Wellesley College

For more than 150 years, Wellesley College has given ambitious young women an education in the liberal arts with a global perspective by offering more than 50 majors and hundreds of funded internships around the world. The school's financial support allows "students to pursue internships and research [opportunities] that they would otherwise not take because they are unpaid." The school stresses leadership, service, and the idea of Wellesley students contributing to the world both now and after graduation. To enhance that education even further, enrollees are able to cross-register (or even dual degree) with other nearby colleges. Students are "pushed to explore different departments through the distribution requirements, providing them with a liberal arts education that shapes their personhood and education." And each department is "provided with ample resources and handpicked professors" who "truly value building relationships with their students." It's not uncommon for faculty "to take their class out to a restaurant, or even invite students to their home for a meal." The First-Year Experience at Wellesley further helps ease students into college, including mentor groups, a required writing class, and First-Year Seminars where new students "have the chance to dive deep into a specific topic without feeling the pressure of having [senior students] dominate the conversation."

Academic opportunities extend beyond the classroom: the school's reputation and alumnae network "open so many doors for you in the future," and students can "take part from the moment [they] accept the enrollment offer, and for as long afterwards as [they] wish." Wellesley works to create an environment "where students can naturally progress through leadership positions on campus, whether that be through research, residential life, or student-run organizations." There are also "vast opportunities [for] study abroad programs in so many locations."

Among this "study-focused group of diverse people who hail from many countries and backgrounds," students "can be who [they] want and explore different identities." Thanks to that aspect of the student body, everyone is "exposed to countless cultures and viewpoints." These "intellectual, driven, [and] inclusive scholars" are "uplifting and kind to each other both in class and outside of class," and part of the campus culture "is the 'Why not?' attitude that we all share." There's also a "large feminist culture and LGBT population" on campus and overall, students suggest that their peers are "nonjudgmental." Another student sums up the campus environment, saying Wellesley makes a huge effort "to cultivate and facilitate a strong support network for all."

While the average Wellesley "workload is not for the faint of heart," students find balance "with extracurricular activities, social life, and self-care." One student explains, "Even when classes are stressful, there is a beautiful campus that sparks happiness at random moments." That joy is apparent because almost everyone here is passionate about their extracurriculars, and "each organization at Wellesley is full of members who intensely love what they do." Outside of clubs or organizations, tons of students engage in "the weekly Thursday pub night" on campus, and Wellesley "usually has some cultural shows or lectures going on in the afternoon" which are well-attended. When they need a change of scenery, people often head to "neighboring universities to have fun on weekends" and "there is a bus that provides easy transportation" into Boston; many also "take advantage of [the] proximity to other east coast cities and states and take weekend trips." One student sums up the campus life at Wellesley: "Going to a party is just as acceptable as staying in and watching a movie or playing board games," and the school is "very much a choose your own adventure" environment.