| Featured College - Wellesley College By: Stephanie Howson In Wellesley, Massachusetts you’ll find an all women’s liberal arts college that provides access to forest getaways as well as to the city of Boston, a hip and happening city in the Northeast. Wellesley College was founded in 1975 by Henry and Pauline Fowle Durant, who founded the school in the spirit of women’s education and leadership. The emphasis on women’s success holds strong today as the 2009 US News and World Report Rankings named Wellesley College the #4 liberal arts college in the US. There are approximately 2,300 students at Wellesley and the school’s small population size allows the average class size to stay around 17-20 students. The Wellesley student to teacher ratio is also low, being 8:1. The smaller class sizes help Wellesley students and professors connect during the learning process. “The professors I have constantly make themselves available through e-mail, office hours, and one-on-one appointments,” says Temple, a freshman at Wellesley and one of the school’s three student bloggers. Wellesley’s academic requirements are based on the founding belief that students should be well-versed in a variety of disciplines. “Wellesley rewards the inquisitive mind”, says Katie Chanpong, Wellesley College Government President. “It rewards questions rather than answers.” The college holds true to this quizzical ideal in offering over 1,000 courses and more than 53 majors. Students can also construct their own individual major based on their interests. However, it is more than Wellesley’s academic requirements that set it apart as a premier academic institution in the US. Wellesley is part of a cross-registration program that allows Wellesley students to take courses at MIT, Babson, Olin College of Engineering and Brandeis while still residing on the Wellesley campus. Wellesley also has a Twelve College Exchange Program, which serves to bring both males and females from other colleges in the US to study at Wellesley for a semester or year. Wellesley students may also take advantage of this program, choosing to spend time at other educational institutions. Along with the exchange program, around 40% of Wellesley students go abroad at some point in their Wellesley career. Though Wellesley academics are top-notch, the school is known for its integrative approach to learning and living. The Wellesley Center for Work and Service encourages students to intern during their time at Wellesley and 74% of the Wellesley class intern at least once before graduation. The school offers payment for the internships of around 300 students each year. Student life focuses on the integration of strong academics with personal health and well-being. There are over 150 student organizations at Wellesley and numerous resources such as the Cultural Advising Network and Multifaith Center that serve to increase campus awareness of diversity and personal wellness. Wellesley’s Multifaith Chaplain Victor Kazanjian helps students focus on being aware of themselves as well as performing well academically. “What I really love about Wellesley is the depth and intensity of community life,” Victor says. As a first-year college can often seem daunting and Wellesley takes the steps to integrate each new student into the Wellesley community. “From First Year Orientation to first year seminars, Wellesley tries to build a supportive environment and sense of community for first years,” says Katie. Along with classes and campus events, upperclasswomen serve as mentors for groups of first year students in Wellesley’s Big Sister-Little Sister program where they help each first year choose classes, navigate Wellesley’s web network and offer practical advice. The total cost of tuition for a year at Wellesley is $47,976 but admission is need blind, which means Wellesley doesn’t consider a student’s financial situation in deciding admission, and Wellesley is proud to meet 100% of the financial needs of eligible students. Approximately 56% of Wellesley students obtain financial aid from Wellesley and students hail from every state in the union and 75 countries worldwide. At Wellesley, you will find a community of women who are learning to share their lives together and are working toward creating a brighter future for themselves and others. As Temple notes, “Wellesley has an outstanding reputation as a place that trains women to be successful… a lot of graduates go on to do really great things for humanity.” Some notable Wellesley alumnae are Madame Chiang Kai-Shek (1917), Amalya L. Kearse (1959), and Hillary Rodham Clinton (1969). With the strong female leaders that continuously graduate from Wellesley, one can’t be surprised by their school motto: “Non Ministrari sed Ministrare”- “Not to be ministered unto, but to minister.” For more information on Wellesley College visit: www.wellesley.edu. |
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