College of William & Mary

2013-2014 College of William & Mary (W&M) Optional Writing Supplement

From the College of William & Mary admissions website.

http://blogs.wm.edu/2013/07/07/common-application-writing-prompts-2013-2014/

“The only writing sample we require is the Common Application’s essay.  However, we do have a W&M-specific optional additional submission prompt.  It reads as follows:

Beyond your impressive academic credentials and extracurricular accomplishments, what else makes you unique and colorful? We know that nobody fits neatly into 500 words or less, but you can provide us with some suggestion of the type of person you are. Anything goes! Inspire us, impress us, or just make us laugh. Think of this optional opportunity as show and tell by proxy and with an attitude, but please restrict your submission to what will fit on one sheet of paper. For additional context, check out the William & Mary Admission Office video message. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwxQ6J9_fLY&feature=youtu.be)

So while we would not encourage you to spend your entire summer break writing college application essays, there’s nothing wrong with at least getting started.  We look forward to reading the results.

Wendy Livingston ’03, M.Ed. ‘09
Associate Dean of Admission”