Wellesley College Top Questions

i am from one of the most diverse cities in the world, and i still am amazed at how such a small community (in comparison) is so diverse, in so many ways. wellesley has a huge endowment, so students from all socio-economic backgrounds can come here. the lgbt community here is probably larger and more active than in any given high school, but it's not overwhelming (in either direction). it's just not a huge deal, members of the lgbt community interact with the larger community as a whole in the same way that members of, say, the track team do. students tend to be politically aware, if not active.

Amazing- I've made some of the best friends I've had in my life. They come from all ethnicities, socioeconomic backgrounds, etc., and we all have a deep respect for each other. There really is a special sisterly bond between Wellesley women!

Ah, girls are crazy! And I love it ... there are always crazy activities happening on campus even if you are not interested in attending any of them.

Wellesley students are predominantly left-leaning liberals. It takes a brave soul these days to declare pride in the Bush administration or to admit support for presidential nominee McCain. Wellesley students may be from all over the world, but their politics are certainly not as diverse. The most heated debates are between Democrats arguing the minute differences of Obama and Clinton, illustrating the Wellesley habit of getting hung up on the details. Wellesley students are generally respectful of other peoples views especially differing cultural, religious, and socio-economic. But when it comes to political debate, let the flood gates open! Every week The Wellesley News publishes an editiorial by either the college Democrats or Republicans. The Republicans consistently provoke attacks in letters from the editors while the Democrat for the greater part sail smoothly into the night.

The student body is unbelievably eclectic. It was so refreshing after prep school where everyone looks the same!

Wellesley prides itself on being diverse (take a look at the admissions literature, if you don't believe me). How diverse is it really? Probably somewhat above average, but I don't know how much. I have a lot of Asian friends (Wellesley is something like 25{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} Asian), and I know a bunch of international students. Religiously, it's a little less diverse -- I'm Jewish, and I don't know too many other Jewish students. (Well, I know OF several, but most of them are really religious -- like, I don't know of any other Reform Jews.) That said, Wellesley is really open and welcoming about religious diversity, even if there isn't that much of it. I'm always explaining Jewish holidays to my friends, and they think it's cool. We even tried to make latkes! (It didn't work so well, but we had about two ingredients, so that's to be expected.) LGBT-wise, Wellesley is great. I don't know the statistics, but they are a small but active, open, and welcoming group of. I know several members of Spectrum, the LGBTQQA organization, and they're fantastic. Socio-economically, Wellesley has a pretty decent (and recently improved!) financial aid program, so we have a fair bit of that. And people are pretty open about whether they're on financial aid (I mean, you wouldn't ask, but no one would feel uncomfortable saying they were), so there's not too much tension surrounding that. The only people who would feel out of place at Wellesley are women who are really set on having your basic, traditional, all-American college experience. We're a women's college, yeah. It's a little different here. You have to come in with the mindset that your experience is going to be a little different -- NOT worse, but definitely different. Also, people who aren't interested in working hard. This is not a school for smart people who don't want to work. Being smart got you in, but spending a lot of time studying is going to keep you afloat. One other thing -- Wellesley women are very PC, and the joke around here is "I'm offended," because people do get offended when you aren't PC. So basically, you have to be open and considerate and, yeah, PC. Other than that, pretty much any sort of person would fit in here. If you know what you're getting into, and you're willing to work hard to get the most out of it, Wellesley will be a fantastic experience for you. What do most students wear to class? Oh, how it varies. There are some who have the "there are no guys to dress up for" mentality, and so they come to class in sweats. Then there are some who get dressed up and come to class in a skirt and sweater set and heels. Most people are in between. Jeans and a sweater/sweatshirt/t-shirt/whatever is very common. Umm... a lot of people around here have Uggs, but that's the only specific thing I can think of. Yes, different types of students interact. About half of my friends are of a different race than me, almost all of them have a different religion, a few are bisexual/lesbians, and while I don't know their specific socioeconomic situations, I'm sure there's a lot of diversity there as well. Where are most of us from? Northeast or California. Politically aware? YES. Especially with the upcoming election, most students at Wellesley know what's going on, and have an opinion on it. And of course it doesn't hurt that the first viable female presidential candidate is a Wellesley alumna! (Which does NOT AT ALL mean that Wellesley students who support Hillary do so only because she's an alumna, but I think the fact does get people interested in the race in general.) I know a ton of people who are incredibly, passionately politically involved. And yeah, like most private liberal arts schools, we lean left. But that doesn't mean there are no conservatives on campus. A girl down the hall from me is on the executive board of the College Republicans, and they have a hilarious fundraiser going on right now: t-shirts that say "Hillary Rodham for President... of Wellesley College Republicans" (because of course Hillary was a Republican until her junior year at dear Swelles). Some students talk about how much they'll earn one day, but it's not a predominant theme. Lots of people talk about the future, but not in terms of money. Wellesley women want to go places, do fantastic things, change the world, etc, and yeah, it would be nice to make a lot of money somewhere in there, but I don't think it's what most of us are focusing on.

