For All Applicants
Choose two of these optional short-answer prompts. Think of this optional opportunity as a form of show and tell by proxy. (300 words each)
Option A: Are there any particular communities that are important to you, and how do you see yourself being a part of our community?
Option B: Share more about a personal academic interest or career goal.
Option C: How has your family, culture, and/or background shaped your lived experience?
Option D: What led to your interest in William & Mary?
Option E: Tell us about a challenge or adversity you’ve experienced and how that has impacted you as an individual.
Option F: If we visited your town, what would you want to show us?
Prompt: Are there any particular communities that are important to you, and how do you see yourself being a part of our community? (300 words)
My most important community gathers every Saturday morning in the controlled chaos of my local farmers market. I started working there three years ago, just to sell my family’s surplus tomatoes, but it has become the center of my world. This community is a vibrant mix of seasoned farmers who can predict rain by the smell of the air, young artisans selling handmade jewelry, and loyal customers who come for the fresh produce but stay for the conversation. It is a community built on a shared love for local, tangible things.
My place in it evolved from a shy kid behind a vegetable stand to the unofficial "market connector." I learned that Mrs. Gable, the town librarian, was looking for local honey to help with her allergies, so I introduced her to the beekeeper three stalls down. I saw that the new baker was struggling to attract customers, so I started offering his sourdough samples alongside my tomatoes.
This experience taught me that a community thrives on small, intentional acts of connection. It is not just about coexisting; it is about actively building bridges. At William & Mary, I want to bring this same spirit. I see myself being a part of the community not just by joining clubs, but by being the person who introduces the aspiring journalist from the W&M Student Assembly to the photographer from the International Relations Club. I want to help build a campus where everyone feels seen and connected, one small introduction at a time.
Prompt: Share more about a personal academic interest or career goal. (300 words)
My academic interest in public health began not in a classroom, but in a waiting room. I spent many hours in our local community clinic while my grandfather received treatment, and I saw firsthand how language barriers created obstacles to care. I watched nurses struggle to explain complex medical instructions to recent immigrants, often resorting to gestures and frustrated sighs. The care was there, but the communication was broken. This experience sparked my desire to understand how we can build more equitable and accessible healthcare systems.
I began by volunteering as a translator at the clinic, but I quickly realized that translation was only a temporary fix. The real problem was systemic. I started researching public health policy, reading about the social determinants of health and the ways that culture, language, and income level impact a person’s ability to receive care.
My career goal is to work in global health policy, designing programs that are culturally competent and linguistically accessible. At William & Mary, I want to pursue this by majoring in Public Health and participating in the Global Research Institute. I am particularly excited by the work of Ignite, which focuses on optimizing health investments in resource limited settings. The opportunity to combine rigorous academic study with real world, applied research is exactly what I am looking for. I want to learn not just how to identify health disparities, but how to build the systems that will eliminate them.
Prompt: What led to your interest in William & Mary? (300 words)
My interest in William & Mary was sparked by a single article I read about the Global Research Institute (GRI). I was researching colleges with strong international relations programs, but I was tired of reading generic descriptions of study abroad opportunities. The GRI stood out because it was different. It was not just about studying the world, but about actively engaging with it through student led, policy relevant research.
As I explored further, I discovered AidData, a research lab within the GRI that uses data to track international aid and solve development challenges. This was the moment I knew W&M was the right place for me. In my own volunteer work, I have often wondered if our efforts were truly making a difference. The idea of using rigorous data analysis to measure the real world impact of development projects is incredibly exciting to me.
I am also drawn to W&M’s collaborative culture. The fact that the GRI was founded because students and faculty wanted to work together to answer tough questions speaks volumes about the university’s spirit. I do not just want to be a passive student in a lecture hall. I want to be an active participant in the creation of new knowledge. William & Mary is a place where undergraduates are not just given opportunities, but are trusted to lead. That is the kind of community I want to join.
Prompt: If we visited your town, what would you want to show us? (300 words)
If you visited my town, I would not take you to the historic downtown or the scenic overlook that everyone photographs. Instead, I would take you to the public library. It is not a grand building; it is a small, brick structure from the 1970s, but it is the true heart of our community. This is where I learned that knowledge should be a shared resource, open to everyone. I would show you the well worn copies of classic novels, the computer terminals that are always occupied by people applying for jobs, and the children’s corner where I spent countless hours as a kid.
Next, I would take you to the community garden, a small plot of land behind the fire station. This is where I learned the value of patient, collaborative work. I would introduce you to Mr. Henderson, a retired teacher who can tell you the life story of every tomato plant, and to the group of high school students, myself included, who built the compost system. This garden is a testament to what a community can create when they work together, turning an empty lot into a source of fresh food and shared purpose.
