College of William and Mary Top Questions

What's unique about your campus?

Dawnyshia

The people at William and Mary are the best part because almost all of them are caring, quirky, and hardworking. There is a culture of excellence here because selected students are typically the cream of the crop. People are fun and engaging. You will find students here to be stimulating and competent. Because of this environment you can learn a lot from not only the faculty, but your classmates as well.

Amanda

The happy community of wonderful, weird, intelligent students. I've met some incredible people here, and they've added so much to my college expereince.

Christopher

The dorms at William and Mary are quite varied in terms of both their appearance and persona. Most relevant to freshman are the following dorms: Barrett, Botetourt Complex (includes 5 individual residences, all relatively similar in size and layout), DuPont, Hunt, Jefferson, Monroe, Taliaferro, and Yates. Barrett is one of the nicer dorms on campus--recently renovated, with a grand ballroom-style staircase, not many students complain about getting chosen to live there. There are a few common rooms for residents to hang out in, all nicely furnished (some with televisions), and a large porch out back (complete with large porch swings) to enjoy during the warmer weather. The Boutetourt Complex is sort of hidden away off of Ukrop Way (close to the dining hall that many upperclassmen/athletes frequent, the Caf, and the Rec Center). Because of its secluded nature, the residents there tend to form a very close-knit group (perhaps because nobody else knows who they are). The halls are not bad per se, but they are certainly more out of date than ones like Dupont, Barrett, and Monroe. Students that live in these halls typically opted into living in a smaller residential community, which is exactly what they'll get; the seemingly endless walk to classes gets shorter, but many of these friends will be cherished forever. Dupont and Yates are both very large freshman halls (totaling about 250-275 students each), with Dupont being a more updated version of Yates right next to the Caf (Yates is across the street from the Caf). Both inspire a community experience, but more similar to that of a fraternity. People in these halls definitely have a reputation of being more extroverted; it's therefore no surprise (though perhaps an unfair stereotype), that residents in these halls seem more likely to join Greek life. Many students say that living in Yates or Dupont was one of the best parts of their freshman college experience, because of the intensely social nature of the halls. Jefferson is the hall that many people sort of forget about--it doesn't have many stigmas attached to it, which isn't neccessarily a bad thing. It's on the larger side in terms of halls (nearly 200 residents), and has a nice central location near Old Campus, with easy access to the Sunken Garden and academic buildings. Jefferson is also extremely closely positioned to Monroe, another one of the nicer dorms to live in on campus. For the most part, Monroe is reserved for Monroe Scholars (high-testing academic freshman who accept a position in the program), but one might be lucky enough to enjoy some of its comforts as well. One of the chief benefits residents get to enjoy is the attic, a fully furnished game room, with projector. It serves as a central hang out spot for many students, and when getting to meet people freshman year, it's always nice to know someone in Monroe to enjoy the air-conditioned building (not present in all dorms). Finally, Hunt and Taliaferro are two of the smallest dorms on campus (Taliaferro being the smallest freshman hall), but nicely situated in fairly central locations to Marketplace (another nice alternative dining option) and Colonial Williamsburg (for all those intense desires to see historical Virginia). Again, nice living environment for those seeking a tight-knit community, without some of the rowdiness that Yates and Dupont are known for. All of the halls have some type of common area (some more distinct than others), and most have at least one kitchen, if not one of every floor for girls and boys. Students leaving their door open depends solely on the resident--I've known many students in all of the aforementioned halls, and some would leave doors open and unlocked for anyone to stop in and say hi, and others would leave it shut. It's just a matter of preference, not a reflection on the dorm itself.

Marissa

The College of William and Mary is unique in that we have the oldest academic building that is still in use: the Wren Building. Religion classes are held in Wren, along with a few others I believe. If you're lucky, you can even get a chance to study there during finals. My friends and I did one year...talk about a memorable moment. The campus is also unique in that there's a lot of history and mystery behind it. You aren't the second oldest school in the country without collecting a few ghost-tales. Ghost tour guides always mention a few of the stories that dwell behind the creaks and groans of the academic buildings. Makes going to school at W&M kind of fun!

Lindsay

I think that the best thing about William and Mary is that it really does push its students and that students share the same values of hard work and honesty.

Rachel

The best thing about William and Mary is the wonderfully omnipresent sense of community. People are incredibly thoughtful, willing to help, and compassionate. The ability to form strong friendships and lifelong bonds is both comforting and refreshing.

Bewketu

I think the best thing about my school is that it is one of the ancient institutions that has given us president Thomas Jefferson , and the current Secreatary of Defense Robert Gates. It is shows that Leadership and responsibility are the common traits of the schools almuni. I think not only the historical significance but also the acadamic competativeness shows us that high quality students are expected to come out. It challenges students to go beyone to reach higher. I think that is the best thing about my school.

