Time Out for Transfers
Admit It! transfers: you’re grateful for Leap Day, it gives you one extra day to prep your application. Does the impending March 1 application deadline seem way too close at hand? If it does, we feel you but it’s an exciting time. Now that our freshman applications are pretty much processed we’ve been missing the whirring sound of the printer going non-stop, the constant clicking of the stapler, the ruffling of papers that are being sorted and alphabetized. We’re super excited to receive your applications and begin the review process.
But that’s enough about us; this blog is for you. We just wanted to give you a quick reminder about what is required and how to submit everything. The deadline is just one short week away after all. You can access any of these forms from our website.
Required Application Components
- Transfer Common Application and William & Mary Supplement to the Transfer Common Application
- Transfer Common Application Essay (which addresses why you wish to transfer)
- $60 application fee (waived for any student who has submitted a letter of intent for guaranteed admission and Richard Bland students)
- High School Transcript or copy of GED
- College transcript from every college/university attended
- SAT or ACT score (required only for students who have not completed two full-time semesters of college at time of application)
- Mid-semester grades (not due until March 28)
Optional Components
- Teacher Recommendation(s)
- The Common Application’s College Official’s Report (if you do not submit this with your application and you are admitted, you will be sent a W&M version of this form at that time)
- A fine art submission
- The optional essays on the W&M Supplement to the Transfer Common Application – while optional this information is most helpful and therefore it is in your best interest to answer these questions if applicable
All of the above can be submitted online except teacher recommendations, transcripts, the College Official’s Report and mid-semester grades. The first three can be submitted by mail. Mid-semester grades can be submitted via fax (757-221-1242). Art submissions can be submitted online via a hyperlink or via mail, and SAT/ACT scores should be reported directly from the testing agency.
Best of luck to all of you finishing up your application and to the over 200 of you who have already submitted one. And if you have any last-minute questions, just post them in the comments section and we’ll be happy to provide an answer.
You get to the applying, and we’ll get to the reading.
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.
Hi – thanks very much for this post. Very informative.
If I were to submit a professor recommendation, to whom and to where should I address it to?
Thanks for your help!
Hi there, thanks so much for having this blog. It’s safe to say that all of us transfer students really, really appreciate it.
Quick question: I’m a freshman at a current four-year university. As a freshman, I’m required to take three specific classes that I can’t choose to opt out of, as much as I wish I could. I was required to take very basic classes such as “Intro to College Writing” – you get the idea. I realize that these types of classes aren’t very beneficial, especially on a transfer application to a competitive university like yours. Will the person reading my file see that these classes were required, or should I send an additional letter/email saying it? I just don’t want the admissions committee to think I took “easy” classes during my freshman year. Thanks very much.
We will have no way to know that the classes you mentioned are required unless there is a special notation on your college transcript (which is unlikely). If you wish to use the additional information section of the Common Application to explain your course selection you are welcome to do so.
I just found out last week that the professor that was going to write a letter of recommendation for me couldn’t. Will not having one hurt my application much?
Hello. I would like to know if the school publishes information on how many applied and how many got in. (applicants stats). Also when you look at a transfer application what things stand out. What do you look at when reviewing an applicant information. Can a personal statement or recommendation make a significant difference. If so how. If possible can you give as the steps to behind the scene on how applications are reviewed. Who reviews it and what actions are take. Is it a group decision as in everyone votes to accept the student. I am very curious on how the admission works. As in the step by step procedure of an application. For some unknown reason i really want to work as an admission officer. THank you
James, all schools publish information about how many applicantions were received and how many were admitted in something called the Common Data Set. If you search our website for the Common Data Set you’ll find it.
For transfer students specifically we generally receive about 1000 applications per year (spring and fall transfers combined) and admit between 40-45% of them. We look at a whole host of factors including the college and high school transcripts, extracurricular activities and personal statements and any one of these components can impact the decision we make.
Each file is reviewed by our transfer dean of admission and oftentimes another member of our professional staff. Many of the applications do go before a Committee of admission deans where we discuss the applicant’s merits and vote on whether to admit the student.
We encourage you to read some of our “Overheard in Committee” blogs for more details on our process.
Hello, letters of recommendation are optional for transfers so no need to worry about not having one.
D, our apologies. Your comment got caught up in spam. Recommendations can just be addressed to the Admission Committee and can be mailed to:
Office of Undergraduate Admission
PO Box 8795
Williamsburg, VA 23187
Hello, Admit It!
I just submitted my transfer application and paid for the application fee. My other application materials are on their way to W&M now. I am so excited and anxious about the final decision that will be released on May 1st, but I will accept whatever happens. Thank you again for posting all these information. 🙂
Good luck! We will email you as we process your application to keep you updated on its progress.
Just submitted mine as well!!! This blog and all the other resources have been amazing. I appreciate W&M’s efforts to make this as smooth as possible. Good luck Piaoyang I hope to be there with you this fall!
Hi there, roughly how many prospective transfers applied for Fall 2012 admission? Thanks!
@Alison, approximately 900 students have applied for the fall.
Great, thanks. Was that number relatively more or less than last year?
My daughter and myself waiting for transfer result eagerly. She really want to be in so badly in this college and if she gets accepted then it’s going to bring lots happiness in my family. Looking forward to hear from you soon. 🙂
@Alison, sorry your most recent comment got caught up in spam. The number is relatively similar to last year.
@Mom, we anticipate releasing transfer decisions in late April/early May so not too much longer to go.
Will we receive an email confirmation if we submit our application via mail?
Thanks!
@Victoria, yes. Everyone receives the email confirmations regarding their application status.