Wellesley CollegeDiversity Summary

Written by Lauren Foster

Lauren Foster

Hometown

Safety Harbor, FL

Major

English & Cinema and Media Studies

Grad Year

2014

View all previous student authors

Compared to other private colleges and universities, Wellesley is doing great in terms of diversity, but according to actual population sizes, Wellesley is not very diverse at all. Yet because the school puts such a premium on racial and religious diversity, minority groups have quite a high on-campus profile, though perhaps not as high as they would like. Some students worry that the desire not to offend anyone keeps frank discussions from taking place, and that cliques form, further preventing students from educating one another. Meanwhile, the administration constantly reminds students and anyone else who will listen that Wellesley is as diverse as can be.

It is true, however, that whatever their background, students tend to be liberal, resulting in polarization between the liberal majority and those at other points on the spectrum. Aside from politics, however, Wellesley attracts women from a variety of backgrounds, and the administration's staunch pro-affirmative action stance likely portends even greater diversity in the future.