After two years of virtual events, William & Mary’s Day for Admitted Students weekend returns primarily in person April 8-10, offering newly admitted undergraduate students the chance to experience the university and meet potential future classmates.
More than a thousand admitted students are expected to visit campus throughout the weekend, with about 3,800 students and family members registered for the main event on Saturday. In addition to campus tours, participants may attend sessions on topics ranging from research and study-abroad opportunities to career services and diversity on campus. As part of the programming, participants will also have the chance to meet with current students, alumni and faculty.
“Day for Admitted Students is always an exciting day, but we are especially excited this year to finally welcome our prospective students back to campus in-person,” said Kate Perry, associate dean of admission. “We have a lot of fun events and sessions planned, and the full W&M community is ready to greet the newest members of the Class of 2026. After this record year of applications, we are all eager to finally put some names to faces and invite the newest students to explore their new home.”
William & Mary received 18,080 applications for the Class of 2026, a new record for the school and a 3.5% increase from last year. Over the past two years, W&M has seen a 27% increase in undergraduate applications. The university began sending acceptance notifications in December to Early Decision applicants. Regular decision applicants were notified of their status on March 26.
Tim Wolfe, associate vice president for enrollment and dean of admission, said that he is proud of the work his team did in reviewing the increased number of applications to select potential members of W&M’s next freshman class.
“They didn’t let a record number of applications prevent us from still being able to really dive into and read through each student’s story,” he said. “Academic records and data are part of the process, and this class clearly demonstrated they are prepared to excel as scholars at William & Mary. Just as important in shaping an entering class, though, is going beyond that to hear students’ voices, appreciate their range of talents and experiences and recognize how they’ll be an important part of the W&M community.”
Admitted students who are not able to attend Day for Admitted Students weekend have additional opportunities to visit W&M, including the You Belong program on April 8 and Green & Gold Days on April 4, 18 and 25. Approximately 1,000-1,500 admitted students and their family members are expected to participate in those programs, said Wolfe.
Additionally, W&M will likely see approximately 6,000-8,000 visitors for its standard information sessions and campus tours throughout the month of April, with most of those being high school juniors and their families. Prospective or admitted students who can’t make it to campus may view the university’s new virtual campus tour online.
When it begins in the fall, W&M’s Class of 2026 is expected to have around 1,600-1,650 students. Wolfe and his team can’t wait to meet some of them this weekend, he said.
“All of those long hours and difficult decisions—you realize it’s absolutely worth it when you have a chance to meet the admitted students and their families,” said Wolfe. “I can’t wait to welcome them to campus this month, and I know it will be a fun and exciting time for the entire university.”
Erin Jay, Senior Associate Director of University News
