The College of William and Mary is a medium-sized, public research university located in historic Williamsburg, Virginia. It is the second oldest college in the United States, being founded in 1693 by King William and Queen Mary. W&M is known mostly for their STEM programs, and has an acceptance rate of 37.7%.
We’ve covered W&M before -- and their question hasn’t changed from last year -- but we have some updated advice on how to master this supplement. Let’s get started.
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.
We know this is technically “optional,” but let’s face it, nothing is optional when it comes to admissions. You have 500 words to play with here, and W&M is basically asking you to write a separate Common App essay.
You want to show W&M a new side of yourself, one that hasn’t been covered by your application so far. So if you told them you’re the captain of the football team in the Activities Section, don’t write a story about the game-winning touchdown. If you do a lot of community service, don’t tell a heart-warming tale of your day at the soup kitchen. This is a place to get creative and have some fun.
For example, maybe you’re really into chemistry but you have a side passion in politics. You’ve helped campaign for local elections and you’ve spoken up at city council meetings. Tell the story of the time you got up and spoke at a meeting. Tell us how nervous or weirdly confident you were, how the fluorescent lights felt, how you felt listened to or dismissed, how you prepared for months for this speech -- or maybe about how you winged it. Bring us into the room with you, share all the details of how the space felt and how this made you feel. Tell us what others were doing, were they shifting in their seats or leaning in to listen?
You don’t just have to talk about big things. Some of the best stories come from small moments or funny anecdotes -- like someone’s first Shake Shack hotdog, or how you made a business plan to convince your parents to get you a hedgehog, or cooking eggs.
Whatever story you tell, you have to bring us into the scene. Use a strong beginning, middle, and end to bring the story to life. Fill the spaces with little details, and have fun with this essay. Feel free to punch it up, make it funny. If you have a good time writing it, it will flow easier for you and it comes across to the reader. Good luck!
If you’re having a difficult time with your Common Application essays and need some help, feel free to contact us for assistance and advice.