Wellesley College
A liberal arts college for women who will make a difference in the world
About Wellesley
Academics
Student Life
Ranked among the top liberal arts colleges in the U.S., Wellesley College has a long-time tradition of educating women who make a difference in the world. Living and learning on a campus full of self-directed, intellectually curious women helps students develop the skills needed to succeed in all professional fields, including those traditionally dominated by men.
Faculty • 8:1 student-to-faculty ratio
Students • 2,375 undergraduates
• 100% of professors teach at all levels
• 50% students of color
• 26% of faculty identify as people of color
• 30 languages spoken by students
• 93% of faculty hold a Ph.D. or the highest degree in their field
• 14% international citizens
On Wellesley’s lush 500-acre campus, 2,375 students enjoy a breathtaking setting and easy access to Boston and Cambridge—academic, medical, cultural, and historic hubs. Multiculturalism is a way of life at Wellesley. An exceptionally diverse community draws students from more than 80 countries and all 50 states. Wellesley courses develop critical thinking, an appreciation of varied approaches, and the power to communicate effectively. Classes are small, and all are taught by Wellesley professors—superbly talented people dedicated to their students’ success. They encompass everything from “the teacher who opened my mind” and “the person who wrote the recommendation that blew away the scholarship committee” to “the world-renowned neuroscientist who always has time to talk about my plans” and “the person who showed me what it means to love, really love, what you do.” Wellesley is known for its extraordinary alumnae network: Students have unmatched opportunities to cultivate leadership abilities and gain lifelong access to a legendary network of accomplished Wellesley alumnae— a global power supply dedicated to helping Wellesley women, past, present, and future.
• 63% of Wellesley faculty are women • By graduation, most students say three faculty members know them well enough to provide a letter of recommendation Classes • 1,000+ classes on campus (5,000+ classes through cross-registration) • 54+ majors and 15 foreign languages Additional Opportunities • Just under 50% of students study abroad with more than 180 approved programs
• Students from all 50 states, more than 80 countries • 19% of entering first-years are first-generation college students Life on Campus • 500 stunningly beautiful acres • 1 awesome lake, with a 2.4-mile trail around it for running, walking, boating • Botanic Gardens, Greenhouse, Arboretum, Collins Cinema, Davis Museum, Whitin Observatory, Jewett Arts Center, state-of-the-art Human Computer Interaction lab
• Cross-registration at Babson, Brandeis, MIT, & Olin College of Engineering,
• 98% of students live on campus
• Babson-Olin-Wellesley Sustainability Certificate and Olin Certificate in Engineering Studies
• 4 dining halls; unlimited meal plan; vegetarian, kosher, and halal options
• Hundreds of research opportunities available every year, often one-on-one with a professor, plus full access to MIT’s Undergraduate Research Program • 2 annual conferences on internships (Tanner) and research (Ruhlman) Fellowships & Internships • 100+ Wellesley students and alumnae won fellowships from Fulbright, Watson, National Science Foundation, and Soriano Curatorial Fellowships at the Musée du Louvre
• 21 residence halls
Random Cool Things • 4 cafés (2 student-run) • 1 student-run pub • 2 s’more pits • The Honor Code, a mutual system of trust and respect upon which we base our community
• 94% of the Class of 2021 had at least one internship during their time at Wellesley • $605,000+ awarded annually in Wellesley funded internships
Majors & Programs Africana Studies American Studies Anthropology Architecture Asian American Studies (minor) Astronomy Astrophysics Biochemistry Biological Sciences Chemical Physics Chemistry Cinema and Media Studies Classical Civilization Classical Studies
Cognitive & Linguistic Sciences Comparative Literature Comparative Race and Ethnicity (minor) Computer Science Data Science (Individual Structured)
Environmental Studies French French Cultural Studies Geosciences German Studies
(Individual Structured)
