends with 1Ls makes me think that the student body itself must be a very close-knit bunch. There are also little quirky things that they have, such as the Blackberry wars (half of the campus hate blackberries and never use one, whereas the other half can't live without them). I ended up having a 20 minute conversation with a 1L who wasn't even my tour guide.

Another interesting thing is their honor code in which they vote not to "Lie, Cheat, or Steal in their personal or academic journeys at W&M", and they take this seriously. For instance, our tour guide told us that we could leave our coats (and purses for my mother and fiancee) right on the couches in the lobby of the building. We did, and nothing was missing when we got back an hour and a half later. The professors also allow students to go anywhere in the law school building to take exams (excluding the computer labs), and they trust that you won't look at notes or books or anything to cheat on the exam. It was a very unique feeling, and that trust would be incredibly calming during law school.

Their 1L program also seems very helpful. They divide the class into "Law Firms", and they give you cases and force you to work in a real-world-esque environment. Down the line, they also have agreeements with courts where, if you meet certain requirements, you can actually practice and defend real clients in real court cases as a 3L (one of my tour guide's friends was actually working a criminal trial as a 3L). The environment was just so pleasant. The campus is only okay from the outside, and the law school is kinda separated from the rest of the W&M campus (something I didn't like). It took away from the atmosphere of it truly feeling like a college (something I LOVED about UVA).

Another drawback for me is that I feel like I will get bored. They said that the law school is very into doing intramural sports as a group, and that law students can join any UG club offerred. However, Williamsburg is pretty empty. The closest night club is in Norfolk (I believe, anyways) which is an hour away. None of the sports teams I would be interested in watching (football, basketball) are very good consistently, and I feel like there may simply be not enough to do during vacations/weekends where I have a spare moment.

I hope this helps people out. If you have any other questions, feel free to PM me or just ask on here. I'm not the type to deny information (as long as it isn't too incredibly private). I'm really hoping that my DP turns into an acceptance, because I would love to go to W&M.

Thanks for the info!

[UF Gators]

whoa; that's freaking cool. Now all I need is to move from "decision pending" (for a full month now) so I can check it out for myself!

Would you go to WM over WUSTL or UIUC?

[gohoos09]

Another drawback for me is that I feel like I will get bored. They said that the law school is very into doing intramural sports as a group, and that law students can join any UG club offerred. However, Williamsburg is pretty empty. The closest night club is in Norfolk (I believe, anyways) which is an hour away. None of the sports teams I would be interested in watching (football, basketball) are very good consistently, and I feel like there may simply be not enough to do during vacations/weekends where I have a spare moment.

I'm from the area, and I agree Williamsburg is boring. Also, the nightclubs in Norfolk are extremely sketchy (I guess most nightclubs are though) and are not worth going to even if they were one MINUTE away.

[2010law]

There seems to be some interest in this so here is my two cents worth-
---
I can second what nyskidude says. I had a very similar experience. EVERYONE was very friendly and there didn't seem to be alot of stress in the student body or faculty. (This is NOT the same vibe I got from other schools I visited). When I visited I had the opportunity to sit in on a class and the Professor gave me their email address and phone # in case I had any questions that came up after I left the school. I met with several students and asked them if they had any regrets about attending W&M and without exception, they all said that they would do it again in a second. The honor code was also stressed to me and from what I saw, it is taken VERY seriously and that seemed to allow the students to relax and not worry about nonsense. When I visited, there was a laptop sitting unattended on a couch in the lobby and when I asked about it, the 2L that was showing me around said it wasn't a big deal, people leave stuff around all the time and nothing ever happens. I was also told that many prof.s allow students to take exams to other parts of the LS and everyone works from a basis of trust and integrity. (I was also told that violating the honor code would be a very serious infraction and there would not be a chance to do it again- at least not at W&M). I spoke with a professor who told me they had been at W&M, "a very long time" and had "NEVER heard of a single case of a library book being hidden or pages torn out or similar stupidity". I was told (and almost all of the law school guides / websites agree) W&M is a very friendly, non competitive environment where the student body works hard but gets along well and most students are genuinely willing to help one another out. Two of the students I met during my visit have sent me follow up emails asking how things are going and if there is anything they can help me with (Note: these are random students I struck up conversations with and not students the administration hooked me up with). Hope this helps. let me know if you have any questions and good luck to everyone.

[wired]

Another drawback for me is that I feel like I will get bored. They said that the law school is very into doing intramural sports as a group, and that law students can join any UG club offerred. However, Williamsburg is pretty empty. The closest night club is in Norfolk (I believe, anyways) which is an hour away. None of the sports teams I would be interested in watching (football, basketball) are very good consistently, and I feel like there may simply be not enough to do during vacations/weekends where I have a spare moment.

