How to get into William & Mary
How to get into William & Mary: the 65/35 in-state cap, a real ED bump, and Murray 1693 Scholars who pay nothing
34.1%
Acceptance rate
$25,914
In-state cost
$51,038
Out-of-state cost
What makes William & Mary admissions different
William & Mary is constitutionally a Virginia public, and Virginia residency drives admissions: roughly 65% of the entering class is Virginia residents and only about 35% is out-of-state. In-state acceptance rates hover around 40-45%; out-of-state acceptance rates are closer to 25%. Early Decision moves the needle meaningfully (ED acceptance runs roughly 1.5-2x RD for non-residents). W&M is one of the only public 'Public Ivies' that genuinely feels like a small liberal arts college: roughly 6,500 undergrads, low student-faculty ratio, a true core curriculum (COLL), and the Murray 1693 Scholars Program — a four-year full-ride for a small cohort of top admits.
What an actually competitive application looks like
- 1.
Decide early whether you're applying Early Decision I (Nov 1), Early Decision II (Jan 2), or Regular Decision (Jan 2). ED is binding and gives the strongest admission bump, ED2 lets you compare with other ED1 results, RD is the largest and most competitive pool.
- 2.
Use the Common App. Plan for the W&M supplement: a required short response (no more than 50 words) about why you're applying and an optional, longer, more open-ended essay where W&M says explicitly 'we want to know what makes you, you.' Take the optional essay — it's read and it differentiates.
- 3.
Virginia residents: lean into your Virginia roots in your essays where genuine — community involvement, in-state opportunities, family ties. W&M reads Virginia applicants in their own bucket and Virginia-specific context lands.
- 4.
Out-of-state applicants: apply ED if W&M is your clear top choice. The out-of-state RD pool is the most competitive at W&M; ED2 is the next-best lever if you need to compare ED1 results from elsewhere first.
- 5.
If you're a top-tier applicant by the metrics, the Murray 1693 Scholars Program (formerly the 1693 Scholars Program; renamed for the Joseph and Kathleen Murray gift) is W&M's flagship merit award — full tuition, fees, room and board plus enrichment funding. Applicants must apply by the priority date (early November) and complete a separate Murray 1693 application by invitation.
- 6.
Reference W&M-specific features in your supplement: the COLL curriculum (COLL 100/150/200/300/400 sequence), the Sharpe Community Scholars, Honor Code (oldest in the country), 'Twamp' culture, and specific programs like the public policy or government concentrations that have direct DC pipelines.
Common mistakes that hurt applicants here
- ✕
Treating W&M as a 'safety LAC.' It's not — out-of-state admits average 3.95+ GPA, 1450+ SAT, and ED gives you the realistic edge.
- ✕
Submitting only the required short response and skipping the optional essay. W&M is one of the most writing-driven public-school applications in the country, and the optional essay is where most admits differentiate.
- ✕
Out-of-state applicants going RD when ED would have been viable. RD acceptance rates for OOS are below 25%; ED can roughly double that.
- ✕
Writing about Colonial Williamsburg history rather than W&M itself. Readers want specificity about the academic culture and student community, not Virginia tourism.
- ✕
Assuming need-based aid is competitive with HYP-tier. W&M meets demonstrated need for Virginia residents (W&M Promise) but is not need-blind for non-residents and does not meet 100% of need for out-of-state students.
The specifics for William & Mary
Application deadlines
- Early Decision INovember 1, 2025Binding. Decisions released mid-December. ED1 acceptance rate runs meaningfully higher than RD, especially for out-of-state applicants.
- Early Decision IIJanuary 2, 2026Binding. Decisions released mid-February. Useful if you applied ED1 elsewhere and were denied/deferred.
- Regular DecisionJanuary 2, 2026Non-binding. Decisions released late March.
- 1693 Scholars PriorityNovember 1, 2025Applicants who wish to be considered for the Murray 1693 Scholars Program must apply by the early November priority date.
- FAFSA / CSS Profile PriorityFebruary 15, 2026
- Reply byMay 1, 2026
Supplemental essay prompts
- Please briefly elaborate on why you applied to William & Mary.50 words · Required short response. 'No more than 50 words' per William & Mary's instructions.
