William & Mary 1693 Scholars Program 2027 In The Usa: Virginia Tuition, Fees, Room And Board Plus A $5,000 Research Grant For First-year International Students — No Separate Application — Deadline 5 January 2027

William & Mary 1693 Scholars Program 2027 in the USA: Virginia Tuition, Fees, Room and Board Plus a $5,000 Research Grant for First-Year International Students — No Separate Application — Deadline 5 January 2027

The 1693 Scholars Program is the most selective merit scholarship at the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia — the second-oldest university in the United States, founded in 1693. It is also one of the smallest: only around eight or nine new scholars are selected each year. The good news for international applicants is that you do not need a nomination and there is no separate scholarship application — every first-year applicant, including international students, is automatically reviewed as a potential 1693 Scholar. The catch is the competition: finalists typically rank in the top 5% of their graduating class and score above 1500 on the SAT or above 33 on the ACT (William & Mary is test-optional, so applicants who do not submit scores are still reviewed). For Fall 2027 entry, your Common Application must be in by Monday 5 January 2027.

Key deadline: submit your William & Mary first-year application via the Common Application by 5 January 2027 (Regular Decision or Early Decision II). Early Decision I (1 November 2026) has already passed. There is no separate 1693 deadline — the admission application is the scholarship application.

What the scholarship offers

1693 Scholars receive significant financial support, as confirmed on William & Mary's official Charles Center page:

• Virginia tuition, general fees, room and board, annually — the award covers the full in-state cost of tuition, fees, housing and dining for each year of study
• A $5,000 research grant to support independent projects, which may involve travel, research or service-oriented work, designed with faculty mentors
• Faculty mentoring and special programmes — scholars work closely with distinguished faculty, take part in special events and seminars, and are based at the Murray House, the programme's on-campus home
• A small, close cohort — with only around eight or nine scholars in each entering class, and about 32 scholars on campus in total, the programme is deliberately intimate
• Some scholars are named Stamps 1693 Scholars, supported through the Stamps Family Charitable Foundation

Be clear about what this covers for international students: the 1693 award is pegged to Virginia (in-state) tuition, not the out-of-state rate that international students pay. That means it is a very large award, but it is not a full-cost scholarship for an international student — the difference between out-of-state and in-state tuition, and any remaining costs, would still need to be covered by the student, their family, or other aid. Do not treat it as a full ride. William & Mary also offers need-based financial aid to international students through the FAFSA and CSS Profile process, with a priority deadline of 1 February 2027 and a final deadline of 1 March 2027 for Regular Decision applicants — file those on time if you need additional aid.

Who is eligible?

To be considered for the 1693 Scholars Program, you must:

• Be a first-year undergraduate applicant to William & Mary for Fall 2027 — all first-year applicants are reviewed automatically, whether applying through Regular Decision, Early Decision, Early Decision II, or the St Andrews William & Mary Joint Degree Programme
• Be an international student — the programme's official selection page states explicitly that international students are eligible, alongside all domestic application routes
• Show outstanding academic achievement — finalists typically pursue the most demanding curriculum available to them, rank in the top 5% of their class (where rank is provided), and score above 1500 on the SAT or above 33 on the ACT; test-optional applicants are still reviewed for the programme
• Show leadership and intellectual engagement — scholars are successful student leaders in their schools and local communities who seek out opportunities to enrich their education

How to apply

1. Apply for first-year admission to William & Mary via the Common Application by 5 January 2027 for Regular Decision or Early Decision II (11:59 p.m. in your own time zone). Early Decision is binding; Regular Decision is not. There is no separate 1693 form to complete.
2. Watch your email in February. Around 200 applicants are notified as semi-finalists and asked to submit one additional essay (200–300 words) and one short video (maximum 3 minutes) within about two weeks. Only semi-finalists who submit these are considered for the finalist stage.
3. Complete the finalist stages if selected. Finalists take part in a virtual interview with two alumni and a virtual presentation to a faculty panel. About 15 finalists are then invited to William & Mary for an expense-paid Finalist Weekend in April.
4. Wait for the final selection. Nine 1693 Scholars are selected and notified in mid-April.
5. File financial aid documents if you need additional support. For Regular Decision applicants, the FAFSA and CSS Profile priority deadline is 1 February 2027 and the final deadline is 1 March 2027 — important, because the 1693 award alone does not cover the full out-of-state cost for international students.

Key dates for Fall 2027 entry

• 1 November 2026 (passed): Early Decision I application deadline
• 5 January 2027: Common Application due for Regular Decision and Early Decision II — this is the effective 1693 Scholars deadline, as there is no separate scholarship application
• February 2027: Semi-finalists notified by email and asked for the additional essay and short video
• March 2027: Virtual finalist interviews and presentations
• April 2027: Expense-paid Finalist Weekend on campus; nine scholars selected and notified
• 1 April 2027: Regular Decision notifications posted to the application status portal
• 1 May 2027: Enrolment deposit due
• September 2027: Studies begin at William & Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia

Note on the timeline: the 1693 Scholars selection page still carries its previous-cycle (2026) timeline label, but the selection sequence — February semi-finalists, March virtual interviews, April Finalist Weekend and selection — is the programme's published pattern, and the 5 January 2027 application deadline is confirmed on William & Mary's official dates and deadlines page for the current cycle.

Why this one is worth noting

Most full-ride style US scholarships for international students are either nomination-only or require a separate, heavy application. The 1693 Scholars Program is different in two ways: it costs you nothing extra to be considered — a single Common Application puts you in the running — and it is genuinely open to international students, in writing, on the programme's own selection page. The honest trade-off is the money: because William & Mary is a public university, the award is set at the Virginia in-state rate, so an international scholar still faces a funding gap. If you are a top-5% student with strong leadership and you can bridge that gap with family funds or need-based aid, this is one of the most prestigious small-cohort awards in American higher education — and the only extra work it asks of you is a strong admission application by 5 January 2027.

Official links

• William & Mary — 1693 Scholars Selection Information (eligibility, selection process and timeline)
• William & Mary — Dates & Deadlines (first-year application deadlines, including 5 January 2027)
• William & Mary — Student Scholars Programs (1693 Scholars award: Virginia tuition, fees, room and board plus $5,000 research grant)
• William & Mary — First-Year Application Checklist

Details verified against William & Mary's official 1693 Scholars selection page, official Dates & Deadlines page, and official Charles Center Student Scholars Programs page on 5 November 2026. The 5 January 2027 date is the Regular Decision / Early Decision II Common Application deadline; there is no separate 1693 Scholars deadline or application. Award values, deadlines and requirements can change, so always confirm them on the official pages before you apply.