Wellesley College facts for kids
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| Latin: Collegium Wellesleianum | |
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Former names
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Wellesley Female Seminary (1870–1873) |
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| Motto | Non Ministrari sed Ministrare (Latin) |
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Motto in English
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Not to be ministered unto, but to minister |
| Type | Private women's liberal arts college |
| Established | 1870 (chartered) 1875 (commenced classes) |
| Accreditation | NECHE |
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Academic affiliations
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| Endowment | US$2.85 billion (2022) |
| President | Paula A. Johnson |
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Academic staff
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346 (2019) |
| Undergraduates | 2,280 (2020) |
| Location |
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United States
42°17′43″N 71°18′24″W / 42.2953°N 71.3067°W |
| Campus | Suburban (college town), 500 acres (200 ha) |
| Colors | Wellesley Blue |
| Nickname | Blue |
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Sporting affiliations
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| Mascot | The Blue |
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Wellesley College is a private college for women in Wellesley, Massachusetts. It focuses on liberal arts, which means it teaches a wide range of subjects. Henry and Pauline Durant started the college in 1870. They wanted to give women great chances for education.
Wellesley is part of the Seven Sisters Colleges. This is a group of women's colleges in the northeastern United States. The college offers 56 different majors. It also has over 150 student clubs. Wellesley athletes compete in the NCAA Division III sports league. The campus is 500 acres (200 ha) big. It has the Davis Museum and a beautiful botanic garden.
Contents
College History
Wellesley College was founded by Pauline and Henry Fowle Durant. They strongly believed that women should have good education. They wanted the college to prepare women for "great conflicts, for vast reforms in social life." The college officially started on March 17, 1870. It was first called the Wellesley Female Seminary. Later, on March 7, 1873, its name changed to Wellesley College.
The college first opened its doors to students on September 8, 1875. At that time, the campus was in Needham, Massachusetts. But in 1881, the area became a new town called Wellesley.
Wellesley College was a leader in science education for women. From 1875 to 1921, it hired more female scientists than any other U.S. college. It was also the second college in the U.S. to offer science classes with labs for students. In 1896, Sarah Frances Whiting, a physics and astronomy professor, was one of the first U.S. scientists to do X-ray experiments.
The first president of Wellesley was Ada Howard. Since then, there have been thirteen more presidents. The current president is Paula Johnson.
The college's first main building was College Hall. It was about 150 meters long and five stories high. It was finished in 1875. This building was used for both classes and student housing. Sadly, on March 17, 1914, College Hall was destroyed by a fire. No one ever found the exact cause of the fire. Some think it might have started from an electrical or chemical accident in a lab.
Today, a group of dorms called the Tower Court complex stands where the old College Hall used to be.
After the fire in 1914, the college made a new plan in 1921. It built several new buildings. During World War II, Wellesley had a Navy training program. The college president, Mildred McAfee, even took time off to lead the Women's Reserve of the U.S. Navy.
Wellesley College changed its classes and programs a lot after the war. In 1968, it started exchange programs with other colleges like MIT. In 2015, the school began to accept transgender and non-binary students.
Campus Life and Buildings
The Wellesley campus is 500 acres (200 ha) and overlooks Lake Waban. It has forests and open fields. A famous landscape architect, Frederick Law Olmsted Jr., said Wellesley's campus was "not merely beautiful, but with a marked individual character."
The first plan for Wellesley's campus was made in 1921. It focused on the natural landscape. This was different from other colleges that built around courtyards. The campus's hills and plants helped shape where buildings were placed. This made the buildings fit into nature.
Students have many housing choices. These include Tower Court, the Quad, the "New Dorms," and special language houses. In total, Wellesley has 17 different dorms for students.
In 2011, Travel+Leisure magazine called Wellesley one of the most beautiful college campuses in the United States.
Green Hall was finished in 1931. It has the Galen L. Stone Tower. This tower holds a 32-bell carillon, which students play often.
Houghton Chapel was built in 1899. It is in the middle of the campus. The chapel has beautiful stained glass windows. It can seat up to 750 people. The college uses Houghton for religious events, lectures, and music concerts.
In 1905, Andrew Carnegie gave money to build what is now called Clapp Library. The library has been expanded and renovated many times. In 1974, it was named after Margaret Antoinette Clapp. She was a Pulitzer Prize-winning author and a former college president.
The Davis Museum opened in 1993. It was designed by the famous architect Rafael Moneo. The museum has art from all over the world. It is free for everyone to visit.
