Tips for Getting In
- Be sure to include your leadership positions-these are important.
- Come for an interview on campus.
- Come visit so you can explain "Why Wellesley?"
- Have a competitive GPA and test scores.
- Have an alumna in your family.
- Have done something that will set you apart from other equally qualified candidates.
- Show that you are well-rounded and involved.
- You must be a woman to apply-this is an all women's college.
Things I Wish I Knew Before Coming To School
- 8:30 a.m. classes seem a lot earlier in college than they did in high school.
- Boston winters are absolutely inhumane.
- Even women who feel like they've got a pretty good social life will occasionally despair and question whether they're still "normal."
- People-even those you've just met-demand a justification for choosing a women's college.
Interviews & Information Sessions
Interviews are not required, but Wellesley always welcomes putting a face to a name and getting to know applicants better. Interviews are usually conducted in the admissions office, or applicants can arrange to have a meeting with an alum in their area. Interviews can be effective and insightful at the same time! It is not required to bring any extra materials-it is a casual conversation.
Info sessions give you the low-down on Wellesley and a basic profile, and they are given by admissions counselors. This is the time to ask any questions you might have. The session covers financial aid and all the opportunities at Wellesley, as well as logistical stuff. Info sessions are often complemented by a student-led tour.
Campus Tours
Campus tours are student-led, so every tour has a little different flavor quite personalized to the tour guide. You don't have to call and schedule one, as walk-ins are welcome. Tours are approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes and will often show a dorm room, the campus center, residence hall lounges, common spaces, bathroom facilities, kitchenettes, a dining hall, the science center, a classroom in the academic quad, and the library. Also covered on the tour: bus stop/transportation routes off campus, health services and campus police info, extracurricular activities/sports, guest policy/boys on campus, study abroad opportunities, and financial aid. Visitors are encouraged to enter the Houghton Chapel, Keohane Sports Center, and the Davis museum after tour conclusion.
Overnight Visits
For an overnight visit, the prospective student must be a senior in high school. To schedule a visit, call the admissions office. Prospies are then matched by student coordinators to their hostesses. A standard overnight visit includes: meeting hostess in the late afternoon, sharing a meal together, spending the night in her dorm, and attending class in the morning. The feel is supposed to be "a day in the life of an average Wellesley student." Visits vary from hostess to hostess, sometimes attending on-campus events, walking into the ville, etc. Any student can choose to attend a class visit (chosen from roster of available classes/times).