College of William and Mary Top Questions

You have a good number of kids that party all the time and you have some that live in the library. There are a large number of Christian organizations on campus. W&M is also huge on community service. Most students participate in service in some form.I play club rugby, and everyone there is super relaxed and accepting. I love my team. There isn't a whole lot to do off campus other than shopping at the outlets and touring around Colonial WIlliamsburg. There are a lot of activities the school puts on though. Greek life definitely rules. Most parties are either with a sports team or fraternity house. If you looked, you can find a party every night. But most students only party some. People do other things on Friday nights too. I hang out with people on my hall in the lounge, watch movies in empty classrooms with people. Lots of random activities happen on the sunken gardens late at night (like pick-uo frisbee or soccer)

Because William and Mary caters to such a diverse student body, it is nearly impossible to say which groups are more or less popular than others. However, some notable groups that come to mind include Wren Ten & Cleftos (selective acapella organizations), Model UN, APO (service fraternity), and various athletic teams. Track and field and cross country are the sports in which William and Mary shows the most dominance, both in their conference (Colonial Athletic Association) and nationally, having won multiple national titles in cross country in the last decade alone. Other than that, student attendance and interest in athletic events varies by the success of the team—typically, the student body, aside from perhaps football early in the season, sparsely attends sport games. Since William and Mary places a much greater emphasis on academics than athletics, I found myself wanting to try and find an organization where I could combine my passion for sports and a desire to volunteer and network with alumni. I was able to achieve this through the Tribe Club Ambassadors organization. The club is involved in nearly all fundraising and volunteering aspects of sporting events. Some of the events that the Ambassadors take part in each year include marketing at football games, serving food for alumni at basketball games, and hosting a large black tie fundraising gala each spring. I have gotten the opportunity to meet many former athletes, as well as network with wealthy donors to the school in the hopes of securing future employment. For my freshman year at William and Mary, I elected to live in a smaller dorm on campus, so as to have the chance to interact more closely with my dorm-mates. Today, most of my friends are those from my freshman dorm. Whether one lives in a small or large dorm, it is likely that the closest friends they have throughout their time at the College will be from their freshman hall. Due to the trusting environment that William and Mary’s honor code provides, it isn’t uncommon for people to leave their doors unlocked while attending class, or keep them open while in the room studying. I have really come to appreciate this aspect of college, especially after hearing horror stories from friends at other universities about how prevalent theft is around campus. Freshman year, it was great to have a close group of friends where we all lived close together—as we move beyond our first year at the College, we can all spread out and make new friends through different classes and extracurriculars, but it’s a good feeling to have a strong support system, which is directly attributed to the close-knit nature of a smaller dorm. The dating scene is difficult to pinpoint at William and Mary. Not many people are actively in relationships, or seeking relationships—for the most part, social interaction happens on a one-night basis, and then progresses from there (if one is lucky). That being said, the social scene is very dependent on fraternities and sororities. Approximately 30{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the student population is Greek, but Greek life at W&M is oriented in such a way that makes it inviting for students that never thought they would rush a fraternity or sorority, but end up making their closest friends while “going Greek.” There are fraternities or sororities that fit everyone’s lifestyle and personality, and its definitely beneficial for everyone to check out the Greek fair at least once—you never know if a special connection will be immediately made if you don’t try! Partying is not a large part of life at William and Mary for most students. Those in Greek organizations will typically go out at night more frequently, but most of the student body will restrict their outings to weekends. This is largely due to the personal emphasis that all at the College place on academics and studying. Because I fall into the category of a TWAMP (see “Stereotype” question), I would likely be up studying at 2AM on a Tuesday night, or preparing to go to bed. I can’t speak for all students, but this answer would likely be the majority response if a selection were polled from the student body.

It boggles my mind, but acapella groups are by far the most popular student groups on campus. The annual acapella showcase draws more students than any basketball or football game. If you like singing, then this is great, but if you are interested in an awesome sports scene, then not so much.

