Wellesley College Top Questions

My room is always unlocked and wide open. People are always walking in and out and we're always talking to each other. They're is always something to do on campus, and even more options for things to do off campus- I have never been bored (and I'm not really a drinker!) but if you are into the hard core party scene, that's an option too just not really on campus- you really have to look a little harder for that kind of scene- but never too far because Boston is really only a hop skip and a jump away.

There are all kinds of clubs that can be checked out through the website. There are parties arranged by Wellesley clubs about every weekend which guys bus in for from MIT, Babson, Olin, Harvard, and BU. There's something mysterious and alluring to guys about an all-girls college, so they tend to hangout at parties. The campus is dry so alcohol isn't available at parties, however, people tend to pre-game. I'm not much of a partier, though others go off campus to frat parties at MIT, I tend to stay in and have movie nights with friends. If someone is awake at 2am on Tuesday, I guarantee they're trying to finish a paper or p-set. I go into Boston to watch movies and shop, or to just hang out and do homework, it's a beautiful city.

There is a wide variety of orgainzations on campus, and it doesn't seem like there are any especially prominent ones. I am involved with WEED, a group that organizes lectures and fun events related to sustainability and the environment. Wellesly has a lot of traditions- Flower Sunday, Lake Day, hoop rolling, but I didn't participate in any of them, so I couldn't tell about them first hand. There are no fraternities and sororities, but there are societies that don't seem to be extremely important on campus. On weekends I spend Friday night and Saturday relaxing, reading, sleeping, and watching a movie. On Sunday I do homework and occassionally attend a WEED (Wellesley Energy and Environmental Defense) meeting.

Social life on campus is lacking, although there are some decent parties throughout the year. The good news is that a short bus ride away is Boston. Students go to Harvard, MIT, BU, BC, and Tufts for social scenes. One of the best things about Wellesley is meeting students from different schools and sharing experiences together.

There's technically no sororities on Wellesley campus, but we have them. They just don't go by that name. Two or three, I think. I'm not really involved personally, but I've been to a few of their parties and gotta say, more drunk people than at other parties. Wellesley hosts a lot of parties, mainly to bring some guys to campus. They're usually very nicely contained and the beer intake is limited to those over 21 (though you can usually find some if you're under). The dating scene is determined by you. You have to go off campus to find a good guy, that's just how it works. If you don't make time, if you don't want to go, you're probably not going to be dating a lot. I'm not gonna lie, you've gotta try a little harder at Wellesley. For guys. One of the biggest groups on campus (apart from the sororities) is probably Ethos, the African American group. They're huge and they're always doing performances. There is also a Shakespeare organization, a Latina American organization, the Davis Art Museum, the Film Society, and the Native American Student Organization (which I'm a part of! Yay!) You just have to get out of your dorm. If you're looking for some activity that requires dancing and there's no party on campus, the bus into Boston is free on weekdays and runs late.

I was an athlete on varsity teams for 2 years. Wellesley, with all its money, allocates very little to their athletic facilities, making training less convenient. Also the athletic teams are a cult, and very incestuous. Friday night (or Saturday if there is a society party), is the night to drink yourself stupid and then make out with the girl from the room next door. there is nothing else to do on a saturday/friday night but sit in your room and watch movies on your computer, hiding from the rest of the community. LUG (lesbian until graduation).

The social life at Wellesley... what social life? You will make really good friends here. I have made friends who I will probably have for the rest of my life because they are amazing people. However, meeting men can be a challenge (if you are attracted to women, then this is not as much of a problem) because there are no men on campus and rarely do men visit campus. To meet a potential male date, you most likely have to meet them at MIT or Harvard or other schools in the area. Students don't really leave their doors open. People awake at 2am are studying or doing homework (and don't want to be bothered!). People try to party but it often gets broken up by campus police because of noise complaints from people trying to study. We do have a lot of fun traditions. The freshman get to throw a penny into the lake and try to jump in after it and find it (finding it is good luck) during orientation week. There are tea and cookies in the dorms on wednesday nights. During reading period, a big thing is to go to Midnight Breakfast which is exactly what it sounds like (it's fun though, I swear). The night before finals start, everyone runs out of their dorms for Primal Scream (everyone screams as loud as they can for a long time to get all their frustration and anxiety and other bad vibes out).

Each dorm has it's own social characteristics: the new dorms are predominated by science and math majors and tend to be pretty quiet and boring. The Quad is a bit crazy sometimes and you can find large groups of friends all sharing one hallway. The tower complex is where the party is at (if there is any party on campus) and is the biggest of all. Stone-Davis has the best food and is a healthy balance between the New Dorms and the Tower Complex. Athletic events are popular if you are on a team, but otherwise, don't expect a large fan base. Speakers are everywhere all the time, talking about all sorts of things. I met my closest friends because I lived in the same hallway with them during our first year. If I am awake at 2 AM on a Tuesday, I am studying, finishing a problem set, writing a paper, or still hopelessly procrastinating with my best friend by watching YouTube videos.

Being at a women's college is really, really strange but only when you are at other schools or talk to your friends at other colleges or universities. The first month/year you will be convinced that everyboby else is having more fun at their respective schools--they are drinking more, partying more, and studying less. But by second year, you'll realize that many people at big state schools (or any school that isn't Wellesley for that matter) are doing the same thing every weekend, hanging out with the same people, and waking up with the same, familiar hangovers. You'll soon appreciate the fact that you have a million amazing female friends who support you and who you will know forever (and who isn't your friend because of that "one time you got totally wasted at TDC.") You'll begin to understand that not everyone has the opportunity to talk to Hillary Clinton during lunch (because one of my poli sci. professors taught her and was her "favorite professor) and that having an internship at the Vermont Supreme Court sophomore year is not the norm. Also, because there isn't as big a "party scene" at Wellesley, you'll have friends at schools across the state (and many in other states). You will see plays in NYC, attend great lectures, and party at a frat (I promise). And while finding boys is tough, you'll meet the "good" guys. Boston not only has a ton of schools but these are also some of the best colleges and universities in the country. There might be fewer men/harder to find men but haven't you noticed that the best things in life aren't always the easiest to find? I have dated a lot since coming to college (not too much or anything) and am rather content with the state of my love life.

Everyone is involved in student organizations on campus. Dorm life varies greatly by floor and dorm, but it's generally not where your closest friendships will be formed. If you want to meet boys you can always hit up parties at other campuses. Everyone goes to MIT frat parties, but the best parties are down the street at Olin where you can find a fraction of the MIT sleaze factor. On campus there is usually a big party in the campus center every weekend, but no underage drinking is allowed and they're mostly places to hang out with existing friends, not meet new people. A shocking number of students spend their Friday nights studying, so if you don't you will be not only bored but guilty.