William and Mary

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:On the Saturday evening AmTrak from Williamsburg (1 block from campus) to Alexandria (AKA, the Hogworts Express), the Conductor announced a welcome home the 450 W& M students they were dropping off. Kids also came home Friday evening, Sat am, and there were two trains Sunday. And, of course, some kids drove and some were picked up.

Contrast this with 35 kids a year from MoCo.

What makes you think that there weren't MoCo kids getting off in Alexandria too? I live in MoCo and it's pretty much 50-50 to me on whether I'd prefer to do a train pick up at Union Station vs Alexandria....

One Tribe!

I think that part was only meant to show the difference and thus competitiveness for OOS kids. So, kudos to your kid I have not skin in this game, being from SE VA and I almost wishing I could be part of this Hogwarts tradition of seeing all those WM kids pouring out of the train

Yeah. I grumble about the crowd. But f you haven’t seen your kid in a couple months, it’s pretty great to see hundreds of kids pouring out of the train talking and laughing with each other and hugging their parents. It’s the moment when it feels like Christmas or Thanksgiving has arrived. We usually get my other kid from the airport. His school is also great and he loves it. But Dulles definitely does not inspire the same happiness and excitement.

DP. Oh, I disagree! I love meeting people - and especially my college kids - at Dulles. So exciting, every single time. One of my kids goes to VT and they have several buses that come up from Blacksburg to Dulles. Same vibe - kids pouring out, everyone hugging, parents eagerly waiting. It's so great when the college kids come home, regardless.

See, that sounds nice. Much less nice— your kid has flown alone from 5 states away, and you are sitting in stop and go traffic for 20 minutes to get from the entrance to the pickup outside baggage claim where the first two lanes of cars have completely stopped and while they wait there for someone, rather than the cell phone lot. Ugh.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:On the Saturday evening AmTrak from Williamsburg (1 block from campus) to Alexandria (AKA, the Hogworts Express), the Conductor announced a welcome home the 450 W& M students they were dropping off. Kids also came home Friday evening, Sat am, and there were two trains Sunday. And, of course, some kids drove and some were picked up.

Contrast this with 35 kids a year from MoCo.

Huh?

It is a funny allegory meant to demonstrate the difficulty of applying from Md, I think. I didn’t want to point out those on the train were from any graduating year, grad school, law school etc. I am guessing the 35 is an extrapolated number of enrolled freshmen based on the 66 MD members of last year’s freshmen class. Apples to oranges, but I like hearing about the kids on the train home for the holidays

I’m, the UVA students take that train too

Same NE Line, but different train, just like Norfolk is a different train.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:On the Saturday evening AmTrak from Williamsburg (1 block from campus) to Alexandria (AKA, the Hogworts Express), the Conductor announced a welcome home the 450 W& M students they were dropping off. Kids also came home Friday evening, Sat am, and there were two trains Sunday. And, of course, some kids drove and some were picked up.

Contrast this with 35 kids a year from MoCo.

Huh?

It is a funny allegory meant to demonstrate the difficulty of applying from Md, I think. I didn’t want to point out those on the train were from any graduating year, grad school, law school etc. I am guessing the 35 is an extrapolated number of enrolled freshmen based on the 66 MD members of last year’s freshmen class. Apples to oranges, but I like hearing about the kids on the train home for the holidays

I’m, the UVA students take that train too

Same NE Line, but different train, just like Norfolk is a different train. [/quote


No my uva kid was on it. They do go to Willioypu know. And it didn’t happen like PP reports

[Anonymous]

^ Williamsburg

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
You are readings things into my post I did not say, nor think. Nowhere did I claim their 'the most' or 'the only".
Of course there are polite kids at hundreds of other schools too (would be silly to claim differently) , but can't one be happy and share a positive event?

Not everything is a competition in life.

+1

+1. I appreciated your post. My DC applied ED to William & Mary and I enjoyed reading about the polite kids at the school.

Me too. It was a cute story. Some folks just like to be mad.

