Gap Year Options
Applicants who are offered admission as first-year students may request to defer their enrollment for one semester or one year. Students accepted to the St Andrews William & Mary Joint Degree Programme may only request a full-year deferral. Exceptions to extend a deferral to two years, for military or religious service for example, will be made on a case-by-case basis.
How to Defer
Students choosing to defer must notify Senior Associate Dean of Admission David Trott of their intentions in writing. All requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis and generally will be approved if they indicate thoughtful intent to spend the gap experience in a way that will facilitate personal growth.
Transfer students wishing to seek deferred enrollment should contact the director of transfer admission directly at transfer@wm.edu.
Who Can Defer
In order to be eligible, the student must submit an enrollment deposit by May 1 and should notify the admission office of the intent to defer enrollment by Jun. 1. Requests made after Jun. 1 may still be approved, however, it will depend on the composition of the class and the overall volume of requests.
Students may not enroll as a degree-seeking candidate at any other institution or complete more than 15 hours of college credit during their gap year, or 6 hours if deferring for a semester. Admission remains contingent upon continuing to meet high standards of academic performance and personal conduct throughout the gap year.
Who Cannot Defer
Students offered admission from the waitlist generally are expected to enroll in the fall, and typically are not approved to defer admission. Additionally, Early Decision is not appropriate for students who want to consider deferring their enrollment in order to pursue a gap-year opportunity.
After You're Approved
Students who are approved for a gap experience must commit to enrolling the following spring or fall and will have their enrollment deposit moved to reserve a space in that entering term or class. Students must still submit a final high school transcript at the end of the academic year in which they were first admitted.
Decision Email Release Dates
- Early Nov. – Students approved for the spring will receive an email to reactivate their offer of admission.
- Early Jan. – Students approved for the fall will receive an email to reactivate their offer of admission.
