

William & Mary Admissions Requirements
As you prepare your application for William & Mary’s Online Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Counseling, know that Admissions Advisors are always on standby, ready to assist you to answer your questions, clarify admissions requirements and review the materials needed. We also encourage you to check out our step-by-step How to Apply guide, which walks you through the process of applying through our online portal.
William & Mary is proud to accept applicants of various academic backgrounds, and all applications are reviewed holistically. With this in mind, our baseline requirement is that all applicants have a completed bachelor’s degree (or equivalent); in conjunction with this, we recommend a GPA of 3.0 or higher (on a 4.0 scale) as well as GRE Verbal and Quantitative scores (40th percentile or higher preferred in GRE Verbal).
*Please note: Due to COVID-19 concerns, we have temporarily suspended the GRE requirement for all applicants through Fall 2022 as many of the testing centers have been closed. We will look for other evidence of both verbal and quantitative ability during your application review.
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Full Application Requirements
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Additional Requirements for International Students
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Preparing Your Personal Essay
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Admissions Timeline
Full Application Requirements
When you are ready to begin the application process, we ask that you be prepared to submit the following:
- Completed online application
- Application fee of $50
- If you are an honorably discharged or active duty service member; Fullbright or McNair Scholar; or AmeriCorps or PeaceCorps participant, speak with an advisor about determining your eligibility for an application fee waiver.
- Transcripts from all institutions attended: Unofficial is accepted during the review process. Official transcript is required upon matriculation.
- GRE scores:
- Due to COVID-19 concerns, we have temporarily suspended the GRE requirement for all applicants through Fall 2022 as many of the testing centers have been closed. We will look for other evidence of both verbal and quantitative ability during your application review.
- 3 academic or professional letters of recommendation
- Personal essay
- Resume detailing full employment history
Additional Requirements for International Students
During the application process, students applying as non-U.S. citizens must present proof that they have successfully passed either the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), with a minimum score of 100 on the internet version (or comparable, if test is not taken online), or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exam, with a minimum score of 7.0.
Preparing Your Personal Essay
Your personal essay is an important means of sharing with us the reasons why you are drawn to counseling and what career aspirations you intend to pursue following successful completion of the Online M.Ed. in Counseling program. These pieces are usually two to three pages in length and can be submitted electronically with the online application.
As you begin to outline and compose your essay using the following guiding questions, please think about your career aspirations, past academic, professional and volunteer experience, leadership potential, collaborative skills and propensity to engage in reflective practice: Guiding questions:
- What has led you to become interested in becoming a counselor?
- Why are you interested in pursuing your counselor education at William & Mary?
- How will your graduate degree in Counseling at William & Mary help you achieve your career goals?
- What strengths would you bring to your graduate studies at William & Mary?
- What do you think would be the greatest challenge(s) for you in your graduate studies at William & Mary? How would you address the challenge(s)?
If you have any questions regarding the composition of your personal essay, we encourage you to contact an Admissions Advisor at 866-870-6966 for clarification of expectations and requirements.
Admissions Timeline
In addition to our How to Apply guide, we have created a sample timeline to guide you through the application process. While your personal timeline may differ, we encourage you to reference the sample timeline below to keep track of important William & Mary admissions milestones and plan for how much time you should expect to spend on each task.
DAILY TASKS | |
Day 1 | |
Request Official Transcripts | 30 min |
Request Letters of Recommendation | 45 min |
Update Resume/CV | 45 min |
Day 2 | |
Complete FAFSA | 60 min |
Day 3 | |
If you need to take the GRE, schedule your test and send confirmation* | 20 min |
Day 4 | |
Submit your application** | 30min |
*Due to COVID-19 concerns, we have temporarily suspended the GRE requirement for all applicants through Fall 2022 as many of the testing centers have been closed. We will look for other evidence of both verbal and quantitative ability during your application review.
**You can submit your application prior to William & Mary receiving your official transcripts, official GRE scores, or letters of recommendation; however, you must provide contact details for three recommenders, your resume, personal statement, unofficial transcripts, and unofficial GRE scores by the final application deadline.

Meet Your Admissions Advisor: Ramsey Ghunim
Ramsey Ghunim began his career with William and Mary in March of 2020. Ramsey has operated in the realm of higher education for seven years. Having found early success as a Senior Admissions Advisor with Wiley Global Education, Ramsey has since earned a reputation as a student-centered advisor. Ramsey’s enthusiastic approach to William and Mary’s admissions recruitment places high emphasis on integrity, culture, and student empowerment in equal measure.
He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing from Columbia College and is currently in the process of achieving a Masters Degree in Social Work.
Email: counselingonline@wm.edu
Toll Free: (866) 870-6966
Local: (757) 903-0072 (ext. 302)
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- Retrieved on January 10, 2018, from bls.gov/ooh/community-and-social-service/substance-abuse-behavioral-disorder-and-mental-health-counselors.html