DP, but the Hogworts Express is a feel good NOVA- WM tradition— and it’s one that I looks forward to. It’s unusual to have a large number of kids all coming home to the same station via railroad in 2023– but man does it beat sitting on 95 to Williamsburg and back. There are hundreds of parents waiting eagerly for the train to arrive so they can see their kid. Then hundreds of kids pouring off the train, still talking with friends and roomates they had travelled with. Lots of hugging. Families reunited for the holidays. It a great way to start a break or holiday. And yes, I’m glad that my kid has kind peers— and that the kids represent the school well.

I have to agree it’s hard to see what about this antidote about an informal WM/ NOVA tradition pisses some people off. Of course other schools have kids who are kind and polite. And of course other schools have feel good traditiona, formal and informal. But, this thread is about WM.

FYI - there are TONS of VCU, ODU, CNU and NSU kids on that train as well.

Presumably AmTrak knows that on that Saturday evening 450 kids using the student fare got on in Williamsburg and off in ALX. And, of course, some also got off at other VA stations and at Union Station. DD was on the train and said some kids got on from VCU, but she didn’t see ODU, CNU or NSU. They may have had a different holiday schedule for Thanksgiving this year. Plus, DD has several friends at CNU, and none use the train. The WM train to NOVA is such a thing because 95 is so awful and the kids can easily walk to the AmTrak station.

But yes, I’m sure the ODU, NSU, etc. kids are nice and well mannered and make a good impression too. It’s just weird to get defensive and act like anyone is a complement to the students of one college is intended to be a slight to all the other state schools. It like when you tell your six year old that they drew a nice picture and your 5 year old immediately chimes in with “well what about my picture? Is it pretty to? Is it prettier than hers? Which picture do you like better?”

Uh Amtrak knows nothing if the sort and can’t parse out the W&M students from the other students and Tourists!!!!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am confused about the data on here. Kid has perfect 4.0 unweighted (so that would mean all A’s) and a ton of AP classes if weighted GPA is a 4.7. From a good Montgomery County school. And test scores are 1570, with good extra curriculars (I am going to take that to mean a leadership position and long term involvement in some activity).

And the OOS and In-state admit rates are about 10% difference (40% and 30% roughly). Wouldn’t this kid have a decent shot? There are posters who said kids got in with a 1360 SAT and another with a C.

I understand ED would be a surer bet, instate is better, and the kid needs to demonstrate interest, but wouldn’t RD at least be considered a match?

I understood the public schools give a 4 for a B in an advanced class. So not necessarily straight As. I know, those of us with unweighted scores don’t get this. That is not straight a stats, right OP?

I'm OP. Yes, straight As from MCPS school.

This is just personal observation, but it seems like WM takes so many kids from NOVA publics and has so few OOS slots that they have higher standards from DC-MD kids than kids from other areas of the country. It’s like they don’t want to be a DMV majority/ regional school, and the NOVA part of that equation is not negotiable. They want to be a national U, so regional diversity plays a role. So a NY or CA (or Midwest!) kid may be more attractive than a MoCo kid. I don’t have numbers to back that up, but it tracks with what I’ve seen.

Remember, a WM class is 1600-1700 kids. Last year, they took 66 kids from MD. The whole state, not just MoCo.

https://www.wm.edu/admission/undergraduateadmission/facts-figures/class-profile/

This makes sense to me (unforunately, as an MCPS parent). OP's stats seem good enough for OOS RD ... but maybe not from Maryland. Maybe yes from other less represented states. Ugh.

They are certainly good enough, but just like those stats are good enough for Harvard, that doesn't mean that the student will get in. There is just a lot of competition, so there is a certain element of luck involved.

This. It’s a teach still. And OP has et mentioned whether or not the most rigorous box will be checked off. Also I’m not seeing stellar EVs. W&am likes to see a well-rounded applicant so looks for community service, Eagle Scout, national awards etc. grapes and Sat/Act don’t cut it alone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:On the Saturday evening AmTrak from Williamsburg (1 block from campus) to Alexandria (AKA, the Hogworts Express), the Conductor announced a welcome home the 450 W& M students they were dropping off. Kids also came home Friday evening, Sat am, and there were two trains Sunday. And, of course, some kids drove and some were picked up.

Contrast this with 35 kids a year from MoCo.

Huh?

