How to Apply to Mathematics at William & Mary: Standard, Applied, Statistics and Pre-College Teaching Concentrations, Declared by Form After Entry, for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

At William & Mary (W&M), undergraduate mathematics is offered by the Department of Mathematics; students apply to the university through the Office of Undergraduate Admission and declare the major by form after entry. Here is what you need to know, based on the department’s and the admission office’s websites, organised for US domestic applicants, international applicants and applicants from China, followed by transfer students. Computer science is not covered here; this site has a separate article on it, and data science and other majors are not covered either.

1. Degrees and areas

• Degree and concentrations: the department lists a Bachelor of Science in mathematics with four concentrations: Standard, Applied Mathematics, Statistics and Pre-College Mathematics Teaching, plus a math minor. It says students can design a major around their own interests and career goals.
• Shared requirements: all math majors must demonstrate proficiency in calculus, linear algebra, multivariable calculus, computer programming and writing. The core courses of each concentration include Calculus I and II, Linear Algebra, Multivariable Calculus and Foundation of Mathematics; all majors also take both or one of Abstract Algebra and Elementary Analysis, and complete 7 or 8 advanced math courses. The programming expectation is at the level of CSCI 141.
• Comparison table from the department: Standard – required advanced MATH 307 and 311, 4 or 5 electives, 46–49 total credits; Applied – CSCI 141 and 241, MATH 307 or 311, 5 or 6 electives, 48–52 credits; Statistics – CSCI 141 and 241, MATH 307 or 311 plus 451 and 452, 3 or 4 electives, 48–52 credits; Teaching – CSCI 141, MATH 302, 307, 316, 323, 351 and 412 plus EDUC 301 and 310, 48–52 credits. The course catalog (catalog.wm.edu) was not read; see it for the exact requirements.
• What each concentration says: Standard requires both MATH 307 and 311, is often chosen by students who want more proof-based classes and has at least five fully free upper-level electives; the department encourages at least two additional 400-level courses. Applied can include classical applied mathematics and modelling, operations research, statistics and computational mathematics; for cross-disciplinary electives in biology, applied science, computer science or economics, the department suggests the Computational & Applied Mathematics & Statistics (CAMS) major instead. Statistics covers probability, inference, regression, classification, multivariate analysis, machine learning and more; those wanting computer science or economics electives may consider the CAMS applied statistics major. Teaching: students interested in secondary certification should contact the School of Education early and plan carefully from sophomore year; the certification programme takes all of the spring semester of senior year, MATH 316 is offered in fall every other year, and MATH 412 only in fall.
• Other options: a Bachelor’s-to-Master’s Accelerated Pathway (BMAP) with the CAMS programme; an optional fifth year toward a master’s in computer science specialising in computational operations research; a five-year bachelor’s-to-master’s secondary math education programme for students in the Standard or Applied concentration; and the Noyce Scholars Program for students interested in teaching mathematics.

2. How admission to the major works: apply to the university, declare by form

• At application: whether the application asks for a mathematics major, and whether mathematics is reviewed separately or has limited places, is not stated in the pages read; please ask the admission office. The Office of Undergraduate Admission says it uses holistic review: every application is read at least twice, including once by your regional counselor.
• Declaring the major: the department says many professors and teaching professors serve as major advisors and students normally pick one (easy to change later; the Chief Major Adviser can recommend one). After deciding to major, you see a major advisor and complete the Declaration of Major Form, then work out a provisional plan of studies that is easily changed. The latest time to declare, any grade requirement and any cap on places are not stated in the pages read.
• Moving into the major from another W&M major: apart from the declaration process above, not stated in the pages read.

3. Prerequisites and placement

• High school math: specific university- or department-level high school course requirements are not stated in the pages read. The department says W&M requires all undergraduates to have basic proficiency in mathematics, some students meet this with test or transfer credit earned in high school, and many take at least one calculus course at W&M.
• Calculus readiness evaluation: the department offers a 25-problem evaluation on Blackboard (self-enrol in the course “William & Mary Calculus”) to help you judge readiness for MATH 111 (Calculus I) or MATH 131 (Calculus I for Life Sciences). The department says it is for your benefit only and the score does not affect your ability to register for calculus.
• First-year courses: the department says first-year students can choose calculus and non-calculus courses, including first-year seminars, elementary probability and statistics, and linear algebra; it also has a first-semester course guide by major.
• AP, IB and A-Level credit: the admission office says W&M accepts credit for AP and IB scores and completion of A-Levels; typically an AP score of 4 or 5, or a Higher Level IB score of 5, 6 or 7, earns credit and/or exemption. Which scores map to which math course is not stated in the pages read; contact the Office of the University Registrar.
• Honors entry: the department’s Honors Program offers qualified students a two-semester, six-credit research project under a faculty advisor, ending in a thesis and oral defence. Students with strong records who have completed Abstract Algebra (MATH 307) or Elementary Analysis (MATH 311) and whose math performance is very strong should consider it; the Charles Center coordinates Honors projects. Honors sections such as MATH 307H and 311H are also listed.
• Math competitions: the department says its faculty coach students for the Putnam Competition, the Mathematical Contest in Modeling and actuarial exams; how competitions are viewed in admission is not stated in the pages read.

