Applying to college is a crucial part of high school for most students. One of these students is Matthew Wilson, a Schreiber graduate of the class of 2017, who now goes to the College of William and Marry in Williamsburg, Virginia. Founded in 1693, W&M is the second oldest university in the US, predated only by Harvard. Many prominent Americans, including Thomas Jefferson are graduates of the college and it retains the distinction of being one of the most prestigious institutions in the country.
How was your college application process? How did you decide where to apply to?
“I applied to many, many schools: University of Chicago, Vassar, Cornell, and also Tulane. My logic at the time was simply that the more schools you apply to the higher likelihood that you get into a school you want to get into, which is still valid, but doesn’t really consider the fact that the more schools you apply to, the less time you have to work on each app.”
How did you feel about William and Mary once you’d found out you were accepted?
“There isn’t always some magical experience that one has in regards to applying and getting into college — sometimes you just have to go with what you are given. I had originally not been considering it very seriously but I got lucky, once I got in I realized what a great school it is and how good it is for me”.
Did you find it difficult to meet new people and make friends when starting college?
“During orientation you meet a lot of people starting fresh and that gives us something in common. I joined the debate team, and that’s when I started forming more meaningful relationships. I have practice or tournaments four days of the week so I’ve really become good friends with a lot of people from that. We don’t just do work, we have events like debate parties and movie nights to foster camaraderie. In reality, your social life is probably primarily affected by who you choose to hang out with and what your group chooses as an activity. And while the culture of the school certainly does affect the social life, people are still people and will have different personalities and interests divergent from the general culture”.
How are classes and class sizes at William and Mary?
“I really like the small class sizes — I’ve been able to bond well with my classmates, as we all go through the same toils. They’re really great, classes at the school never really go above 35 students and my Japanese 101 class only has 15 students total. It’s a lot of grinding, but there is a lot of pair-working in the class where you try your best to act out some dialogue with the little Japanese you know. The class is well bonded and I generally look forward to it”.
Do you have any parting words for those of us still at Schreiber?
”I wish you luck in the hell that is college admissions (if you’re a senior, if not, then for when you are a senior). College is pretty great, even if my dorm is infested with ants.”