Emily

The professors are amazing. They are very helpful in and out of the classroom and get you engaged in what you are learning it class. It is very hard, but you truly learn the material. There are also tons of traditions at my school that makes going here that much more awesome.

Aundrea

The best thing about William and Mary is its tradition of academic excellence. Every student realizes that they will recieve a quality education. Since 1693 William and Mary has challenged students and produced outstanding graduates such as Thomas Jefferson.

Michael

I consider The College of William and Mary's strong sense of community to be the best aspect of the institution. Coming into college as a naive freshman, I thought I would be intimidated and looked down upon by the upperclassmen. However, everyone on campus sincerely embraces and accepts everyone regardless of background. The tight-knit community of The College serves to present a welcoming ambiance to students, which is significantly vital to embracing and becoming acclimated to college life.

Clayton

I believe the rich history of my school is the best thing about it. It inspires me to do better when I think about all of the presidents, politicians, and great influential people in the world who have gone here. It also makes the campus very diverse and beautiful making it an excellent place to walk around, find a place to study, or just relax with some friends.

Hannah

William and Mary has a great reputation. It can get you in to almost any graduate or professional school.

Erin

The best thing about William & Mary is that it provides its students with so many unique opportunities. It has an extremely strong sense of community and no matter what your interests are, William & Mary is more than able to help you pursue them. It's the most friendly campus that I've encountered and, though the students have a variety of interests, they are all united in their love for the school and its traditions.

Zhuo

The community spirit and unity; this school isn't focused on itself, rather its connections and potential impacts on the outside world. It is very selfless and giving, which is why I chose this school.

Sara

Most people are really nice and welcoming, everyone is willing to help or chat.

Shayma

Everything! The community, spirit, emphasis on service, undergraduate research focus, the professors, the beauty of campus, the numerous opportunities to go abroad/volunteer/research, the multiculturalism, growing diversity, etc!!!

David

The best thing about the school is the people. Get involved in different groups and opportunities on campus so you can get to know the quality of the people who attend the College. The experience outside the classroom is what makes this place feel like home.

Jason

Being surrounded by brilliant, talented, optimistic people.

Christopher

Probably the best thing is the education you get here--which may seem obvious, since it's a college... One should hope you get a good education... But really, some schools don't know how to allocate their resources well and can sacrifice quality in an area even as central as academia for the sake of quanitity or just specialization in something else. Here, the professors are great and the courses teach a lot of stuff that was completely new and wholly fascinating to me.

Megan

The best thing about William and Mary is the type of people who go here-everyone is friendly and motivated to go that extra mile to do something, whether it's academics or social activities. Driven, yet down-to-earth people attend here and there is a good mix of individual personalities throughout campus-you will not find two people alike.

Alice

The best thing about this school is the lucrative job I expect to receive by showing a potential employer that I went here.

Laura

It's a very welcoming community, very small and tight-knit with at LOT of school pride, and even though it is a very difficult school, people here are not competitive; in fact, most are more than willing to form study groups and help each other out. Everyone is very tolerant and open-minded. Straight people join the GLBT clubs, students join multicultural groups when they aren't that culture, etc. It's incredibly safe here, and there is always plenty to do on campus! We don't just study all day, we party too, I promise!

Courtney

The academic atmosophere is amazing. When you're not in class being inspired by professors who are at the head of their field, your talking over coffee with friends about current politics or French poetry. People are here because they want to learn.

Jonna

The atmosphere where everyone is excited about their subject and about learning. By the time a year or two has passed, people are really good at what they do and they love it. I also love the opportunities to get involved - whether it's at one of the school papers or volunteering or in planning community events or doing research. The faculty is super-smart and accessible, for the most part. I love WILLIAM AND MARY! GO TRIBE!

Luciana

I love the people here. They are diverse, and yet openminded, friendly, but willing to give you space. Our academic focus is strong and students and faculty are supportive of all kinds of learning styles and are always willing to help in any way possible. Our school joke is that it's okay to be socially awkward here because everyone else is too. We are the smart kids who were shy in high school, but now that we're all together, we form huge interconnected social networks. 'It's a small world' really applies here.

Kim

The professors and courses are amazing. The teachers are prepared and provide for a wide range of interests/

Allison

Our school is amazing, historical, beautiful. The students are friendly, real, down-to-earth, and focused on helping the world be a better place. Students and teachers are focused on academics. There are smaller class sizes, and lots of opportunities to do other fun things outside of school (through campus organizations and the like). Come here!

Deborah

I really love the W&M community. Upperclassmen are friendly to freshmen, professors are always willing to help out their students, and even the housekeeping and dining services staff will smile and chat with you. Campus is just full of amazing people no matter where you go. The heart of W&M is really its community.

John

Is Jefferson looking into the girl's bathroom?

John

Fellow Unigo Campus Rep, Sherif Abdelkarim, gives a tour and brief history lesson of Barksdale Field.