I'm from the area, and I agree Williamsburg is boring. Also, the nightclubs in Norfolk are extremely sketchy (I guess most nightclubs are though) and are not worth going to even if they were one MINUTE away.

To just expound on this a little, while Williamsburg itself might be a bit boring, there is TONS to do within a 150 minutes of Williamsburg. You have DC about 2-3 hours north, the Shenandoah's are West, King's Dominion and Busch Gardens are both within 60 minutes, Virginia beach about an hour away, and historic sites all over the place.

[wakefield]

There seems to be some interest in this so here is my two cents worth-
---
I can second what nyskidude says. I had a very similar experience. EVERYONE was very friendly and there didn't seem to be alot of stress in the student body or faculty. (This is NOT the same vibe I got from other schools I visited). When I visited I had the opportunity to sit in on a class and the Professor gave me their email address and phone # in case I had any questions that came up after I left the school. I met with several students and asked them if they had any regrets about attending W&M and without exception, they all said that they would do it again in a second. The honor code was also stressed to me and from what I saw, it is taken VERY seriously and that seemed to allow the students to relax and not worry about nonsense. When I visited, there was a laptop sitting unattended on a couch in the lobby and when I asked about it, the 2L that was showing me around said it wasn't a big deal, people leave stuff around all the time and nothing ever happens. I was also told that many prof.s allow students to take exams to other parts of the LS and everyone works from a basis of trust and integrity. (I was also told that violating the honor code would be a very serious infraction and there would not be a chance to do it again- at least not at W&M). I spoke with a professor who told me they had been at W&M, "a very long time" and had "NEVER heard of a single case of a library book being hidden or pages torn out or similar stupidity". I was told (and almost all of the law school guides / websites agree) W&M is a very friendly, non competitive environment where the student body works hard but gets along well and most students are genuinely willing to help one another out. Two of the students I met during my visit have sent me follow up emails asking how things are going and if there is anything they can help me with (Note: these are random students I struck up conversations with and not students the administration hooked me up with). Hope this helps. let me know if you have any questions and good luck to everyone.

Thanks for the info - it's definitely helpful.

[SportsFanatic]

Many thanks 2010law and nyskidude, very helpful.... I kind of figured there wasn't much in williamsburg in terms of nightlife. Seems like a great school and environment though. My major concern is employment for my wife... she works in research and from what I've seen there aren't many opportunities in that field, at least none within in a reasonable driving distance.

[meowmeow]

Dear w&m...
you are not my top choice so your decision pending status is really starting to piss me off since its been there for over a month

sincerely,
disgruntled applicant

[d-cannon]

Many thanks 2010law and nyskidude, very helpful.... I kind of figured there wasn't much in williamsburg in terms of nightlife. Seems like a great school and environment though. My major concern is employment for my wife... she works in research and from what I've seen there aren't many opportunities in that field, at least none within in a reasonable driving distance.

Many professionals live in Williamsburg (or close to it) and commute to Richmond or the Hampton Roads area, both of which are within 45 minutes or so. Those folks believe the quality of family life in Williamsburg is superior, but realize that there are not a lot of job opportunities in that (mainly residential) area. I lived in the DC area, where a 45 min commute was expected for a 10 mile drive (and quality of life to raise a family suffers as well).

[ryguy]

Dear w&m...
you are not my top choice so your decision pending status is really starting to piss me off since its been there for over a month

sincerely,
disgruntled applicant

HaHaHa...Ditto.

[NatSec]

Many thanks 2010law and nyskidude, very helpful.... I kind of figured there wasn't much in williamsburg in terms of nightlife. Seems like a great school and environment though. My major concern is employment for my wife... she works in research and from what I've seen there aren't many opportunities in that field, at least none within in a reasonable driving distance.

Many professionals live in Williamsburg (or close to it) and commute to Richmond or the Hampton Roads area, both of which are within 45 minutes or so. Those folks believe the quality of family life in Williamsburg is superior, but realize that there are not a lot of job opportunities in that (mainly residential) area. I lived in the DC area, where a 45 min commute was expected for a 10 mile drive (and quality of life to raise a family suffers as well).

also, keep in mind that norfolk is near enough for either a commute, or you can live half-way in between and both have relatively easy drives. my wife is a cpa and needs the city type environment so we would be doing something similar.

[smartblonde87]

Dear w&m...
you are not my top choice so your decision pending status is really starting to piss me off since its been there for over a month

sincerely,
disgruntled applicant

HaHaHa...Ditto.

lol

[tram988]

withdrew today! I got sick of waiting lol.

[utcris410]

withdrew today! I got sick of waiting lol.

gosh, i feel you on that one.