It is a funny allegory meant to demonstrate the difficulty of applying from Md, I think. I didn’t want to point out those on the train were from any graduating year, grad school, law school etc. I am guessing the 35 is an extrapolated number of enrolled freshmen based on the 66 MD members of last year’s freshmen class. Apples to oranges, but I like hearing about the kids on the train home for the holidays

I’m, the UVA students take that train too

Same NE Line, but different train, just like Norfolk is a different train. [/quote




No my uva kid was on it. They do go to Willioypu know. And it didn’t happen like PP reports

Facts are not on your side. The Saturday evening train from “the Burg” is the NE 124, arriving at 7:28pm. The Charlottesville Saturday evening train is the NE 66 and arrives a little after 9. I know this because I spent all of Saturday evening at the station collecting my kids. And thank goodness they are different trains because one train couldn’t handle both. The question is why you care so much about a nice kids coming home from college story.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am confused about the data on here. Kid has perfect 4.0 unweighted (so that would mean all A’s) and a ton of AP classes if weighted GPA is a 4.7. From a good Montgomery County school. And test scores are 1570, with good extra curriculars (I am going to take that to mean a leadership position and long term involvement in some activity).

And the OOS and In-state admit rates are about 10% difference (40% and 30% roughly). Wouldn’t this kid have a decent shot? There are posters who said kids got in with a 1360 SAT and another with a C.

I understand ED would be a surer bet, instate is better, and the kid needs to demonstrate interest, but wouldn’t RD at least be considered a match?

I understood the public schools give a 4 for a B in an advanced class. So not necessarily straight As. I know, those of us with unweighted scores don’t get this. That is not straight a stats, right OP?

I'm OP. Yes, straight As from MCPS school.

This is just personal observation, but it seems like WM takes so many kids from NOVA publics and has so few OOS slots that they have higher standards from DC-MD kids than kids from other areas of the country. It’s like they don’t want to be a DMV majority/ regional school, and the NOVA part of that equation is not negotiable. They want to be a national U, so regional diversity plays a role. So a NY or CA (or Midwest!) kid may be more attractive than a MoCo kid. I don’t have numbers to back that up, but it tracks with what I’ve seen.

Remember, a WM class is 1600-1700 kids. Last year, they took 66 kids from MD. The whole state, not just MoCo.

https://www.wm.edu/admission/undergraduateadmission/facts-figures/class-profile/

This makes sense to me (unforunately, as an MCPS parent). OP's stats seem good enough for OOS RD ... but maybe not from Maryland. Maybe yes from other less represented states. Ugh.

They are certainly good enough, but just like those stats are good enough for Harvard, that doesn't mean that the student will get in. There is just a lot of competition, so there is a certain element of luck involved.

This. It’s a teach still. And OP has et mentioned whether or not the most rigorous box will be checked off. Also I’m not seeing stellar EVs. W&am likes to see a well-rounded applicant so looks for community service, Eagle Scout, national awards etc. grapes and Sat/Act don’t cut it alone.

Sorry for the typos. Meant to say “it’s a reach still without knowing about the most rigorous box and ECs”. Everything has changed in college admissions in the last three years

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
You are readings things into my post I did not say, nor think. Nowhere did I claim their 'the most' or 'the only".
Of course there are polite kids at hundreds of other schools too (would be silly to claim differently) , but can't one be happy and share a positive event?

Not everything is a competition in life.

+1

+1. I appreciated your post. My DC applied ED to William & Mary and I enjoyed reading about the polite kids at the school.

Me too. It was a cute story. Some folks just like to be mad.

DP, but the Hogworts Express is a feel good NOVA- WM tradition— and it’s one that I looks forward to. It’s unusual to have a large number of kids all coming home to the same station via railroad in 2023– but man does it beat sitting on 95 to Williamsburg and back. There are hundreds of parents waiting eagerly for the train to arrive so they can see their kid. Then hundreds of kids pouring off the train, still talking with friends and roomates they had travelled with. Lots of hugging. Families reunited for the holidays. It a great way to start a break or holiday. And yes, I’m glad that my kid has kind peers— and that the kids represent the school well.