College Leadership
The current president of Wellesley College is Paula Johnson. She is a leader in women's health. She founded a center for women's health at Brigham and Women's Hospital. Before coming to Wellesley, she was a professor at Harvard Medical School. Paula Johnson became Wellesley's 14th President in July 2016. She took over from H. Kim Bottomly.
In 2005, Wellesley raised a record amount of money for a liberal arts college: $472.3 million. In 2015, the college started another fundraising campaign. It aimed to raise $500 million. Many famous former students, like Madeleine Albright and Hillary Clinton, helped with this campaign.
Wellesley Centers for Women
The Wellesley Centers for Women (WCW) is a large research group. It focuses on social science and gender issues in the U.S. It started in 1995 when two other centers joined together. Many important feminist scholars work there.
The WCW studies five main areas:
- Education
- Economic security
- Mental health
- Youth and teen development
- Gender-based violence
The WCW also has programs that create learning materials and offer training.
Academics and Learning
Wellesley classes are small, usually 17 to 20 students. There is one teacher for every 8 students. The college offers more than 50 different majors.
Wellesley has a special program for older students called the Elisabeth Kaiser Davis Degree Program. This program helps women over 24 who want to start or finish their bachelor's degree. Davis Scholars take the same classes as younger students. They can also live on campus. Their different life experiences add a lot to the college community.
Wellesley has programs with other schools. Students can get two degrees at once with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Olin College of Engineering. This means they can earn a Bachelor of Science from those schools and a Bachelor of Arts from Wellesley. Wellesley also has a five-year program with Brandeis University. This allows students to get a master's degree there.
Wellesley students can also take classes at other nearby colleges. These include MIT, Babson College, Olin College, and Brandeis University.
The most popular majors for 2021 graduates were:
- Economics
- Computer Science
- Psychology
- Biology
- Neuroscience
- Political Science
Admissions Information
| 2021 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | |
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| Applicants | 7,920 | 6,395 | 6,631 | 5,666 | 4,854 | 4,555 |
| Admits | 1,240 | 1,379 | 1,296 | 1,251 | 1,388 | 1,380 |
| % Admitted | 16 | 21.6 | 19.5 | 22.1 | 28.6 | 30.3 |
| Enrolled | 606 | 612 | 614 | 605 | 590 | 595 |
| Mid 50% SAT range | 1479 | 1370-1510 | 1330-1520 | 1360-1530 | 1970-2250 | 1940-2240 |
| Mid 50% ACT range | 33 | 31-34 | 30-34 | 30-33 | 30-33 | 29-33 |
U.S. News & World Report says that getting into Wellesley is "most selective." For students who started in fall 2019, the middle 50% of SAT scores were between 680 and 750 for reading, and 680 and 780 for math. For the ACT, the middle 50% score was between 31 and 34.
For the class starting in 2026, Wellesley received over 8,700 applications. Only 13% of applicants were offered a spot. The college does not consider a student's ability to pay when deciding on admissions for U.S. applicants.
Student body composition White (35%) Asian (23%) Hispanic (14%) Foreign Student (14%) Black (7%) Mixed Race (6%)
Applying as a Transgender Student
In 2015, Wellesley changed its admissions policy. It now considers applications from trans women and non-binary people who were assigned female at birth. The first transgender students started at Wellesley in Fall 2017.
Applying as an Older Student
Wellesley started its program for older students in 1971. It was renamed the Elisabeth Kaiser Davis Degree Program in 1991. This program is for applicants over 24 who have not finished a bachelor's degree. Davis Scholars are a full part of the Wellesley community. They take the same classes and can live on campus. Their different backgrounds make the college richer for everyone.
College Rankings
| USNWR Liberal Arts College | 4 |
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| Washington Monthly Liberal Arts | 15 |
| Forbes | 44 |
In 2021, U.S. News & World Report ranked Wellesley as the fourth best liberal arts college in the U.S. It was ranked first among women's colleges. It was also ranked 13th for "best value" and 11th for "best undergraduate teaching."
In 2020, Washington Monthly ranked Wellesley 13th among liberal arts colleges. This ranking looks at how much colleges help the public good.
Forbes' 2019 list of "America's Top Colleges" ranked Wellesley 44th out of 650 U.S. colleges. Wellesley College is approved by the New England Commission of Higher Education.
Student Life and Activities
About 98% of Wellesley students live on campus. There are some special housing options. These include a sustainable living co-op and a French language house. Wellesley also offers housing for Davis Scholars.
For over 50 years, Wellesley has had a program with MIT. Students can take classes at MIT. They can also do research there. Recently, students can also take classes at Babson College, Brandeis University, and Olin College of Engineering. A bus connects Wellesley to the MIT and Harvard campuses. There is also a shuttle to Babson and Olin.
