College of William and Mary

The College of William and Mary is a public research institution of higher learning residing in Williamsburg, Virginia. Its campus is on 1,200 acres of land, and it is commonly regarded as among the most beautiful college campuses in the nation.

The College of William and Mary is home to one faculty and four schools of education: Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Mason School of Business, School of Education, School of Marine Sciences, and School of Law. It is dedicated to preserving the superior quality of undergraduate education, as it maintains a low student to teacher ratio of 12 to one. This ratio is deemed the second lowest among all public universities in the nation.

The college is home to about 6,300 undergraduate and 2,300 postgraduate students. It offers more than 40 undergraduate programs and over 20 graduate and professional degree programs.

The College of William and Mary was royally established in 1693 in honor of King William III and Queen Mary II. It is the nation’s second oldest institution of higher learning, and the first to become a university. The college’s Sir Christopher Wren Building is the oldest college building still in use in the U.S., and the building is a National Historic Landmark. The college was originally founded as an Anglican institution and students had to be Church of England members.

Presidents Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe, and John Tyler all attended the college. It was the first postsecondary institution to establish an honor code of conduct for students. It founded graduate programs in law and medicine in 1779. In 1842, alumni of The College of William and Mary created the Society of the Alumni, which is now the country’s sixth oldest alumni organization. In 1906, the college became one of the first universities in the state of Virginia to admit women.

The U.S. News and World Report ranked The College of William and Mary number six for best public university in its 2017 publication. The College of William and Mary is regarded as a “Public Ivy” institution, among eight in the country that offers superior education at an extraordinary value.

The College of William and Mary Accreditation Details

The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools regionally accredits The College of William and Mary to grant bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate degrees. Counselor education programs are accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Program. School psychology programs are accredited by the National Association of School Psychologists.

The College of William and Mary Application Requirements

The College of William and Mary accepts The Common Application and The Coalition Application, which are two types of applications that enable students to apply to multiple colleges and universities. The applicants serve to collect a large amount of information all in one place and helps students keep track of deadlines and manage school-related tasks all in one system. Application requirements are as follows:

• Submit The Common Application or The Coalition Application and designate The College of William and Mary as a school of choice

• Submit The Secondary School Report form that includes official high school transcripts and letters of recommendation from school counselors

• Submit official transcripts from all previously attended post-secondary institutions

• Submit official tests scores from the SAT or ACT examinations

• Pay the $70 application fee or request a fee waiver

• Optional application materials include: submission of SAT II Subject Tests, a teacher letter of recommendation, on-campus interview, and creative and performing arts submissions

Tuition and Financial Aid

The College of William and Mary works diligently to keep the cost of its educational programs affordable. Under its W&M Promise, in-state students are guaranteed to pay the same yearly tuition for all four years of undergraduate study. Additional expenses including fees, books, and room and board will vary from year to year. The estimated in-state tuition is around $16,000 per year. The estimated out-of-state tuition is around $36,000 per year. The fees are approximately $6,000, room and board $11,000, and books, travel and incidentals $3,000.

The College of William and Mary’s financial aid office utilizes all available resources of financial aid to meet the financial needs of students. It offers scholarships, grants, student loans, and work study programs.

Scholarships

William and Mary Merit Scholarships

These awards are granted to students who demonstrate excellent scholastic achievement.

• William and Mary Scholars: granted annually to a small group of top-notch students who have overcome unusual circumstances or members of underrepresented groups.

• Monroe Scholars: offered every year to the top 10-15% of all admitted students. All first-year applicants are considered.

• 1693 Scholars: the school’s most selective scholarship granted to individuals ranking in the top 1% in their class, score a 1,500 or above on the SAT, and enroll in the most demanding curriculum available.

• Hulon Willis’ Scholarship: sponsored by the Alumni Association for current students.

• Order of the White Jacket: offered to students employed in Williamsburg area food services.

Grants

• Federal Pell Grant

• Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG)

• Virginia Guaranteed Assistance Program

• Virginia Commonwealth Grant

• Virginia College Scholarship Assistance Program

Loans

• Federal Perkins Loan

• Federal Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loan

• Federal Direct PLUS Loans: Direct Parent PLUS Loan, Direct Graduate PLUS Loan

• Emergency Loan Program

• Private Loans

• Bar Loans

Student Employment and Work Study

• Federal Work Study

• The Financial Aid also offers job listings for students to work on campus.

Psychology and Counseling Programs at The College of William and Mary

The College of William and Mary offers a psychology minor, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Arts, and Master of Arts degree. The psychology department offers a wide range of courses to reflect the diversity of the field. The courses cover an array of topics including general psychology, human development, psychopathology, social behavior, community and health psychology, and research methods. Students have the ability to participate in a variety of hands-on research opportunities.

The School of Education offers degree options in school psychology and counseling. The school psychology is a three-year master’s degree program and students start working in school settings in the first semester. Students then move on to the Education Specialist Program. The counseling programs are offered at the Master of Education degree levels in mental health counseling program of studies, clinical mental health and addictions counseling, clinical mental health and addictions counseling, family counseling program of studies, school counseling program of studies. The school also offers a doctoral counselor education program of studies.
See also: The 50 Best Low-Cost Online Master’s in Counseling Programs