A banner year: W&M announces Class of 2021 admission decisions
Welcome to the Tribe: Admitted students and their families visit W&M during last year's Day for Admitted Students. This year's DFAS will take place April 8. Photo by Stephen Salpukas
At William & Mary’s Opening Convocation in August, students will unfurl a Class of 2021 banner from a balcony of the Wren Building.
But around the country at the end of March, smaller versions of that banner were opened near mailboxes and around dining room tables to reveal good news to prospective W&M freshmen.
“One Tribe and now it’s yours.”
The green and metallic gold banners accompanied letters of admission that were sent to just over 5,000 hopeful members of the W&M Class of 2021. More than 1,000 of them, along with about 2,000 family members and friends, are expected to be on campus April 8 as part of the Day for Admitted Students.
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W&M received 14,915 freshman applications this year, up four percent from last year’s total. Admission was offered to around 35 percent of those applicants. The Class of 2021 is expected to include about 1,520 students when the fall semester begins in August.
“This is an impressive group of students that we thoroughly enjoyed learning about through their applications,” said Tim Wolfe, associate provost for enrollment and dean of admission. “It is a fun, diverse and talented group that I know will be a perfect fit for the William & Mary community. I’m looking forward to welcoming them to campus on the Day for Admitted Students and in August as official members of the Tribe.”
Students of color make up 34 percent of the admitted group, and international students representing 52 countries make up 7 percent. In addition, students from all 50 states were offered admission to the university.
About 92 percent of the admitted students who have a class rank are in the top 10 percent of their classes. The median SAT score for admitted students was 1420, and the median ACT score was 32.
Approximately 20 of the students who were offered admission are expected to participate in the St Andrews Joint Degree Programme.
On March 23, the Office of Undergraduate Admission alerted prospective students through social media that emails regarding admission decisions were on their way. The admission letters, in an envelope that folded out into the banner designed by the Office of Communications’ web and design team, arrived in the mail soon after.
Many of the admitted students took to social media to celebrate the news, often sharing photos of themselves holding the banner and using the hashtag #wm2021. Those posts may be found on Tagboard.