Because William and Mary caters to such a diverse student body, it is nearly impossible to say which groups are more or less popular than others. However, some notable groups that come to mind include Wren Ten & Cleftos (selective acapella organizations), Model UN, APO (service fraternity), and various athletic teams. Track and field and cross country are the sports in which William and Mary shows the most dominance, both in their conference (Colonial Athletic Association) and nationally, having won multiple national titles in cross country in the last decade alone. Other than that, student attendance and interest in athletic events varies by the success of the team—typically, the student body, aside from perhaps football early in the season, sparsely attends sport games.
Since William and Mary places a much greater emphasis on academics than athletics, I found myself wanting to try and find an organization where I could combine my passion for sports and a desire to volunteer and network with alumni. I was able to achieve this through the Tribe Club Ambassadors organization. The club is involved in nearly all fundraising and volunteering aspects of sporting events. Some of the events that the Ambassadors take part in each year include marketing at football games, serving food for alumni at basketball games, and hosting a large black tie fundraising gala each spring. I have gotten the opportunity to meet many former athletes, as well as network with wealthy donors to the school in the hopes of securing future employment.
For my freshman year at William and Mary, I elected to live in a smaller dorm on campus, so as to have the chance to interact more closely with my dorm-mates. Today, most of my friends are those from my freshman dorm. Whether one lives in a small or large dorm, it is likely that the closest friends they have throughout their time at the College will be from their freshman hall. Due to the trusting environment that William and Mary’s honor code provides, it isn’t uncommon for people to leave their doors unlocked while attending class, or keep them open while in the room studying. I have really come to appreciate this aspect of college, especially after hearing horror stories from friends at other universities about how prevalent theft is around campus. Freshman year, it was great to have a close group of friends where we all lived close together—as we move beyond our first year at the College, we can all spread out and make new friends through different classes and extracurriculars, but it’s a good feeling to have a strong support system, which is directly attributed to the close-knit nature of a smaller dorm.
The dating scene is difficult to pinpoint at William and Mary. Not many people are actively in relationships, or seeking relationships—for the most part, social interaction happens on a one-night basis, and then progresses from there (if one is lucky). That being said, the social scene is very dependent on fraternities and sororities. Approximately 30{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the student population is Greek, but Greek life at W&M is oriented in such a way that makes it inviting for students that never thought they would rush a fraternity or sorority, but end up making their closest friends while “going Greek.” There are fraternities or sororities that fit everyone’s lifestyle and personality, and its definitely beneficial for everyone to check out the Greek fair at least once—you never know if a special connection will be immediately made if you don’t try! Partying is not a large part of life at William and Mary for most students. Those in Greek organizations will typically go out at night more frequently, but most of the student body will restrict their outings to weekends. This is largely due to the personal emphasis that all at the College place on academics and studying. Because I fall into the category of a TWAMP (see “Stereotype” question), I would likely be up studying at 2AM on a Tuesday night, or preparing to go to bed. I can’t speak for all students, but this answer would likely be the majority response if a selection were polled from the student body.