Oh … but wait!
Admit It! You’re kicking yourself because there’s something you left out of your regular decision application. Don’t literally kick yourself because a) that hurts; b) we’re here to help!
So the application officiates said “speak now or forever hold your peace” on January 1, and you sat there in silence. Then, oh snap, you realize that you left something really important out of your application. Worry not, because you are not alone. We’ve gotten tons of calls and questions from applicants asking if they can update us on academic awards they’ve won, accolades from the community, a higher SAT/ACT score, new leadership positions, and many more along these lines. Well, let us repeat one more time (we hear the third time is the charm): We’re not meanies. If you feel something crucial was left out of your application you can update your file. Here’s how you go about it.
- Determine if the update is substantive
- Examples of substantive updates: new standardized test results, receipt of state-level or national-level award (i.e. getting an all-state distinction in choir or a sport, being named a National Merit or Siemens Competition Finalist). Any changes to your class schedule are of critical importance.
- If the update is critical, email admission@wm.edu or your regional dean.
- Please put the update in the body of the email rather than an attachment.
- Please include identifying information (your W&M Application ID Number or in lieu of that your full name/high school/birthday).
To speak for a moment about test scores specifically:
We will accept January standardized test scores as well as any prior test dates
- If you take a January exam, please request the scores be sent to W&M prior to sitting for the exam (do not wait until you receive the scores to send them).
- Test scores do need to come directly from the testing agency.
- Note that any prior test results should have been submitted by January 1. We will complete your file with these previous results and add any new results when they become available.
And finally a bit on recommendations and essays:
- If any recommendation was accidentally not sent or included in your original submission it can still be submitted by fax, mail or email
- Remember we require only a counselor recommendation and ask that optional recommendations be limited to no more than two (for a grand total of three)
- If you accidentally uploaded the wrong essay we will allow you to email us the correct one
- If you’ve noticed a minor typo in an essay, do not sweat it. We know you’re kicking yourself (again, stop doing that!) but it’s really not as big a deal as you think it is. We’re human. We make mistakes and we know that others do as well.
So if you didn’t speak now before January 1, you still can. One more time all together now: we’re not meanies.
Wendy Livingston ’03, M.Ed. ’09 and Matt Pohl
Senior Assistant Dean of Admission and 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.
Reason #314 That I Love This Blog: Sosososo funny, and relatable! In 99% of the college guides you read, you’re just slogging through pages and pages of information and technical jargon. It’s really refreshing to hear it like an admission’s officer is talking to you, without it being intimidating. This blog is definately digestable, which I thank you for!
Alexis, so glad you enjoyed the post. We enjoy writing them and there will be more to come. Some more just the facts than humor but we try to have a good mix.
This blog is so informative, and I love the way you are so encouraging to students at this stressful time. Is there any possibility that students will hear from regular decision applications before April 1? I just had to ask. 🙂
Denise, we won’t know that we’re ready to release decisions until that day arrives. This is a process with so many pieces in motion it’s nearly impossible to nail down a day in advance. There are years where decisions have been released slightly before April 1 and years where they’ve been released a day or two after. Once we know when decisions will be released we’ll let everyone know.
If I was deferred, would you rather have me send in specific updates of my resume in the body of the email rather than a whole new resume in an attachment? Or would you want me to send in the new resume in the body of the email? Thanks!
Daisy, we’d prefer you send any updates in the body of an email. Opening attachments can get tricky depending on the file type you use and they can also threaten our system with viruses. So just put whatever you’d like noted in the body of an email to admission@wm.edu or to your regional dean.