I have to agree it’s hard to see what about this antidote about an informal WM/ NOVA tradition pisses some people off. Of course other schools have kids who are kind and polite. And of course other schools have feel good traditiona, formal and informal. But, this thread is about WM.

FYI - there are TONS of VCU, ODU, CNU and NSU kids on that train as well.

Presumably AmTrak knows that on that Saturday evening 450 kids using the student fare got on in Williamsburg and off in ALX. And, of course, some also got off at other VA stations and at Union Station. DD was on the train and said some kids got on from VCU, but she didn’t see ODU, CNU or NSU. They may have had a different holiday schedule for Thanksgiving this year. Plus, DD has several friends at CNU, and none use the train. The WM train to NOVA is such a thing because 95 is so awful and the kids can easily walk to the AmTrak station.

But yes, I’m sure the ODU, NSU, etc. kids are nice and well mannered and make a good impression too. It’s just weird to get defensive and act like anyone is a complement to the students of one college is intended to be a slight to all the other state schools. It like when you tell your six year old that they drew a nice picture and your 5 year old immediately chimes in with “well what about my picture? Is it pretty to? Is it prettier than hers? Which picture do you like better?”

Uh Amtrak knows nothing if the sort and can’t parse out the W&M students from the other students and Tourists!!!!!!

Students use the stuDent fare, for one. And what other school has more than a handful students going from Williamsburg to ALX.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:On the Saturday evening AmTrak from Williamsburg (1 block from campus) to Alexandria (AKA, the Hogworts Express), the Conductor announced a welcome home the 450 W& M students they were dropping off. Kids also came home Friday evening, Sat am, and there were two trains Sunday. And, of course, some kids drove and some were picked up.

Contrast this with 35 kids a year from MoCo.

Huh?

It is a funny allegory meant to demonstrate the difficulty of applying from Md, I think. I didn’t want to point out those on the train were from any graduating year, grad school, law school etc. I am guessing the 35 is an extrapolated number of enrolled freshmen based on the 66 MD members of last year’s freshmen class. Apples to oranges, but I like hearing about the kids on the train home for the holidays

I’m, the UVA students take that train too

Same NE Line, but different train, just like Norfolk is a different train. [/quote




No my uva kid was on it. They do go to Willioypu know. And it didn’t happen like PP reports

Facts are not on your side. The Saturday evening train from “the Burg” is the NE 124, arriving at 7:28pm. The Charlottesville Saturday evening train is the NE 66 and arrives a little after 9. I know this because I spent all of Saturday evening at the station collecting my kids. And thank goodness they are different trains because one train couldn’t handle both. The question is why you care so much about a nice kids coming home from college story.

DP but already stated UVA kid was on that train as well as a lot of other students from other schools and tourists. Why do YOU care so much?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am confused about the data on here. Kid has perfect 4.0 unweighted (so that would mean all A’s) and a ton of AP classes if weighted GPA is a 4.7. From a good Montgomery County school. And test scores are 1570, with good extra curriculars (I am going to take that to mean a leadership position and long term involvement in some activity).

And the OOS and In-state admit rates are about 10% difference (40% and 30% roughly). Wouldn’t this kid have a decent shot? There are posters who said kids got in with a 1360 SAT and another with a C.

I understand ED would be a surer bet, instate is better, and the kid needs to demonstrate interest, but wouldn’t RD at least be considered a match?

I understood the public schools give a 4 for a B in an advanced class. So not necessarily straight As. I know, those of us with unweighted scores don’t get this. That is not straight a stats, right OP?

I'm OP. Yes, straight As from MCPS school.

Congrats to your kid, OP! And I am guessing he has significant rigor if weighted is 4.7 at a MoCo public. My hunch is he has BC Calc and a foreign language to boot.

OP’s son may have that, so no knock on him, but plenty of 4.0 students have the 4.0 precisely because they did not take BC calculus and AP world language. AP stat and honors Spanish give one’s gpa the same boost in MCPS as do BC calculus and Ap spanish!

He has AP World Lang and AP Calc AB, not BC...