It boggles my mind, but acapella groups are by far the most popular student groups on campus. The annual acapella showcase draws more students than any basketball or football game. If you like singing, then this is great, but if you are interested in an awesome sports scene, then not so much.

The largest organizations on campus are our Greeks (about a third), Alpha Phi Omega (the service fraternity) and the International Relations Club. I am on the service committee for the IR Club (service is a big thing here). We raise money and awareness for a different NGO every year, with this year's being charity: water. I am a service coordinator for Catholic Campus Ministries, and I sing in the choir. I am the President of our music sorority, Nu Kappa Epsilon. I am the Director of Olympic Sports and Athlete Outreach for The Tribal Fever, our school's student pep club, which runs a website on our varsity team, a TV show, bus trips to away games, and cheers at home games. I am also in the pep band. Did I mention that our students like to get overly involved? :) It's a matter of diverse interests and the drive to want more.

As is the case with about a third of campus, I'm involved in Greek Life. For me, it's a great outlet to have a solid base of friends who I know are always a reliable group to hang out with as well as go to with problems, etc. For those not involved in fraternities and sororities, there are club sports that are popular as well as other student groups like Intervarsity, the Christian fellowship group whose members, for example, are pretty closely knit from what I can tell. One of the unique aspects of W&M is that many friendships and friend groups revolve around Freshman halls. During orientation freshman year, a great emphasis is placed on developing relationships with the people around you in your dorm, and that often becomes the basis for many close friendships. It is not uncommon to see a group of students that lived on the same freshman hall at dinner or playing on the same intramural sports team four years later. Fraternities as well as non-Greek organizations host parties that students attend throughout the week and weekend, but those are not the only options. One of the more popular student groups is Alma Mater Productions or AMP which is the student entertainment group. They bring comedians, musicians, and other entertainers to campus and provide alternative activities for students on the weekend who choose not to drink. They also put on a couple of concerts every year that involve big names that are widely anticipated by the student body.

I wouldn't say there's one more popular than another honestly. Everyone is very diverse and very active in whatever they are passionate about.

Sports and exercising are very popular at W&M. Many students go to the gym, run and play different sports. There are a number of student publications and blogs where interested students express themselves. A great number of subject-specific clubs like the marketing, finance, consulting, entrepreneurship and other clubs offer opportunities for students to learn more about those disciplines as well as network. There are a number of subject-specific competitions both within and outside school where students can participate individually or in teams. W&M has a great alumni who are willing to talk to students and help them. In fact, most of our students get jobs through the connections and networking with the college alumni. Besides sports W&M students like outdoor activities such as hiking, camping, kayaking, etc.

Fraternities and sororities are the most popular student groups. Athletic events aren't the best, theater is pretty good, we have some good speakers come in. I don't really have close friends here; don't really "click" with the TWAMPs (Typical William and Mary People). At 2am on Tuesdays I'm walking home from Swem library or sitting in my room reading/watching a movie. People party every weekend. Some people don't party at all. Frats/sororities are VERY popular. Off campus there is nothing to do because you can't have a car and the nearest cities are an hour away.

Greek life is bigger than I expected, but people get very involved in clubs and organizations, especially the sports teams (both varsity and club). Most dorms are really open, halls bond in the larger dorms, and in smaller dorms, people almost become a family. Parties are usually at the Units, but off-campus stuff generally goes on as well (if you have older friends to connect you). Some people party Wednesday-Saturday, while others don't at all. Off-campus (sober) activities lack because the bus system isn't too great, so if you don't have a car (which no freshman are officially allowed to, some do illegally) it's hard to find things to do. Colonial Williamsburg is quaint for day time trips. As for dating, some people seem to meet their soul-mate the first week, while others only hook-up drunkenly on weekends.

As far as social life goes, for me, campus isn't the place to be. Student-rented houses near campus offer a more attractive, "college-like" scene. Most parties, and this may be only an expression of my arguably limited knowledge, consist of 12-30 people drinking, talking, and as the night wears on, dancing or sleeping. Most of this takes place between Thursday and Saturday. We've got a handful (read: three) bars, though they all close at 2. Still, it's not impossible to make your own fun.