- We know you are more than a list of activities, interests, or numbers. Reflect on something that is meaningful to you and share something about yourself that we wouldn't learn from reading the rest of your application.300 words · Optional but strongly recommended. W&M states explicitly that this is read and used to differentiate applicants.
What makes this admissions process distinctive
Two-thirds Virginia resident class ↗
William & Mary's enrollment is heavily Virginia-resident — roughly 65% of the entering class is in-state and only about 35% is out-of-state. Out-of-state acceptance rates are meaningfully lower than in-state, and ED is the highest-leverage decision for OOS applicants.
W&M's required general education sequence is built around five COLL courses: COLL 100 (a writing-intensive first-year seminar), COLL 150 (a topical small seminar), COLL 200 (across-the-curriculum domain courses), COLL 300 (a global engagement course), and COLL 400 (a capstone-style senior-year experience). It is one of the most prescriptive cores at any public university.
Honor Code (oldest in the country) ↗
W&M's Honor Code dates to 1779 and is run by an Honor Council elected by students. The Honor System is central to campus culture — exams are often unproctored, take-home, or self-scheduled, and the pledge is a defining part of academic life.
Notable scholarships at William & Mary
Murray 1693 Scholars Program ↗Full tuition, fees, room and board for four years, plus enrichment funding
W&M's most prestigious merit scholarship, renamed in 2024 for the Joseph and Kathleen Murray gift. A small cohort (typically 10-12 per year) of top admits selected through a separate application and finalist interview. Apply for general admission by the November 1 priority date to be considered.
James Monroe Scholars ↗Research funding (typically $3,000+) over the undergraduate years; not a tuition scholarship
Top admits are designated James Monroe Scholars and receive funded summer research opportunities. By invitation from the admissions office; no separate application.
W&M Promise ↗Variable; meets demonstrated need for Virginia residents
Need-based commitment for in-state students. W&M is need-aware but not need-blind for OOS, and does not meet 100% of demonstrated need for out-of-state students.
Heads up — recent changes
- The 1693 Scholars Program was renamed the Murray 1693 Scholars Program in 2024 following the Joseph and Kathleen Murray gift; benefits and structure remain essentially the same.
- W&M remains test-optional for the 2025-26 cycle. Most admitted applicants still submit scores.
- The W&M optional essay (300 words) continues to be one of the most reader-weighted optional essays at any public university; submitting it is essentially expected for competitive applicants.
What graduates actually do
William & Mary graduates feed law, finance, government, education, and policy. The Mason School of Business and the Law School (oldest in the U.S.) produce strong professional pipelines, and the proximity to DC drives a notable concentration of alumni in federal civil service, intelligence community, and policy think tanks. Median early-career earnings run around $55-62k per Scorecard. W&M's alumni network is particularly active in Virginia and DC government.
Notable alumni
- Thomas Jefferson — 3rd U.S. President
- James Monroe — 5th U.S. President
- John Tyler — 10th U.S. President
- Glenn Close — Oscar-nominated actress
- Jon Stewart — former Daily Show host
- Robert Gates — former U.S. Secretary of Defense
Transfer pathway
50% transfer acceptance rate
W&M participates in the Virginia Community College System's Guaranteed Admission Agreement: VCCS students who earn an associate degree with at least a 3.6 GPA and meet course requirements receive guaranteed admission. The general transfer admit rate runs roughly 45-55%, with priority for Virginia residents and GAA candidates.
Articulation partners
Virginia Community College System (Guaranteed Admission Agreement) · Richard Bland College · Tidewater Community College · Thomas Nelson Community College
Specifics verified 2026-05-18 from the school's own admissions page + Common App (supplements re-verified this pass). Always confirm current-year details directly on the school site before applying.
If you're on the bubble
Virginia residents in the 3.8+/1400+ band have realistic odds at W&M, especially via ED. Out-of-state applicants in that band should plan ED1 or ED2 strategically — without ED, OOS RD admit is one of the toughest reaches among public universities. If Murray 1693 is in reach, apply by the November priority deadline to be considered automatically; the award genuinely changes the financial calculus for top admits.
Next steps
Last updated: November 2025. Acceptance rate and cost data refreshed nightly from college reporting.