Wellesley is also part of exchange programs with other small colleges. Students can study for a year at places like Amherst College, Dartmouth College, and Smith College.
Student Groups
The college has about 180 student groups. These include cultural groups, political groups, and community service clubs. There are also student newspapers, magazines, and a campus radio station.
WZLY is Wellesley's campus radio station. Students run it completely. It plays on 91.5 FM in Wellesley. It is thought to be the oldest women's college radio station still running in the country.
Campus publications include:
- Counterpoint: a monthly journal about campus life.
- The Wellesley News: the campus newspaper.
- International Relations Council Journal: a publication about international topics.
- The Wellesley Review: the literary magazine.
- W.Collective: a fashion and lifestyle magazine.
Sports and Athletics
Wellesley has 13 varsity sports teams. These include basketball, crew, fencing, soccer, and volleyball. Wellesley's sports teams are called "the Blue." The school colors are royal blue and white. Wellesley is part of the NCAA Division III and competes in the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC).
The Wellesley College Crew Team is called "Blue Crew." It started in 1970. It was the first women's college rowing team in the country. In 2016, Blue Crew won the NCAA Division III Rowing Championship. This was the first time a Wellesley team won a national championship. It was also the first time a women's college won the NCAA Rowing Championships. Blue Crew won again in 2022 and 2023.
Wellesley also has club teams for sports like archery, ice hockey, rugby, and Ultimate Frisbee.
Wellesley has won three team national championships in its history. It has also won three individual national championships.
Tennis Achievements
In 1991, Karyn Cooper was the NCAA Tennis Singles Champion.
Swimming and Diving Achievements
In 2015, Maura Sticco-Ivins won the NCAA National Championship in three-meter diving. She was also second in one-meter diving. Wellesley College Diving Coach Zach Lichter was named the 2015 NCAA Division III Female Diving Coach of the Year.
Track and Field Achievements
In 2011, Randelle Boots won the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Champion in the mile race.
In 2022, Ari Marks won two NCAA DIII National Championships: the 10,000 Meter and the 5,000 Meter races. She was also named the 2022 NCAA Division III Women's Outdoor Track & Field National Track Athlete of the Year.
Crew Achievements
Wellesley College's first Varsity 8+ boat won national championships in 2016 and 2023. Wellesley College Crew Team's head coach, Tessa Spillane, has been named NCAA Division III Rowing Coach of the Year multiple times.
College Traditions
Hoop rolling is a fun tradition at Wellesley that started in 1895. Before graduation, senior students wear their graduation robes. They race while rolling wooden hoops. In the past, people said the winner would be the first to marry. In the 1980s, they said the winner would be the first CEO. Since the 1990s, the winner is said to be the first to achieve success, however she defines it.
The Wellesley campus is near the halfway point of the Boston Marathon. Students come out to cheer runners in what is called the "Scream Tunnel." Students have cheered on runners since the first marathon. When women were officially allowed to run in 1972, the cheering tradition became even more popular.
Financial Aid for Students
In 2015, 58% of all Wellesley students received financial help. In 2020–2021, the average financial aid package was over $56,000 per year.
In 2008, the college stopped giving financial aid loans to students from families earning under $60,000. This included international students. It also lowered the total amount of loans for students from families earning between $60,000 and $100,000.
Famous People from Wellesley
Famous Former Students
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Wellesley's former students work in many different fields. They are business leaders, government officials, and artists.
Some notable alumnae include:
- Annie Jump Cannon (class of 1884): a famous astronomer.
- Nora Ephron (class of 1962): a writer and director.
- Pamela Melroy (class of 1983): an astronaut.
- Katharine Lee Bates: a poet and songwriter.
- Journalists like Diane Sawyer and Cokie Roberts.
Both Madeleine Albright ('59) and Hillary Rodham Clinton ('69) have said that Wellesley greatly helped their careers. Secretary Albright used to return to campus every year. She led a seminar about global affairs for students.
Other famous Wellesley graduates who have received awards include:
- Marjory Stoneman Douglas (class of 1912): an environmental activist and author.
- Suzanne Ciani (class of 1968): an electronic music composer.
- Jean Kilbourne (class of 1964): an educator about media.
- Nergis Mavalvala (class of 1990): a quantum astrophysicist.
Famous Teachers
Many notable people have taught at Wellesley, such as:
- Emily Greene Balch: an economist and peace activist.
- Katharine Lee Bates: a poet and writer.
- Vladimir Nabokov: a famous novelist.
- Sarah Frances Whiting: a physicist and astronomer.
See also
In Spanish: Wellesley College para niños
- Wellesley College Botanic Gardens
- Women's colleges in the United States
