Wellesley College Top Questions

Academics at Wellesley are amazing. The professors are inspiring and want to know you and see you succeeded. My fellow students are vocal and hard working. It's just the best. Oh, and we work a ton, but I find the work I do to be very rewarding.

What can I say about the academics at Wellesley? They really don't get much better than this. I know there are a few schools who are better known for this, but I firmly believe that the "anywhere else it would have been an A" mentality applies here. DON'T come to Wellesley looking for an easy A. There's no such thing around here. In fact, don't come here if you're dead set on getting A's, easy or not. But do come here if you want professors who are incredibly passionate about their subject and who know your name and are willing to go out of their way to help you, or if you want tiny classes (this semester, I don't have a single class above 20 students, and three of the four have under 15), or if you want a giant library and a fantastic course selection for such a small school, or if you want to live and learn with other women who are as focused and intelligent and hard-working as you are. You will work harder here than you think you will. That is, because Wellesley is a women's college, it's less selective (in terms of admissions) than comparable coed schools, because the applicant pool is automatically cut in half. So there's this perception, sometimes, that Wellesley is not as academically challenging as those schools. And this is so incredibly untrue that it's kind of funny. The grading standards for Wellesley's writing department, for example, say something like, "If you do everything your professor asks, and do it well, we feel that this work merits a B." No matter how smart you are, you're not guaranteed to do well here. You have to work, and hard. But if you do put in the work, it is so rewarding. Hardly anyone makes it out of here with a 4.0, but almost everyone leaves with an incredibly good education. Students are competitive, but more with themselves then with each other. Everyone is driven to do well, and there is pride in doing well, but it doesn't come into friendships. Like, I might mention to my friend that I got an A on a paper, but I wouldn't compare GPAs with her, and I certainly wouldn't ask about her grades in a class we were both taking. We study. Oh, how we study. We study A LOT. (We also procrastinate a lot, but you know how that goes.) Wellesley women taking studying VERY seriously. During reading period and finals, we have campus-wide 23-Hour Quiet Hours (as in, no loud noises anywhere in the residence halls), and people WILL call you out on it if you talk too loudly while they're trying to study. We're all constantly sleep deprived, and in most cases, it has nothing to do with going out. We work hard around here.

The academic experience at Wellesley is truly phenomenal. It is so empowering to be in classes that are taught by women and to know that the smartest person in each course will be a woman, the person who participates most will be a woman, the one who gets the incredible government grant to research willbe a woman. I don't think there are many places in the world that tell women that they can be everything (and more) than men can be. What other school has a woman alumna who is running to be the first female president of the United States? Because there is this sense of empowerment, class participation is extremely advanced and often evocative. No one is ever afraid to speak out and to voice her opinion. And the fact that the professors here greatly respect students is absolutely incredible. I have spent a lot of time discussing the latest world news, the latest celebrity gossip, the buzz on campus or just my own stress level with my professors. I have had several meals at my professors' houses and it isn't unusual to get an email from a professor if you missed class to see if you're ok. Of course, this has its downside too. There just isn't any inconspicuous way to skip a class. Your absence will certainly be noticed. Wellesley students spend a lot of time studying- and they definitely spend some time in deep dinner conversations. There is definitely an intensely intellectual atmosphere on campus- and it can get almost suffocating at times. But the environment can also be stimulating...I have found myself dreaming of a future that I never imagined would be possible. And of course, having incredible friends makes the intensity that much less, well, intense. Wellesley women get the jobs they want. period. There are Wellesley women working on wall street, in the best medical and law schools, in business or academia. At home or abroad. The alumane network is truly one of the best in the country.

Academics are taken seriously here. Everyone works hard and studies a lot. The professors are great, I have no complaints about any of my professors. All of my professors have been absolutely brilliant and proficient, they want us to learn and do well, so they are willing to help if students approach them with questions and concerns. Classes are definitely challenging, but interesting and not impossible. Students can get pretty competitive, but the honor code maintains that no one cheats, and professors don't proctor exams because they trust us enough not to cheat.

Yes, professors know all their students' names. My favorite class is biology- I feel that the professor is REALLY passionate not only about the subject, but about teaching it so that we can understand. At office hours, she will explain everything until you say, "Ohhhhhh!" My least favorite class is my writing class, which every first-year must take. I don't like it because I feel that a great portion of our class is dedicated to talking about how our professor went to China and has a Chinese adopted daughter, and how he is a Fulbright scholar. Class participation is common. Wellesley students, of course, have mind stimulating conversations outside of the classroom. Be it politics, religion, cultural, philosophical- we talk about it. Competition is high, but that is expected- we all strive to do our best. The most unique class I have taken is a religion class on the religion (Goddesses, Queens, and Witches)of the Ancient Near East. We learned about the laws and myths and religous practices of the Ugarit and Babylonian people. My major, biology, I chose because i love science and it is my favorite science course. I love the professors- I feel like I develop a life-long relationship with them. I have spent some time with one certain professor outside of class and office hours and it is because we both are interested in ancient religions that revolve around nature. I feel that Wellesley has great requirements because it allows us to explore every genre of courses- science, math, writing, literature, cognitive studies, etc. there are other schools that don't have these requirements, thus making it easier for students to double major, even triple major but I feel that they are less well- rounded. From the classes I have taken, I feel that the education is geared towards learning for its own sake. That is not to say that there aren't programs thar are geared towards helping students find a job and apply for a job.

Academics are one of my most favorite parts of Wellesley. All of my professors know my name, and go out of their way to be available at most hours of the day whenever students feel particularly stressed about a paper or a job interview, or if someone just wants to share what has been going on in their life. Wellesley students rave about professors and classes the way other schools rave about varieties of beer of frat houses. Other students opinions are held in high regard when choosing classes, and personally, I have recommended a number of classes to other people. My favorite classes were a Political Science class titled "Weapons, War, and Strategy," taught by my major advisor Stacie Goddard, and an English class called "Short Narrative," a short story class. Class participation, particularly in more "right brained" subjects such as Political Science, English, or Women's Studies is frequent and helpful. In some ways, particularly with the grading curve which requires each class to have a B+ average, students can be cutthroat about grades. It takes a marked difference of work between a B and an A.

Professors know my name and they know what I took for classes last semester. Favorite class: Astronomy 101 with Prof. French. He is the coolest man. Period. Class particiaption is usually 100{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c}. The classes are so small the professor knows when you are gone and sometimes drops an e-mail to find out where you are. Wellesley has very demanding list of requirements that leave a lot of people scrambling to fullfill them at the end of their senior year. Wellesley is geared for getting a job. Wellesley basically equals CEO. Ever heard of Hillary Clinton? Madeline Albright? Diane Sawyer? Yeah, all Wellesley Alums.

I don't feel like i have been here long enough to fully comment on this.

Most professors will know your name, although it does become harder in science classes, where all professors do is lecture. Organic Chemistry was my least favorite class. The professor would turn off the lights and then drone for 70 minutes, three times a week. It got so bad, I had to force myself to come to class at least 2 times a week. Students study almost every day, although more so right before exams and papers. I have not personally had many intellectual discussions outside of class. Most people just want to relax in thier spare time, so smart talk is kind of off-limits.