Is the counselor checking off the most rigorous box?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:On the Saturday evening AmTrak from Williamsburg (1 block from campus) to Alexandria (AKA, the Hogworts Express), the Conductor announced a welcome home the 450 W& M students they were dropping off. Kids also came home Friday evening, Sat am, and there were two trains Sunday. And, of course, some kids drove and some were picked up.

Contrast this with 35 kids a year from MoCo.

Huh?

It is a funny allegory meant to demonstrate the difficulty of applying from Md, I think. I didn’t want to point out those on the train were from any graduating year, grad school, law school etc. I am guessing the 35 is an extrapolated number of enrolled freshmen based on the 66 MD members of last year’s freshmen class. Apples to oranges, but I like hearing about the kids on the train home for the holidays

I’m, the UVA students take that train too

Same NE Line, but different train, just like Norfolk is a different train. [/quote




No my uva kid was on it. They do go to Willioypu know. And it didn’t happen like PP reports

Facts are not on your side. The Saturday evening train from “the Burg” is the NE 124, arriving at 7:28pm. The Charlottesville Saturday evening train is the NE 66 and arrives a little after 9. I know this because I spent all of Saturday evening at the station collecting my kids. And thank goodness they are different trains because one train couldn’t handle both. The question is why you care so much about a nice kids coming home from college story.

DP but already stated UVA kid was on that train as well as a lot of other students from other schools and tourists. Why do YOU care so much?

Because facts matter and train routes can be verified. And people lying (or, I suspect trolling) without consequence was annoying in 2016 and in 2022 is flat out unacceptable. Go hang at CPAC if you feel entitled to create alternative facts. If your UVA kid got on in C-ville, they did not stop in Williamsburg. Neither did the Norfolk kids. Because train routes. Google them. There were some VCU students. There may have been some tourists, but it certainly looked like everyone was college age.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:On the Saturday evening AmTrak from Williamsburg (1 block from campus) to Alexandria (AKA, the Hogworts Express), the Conductor announced a welcome home the 450 W& M students they were dropping off. Kids also came home Friday evening, Sat am, and there were two trains Sunday. And, of course, some kids drove and some were picked up.

Contrast this with 35 kids a year from MoCo.

Huh?

It is a funny allegory meant to demonstrate the difficulty of applying from Md, I think. I didn’t want to point out those on the train were from any graduating year, grad school, law school etc. I am guessing the 35 is an extrapolated number of enrolled freshmen based on the 66 MD members of last year’s freshmen class. Apples to oranges, but I like hearing about the kids on the train home for the holidays

I’m, the UVA students take that train too

Same NE Line, but different train, just like Norfolk is a different train. [/quote




No my uva kid was on it. They do go to Willioypu know. And it didn’t happen like PP reports

Facts are not on your side. The Saturday evening train from “the Burg” is the NE 124, arriving at 7:28pm. The Charlottesville Saturday evening train is the NE 66 and arrives a little after 9. I know this because I spent all of Saturday evening at the station collecting my kids. And thank goodness they are different trains because one train couldn’t handle both. The question is why you care so much about a nice kids coming home from college story.

DP but already stated UVA kid was on that train as well as a lot of other students from other schools and tourists. Why do YOU care so much?

Because facts matter and train routes can be verified. And people lying (or, I suspect trolling) without consequence was annoying in 2016 and in 2022 is flat out unacceptable. Go hang at CPAC if you feel entitled to create alternative facts. If your UVA kid got on in C-ville, they did not stop in Williamsburg. Neither did the Norfolk kids. Because train routes. Google them. There were some VCU students. There may have been some tourists, but it certainly looked like everyone was college age.

This thread about the W&M train is going to rank up there with lightly fried tuna for most absurd

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:


This thread about the W&M train is going to rank up there with lightly fried tuna for most absurd

I agree! The train story was cute, the response was embarrassing.

[Anonymous]

This thread about the W&M train is going to rank up there with lightly fried tuna for most absurd

Lol. Have a Senior at W&M. Has been the perfect fit. Train is incredibly convenient. Kid rides the Metro from Union Station, though sounds nice to see the kids piling out. You can get a round-trip ticket for $38

Best of luck to kids applying, hoping to go to W&M. As they say, those who come here belong here. No truer statement for my kid.