Introduction to College of William and Mary AP® Credits

Have you ever dreamt about walking the academic corridors of one of the United States’ first universities where founding fathers of the country have studied? Well, the College of William and Mary may be just the university for you. With our help, you can make a plan to get the most out of the William and Mary AP® Credit Policy.

The College of William and Mary wants a talented and diverse student body that shows both academic achievement and well-rounded personal attributes. There is, of course, a multitude of ways to demonstrate your talent, but one of the best ways is to complete Advanced Placement (AP) tests in High School. If you do well on each of your AP® exams, you’d be well on your way to fulfilling the College of William and Mary’s AP® Credit requirements.

Simply completing your AP® courses is not the end goal, however. You will need to correctly apply the grades and scores you receive to the admissions process as part of the William and Mary AP® Scores Transfer.

In this article, you will find all the information you need to know about the William and Mary Advanced Placement (AP) Credits policy. We will cover how to apply your AP® credits and scores to William and Mary as well as which college credits you can receive.

Let’s set the stage with a bit of information about the university and what you can expect from campus life.

History Tidbits About William and Mary

• The College of William and Mary was founded in 1693, making it the second-oldest institution of higher education in the United States.
• The university is located in Williamsburg, Virginia, which served as the capital of the Colony of Virginia from 1699 to 1780.
• Alumni who have gone on to hold high government positions include Presidents, signatories of the Declaration of Independence, and founding fathers of the United States including Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe, and John Tyler.
• Notable Media and Arts alumni including Glenn Close, Jon Stewart, and Patton Oswalt have received awards such as Pulitzer Prizes, Emmys, and Oscars.

Student Body and Admissions Facts

• William and Mary, a medium-sized university, has a total of 6,301 undergraduates of which 1,518 are first-time degree-seeking freshman. Total graduate enrollment is 2,183.
• The campus is located about 50 miles from both Norfolk and Richmond making it convenient to enjoy your time off in and around the cities.
• Nearly 15,000 prospective students apply to William and Mary each year with just over 5,000 admitted.

(Data courtesy of the CollegeBoard)

As the data shows, getting into William and Mary is highly competitive with an acceptance rate of around 33%. So how do you set yourself apart from the crowd? How do you prove that you are the perfect fit for their university?

With your Advanced Placement scores, that’s how! Let’s go over exactly what you can do to apply your AP® scores during admissions to William and Mary.

Applying to the College of William and Mary with Advanced Placement Scores

According to the school’s website, there is no single formula for getting into William and Mary. There are, however, a few specifics that every application will need. As part of your application process, you will be asked to fill out either the Common Application or the Coalition Application. Multiple universities have joined the Coalition Application system to streamline the college application process. In addition, you will need to submit your transcript and Standardized Testing scores, including your SAT® and Advanced Placement scores.

Your College of William and Mary AP® Credits will be your first chance to show the admissions review team how you stand apart from the average student. In addition to any extracurricular activities and creative arts aptitudes you may possess, your Advanced Placement scores are a quantifiable way for the review team to determine your ability within a number of fields. Furthermore, high scores of 4 or 5 on AP® exams can be directly applied for college credit at the College of William and Mary.

Once you have taken AP® courses and AP® exams, what do you do with them? How do your AP® scores transfer to the College of William and Mary?

Advanced Placement at William and Mary

When you are able to successfully transfer your AP® credits to William and Mary, you are afforded a number of advantages that the average student is not. The primary advantage is that you are eligible to receive college credit for your Advanced Placement scores, which can then be used to adapt your college experience in a few different ways.

First, if you successfully transfer your AP® credits, you are able to either skip or receive credit for lower-level courses in areas specific to your AP® scores. For example, a high AP® score in US History will grant you three credits each for HIST121 AND HIST122.

Moreover, once you receive credit for AP® scores you can adjust your academic schedule in a variety of ways. The first of these schedule adjustments allows you to graduate on time should you take a deferral of enrollment, like a gap year for personal growth. A gap year must be approved by the Associate Dean of Admissions, and the requests are considered on a case-by-case basis. If you choose to take a gap year, you must commit to enrolling the following fall and your enrollment deposit will be moved to the following academic year to open up space for another student in the current year.

A second option for adjusting your academic schedule would be to use your AP® credit transfers to graduate early. Since you will receive credit for college courses based on your AP® credit scores, graduation requirements can be met ahead of schedule. You could check off requirements immediately before you even begin taking classes to fulfill your degree requirements. For example, if you receive credit for first-level English then you will be able to take second-level English in your first year.

With all of these potential benefits, it is clearly to your advantage to apply your Advanced Placement scores during the admissions process. The College of William and Mary has a specific set of standards for AP® credit transfers. Knowing that process will greatly improve your success in approval.

AP® Credit Transfers

The College of William and Mary accepts a number of different test scores that can be applied for credit and/or exemption for incoming students. You will likely be using your Advanced Placement scores, but William and Mary also accepts the following scores:

• International Baccalaureate (IB) scores – In general, the College of William and Mary accepts scores of 5, 6, or 7 on a Higher Level IB exam.
• British A- and AS-level scores – Generally, and A or B score is required (with some exceptions) to receive credit and/or exemption.
• College Level Examination Program (CLEP) scores – Minimum scores vary so you will want to contact the admissions office for more information.

In all cases, including AP® scores, the College of William and Mary requires that examinations be taken before, or within six months, of high school graduation and prior to entering William and Mary.

Which credits and exemptions can you receive? See below for the full list of AP® exams and their course equivalents.

William and Mary AP® Credit Reference

Below you will find the complete alphabetical list of AP® exams and their William and Mary course equivalents. In most cases, your AP® scores will be applied to receive credit for courses. In other cases, you can be exempt from courses.

(Data from William and Mary Admissions)

Let’s Review

Now that you have a full overview of The College of William and Mary AP® policy, let’s take a minute to review what we have covered;

• A score of 4 or 5 on your Advanced Placement exams is generally needed to receive credit for courses. A score of 3 is sometimes accepted but varies by course.
• You can use your AP® credits to adjust your graduation requirements so that you can either graduate early or take a gap year and graduate on time.
• Advanced Placement scores can be used to set your application apart from other students in a highly-competitive field of applicants.

Good luck in your college application process and remember that you are always capable of far more than you imagine!