W&M logs another record year for undergraduate applications

Record year for applications For the sixth year in a row, a record number of prospective undergraduate students have applied for admission to the College of William & Mary. Here, just a few hundred of the 12,800 applications that William & Mary received this year sit in crates in a conference room in the Office of Undergraduate Admission. Photo by Erin Zagursky

Thousands of applications W&M received more than 12,800 applications for the Class of 2015, a 2-percent increase over last year. Over the past 10 years, the number of undergraduate applications to William & Mary has increased by 37 percent. Photo by Erin Zagursky

Careful consideration Admission staff have begun the task of reading and reviewing each of the applications. Here, Admission Specialist Vanessa Keller looks through some applications in her office. Photo by Erin Zagursky

by Brian Whitson | February 1, 2011

For the sixth year in a row, a record number of prospective undergraduate students have applied for admission to the College of William & Mary.

The nation’s second-oldest institution of higher education received more than 12,800 applications for the Class of 2015, a 2-percent increase over last year. Over the past 10 years, the number of undergraduate applications to William & Mary has increased by 37 percent. Information on graduate applications will be available later in the spring semester.

“It is always great to see that so many extremely able high school seniors from across the country want to join us,” said President Taylor Reveley. “We have a splendid applicant pool from which to assemble the Class of 2015.”

This pool the most diverse in the College’s history, officials said. William & Mary received a 2-percent increase in applications from students of color, which represents African-American, Asian, Latino/Hispanic and Native American students. The College also saw a 23-percent increase in applications from international students.

"We are delighted to have received applications from so many outstanding students, and the strength of this pool bodes well for the class we will enroll next fall,” said Henry Broaddus, dean of admission and associate provost for enrollment. Broaddus credits this year’s increase to a combination of factors, including increased outreach efforts by admissions staff. This includes everything from in-person visits from admission officers to high schools or correspondence through the office’s expanded social media outlets such as Facebook and Twitter. The office’s “Admit It” blog, which features personal stories and insight from admission officers, was recently named a top 25 admission blog by the online site Campus Splash, which focuses on college-related news.

Broaddus also credited the College’s continued reputation as one of the nation’s top academic institutions. Last month, Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine ranked William & Mary as the nation’s fourth-best value among public universities. The admission office, Broaddus added, also saw an increase in demand for on-campus interviews by prospective students.

Admission staff have begun the task of reading and reviewing each of the applications. Offers to be part of next fall’s entering class will go out by April.

“Now comes the hard part,” Broaddus said. “We'll make difficult choices to select the next generation of scholars, innovators and leaders who attend William & Mary.”