W&M breaks undergrad application record for 10th consecutive year

The demand for a William & Mary education is on the rise.

For the 10th year in a row, the university has seen an increase in its undergraduate applications with the number for the Class of 2018 expected to reach about 14,500. That’s a new record, breaking the one set last year by about 3.6 percent.

“As we begin assembling William & Mary's Class of 2018, we are pleased to see more demand than ever before,” said Associate Provost for Enrollment and Dean of Admission Henry Broaddus. “This record-sized pool will create difficult choices, require hard work and ensure a strong class.”

The admission committee is currently engaged in “reading season,” in which each application is read completely by at least two people, one of whom will be the admission officer with responsibility for the region in which the student’s high school is located. This year, for the first time, all of the applications are being reviewed on computers instead of paper in order to improve efficiency and to be environmentally friendly.

Decisions will be emailed to students in early April. Students accepted through the early decision process were notified in December.

A little more than 10 percent of the application pool – 1,520 students – are projected to join the William & Mary community as members of the Class of 2018.