Global Portuguese East Asian Studies (minor) Languages & Studies History (Chinese, Japanese, & International Korean) Relations Economics Italian Studies Education Studies Jewish Studies English and Creative Latin American Writing Studies
Mathematics Media Arts and Sciences Medieval/ Renaissance Studies Middle Eastern Studies Music Neuroscience Peace and Justice Studies Philosophy Physics Political Science Prelaw
Premedical Professions Psychology Religion Russian Russian Area Studies Sociology South Asia Studies Spanish Studio Art Theatre Studies Women’s and Gender Studies
Sports, Recreation, Fitness • 13 Division III sports teams
After Wellesley
• 8 club sports from archery to rugby to water polo
Employment • 98% of 2021 graduates were employed, accepted to graduate school, participating in a service/volunteer program, or serving in the military within 6 months of graduation
• Recreational programs: Zumba, barre, dance, yoga • Physical education course offerings including salsa dancing, yoga, sailing, archery, golf, tai chi, couch to 5k training, badminton, swimming, Pilates Organizations & Activities • 180+ student organizations, including 45 multicultural organizations Some examples: Shakespeare Society, Debate Club, ASTRO Club, Classics Club, Wellesley African Students Association, Dead Serious (improv), Wellesley Women in Business, Zeta Alpha Literary Society • 1,020 student leaders (student life and student organization leaders) • Over 90% of students report participating in extracurricular activities including sports, clubs, and other organizations • Hundreds of service opportunities on- and off-campus; Wellesley provides free transportation to approved service sites Boston/Cambridge • 12 miles to Boston and Cambridge • 250,000 undergraduate college students in the Boston area from 80+ colleges • 17 daily free rides into Boston • Favorite Boston/Cambridge destinations: the Boston Common, the Esplanade, Faneuil Hall Marketplace, Fenway Park, Harvard Square, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts, the New England Aquarium, the North End, Symphony Hall
• Top employers include: MIT, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston Children’s Hospital, JP Morgan Chase Google, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, the Broade Institute, Citi, Amazon, Microsoft, Dana-Farber Cancer Institutue, Harvard University, Facebook • 68,500+ job, internship, fellowship,
and volunteer opportunities posted on Handshake last year
Graduate School • Top graduate schools: Columbia University, MIT, University of California, Berkeley, Boston University, Harvard University, Yale, Johns Hopkins University, Stanford University, Brandeis University, Tufts University, The University of Edinburgh, University of Pennsylvania • 80% of alumnae go to graduate school within 10 years, often in fields (economics, computer science, physics) underrepresented by women, many at top-ranked programs with full funding Extraordinary Alumnae Network • Over 35,000 alumnae and 85+ active Wellesley clubs worldwide • Noted alumnae: former U.S. Secretaries of State Madeleine Albright and Hillary Rodham Clinton (also Democratic Party Presidential Nominee 2016); Chinese writer Bing Xin; MacArthur Fellowship (Genius Grant) winner Nergis Mavalvala; NASA astronaut Pamela Melroy; journalist Diane Sawyer; executive director of Partners in Health Ophelia Dahl; architect and social justice advocate Liz Ogbu; Zipcar founder Robin Chase; and many others
Career Education: It starts day one and lasts a lifetime Wellesley’s individually tailored, holistic approach to career education prepares and inspires every Wellesley student to craft a lifetime of opportunity and reach her full potential. Each student is matched with a college career mentor, and later a personal advisory board made up of professors, alumnae in their fields, and others who will help her develop strategies, navigate her career journey, and access opportunities that will further her goals.
The Wellesley career education model illuminates the strength of the liberal arts education. Its objective is to encourage active participation in the full College ecosystem. Connections and communities form the heart of this model, whose vision is to be the leader in cultivating women leaders of the future. The Chronicle of Higher Education recently spotlighted Career Education at Wellesley as a model approach to “reinventing the career center.”
