Admissions Factors

What College of William & Mary Looks For

College of William & Mary rates 11 factors as very important: rigor of high school courses, academic GPA, class rank, application essay, recommendations, extracurricular activities, talent or ability, character and personal qualities, state residency, volunteer work and work experience.

How College of William & Mary rates each factor

Each college sorts 18 factors into four levels on its Common Data Set.

Very important

Considered

Not considered

The numbers behind the class

Overall admit rate

37%

6,245 of 16,895 applicants

Early decision admit rate

49.2%

Early decision admits equal 44% of the class

Admitted from the waitlist

5.4%

103 of 1,901 who stayed on it

Enrolled first-years had an average high school GPA of 4.34. 79% of those who reported a class rank were in the top tenth of their class.

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Frequently asked questions

What does College of William & Mary look for in applicants?

Does College of William & Mary consider legacy status?

College of William & Mary rates alumni relation as "not considered" in its 2025-26 Common Data Set.

Does College of William & Mary track demonstrated interest?

College of William & Mary rates the level of an applicant's interest as "considered".

What is College of William & Mary's waitlist acceptance rate?

1,901 students stayed on the waitlist and 103 were admitted, a rate of 5.4%. The number changes a lot from year to year because it depends on how many admitted students enroll.

What is College of William & Mary's early decision acceptance rate?

Early decision: 727 of 1,477 applicants were admitted (49.2%), against 37% overall. Early pools include recruited athletes and other students with a strong tie to the college, so the gap overstates the boost for an ordinary applicant.

Source: College of William & Mary’s own Common Data Set 2025-26, Section C. Last checked 2026-10-08. The ratings are the college’s own description of its process. Counts are for one entering class.