These two places represent the values that my town has instilled in me: a belief in the power of shared knowledge and a commitment to collaborative, hands on work. They are not landmarks, but they are the places that have shaped who I am. They are what I would want you to see.
St. Andrews Joint Degree Program Applicants
As an applicant to the Joint Degree Programme, you are required to submit an additional 1500–2000-word essay outlining your interest in the particular academic area to which you are applying—Classical Studies, Economics, English, Film Studies, History, or International Relations; and what particularly interests you about the JDP in your chosen major. Be as specific as you can. Demonstrating that you are familiar with the JDP website—its policies and curriculum—will be helpful to your application, as will examples of your ability to take on a particularly challenging, as well as rewarding, educational experience that demands adaptability, flexibility, and an appreciation for other cultures and institutional practices.
Prompt: As an applicant to the Joint Degree Programme, you are required to submit an additional 1500–2000-word essay outlining your interest in the particular academic area to which you are applying—Classical Studies, Economics, English, Film Studies, History, or International Relations; and what particularly interests you about the JDP in your chosen major...
My interest in international relations began not with a headline, but with a fishing net. Growing up in a small coastal town in New England, I spent my summers working on my uncle’s fishing boat. I listened as he and the other fishermen spoke with growing anxiety about the changing ocean. They talked about the cod, once plentiful, that were now scarce, and the strange, warm-water species that were appearing in their nets. Their livelihoods were being threatened by a global problem that felt intensely local. They spoke of international fishing treaties they did not understand and of climate models that felt a world away from their daily reality. I realized that to solve a problem like this, one needed to speak two languages: the scientific language of data and the human language of policy and history.
This realization is the driving force behind my application to the St. Andrews Joint Degree Programme in International Relations. The complex challenge of managing global resources like our oceans cannot be solved from a single perspective. It requires both the quantitative, data-driven analysis championed at William & Mary and the deep, philosophical and historical understanding of international norms that is a hallmark of St Andrews. The JDP is the only program I have found that is explicitly designed to cultivate this dual fluency.
At William & Mary, I am eager to develop the analytical skills necessary to understand the "what" of global challenges. I am particularly drawn to the work of the Global Research Institute (GRI), a hub for applied, interdisciplinary research. The opportunity to work as an undergraduate researcher at a lab like AidData, learning how to use geospatial data to track the impact of environmental policies, would be invaluable. I want to take courses like "International Political Economy" (GOVT 328) and "Quantitative Methods" (GOVT 302) to build a strong foundation in the scientific analysis of international systems. The W&M approach, which the JDP describes as more "scientific," would give me the hard data and analytical tools to measure the scope of a problem and evaluate the effectiveness of potential solutions.
However, data alone is not enough. To understand the "why" behind these challenges, I need the historical and theoretical depth that St Andrews provides. The JDP’s curriculum, which includes foundational courses in the history of the international system, is essential. I am excited by the prospect of studying at a university with such a rich tradition of political theory and a more "philosophical" approach to international relations. I want to explore the research themes of the School of International Relations, particularly "conflict, peace, and security" and "global and supra-national institutions". I am particularly interested in the work of the Centre for Global Law and Governance, as understanding the history and evolution of international treaties is crucial to crafting new ones. A St Andrews education would allow me to place the data I analyze at W&M into its proper historical and political context.
This program demands a high degree of adaptability, a skill I have worked hard to cultivate. Last summer, I participated in a language immersion program in Quebec. I was placed with a host family that spoke no English, and I was initially overwhelmed by the challenge of navigating a new culture in a language I was still learning. There was a moment during my second week when a simple trip to the grocery store ended in confusion and frustration. Instead of retreating, I forced myself to embrace the discomfort. I started spending my evenings not just studying vocabulary, but watching local news and asking my host father to explain the political cartoons in the newspaper. This experience taught me that cultural fluency is about more than just language; it is about curiosity, humility, and a willingness to listen. It is this same adaptability that I will bring to the JDP as I navigate two distinct academic cultures.
My ultimate goal is to work on international environmental policy, specifically focusing on the creation of sustainable and equitable fishing treaties. To do this effectively, I need to be able to analyze satellite data on fish populations and also understand the historical grievances of a small fishing community. I need to be able to build a statistical model and also mediate a difficult conversation between competing nations. The William & Mary and St Andrews Joint Degree Programme is the only educational path that will prepare me for both sides of this vital work. It is the perfect synthesis of the two modes of thinking I will need to help solve the problems that began for me with a simple fishing net.
All the best!
