Wellesley College Top Questions

Wellesley is too small and distant from the rest of the world. This can be bad if you end up disliking being with women most of your time. If Wellesley were in Harvard Square, or even close to an actual T Station, this place would be more tolerable. The town does not accommodate to Wellesley students. The townspeople (i.e. [usually white] families with children) use our campus as a park to stroll around, which is okay for them, but it makes the campus feel less like a college. This place doesn't match most people's perception of college. The most recent controversy here is pretty serious to the students...The 24 hour Infirmary is closing starting next year, which will make after hour health services inconvenient for students. After hour health care will be moved to a hospital, which is a bit of a drive. Thing is, no transportation method has been agreed upon yet, as it's supposed to be the hospital's responsibility to provide us transportation (thanks Wellesley). That's surprising, considering how far they are into the agreement. The school refuses to consider the opinions of the many dissenting students, as they're determined to pass this new regulation anyway. People who are/become sick frequently will find it inconvenient to get themselves to whichever hospital Wellesley decides to ship us.

One of the things which I think is fairly unique about Wellesley is the extent to which students are involved in the running of the college. There are hardly any groups or boards which don't have student members. Students take part in Board of Trustees meetings, control the distribution of the student activities fee, are part of every major academic council committee, practically everything. Every year, four or five students are selected by their peers through the SOAC (Student Organizations and Activities Committee - a subcommittee of College Government) to sit on the Board of Admissions for two year terms. It's really incredible to read applicationst and be part of selecting the students who will come to Wellesley... in a very real way, you're shaping the future student body and alumnae network, the way Wellesley is seen in the world. With those opportunities for involvement, though, I think that it can be hard to keep perspective and there can be conflict between students' more short term goals and the administrative longview. Neither side is always right, and sometimes I think students take the instances of disagreement as proof that the administration doesn't necessarily listen to students - and by this, I think sometimes an issue of students wanting to, for better or for worse, dictate all directives - and sometimes get disillusioned rather than impassioned... it leads to a relatively small part of the student body serving in a large portion of the roles that shape the administrative view of the student body. And that's something that I think happens on a lot of levels at Wellesley - people find their niches and can sometimes get tunnel visioned within them... Crossing group boundaries can be tricky (especially to do it without getting wicked overexended) and that's something that every student determines for herself how best to navigate.

I love Wellesley. It's small enough to always pass someone you know on your way to class, but large enough that you can have your privacy and the entire campus doesn't know your every move. The town of Wellesley is absolutely not a college town, but it's lovely, safe place to live. We do have the "Wellesley Bubble," which is the term used to describe the feeling of isolation students have being deceptively far from Boston. A lot of people don't know about Wellesley, but we like to say that the people who matter do know and respect the school and its reputation. Absolutely everyone can find a place at Wellesley.

There are two things about Wellesley that I love: the classroom academic and the beauty of the campus. The campus is small, and I often feel the need to get out. I probably wouldn't feel this way if Wellesley was more social. People are impressed that I go to Wellesley - if they have a decent academic background and have heard of the college. Many people in southern California really haven't heard of Wellesley, until I mention the movie Mona Lisa Smile. I spend most of my time on campus in my room. Wellesley isn't in a college town, and I would say it really isn't even a college campus - the administration does not encourage students to have an active social life. The administration is the biggest drawback to Wellesley. Despite all the claims that they like to support their students...the administration doesn't put their actions where there mouth is.

i like that it's a woman's college without feeling exclusive. there is a male presence on campus, and i see guys all the time both on and off campus in boston. i don't like that the town is so snooty and doesn't really interact with the campus.

The best thing: the professors, and their amazing accessibility and friendliness and kindness. What would I change? THE SOCIAL LIFE. The campus is DEAD after 10pm and on weekends. The school is a little too small. I would add another thousand students. When I tell people I go to W, they usually either don't know it at all, or know it very well, and smile with a knowing grin, saying, "Oh!....A Wellesley woman, eh?!" as if it's some inside joke that I just don't get. Whatever that means... I spend most of my time on campus either at the library, at my job in the other library, in office hours, or rehearsing with my group. "WHAT COLLEGE TOWN?" Wellesley the town does not need the college: it's got its own reputation as the second-richest suburb in America (and no, I don't know the first). Wellesley's administration is helpful and friendly. Haven't had trouble with any red tape so far, although I hear study abroad prep can get complicated. The biggest controversy on campus recently was race related: a black girl published an article in an online magazine about why she didn't want to be a part of Ethos, the black student org on campus, because she felt it was reverse discrimination. She got "flamed on Community," meaning she was attacked on the online conferences that all Wellesley community members have access to. Not so much school pride sports-wise, but academically, yes. I would even say arrogance. I will always remember staying up until 3:30am the night before first-semester registration with my RA, who helped me pick my classes, calm my nerves and basically keep me sane. That's one thing you won't find elsewhere: someone who will ALWAYS be there to help you, no matter what time it is or how much work they have.

Wellesley is a great place for women who are self motivate and confident individuals. I love the friends that I've made and the professors that I've worked with. They really care about me and want what is best for me, which is so assuring and encouraging. It's definitely a more intimate environment than a large university. I feel like an individual here, and it's because of the personal interaction I have with such a diverse student body. My one complaint is that Wellesley the town is not really a college town. It is very small and suburban, so it makes social outings more of an ordeal, but it's really what you make of it. I constantly am going off campus and getting involved in activities outside of Wellesley, so it's possible to find a balance.

I would change the social scene (which I am doing through SBOG) -- I don't know ... I get bored and antsy here a lot of the time. I feel like I was a little lied to when I came here about what life would be like. It is a lot more low key ... you have to really try to have fun. This is what I feel like most people complain about. Not your normal college experience.

When I look back on my Wellesley experience, I won't remember the grades. Gasps and cries of shame come from my fellow students. Wellesley is an intense academic atmosphere; it pushes you to your limits, and sometimes breaks you to put you together, again. Wellesley women are driven; it's no secret. Sometimes, though, we can forget the big picture. Amidst the comma errors, the p-set miscalculations, and the philosophical fumbles, we can get so wrapped up in the Wellesley Bubble that we just about explode. Still, though, grades are not what I will remember. I will remember meeting my soul mates. Coming to Wellesley, I finally met people I could truly call my friends. We were on the same level intellectually, able to discuss books, current events, and all kinds of frivolous subjects. For me, coming to Wellesley was coming home, again.

Wellesley as a town really sucks; because I'm from there I feel like I am able to say that. The college, however, is a totally different world. Size-wise, it's small enough to get to know a good amount of your grade, but big enough to run into people you've never seen before. Without a doubt, the best thing about Wellesley is that it makes you feel like you can do anything. As much as we sometimes roll our eyes at the slogan of "Women who will," I feel like we all internalize it. I think I'm going to graduate a totally different, and better, person than I would have after a coed experience.