Wellesley students can't really be described in a nutshell. As noted above, there are prevailing stereotypes of Wellesley students but there really is a niche for everyone. So don't worry, if you don't own a set of pearls, or you aren't really into dating girls, you'll be ok. I would however put in a disclaimer. Wellesley students are not, on the whole, activist hippies who chain themselves to trees. We are more likely to change the world through bureaucracy and intelligence than through protests and sit-ins. Another thing that most Wellesley students are not, is conservative. Whether it is New England, or feminism or just being young, the prevailing political atmosphere on campus is definitely liberal. There might be 5 republicans. As for the racial and socioeconomic background of Wellesley students, Wellesley is one of the most diverse campuses in the country. There really is incredible opportunities to meet people who come from different cultures and to discuss your culture with them.

I dont know if anyone would feel out of place here, because I think there are so many different kinds of students that it would just be a question of finding one's niche. There is a LGBT community on campus, but I've found sexuality to transcend all groups, and to become a non-issue among friends. People don't really care either way, and its just not a big deal. There is a lot of money here, but Wellesley is great about being very generous with financial aid, so there are definitely students who do not come from great means. The greatest thing about Wellesley is you can really be who you are, some people wear full make up, pearls, and heels to class whereas others come in their pajamas, or work out clothes if they just came from practice. All Wellesley students are serious about their studies and are at school to get a good education, they're all special or talented in one way. Every Wellesley woman is going to be successful in her own way.

For the most part, the Wellesley community is open to differences. I haven't heard of any rift between groups of any sorts. I think that a conservative, homophobic, racist, 18th century woman would feel out of place. Students dress decently to class. There are some that put more effort, but there is never any seriously sloppy people. I think there is much interaction- my main group of friends covers many religions and cultures and socio-economic statuses. One table has a student or two studying for their exam next class, the second table has the rugby team just relaxing, the third table has a group of everyday friends seeing each other for the first time that week and making plans for the weekend. The last table has a rather enthusiastic lot of students, laughing away at something that happened. Most students are from New England and California, like me. I don't necessarily think that a certain financial background is prevalent. I think that it all depends on what financial background the observer is. I have a knack of spotting the Abercrombie, Coach, Louis Viutton, Gucci, DKNY, etc. people because it is blatantly obvious.I would say the majority of the students are politically aware and active, personally I find it difficult to keep up with it. I think there are more left wings. I think that students talk about how much they will one day earn because of how much we need money now.

No one feels out of place at Wellesley. No one cares about your background or what your orientation is. We can't help but love everyone. If you make even a small effort to talk to someone, you've basically made a friend. Students mostly wear comfortable clothes all of the time. There is no one to impress except yourself, so most people don't even bother. Myself included. People mix like cake batter here at Wellesley. Most students are from the East Coast and California. Very few Midwesterners, I count myself lucky. Students are EXTREMELY politically aware. Right now, one of our alums is up for the Presidential Election, how can we not be aware? And we are very dominantly left-winged. No one says a word on their hopeful income, except there are a lot of ambitious pre-med students.

Very lgbt friendly and very diverse. There are people for everyone really. Most people dress down to class sweats and jeans, but there are definitely girls who do really look nice in class too.

Most students wear jeans and a fitted shirt to class, although many do feel comfortable to wear work out clothes or pajamas once in a while. Most Wellesley students are from New England, California, or Texas. Many are from the upper-middle class. Most students are politically aware--go Hillary!--and they usually lean to the far left. I rarely hear students talk about thier future earning potential, that's just tacky.