Decisions Decisions: St Andrews W&M Joint Degree Programme Edition
Admit It! Receiving one admission decision is anxiety-ridden; receiving two is hyper-anxiety-ridden. Those who applied to both W&M and to the joint degree program will in fact receive two distinct decisions: one for admission to just William & Mary and one for admission to the joint degree program. Both decisions will be provided at the same time. If admitted to both programs you will learn of your admission to the joint degree program when you open the “thick envelope” (for those of you already admitted to W&M as Monroe or William & Mary Scholars you will be sent a separate mailing soon regarding your joint degree program decision). You will receive two admission letters in your admit pack and will receive additional follow-up communication from the joint-degree program chair. There will be a special event during Day for Admitted Students for those admitted to the joint degree program, information about which can be found in the joint degree program admission letter. If you are waitlisted or denied admission to the joint degree program, that decision will be communicated in the first paragraph of your decision email. That first paragraph will first provide you with your admission decision for W&M and then your admission decision for the joint degree program.
Applications for the joint degree program were evaluated using the same thorough and thoughtful process utilized for those who applied solely to W&M. Each application was reviewed twice, in its entirety, by two different members of our staff and your admissibility to both W&M and to the joint degree program were considered. The decisions made reflect the competitive nature of our pool as well as whether we believed you to be a good fit for this unique and exciting new joint degree program. For those waitlisted and denied, admission to the joint degree program was selective just as admission to W&M is selective. We wish we could admit more great students to this new program but the small size of the incoming cohort makes that impossible.
We appreciated reviewing all of the applications for the joint degree program and wish all students, regardless of decision, the best of luck as they finalize their college search.
Wendy Livingston, ’03. M.Ed. ‘09
Senior Assistant Dean of Admission
Comments are closed on posts older than one year, but we still want to hear from you. If you have a comment or question for us, please email admission@wm.edu.
Can transfer students apply to this program? I’ve already applied to W&M, but this program sounds extremely interesting. Is there any way to apply in the fall? I realize it’s a strict program with lots of requirements though.
Alice, unfortunately not. This program is a full four-year program where you spend two years on St Andrews campus and two years on W&M’s campus so transfer students aren’t eligible.
We do have numerous study abroad programs, including a semester-long one with St Andrews that are open to transfers for the joint degree program is for freshman applicants only.
When year do students normally study abroad? I’m applying to be a sophomore in the fall of 2011, so I guess the best time for me to study abroad would be fall of junior year?
I don’t know if this makes a difference, but I’m hoping to double major in film and business (or, if I can’t do that, major in business and minor in film)
Alice, not sure there’s a normal time. Most students pick sophomore or junior year or a summer. If you plan to major in business the fall of your junior year may not be optiomal because that is the business block semester (your first forray into the Mason School of Business). However, if you are admitted, your academic advisor and the Business School will be happy to work with you regarding study abroad
How many students are admitted to the Dual Degree Program?
Is there a waitlist for this Program?
What date is the Open House for this Program?
Margaret, the goal is to enroll 20 students who will start at W&M and 20 who will start at St Andrews (they admitted their students): five in each of the four majors. We haven’t released data yet for the incoming class (we’ll do that in mid April). There is waitlist for the program and those who were waitlisted received an email noting that.
Those admitted will learn of an event during Day for Admitted Students specifically for those admitted to the joint degree program. That information will be part of a letter included in the admit pack
Hello. I am quite perplexed! I applied to the joint degree program and got the “Good things” e-mail which did not say anything regarding my status to the joint degree program. Additionally, I recieved my admit pack today which did not have anything regarding the joint degree program either. Does this mean I was rejected?
Leslie,
Would you mind emailing me (wcbegl@wm.edu) with your full name and your W&M ID (the nine-digit number starting with 93 at the bottom of your admit letter) so that I can investigate this for you?
Sent. Thanks for your help!
That’s what we’re here for. Happy to help anytime
I just received the admission into the Joint Degree Program and I am very excited! As an international student, I wonder if it is okay not to attend the event on Day for Admitted Students. Thank you!
Lu, it is perfectly okay not to attend the event on Day for Admitted Students. That is of course not required. It’s just an opportunity for those admitted into the Joint Degree Program to learn more about it
As an admitted student, can I now apply to this program?
I have just been wait listed to the joint degree programme, and would like to thank the admissions office for the consideration. I was wondering if you had statistics of how many students are usually taken off the wait list for this programme? And should I communicate my continued interest with a letter to the admissions office after May 1st? Thanks!
Alice, unfortunately you have to apply to this program as part of your application because it’s a four year program. You can however study abroad at St Andrews through W&M
Michael, this is the first year of the joint degree program so we have no history to share with students. We’re sorry we can’t provide more insight. You are welcome to submit a letter of continued interest to Dean Basket come May 1
Thanks, I will certainly send in a letter. Could you please tell me how many applicants are wait listed for the program?
Michael, we’re not sure how many students will elect to remain on the waitlist for this program because we don’t have any history to cite (this is the program’s first year). The actual number of students waitlisted for anything can be deceiving because what matters more is how many students elect to remain on the waitlist (many students who are offered a place on the waitlist will turn it down).
My daughter received her admission packet to the joint degree program today. However it lacked the information about how to access her financial aid package (to William and Mary as a regular student). Thank you for your help in this matter.
Your daughter will receive an email in the next week or so letting her know how to access her W&M financial aid award online. She will also receive a separate mailing with her financial aid award should she decide to enroll in the joint degree program.
How many people have applied to the program in the past (what is the percent admit rate)? And can you please tell me the major differences are between the dual-degree major in International Relations and the regular International Relations major?
Ellie, this year was the first year of the joint degree program so we only have one year worth of data so don’t take it as gospel. Last year about 200 students applied to the program and the admit rate was around 1/3 of those who applied (very similar to W&M’s admission rate).
The difference in the programs is that a) you study at two universities in the joint degree program so there’s a broader array of courses/faculty/etc and b) you’re going to focus more intently on IR in the joint degree program whereas at W&M you’ll major in IR as part of a liberal arts curriculum.
Hope that helps
Thank you very much!
ZiMei, did you mean to comment on today’s Early Decision Decisions, Decisions blog? This blog is about decisions for those who applied to the Joint Degree Program (Early Decision students cannot apply to the Joint Degree Program).
Is it possible to be denied from the joint programme and still be accepted into just the College?
Yes, that is possible. Students who apply to W&M and the joint programme will receive two decisions and they can be the same or different.
I was planning on applying to the Joint degree program. However, my essay is around 800 words, even though the prompt asks for a 1500-2000 word essay. I’ve said everything I thought was relevant. Do I need to expand my essay or is it okay to send it the way it is?