There’s a real spirit of civic mindedness and public service at W&M. Lots of students go into government, foreign service, and NGO work.

What is up with the W&M water park references? We have a junior at W&M who has been to one once, which is hardly a college life-defining experience.
To answer the original question, the vibe is good. It can be pretty rigorous, depending on the major but I think there are lots of outlets for the students to balance that out.
There is a lot to do on campus, lots of clubs and events. And while it is more of a tourist city than a college town, there is plenty to do off-campus.
It is in a beautiful part of the state with lots of water access - a lake on campus where kids can kayak, creeks, rivers, and the ocean isn't too far either.
Our student doesn't have a car but is able to bike to lots of places, even a creek (I think) with a beach.
Definitely visit.

Pretty sure the poster referring to W&M as “CWM” doesn’t actually know much about school.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:One underreported part of the CWM experience is how much time they all spend at Water Country IUSA and Busch Gardens. Busch Gardens is open every weekend except in January and that’s very popular.

How much time they all spend? Not buying it. Occasionally, maybe.

Busch Gatdens is expensive. I doubt college kids are hoping over there every weekend.

Annual Pass is $156. That includes the Halloween haunted house and events and the Christmas Fair. Everyone gets an annual pass. There are multiple threads on this.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:One underreported part of the CWM experience is how much time they all spend at Water Country IUSA and Busch Gardens. Busch Gardens is open every weekend except in January and that’s very popular.

How much time they all spend? Not buying it. Occasionally, maybe.

Busch Gatdens is expensive. I doubt college kids are hoping over there every weekend.

Anonymous wrote:One underreported part of the CWM experience is how much time they all spend at Water Country IUSA and Busch Gardens. Busch Gardens is open every weekend except in January and that’s very popular.

How much time they all spend? Not buying it. Occasionally, maybe.

Why is it always necessary to put one school down in order to discuss another?

W&M is my kid’s current first choice for a variety of reasons. Probably could be reasonably competitive for UVA based on stats but not even considering it because it’s much larger. DC has strong preferences about school size and location and is simply not interested in UVA, which is a great school that DH’s brother attended and we (parents) love and think is great.

It’s ok to just like one school more than the other. They can both still be good schools.

One underreported part of the CWM experience is how much time they all spend at Water Country USA and Busch Gardens. Busch Gardens is open every weekend except in January and that’s very popular.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Smart, independent minded, creative, studious, sporty: all types. Go visit when students are on campus then go visit UVA. UVA has a lot of people who dress exactly alike, especially females, and wear the same hairstyle. WM does not have the “sheeple” vibe. Uniqueness and individuality are celebrated. The SAT ranges preTO were almost identical: both had 25% above 1480-90 at that time. So both have smart kids , yet neither had the 75% or more above 1480 that the ivy/stanford group had at the time. That makes a more balanced undergraduate group where bright kids can shine rather than be buried by 3x as many bright ones. At least that’s what we sought for ours. YMMV

UVA and VT rejects attend W&M.

Well, if you wouldn’t, I am all in!

Anonymous wrote:Smart, independent minded, creative, studious, sporty: all types. Go visit when students are on campus then go visit UVA. UVA has a lot of people who dress exactly alike, especially females, and wear the same hairstyle. WM does not have the “sheeple” vibe. Uniqueness and individuality are celebrated. The SAT ranges preTO were almost identical: both had 25% above 1480-90 at that time. So both have smart kids , yet neither had the 75% or more above 1480 that the ivy/stanford group had at the time. That makes a more balanced undergraduate group where bright kids can shine rather than be buried by 3x as many bright ones. At least that’s what we sought for ours. YMMV

UVA and VT rejects attend W&M.

PP is correct. Your preppie sporty kid will hate it at CWM. Also PP demonstrates that, although the OP question asks nothing about UVA, your average CWM student can’t help it:
1) says UVA has a sheeple vibe
2) makes sure to point out that SATs are identical to UVA

Smart, independent minded, creative, studious, sporty: all types. Go visit when students are on campus then go visit UVA. UVA has a lot of people who dress exactly alike, especially females, and wear the same hairstyle. WM does not have the “sheeple” vibe. Uniqueness and individuality are celebrated. The SAT ranges preTO were almost identical: both had 25% above 1480-90 at that time. So both have smart kids , yet neither had the 75% or more above 1480 that the ivy/stanford group had at the time. That makes a more balanced undergraduate group where bright kids can shine rather than be buried by 3x as many bright ones. At least that’s what we sought for ours. YMMV

Use search function. Many threads on WM vibe.

I think it’s a school where a lot of different people can fit it. Studious/nerdy, sporty, artsy, etc. Students are smart but not overly pretentious about it. There’s also a sense of community that seems very special.

What's the student vibe like at William & Mary?