The College of William and Mary is a medium-sized, public research university in historic Williamsburg, Virginia. Yes, public. Why isn’t it called the University of Virginia at Williamsburg or something like that? Well, it is older than the state of Virginia and (the USA, for that matter). The titular William and Mary are actually the King and Queen of England, who were still a big deal continent-side when the school was founded in 1693. William & Mary recently announced that they are going to be indefinitely. They also have around a acceptance rate. However, that isn’t really the whole picture. For in-state students, the acceptance rate is 39%, and it is more like 28% for out-of-state students.

W&M has an optional writing supplement. We hate the word “optional” in front of the words “writing supplement.” Our first piece of advice is to do it. Duh. If you don’t, you are missing an opportunity to showcase more about yourself and prove that you are serious about applying to the school. Trust us: they give you the chance to write up to 2 short answer questions, take it. That being said, they let you choose six prompts; some are easier than others. Let’s break them down.

To help us learn more about you, we invite you to share additional information by answering up to two of these optional short-answer prompts. Think of this optional opportunity as show and tell by proxy. (Each question is 300 words max.)

1. Are there any particular communities important to you, and how do you see yourself being a part of our community?

We like this question because everyone can answer it. Sometimes, students see the word “community” and think they must write about an ethnic, religious, or racial community. You can write about those communities, but you don’t have to. A community is just a group of people with a common interest. You can write about teams, clubs, friend groups, etc.

To answer this question, you want to tell a story about a time you learned something from or benefited a community you are part of. Then, you want to connect that lesson or skill to who you hope to be at W&M.

2. Share more about a personal academic interest or career goal. 

We like this question on paper, but for many students, it will be very similar to question No. 4, and we recommend answering prompt four instead. Honestly, we think everyone should answer No. 4 and skip this one—No. 4 gives you more bandwidth. However, if you are really drawn to this prompt, it isn’t a bad question.

If you do answer this question, you want to tell a good story and make the reader invested in your plans or interests. You need to tell the origin story of how you came about the academic interest you have. Then, you want to explain what you’ve done to pursue this interest. Finally, connect it to a future goal or aspiration that you are already making moves towards.

3. How has your family, culture and/or background shaped your lived experience?

This is similar to the first prompt but less broad (and you don’t have to connect it back to W&M, which might be easier for some). Like prompt 1, you want to bring the reader into your world and tell a story about learning a lesson or benefiting from your family or culture. Again, this doesn’t need to be about an ethnic, religious, or racial part of your background. It can be, but it could also be about how your family loves cooking big family meals or camping every summer.

This prompt comes with one big pitfall that students tend to fall into. You need to make sure that you are the main character in this essay. This essay shouldn’t be about “why your grandma is great.” You need to center yourself even when talking about your family, which can be challenging. You can include lessons taught by your family, but then we need to see you put those into action. For example, don’t just write about your grandfather’s work ethic… write about how his lessons about keeping at things inspired you to run your first half-marathon.  

4. What led to your interest in William & Mary?

We highly recommend answering this question, because this information is actually very helpful for them when making a decision. Think of it as your chance to prove that you love W&M. Your answer needs to include a couple of things, and we have a formula for approaching it.  

Step 1: Introduce your intended major.

You want to start this essay with a short personal story about how you fell in love with what you want to study in college. For example, if you want to study art history maybe it was interning at a museum or taking a class on Modernism at a local community college. You then want to state that you hope to major in it at W&M.

Step 2: Get specific about academics.

Once you have stated what you hope to study at W&M, it's time to back it up with specifics. We recommend naming at least two high-level classes in your intended major that you hope to take and a professor who you would love to assist. Explain how these classes and professor fit into your academic experiences and interests. You want to show the overlap between the educational opportunities at W&M and your academic wants and needs. You can also mention any other specific academic opportunities that speak to you.

Step 3: Speak to campus life.

After thoroughly exploring the academic opportunities that led you to apply, you can discuss campus life and extracurricular opportunities. We recommend naming at least one club or opportunity that connects to something you are currently doing. This lets you talk more about yourself and your activities. For example, if you are passionate about taking Kathak dance classes, maybe you want to join W&M’s co-ed Bollywood Fusion dance troupe, Afsana. This is your chance to speak to campus life and who you would be once at W&M.

Step 4: Wrap it up!

This essay doesn’t need a formal conclusion, but you should wrap it up and leave the reader with the feeling that W&M is the place for you and they would be lucky to have you!

5. Tell us about a challenge or adversity you’ve experienced and how that has impacted you as an individual.

This isn’t a bad question, but it is just not for everyone. Again, most of y’all should just answer No. 4. If you are racking your brain to think of something, it's best to just skip it. On the other hand, just because you overcame something doesn’t mean you have to write about it. We always like to remind students that bearing your soul to a school doesn’t necessarily get you in. Sometimes, students think that if they tell the saddest or hardest story they can, it means they will get into college. Please believe us, that isn’t true. Trauma-filled stories actually often turn off readers or introduce red flags if told wrong.

If you choose to write this question, you need to have fully overcome the challenge and have the essay end on a positive note—ideally, one that contains a lesson, skill, or growth moment. This question is trickier than it looks. We recommend approaching it with caution. However, if done right, it can show great vulnerability and connect to important life lessons. Just be careful! (If you are struggling, reach out; we can help!)

6. If we visited your town, what would you want to show us?

We love this question! It's so fun and creative. We love essays that bring us into your world; this one does that literally. Take us on a tour or describe your perfect day in your hometown. This is an excellent opportunity to showcase places important to you and connect with your interests.

Take us to your favorite restaurants, parks, and/or activities, and remember to let us know why they are essential to you. Share memories you have of the places or their significance to your community.  

While W&M’s supplement is optional, they give you enough prompts to choose from that everyone can and should write this supplement. Writing two essays shows that you are serious about W&M and care about applying, which is important. Trust us, the option you want to choose here is “yes!”

Need help with supplements? It is what we do! Contact us here.