Likely Communication
Likely Communication
Admit It! You’re a tad freaked out because you’ve heard that W&M has sent likely communication to some applicants but your mailbox is woefully empty. Okay, you’re a lot freaked out but you’re keeping your composure in hopes that no one notices. Well, in the spirit of total transparency, and given the buzz that’s appeared about W&M’s likely communication on various social media outlets, we figured why not write a blog about it and get all of the necessary information out there for all to see.
W&M does send likely communication to a small portion of the students we admit. It’s not a stale letter or an impersonal email; that’s simply not our style. We send a postcard instead. It features the W&M cypher on the front (see below) and a cleverly-worded message (or at least we like to think so) on the back. At the bottom, is a personal note from the applicant’s regional dean who was one of the readers on that student’s file. Why a hand-written note you ask? Well, we’re just a hand-written note kind of a place. The postcards are sent on a rolling basis throughout February.
Front of Likely Postcard
To those who receive the postcard, congratulations! Your application was exceptional and we wanted to tell you that as soon as we could. We look forward to sending you more good things in April. For those who do not receive the postcard, DO NOT PANIC. Let me repeat that one more time for good measure, DO NOT PANIC. The absence of a likely postcard does not correlate to any particular decision. We simply complete the review of some applications earlier than others, and those stand-out applicants that are reviewed earlier receive postcards (applications are read in a totally random order which means some get read in early January whereas others don’t get read until March). Those that are read later on do not receive a postcard because their review is not completed in enough time to send a postcard. Far more students will get admitted who do not receive a postcard than those that are admitted and do receive a postcard.
The good news is, postcard or no postcard, everyone will know their decision in about six weeks. April is no longer months away but instead mere weeks away. Everyone will have their answer soon enough.
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.
That’s so cool 😀 What’s the cleverly worded message on the back of the post card? Haha!
Alexis, don’t want to spoil it; have to have some surprises right? Maybe you’ll get one and see for yourself. If not, ask us again in April and we’ll be happy to spill the beans.
Hi! Thanks for this post! I saw a comment about this in another post and slightly freaked out. One question! My residency status is in question. For the Murry Scholars Program, the website says that you contact potential finalists in February. Will the investigation of my status and therefore delay of my application effect my chance at getting contacted to write the second essay. Thanks!
Elizabeth
Elizabeth, your residency status will not impact your consideration for the Murray Award. It sounds like you at least applied as in-state. We will consider you such until we’re told differently. Keep in mind that we only contact 60 or so people to write the second essay (out of 13,000 applicants) so it’s a very select group.
Does receiving the “likely” postcard mean you will be admitted?
Bo, if you receive a postcard. The second paragraph definitely gets at your question. The only official decision we release is the one we send in April that is confirmed with an official admission letter but we wouldn’t send early good news to someone who wasn’t bound to receive more good news later on.
I love these blogs:) I was totally freaking out, but now I am a little calmer. After being deferred to regular decision, William and Mary is all I think about! Hopefully I’ll be recieving some good news come April, if not sooner!
How likely it is that a deferred student gets admitted?
Victoria, glad you like the blogs. All ED defers receive their decision when we release regular decision decisions which will likely be the first week of April. We generally review early decision defers late in our process so they are not reviewed during the time we send likely postcards.
Sorry, we missed the last part of your comment. Generally, fewer than 10% of those who were deferred are eventually admitted. We know that’s not an encouraging percentage which is why we encourage those who were deferred to consider all of their options. We do promise however to re-reviewed all deferred applicants one more time before making a final decision.
Are they still being sent out?
Manny, they are but will likely stop being sent once March hits. Remember, not getting one does not mean anything about your admission decision. Only a small percentage of admits receive the postcard.
How do you decide the group of 60 or so for the Murray Award if you haven’t looked at everybody’s application yet?
Sam, at this point most applications have at least had an initial read. Those who we think might be Murray material after an initial read are expedited through the remainder of our process so they can be considered for the Murray award.
Our review process is rather extensive requiring at least two full reads on each file if not more which is why not everyone has gone entirely through the process yet but most have been read at least once.
Finally, knowing that there are some unread files remaining, we leave the door open to select additional Murray finalists should we stumble upon one late in the review process.
On CC, W&M admissions said that most Murray Scholars semi-finalists were notified last week but that a few would still find out in the next couple of weeks. Are there many more to go?
Also, how about Monroe Scholars? When do those notifications go out?
Thanks, and the hand-written card my daughter got today was a nice touch and made a big impression!
Jeff, there may be a couple more to go out but for the most part, Murray semi-finalists have been named at this point. Students who aren’t finalists should remember we name only approximately 60 semi-finalists out of 13,000+ applications so it’s incredibly selective and not being named in no way reflects poorly on a student.
Monroe notifications go out early to mid-March.
Have they all been sent out?
Manny, for the most part, all postcards have been sent. Given it’s nearly March 1 and decisions are released in early April we’re now at the point where we just simply wait and send you a decision.
Have Early Decision admits been notified about Murray?
Eve, yes any student nominated to apply for the Murray Scholarship has been notified no matter what deadline they applied under. No one has been notified yet about the Monroe Scholarship.
OMG – I love this blog as my daughter fell in love with William and Mary on her visit last spring as a sophomore.
I went to VT, so …
This post card brought tears to my eyes – I still make my daughter write hand printed thank you notes for very occasion – this represents your wonderful traditions!
Thank you!!!
Hand-written notes are a lost art aren’t they Kimberly? Maybe we’ll bring them back into vogue!
I got a likely letter! Does that mean I was accepted for sure?
Justin, nothing is official until you receive an actual admission email and letter but we wouldn’t send likely postcards to students who we plan to deny or waitlist.