I'm in a sorority and I love it. There are so many different organizations, you'll definitely find one you fit into. Almost all the students leave their doors open on Freshman halls, and I met my closest friends on my hall.

If I'm awake at 2am on a Tuesday, I'm either studying, having a life-changing conversation with a hallmate, or making an infamous Wawa run (a trip to the nearby convenience store that is open 24/7 and famous for attracting students in need of a 4am espresso shot or Saturday night drunkards stumbling from the frats in search of junk food). William & Mary students are very involved, particularly with public service. Other popular activities include cultural organizations and a cappella groups. Students also amuse themselves with quintessential campus activities, such as frisbee golf, rancing, or the infamous William & Mary Triathalon. Because William & Mary is so old, there are a host of other campus traditions (and plenty of folklore), such as Yule Log, our winter holiday event, Convocation, the ceremony that opens each school year, and King & Queen's Ball, a campus-wide formal in the spring. There are always parties to be found on the weekends, though they're scarce Sun.-Wed. nights, as the majority of students spend those nights rushing from extracurricular to extracurricular or in the library. Fraternities and sororities are an important - but not exclusive - aspect of our social life; about 1/3 of the campus is Greek. One of the most popular is the co-ed service fraternity, Alpha Pi Omega. But there are always a ton of parties and events held by non-Greek organizations, especially fundraisers for the ever-popular service groups. Off-campus parties are fairly frequent as well, and many of these are private house/apartment parties or are thrown by sports teams. The extracurricular to which I am the most committed is Student Organization for Medical Outreach and Sustainability (SOMOS), with which I travel to the Dominican Republic each January during winter break to operate a free clinic and conduct public health research in the hope of finding a solution to some of the community's most daunting health problems. SOMOS is a year-round commitment, and I plan to return this summer to do more research. One of the great things about such groups is the closeness of team members; I really do feel like my fellow SOMOS members and I form a very tight-knit family on which I can rely for anything and with whom I can always have a good time - from traveling the Dominican Republic after our clinic together to attending campus dances as a group. Aside from SOMOS, I made my other close friends primarily from other organizations with which I am involved or as a result of living on the same hall.

There is almost always some type of event or activity goin gon somewhere on campus but if that isn't something you're interested in there are lots of other options. Sports, clubs, or even just hanging out. Greek life is pretty visible but you definitely don't need to be involved in one to meet people and be social.

Greek life is big, but its not the only thing to do. Sports are also pretty big, and most people participate on some kind of Varsity, Club, or IM team. If you want clubs, you have literally hundreds of choices. From service clubs to dance groups, everyone is involved in something.

The most popular groups on campus are mostly service organizations. We have CKI, which is essentially the college version of Key Club. They do a lot of various kinds of community service. Another huge group is Alpha Phi Omega (APO), the coed service fraternity. It's enormous, and they boast community service hours in the hundred thousands. SEAC (Student Environmental Action Coalition) is big as well, and they get things done. Our former president just signed the PCC (President's Climate Commitment), which was an agreement with several points about how our school was going to improve its carbon emissions.

Social life can be weak at times. The frats and the delis offer fun for relatively small crowds, the latter having more to offer everyone. The delis are 2 and a half "restaurants", which are really bars at night, right next to the football stadium. Awake on a Tuesday at 2am, sleep-walking home from Swem library. Off campus dining and shopping is pretty awesome. There's just about every chain restaurant in the East in town, and the outlets are the best I've ever seen.

Doors are almost always open in dorms, at least for freshmen dorms. Athletic events are fairly popular, although it's certainly not the center of attention. Although people complain about the attractiveness of the people here, people DO end up dating, so clearly they can't be THAT bad. I met my closest friends during freshmen orientation. Traditions/events that occur are convocation, primal scream, and the winter holiday story telling.

Social life at William and Mary is often felt to be hindered by an active police force. William and Mary is, however, a very safe campus because of that police force. I consider myself biased on this issue and will not comment further.