OVERVIEW

The College of William and Mary is a public research university based in Virginia. As the second-oldest institution of higher education in the United States after Harvard University, College of William and Mary now has over 6,000 undergraduates, over 2,000 postgraduates and about 600 academic staffs. The acceptance rate of the college is 31.7%.

The College of William and Mary was privately established in 1693 by letters patent issued by King William III and Queen Mary II, from whom the college got its name. Located in Williamsburg, Virginia, the college has a suburban campus of 1,200 acres. It offers a number of student services covering nearly all aspects of their campus life.

The College of William and Mary offers degrees in bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate’s programs as well as a combined-degree program, BA or MA from affiliated engineering school. The average freshman retention rate is 95%, which is obviously high and as many as 82% of the students in this college finished their four years’ study and managed to graduate with a degree.

The mission of the University of Phoenix is:

At William and Mary, teaching, research, and public service are linked through programs designed to preserve, transmit, and expand knowledge. Effective teaching imparts knowledge and encourages the intellectual development of both student and teacher. Quality research supports the educational program by introducing students to the challenge and excitement of original discovery, and is a source of the knowledge and understanding needed for a better society. The university recognizes its special responsibility to the citizens of Virginia through public and community service to the Commonwealth as well as to national and international communities. Teaching, research, and public service are all integral parts of the mission of William and Mary.

ACCREDITATION

The College of William and Mary received accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, the American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business, the Association of American Law Schools, and the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education. Some schools within the university have received specialty accreditation from other relevant agencies.

ACADEMICS

The College of William and mary has five schools:

• Arts & Sciences
• Mason School of Business
• School of Education
• School of Marine Science
• Law School

The most popular majors and course of study for students are as follows:

1. Social Sciences
2. Business Administration and Management
3. Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
4. English Language and Literature
5. Psychology

The university is ranked No.33 among all national universities by US News.

With the student-faculty ratio being 12:1 and 46.7% of all classes having less than 20 students, the College of William and Mary has enough professors for students so that every one of them can be well instructed.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Applicants for the university are required to provide either their SAT or ACT scores before January 1 and admission interview is not required. The early decision will be due on November 1 and the application fee is USD 60. The Working and volunteering experiences usually give applicants extra advantages.

COSTS AND FINANCIAL AID

The in-state tuition and fees for year 2011-2012 are USD 13,132, and the out-of-state ones are 35,409. Students spend USD 1,150 on books and supplies on average.

The College of William and Mary offers both scholarships (including both need-based ones and non-need-based ones) and financial aids. There are five types of need-based scholarships/grants, awarding 24% of the freshmen. USD 10,824 non-need-based scholarships/grants are offered according to data of the year 2010. The College of William and Mary provides seven types of loans for students. About 53.5% of the students applied for need-based financial aid and 31.0% of them have their needs fully met. Financial aids are also available for international students in this university.