“In addition to taking a wide range of liberal arts courses at Wellesley, I have had the chance to gain pre-professional experience in preparation for a career in global marketing at Babson College and to pursue my passion for music as a member of the MIT Symphony Orchestra! Wellesley makes it super easy for students to cross-register. If you have a passion you want to pursue or discover a new one, Wellesley’s always there for you, seriously.”—Yuna ’19, East Asian studies and Spanish, Sapporo, Japan
“Wellesley is a very inclusive and most importantly supportive environment in which you will able to explore many different areas with not only support but also without the judgements of traditional society. The small class sizes as well as the culture of siblinghood makes it feel very comfortable regardless of who you are, you will find your people here. Additionally you do get the best of both worlds with our location.” —Emi ’24, economics and political science, Caracas,Venezuela
“All my life I have dreamed of coming to the US to study. What seemed like a dream became reality when Wellesley offered me an extraodinarly generous financial package (that my parents stll talk about to this day!). Wellesley offered me the unique opportunity to go out of my comfort zone and fly an ocean away to study among the most intelligent people I have met. It changed my perspective on the world, my priorities, and has pushed me to always seek to educate myself more. It changed my life.” —Julia ’22, psychology, Galați, Romania
Admission Application Information • We accept the Common Application and QuestBridge Application. It’s free to apply! • SAT or ACT (testing is optional for firstyear applicants applying to the College for entry in the fall of 2023 and 2024). • English proficiency exam recommended for students from non-English-based highschool curricula
Application Deadlines Early Decision I: November 1 Early Decision II: January 1 Regular Decision: January 8 Admission Website: wellesley.edu/admission/apply
• Wellesley grants credit for some A-levels, AP, and IB higher-level exams
International Students • Multiculturalism is a way of life at Wellesley. Our diverse community draws students from more than 80 countries and all 50 states. • Students live and learn together and support social justice advancement and intercultural connections on campus and beyond. • Slater International Center at Wellesley provides comprehensive resources for international students including assistance with visas and immigration law compliance.
Financial Aid • Wellesley meets 100% of demonstrated financial need for all admitted students • Wellesley is not need-blind for students who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents. • The College has the resources to support a limited number of need-based financial aid awards for international citizens with calculated need. Therefore, admission is highly competitive for international citizens applying for financial aid.
100%
Wellesley will meet 100% of calculated financial need for all admitted students. You’ll pay what you can afford—nothing more.
$78,400
“Friends are a big part of how you'll change at Wellesley, as are professors and the classes they teach. One of the best things about a liberal arts education is that it really feels like you have the world your fingertips. You'll end up familiarizing yourself with topics you never could have seen coming, but that you also fall in love with. I never took a philosophy or neuro class before coming to college, but being able to gain confidence and skills in both, even being able to connect them, is something I attribute wholly to Wellesley. This confidence comes from the classes, as well as office hours with your professors (who often become mentors), and study groups with friends, but also internship and working experience. It seems surreal to say, but one day you sort of wake up and realize you can hold complex conversations about whatever it is you're passionate about–and that feeling is what will carry you forward!”—Julianna ’22, neuroscience and philosophy, Mexico City, Mexico
“Why Wellesley? The rigorous education, inspiring alums, great mentors, the community, crossregistration, study abroad programs, and the beautiful campus close to a large city. The best things about Wellesley are the people and the amount of support from everyone here! Professors care about their students’ learning ... so it’s easy to find great mentors in them.” —Mariela ’23, economics, Asuncion, Paraguay
The average annual scholarship aid award for non-U.S. citizens/permanent residents (that is money that you *do not* have to repay!).
Watch our videos! “Wellesley has the best alums! When I was traveling to the United States, my parents could not come with me to help me move in to Wellesley College. Luckily, Wellesley’s Office of International Students connected me to an alum who picked me up from the airport, welcomed me to her home, took me shopping, and helped me on move-in day. Our connection did not end that day. She continuously invites me to her home, to fun activities, and museum visits in Boston. I am forever grateful to her and to all the Wellesley who have opened their homes to international students.” —Shukri ’21, economics and mathematics, Hargeisa, Somaliland
wellesley.edu/admission/playlist A continuing series of noble but incomplete attempts to capture the immensity of all that is Wellesley.
Join our mailing list! wellesley.edu/admission/mailing Wellesley College Office of Admission 106 Central Street Wellesley, Massachusetts 02481-8203