Welcome to the Tribe!

Hey everyone!

As we are sure you already know, transfer application decisions are going out this week! This is the moment you all have been waiting for; the moment where all your hard work and hours poured into your applications finally yield a result! No matter what the decision, we want to thank you for your thoughtful applications and drive to become a part of the Tribe.

Since all three of us are seniors entering into our last week of undergraduate classes (plug in any of those cheesy phrases about how time flies that are actually incredibly emblematic of our bittersweet goodbyes to this wonderful home we’ve made) we thought it could be fun to play into our current penchant for nostalgia and tell you about where we were when we got our transfer decision!

Joey

I remember getting my transfer decision so vividly it’s like I could jump right into the exact moment and start the last three years over again. I was sitting in a library study room with one of my friends, each of us studying for our impending Spring final exams. I was casually procrastinating by refreshing my email for the seventh time in an hour when I saw an email from W&M Admission with the enticingly cryptic subject line, “Good things come in small packages…or emails.” I audibly gasped making my friend very concerned given my reaction and the fact that I was frozen in place not answering any of his prodding “What is going on?” questions. It took me longer than I would like to admit to gather the courage to open up that email, but when I did I was met with “Congratulations!” in shining green and gold. I was lucky enough to have five of my closest friends from high school already at W&M so the rest of the night was filled with excited FaceTime calls and endless distractions from studying (disclaimer: study for your finals). This wonderful moment, however, was not the end of the story as there were still countless hours spent pouring over pros and cons lists of transferring. The truth is that opening your admissions decision is only half the battle. While it is certainly exciting to turn the page into the next chapter of your life, remember to not get swept up in the excitement or disappointment because there is so much out there no matter where you land. Be kind to yourself, in excitement or in sadness, because you deserve it.

Esther

I was having a quiet Friday night at home, having chosen to attend an online university (the third college I attended) for the spring semester of my sophomore year, when I received an email I hold close to my heart. Before the spring of 2018, the last time I dreamed of being a part of the Tribe family was in 8th grade. As time went on, my path changed course, leading me away from my William & Mary dream. When I entered the college phase of my life, my path changed more times than I could count (hence the four-time college change), but eventually, I reached the decision to revisit my dream of going to W&M (thanks to lots of much-needed encouragement from my mom… thanks Mom!!). After sending off the application, as a coping mechanism, I pushed any thoughts of the application out of my mind and told myself that whatever happens, there’s a reason for everything. A month later, I casually checked my email at my kitchen table when I saw an email from W&M Admission with the subject title, “Good News.” My. Heart. Stopped. My trembling hands clicked on the email. I found the surreal message welcoming me into the W&M community. Still in a state of shock, I whispered to my mom across the room, “I got in.” 

Wherever you are, whatever news you receive, I want to tell you that there is a perfect school waiting for you. Don’t stop fighting to find it! It took me four tries to finally find my home! So whether your search has come to a close, or will continue on, I’m proud of you and am cheering you on!

Also…

As I am sitting here writing this, I am now realizing that it is exactly two years to the day, April 27, 2018, that I received an email that profoundly impacted my life! It feels like a lifetime ago. I cannot even express how grateful I am for my time at W&M, and I cannot wait for all the incoming transfer students to begin their own journey at William & Mary!

Meredith

Once I decided I wanted to transfer during my freshman year, I knew my college experience was probably going to look a little different than what I had originally imagined. However, even receiving my acceptance to William & Mary wasn’t quite what I expected either. On my final day of freshman year, I was out to dinner with my mom who came to help with move-out. I received an email from the William & Mary admission office saying I had been waitlisted. At the time, I didn’t really care that I had been waitlisted, because I still wasn’t super interested in coming to W&M. Although my mom, a W&M alumna herself, convinced me that it was still worth at least visiting to see if I liked it in case I got off the waitlist. It sounds cliche, but the day that I visited, the sun was shining, and it really did seem like everyone on campus was in a good mood. I was blown away by how kind and welcoming every student I met was, and how eager they were to encourage me to come to William & Mary. That day, my view of William & Mary completely changed. All of a sudden, it wasn’t just the school that my mom went to 30 years ago, but the school that could have everything I was looking for to transfer to. I decided to take the initiative to reach out to the head of transfer admission to express my desire to transfer to W&M, and it was a fantastic conversation. We laughed, I learned a lot about life as a transfer, and I felt even more confident about my decision. After sending her my final transcript, three days later the head of transfer admission herself called me to tell me the good news, and my mom sat on the couch and cried tears of joy for a solid 15 minutes.

Even though, like Esther and Joey, my shortened time at W&M has been cut a bit shorter, everyday I can’t believe my luck at being able to attend one of the most special places on earth. W&M and the people it has given me have changed me for the better, and I am so excited for each and everyone of you to find the place that you can truly call home. Congratulations, and go Tribe!!

These stories are just three experiences out of many. If one of these stories resonates with you, how exciting! Leave a comment for that Intern and share some Tribe love! But more importantly, if they do not look or sound like yours, that is 100% okay and honestly expected. All of us are coming from such different places with different histories, interests, and perspectives on life. That fact alone, our diversity of life experience, is what makes the Tribe such a great place to call home. We are so excited to share our home with you all. Please take care of good ol’ W&M, because these three graduating Transfer Interns have had the time of our lives here. Congratulations, good luck, and welcome to the Tribe!

Fondly yours,

Joey ’20, Esther ’20 and Meredith ’20