The College of William and Mary

Pros: Reputation. Name recognition. Undergrad education. Preparation for the real world.
Cons: Not an athletic powerhouse. A bit isolated.

The school's undergraduate program is it's real strength. It routinely ranks in the top 3 nationally for undergraduate instruction. Ironic, since this is what most parents and students want from "college" - good teaching. Students are not numbers, and ...

Pros: Reasonable price, especially for Virginia residents; strong academics; Monroe scholar program for top students
Cons: Most students come from Virginia and the student body is too homogenous

I am a parent of two William & Mary students, a junior French major and a freshman theater major. I am as snobby as the next person when it comes to education. For my two, I had dreams of the Ivies. Well, reality set in when we began looking at...

Pros: academics, campus beauty, reputation, quality of students/teachers/people, school history, COST
Cons: social life can be stifling, can be academically rigorous, homogeneous, not many social outlets

Let me first start out by saying that I wholeheartedly love this school. My four years there have easily been among the best of my life and I will always think back upon them fondly. (I am a recent grad)

Facts about W&M:

It is not...

Pros: solid academics, good professors, scenic, Colonial Williamsburg at your doorstep
Cons: very little diversity, odd social scene, student attitudes

My experience at William and Mary was an uneven one. I have to agree with the positive comments others have made about the quality of the academics there. The professors ARE very approachable and willing to help you; their first priority is teaching...

Pros: great education, great name recognition, great price
Cons: it isn't mardi gras

Anyone considering attending the College should consider the ways in which the College differs from other institutions. I didn't appreciate that at the time, but they became pretty evident when I went to a large land-grant university to do my MS.
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Pros: Outlets are very accessible to campus, Not too pricey
Cons: Not a party school, Things seem to shut down pretty early

Williamsburg, VA is a tourist hotbed where people from all over the country congregate to see the colonial architecture and other historical landmarks. Unfortunately, this does not equate with being a great college town. However, while one can whine...

Pros: Will provide you an unbeatable academic foundation for life.
Cons: Social Life could use some work

Let me begin by stating I am a proud alum of this institution. I credit the College with providing me the academic skills and opportunity for personal development which have formed the bedrock of my successes both in Law School and beyond.

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Pros: athletics (some), dedication to teaching, campus beauty, friendships
Cons: social life, diversity, workload

I didn't really know what to expect from William & Mary. Coming from an inner city high school in Washington DC, I never even heard of the school until they started showing interest in me for athletics. Being ignorant to the whole situation, I...

Pros: Location, Quality of Academics
Cons: Workload

I knew exactly where I wanted to go to college the minute I toured the campus of William and Mary during my junior year of high school. The setting is incredible, with lots of history and culture completely surrounding you. Besides the location, the...

Pros: learning experience, historical setting, wonderful professors who are dedicated to teaching
Cons: Can be expensive for out-of-state students, Williamsburg is not very metropolitan

I highly recommend William and Mary to anyone who wants to go to college to actually learn about a wide variety of subjects, and not just to get a piece of paper that says they went to class and did their work. In my four years at William and Mary, I...

Pros: Small class size, great professors
Cons: Demanding

I entered William and Mary with the intention of majoring in Anthropology/Historical Archaeology in 1976 and completed my studies with an AB degree in it in 1980. While there I had an extremely satisfactory learning experience with virtually every...

Pros: Has a lot of potential
Cons: its all unrealized potential, and I dont think it will ever reach it

When you first come to William and Mary, you will see a pretty campus. It looks like any college campus should. There is lots of green and the buildings look good on the outside. The buildings are all brick, and none really stand out, they all go...

Pros: Great personel
Cons: Spend A LOT of time reading

I have taken several classes in the history department and they have all been good. The professors explain things in a clear manner. One professor I had was truly gifted and could make any lecture interesting. By the next semester, everybody had heard...

Pros: Astronomy is a good class
Cons: Rest of physics department will not help you; you are on your own.

The physics department is something W&M students should steer clear of. First of all, it is not as good as those at other schools. Second of all, it is probably the toughest major on campus. Only students who know the subject and really like...

Pros: fabulous professors, wide variety of course offerings, extremely accessible professors
Cons: very difficult coursework

I graduated from William and Mary with a degree in Government (political sci) in May 1998. I absolutely loved my time at William and Mary, and was more than impressed with the classes I took in the government department. All of the classes are...