Wellesley College provides an excellent liberal arts education for women who will make a difference in the world.
Overview
Motto: Non Ministrari sed Ministrare, "Not to be ministered unto, but to minister."
Founding: 1870 by Henry and Pauline Durant; first students arrived 1875.
School Type: A private, nonprofit liberal arts college for women accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.
Degrees: Baccalaureate.
Location: Wellesley, Massachusetts (12 miles west of Boston).
President: H. Kim Bottomly is Wellesley's 13th president.
Academics
Enrollment: 2,474 students.
Majors: 56 departmental and interdepartmental majors.
Average Class Size: 17 to 20 students; 7:1 student-faculty ratio.
Length of Study: 81 percent graduate within four years.
Internships: Over 70 percent of students participate in an internship while at Wellesley. The Center for Work and Service provides internship stipends of $3,000 for about 300 students each year.
Overseas & Exchange Study
Each year several hundred students spend a semester or year studying in another country, coordinated by the Office of International Studies. Financial aid continues in a study-abroad year. Summer and Wintersession courses take students to field study in Greece, Iceland, Central America, and elsewhere. The Three-College Alliance between Babson, Olin, and Wellesley promotes interdisciplinary collaboration; cross-registration with MIT, and Brandeis is also an option. Exchange programs exist with the Twelve Colleges, Spelman, Mills, and others.
Tuition & Financial Aid (for 2013-14)
Tuition: $43,288
Fees, Room & Board: $13,754
Total Comprehensive Fee: $57,042
Average Financial Aid Package: Over $30,000 in scholarships (grants), loans, and work study. (See My InTuition for a personalized cost estimator.)
Percent of Students Receiving Aid: 58 percent.
Cost of Most Campus Events: $0
Student Life
Organizations/Clubs: More than 150 student organizations, with cultural centers and multifaith life on-campus.
Athletics: 14 varsity teams, plus club teams and recreational activities. (Colors: blue and white.)
Residence Halls: 21 residence halls vary in size from 40 to 285 students. Students from all four classes live in most residence halls, which all have professional resident directors and student residential staff.
Buildings & Grounds
From the Keohane Sports Center to the Wellesley Centers for Women, and from Whitin Observatory to the path all the way around Lake Waban, Wellesley's campus spreads across 500 acres. Within that expanse lie residence halls, libraries, classrooms and laboratories, studios, cinema and theaters, Cafés and dining halls, art galleries, offices, a golf course, and more.
Alumnae
Living Alumnae: Approximately 36,970.
The Network: Sometimes called the most powerful women's network in the world, also found on LinkedIn.
Alumnae Association: Strengthens alumnae connections to the college and one another through programs, clubs, technology, mentoring, and volunteer leadership.
Outcomes: Success in many forms. For instance, within 25 years of graduation, more than 25 percent of alums report leading at an executive or CEO level.
Leadership
Student Leadership Positions: 100 percent women.
College Decision Making Opportunities: College Government, Board of Admission, Board of Trustees, Committee on Curriculum and Instruction, Student-Athlete Advisory Council, Academic Departments.
Some Leaders You Know from Wellesley: Madame Chiang Kai-Shek 1917, Madeleine Albright '59, Diane Sawyer '67, Hillary Rodham Clinton '69, Persis Drell '77, Robin Chase '80, Desiree Rogers '81, Ophelia Dahl '94.