4. Deadlines and application materials

• Rounds and deadlines: the Common App opens 1 August. Early Decision I is due 1 November, with decisions in early December and the deposit due 5 January; Early Decision II is due 5 January, with decisions in early February and the deposit due 15 February; Regular Decision is due 5 January, with decisions by 1 April and the deposit due 1 May. Transcripts, test scores and recommendations may still be submitted after 5 January. The dates page shows no year, so check that it applies to fall 2027 entry.
• Aid dates: for FAFSA and CSS Profile, ED I priority is 15 November and deadline 12 December; ED II priority 15 January and deadline 1 March; Regular Decision priority 1 February and deadline 1 March.
• How to apply and fee: the Common App; the fee is $75 (non-refundable), with fee waivers available, and the fee is waived for those who served honorably in the US armed forces.
• Materials: the Common App, high school transcript, essay, recommendation letters and optional materials. The admission office strongly encourages up to two of the Common App “optional essays”. The number of recommendations, and whether one must come from a math teacher, are not stated in the pages read.
• Testing: the university is test optional. Scores may be sent by the testing agency or self-reported; W&M superscores, and if both SAT and ACT are submitted it uses the result most advantageous to the applicant (school codes SAT 5115, ACT 4344). It says 40% of the Class of 2029 applied test-optional, and all applicants are considered for merit programmes whether or not they submit scores.

5. US domestic applicants

• Estimated costs, 2026-27: the tuition page lists, in-state: tuition $19,734, fees $7,501, housing $10,512, food $7,134, direct costs $44,881; indirect costs $3,757 (books $900, transportation $785, personal $2,000, loan fees $72); total estimated $48,638. Out-of-state: tuition $46,177, fees $8,072, direct costs $71,895, total estimated $75,652. The Board of Visitors approves tuition and fees each April, and costs vary by status, housing and food choices and course of study. The rates for fall 2027 entry are not stated in the pages read.
• Aid: the tuition page says that in 2024-25, 77% of first-year in-state students and 60% of out-of-state students received some type of aid, all in-state Pell-eligible students automatically receive scholarship assistance covering at least tuition and fees, and $76 million in grants and scholarships is distributed annually. Aid applicants submit the FAFSA and CSS Profile (dates in section 4).
• In-state priority or guaranteed admission: not stated in the pages read for first-year applicants; for transfer students, the pages mention a guaranteed admission agreement for Virginia Community College System students (section 9). In-state tuition eligibility is requested through questions on the Common App.

6. International applicants

• English requirements: the admission office strongly recommends the TOEFL or IELTS Academic for applicants whose first language is not English and who have studied in another language. Scores: TOEFL taken on or before 20 January 2026, generally a minimum of 100; TOEFL taken on or after 21 January 2026, generally 5, from a single date or ETS MyBest scores; IELTS Academic overall band 7 or above; Duolingo is accepted when the TOEFL iBT and IELTS are not available (the required Duolingo score is not stated in the pages read). No score guarantees admission. TOEFL school code 5115. The site says two things on how long applicants should have studied in another language: one page urges the tests for those schooled in a language other than English for “the past five years or more”, another says “the past four years or more”.
• Testing and grades: international students may also choose whether to submit the SAT or ACT; if IB/AP/A-Level results (or predicted results) are not available, the admission office strongly encourages submitting one.
• Credential evaluation and credit: students who completed a 13-year secondary programme or attended a university outside the US and want transfer credit must submit translated syllabi for each thirteenth-year or university course with the application; after admission and a declared intention to enrol, they may be required to send credentials to World Education Services (WES) by 1 June for fall or 15 January for spring. External evaluations are accepted but do not ensure credit.
• Funding and aid: the international financial aid page says W&M generally has no scholarships or loan funds for undergraduate international students who are citizens of other countries, so you must be prepared to fully finance your education; the estimated total cost is on the tuition page. The specific proof-of-funds form is not stated in the pages read.

7. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: whether it is considered, and how, is not published in the pages read; please contact the admission office (admission@wm.edu).
• Transcripts and school-leaving materials: no China-specific requirements are published in the pages read; the general international requirements are in section 6.
• International curricula: students taking AP, IB or A-Level can use the credit rules in section 3.

8. Costs, scholarships and outcomes

• Costs: see sections 5 and 6.
• Department awards and research: the department’s student page lists past winners of the Goldwater scholarship, the Lord Botetourt Medal and the Thomas Jefferson Prize in Natural Philosophy, and a Simon Teaching Prize (students nominate a professor); math-specific entrance scholarships are not stated in the pages read. On research, the department says students can take independent study courses, the Honors Program, summer internships and summer REUs; undergraduate research at W&M often results in professional publications; the Charles Center can provide funding for undergraduate research; and the department homepage mentions funding from the NSF and NASA.
• Outcomes: the department says its programme prepares students for natural sciences, engineering, medicine, finance, computer science and social sciences; the Statistics concentration page lists careers such as data science, actuarial science, biostatistics, risk analysis, financial modeling, market research, business analytics, policy analysis, academic research and teaching. It prints no employment data.

9. Transfer students

• Who counts as a transfer: anyone who attended another college or university after high school and did not earn a bachelor’s degree; AP or college credit earned during high school does not make you a transfer student. Transfer applicants must be in good standing and eligible to return to their last full-time institution. The admission office says it usually receives about 900 fall and 250 spring transfer applications and enrols about 200 transfers in fall and 70 in spring.
• Deadlines: fall entry, Common App for transfer by 1 March 2027; spring entry, 1 October 2026; high school and college transcripts and the mid-term report by 15 March (15 October for spring); fall decisions on 1 May and the deposit due 15 May. The fee is $75, with waivers available.
• GPA and courses: the checklist page says a GPA of 3.5 or higher is generally preferred, while the strength of the curriculum and the number of credit hours are also considered. The recommended courses page lists mathematics (quantitative reasoning, statistics or calculus) among the courses competitive applicants typically complete. Math-major-specific transfer requirements (calculus or linear algebra sequence) are not stated in the pages read.
• High school transcript: required for applicants with fewer than 24 post-high-school college credits; optional above that.
• Virginia community college pathway: the pages mention a guaranteed admission agreement (GAA) for Virginia Community College System students, with a letter of intent due 1 February for fall; see the admission office’s VCCS page (not read).
• Credit transfer: the department’s own transfer credit rules are not stated in the pages read; contact the department and the Office of the University Registrar. International transfer students complete additional international forms, and credential evaluation is as in section 6.

Checklist

US domestic applicants:

• ED I 1 November; ED II and Regular 5 January; $75 fee; Common App, transcript, essay and recommendations; testing optional
• FAFSA and CSS Profile (dates in section 4)

International applicants (including China):

• TOEFL 100 (5 on the new scale from 21 January 2026) or IELTS 7, or Duolingo; W&M generally has no scholarships for international undergraduates, so plan to fund all costs
• Gaokao and Chinese school materials: not published in the pages read, contact the admission office

After entry:

• Optionally take the calculus readiness evaluation (it does not affect registration); once you decide to major, see a major advisor and file the Declaration of Major Form; choose Standard, Applied, Statistics or Teaching

Transfer students:

• Fall 1 March, spring 1 October; GPA of 3.5+ generally preferred; Common App for transfer; $75 fee

Sources: William & Mary, Department of Mathematics; Mathematics: undergraduate program; Mathematics: majoring in mathematics; Standard concentration; Applied mathematics concentration; Statistics concentration; Pre-college mathematics teaching concentration; Mathematics minor; Mathematics: where to start; Calculus readiness evaluation; Undergraduate research; Honors; Mathematics: resources for students; Admission: dates and deadlines; First-year applicants; Application checklist; Standardized testing; International applicants; International standardized testing and English proficiency; International financial aid; International transfer credit; Transfer applicants; Transfer checklist; Recommended transfer courses; Tuition and fees. The first-year dates page shows no year, so check that it applies to fall 2027 entry. The course catalog for each concentration (catalog.wm.edu) was not read, so see the catalog for the exact required courses. See the William & Mary website for the latest.