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Wellesley College, located in Wellesley, Massachusetts, is a private, nonprofit liberal arts college for women. The highest endowed women’s college in the U.S., Wellesley has been ranked as #4 in U.S. News & World Report’s annual ranking of the top liberal arts colleges in the nation and the school is an original member of the Seven Sisters Colleges. Established in 1870 by Henry and Pauline Durant, Wellesley welcomed its first students five years later in 1875. Dedicated to educating women “who will make a difference in the world,” a few of Wellesley’s most notable alumnae include Hillary Clinton, Madeleine Albright, Soong Mei-ling, Cokie Roberts, and Diane Sawyer. Located on a gorgeous 500-acre campus in a classic New England town outside of Boston, Wellesley’s grounds feature stunning natural scenery including Lake Waban, evergreen and deciduous woodland, and open meadows.
Academic Programs
Wellesley awards baccalaureate degrees and offers over 50 majors in a variety of areas, including interdepartmental majors in American Studies; Biochemistry; Cinema and Media Studies; Environmental Studies; International Relations; Peace and Justice Studies; and Theatre Studies. Wellesley is made up of approximately 30 departments, including in departments of Biological Sciences; Classical Studies; Computer Science; Education; English; History; Mathematics; Music; Philosophy; Political Science; Psychology; Religion; Sociology; and Women’s and Gender Studies. The college is also a part of the Three-College Alliance along with Babson and Olin Colleges, which promotes interdisciplinary collaboration. In addition, Wellesley students may cross-register with Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Brandeis University, allowing for even more academic options.Wellesley is also home to a number of leading institutions including the Albright Institute; Knapp Social Science Center; Davis Museum; The Newhouse Center for the Humanities; and world-renowned Wellesley Centers for Women, creating an enviable campus environment that attracts the attention of scholars from all around the world and benefits students in their quest for knowledge.
Student Life
Over 23,000 students are enrolled at Wellesley and the campus offers over 20 residence halls which accommodate anywhere from 40 to nearly 300 students each. Wellesley’s residence hall system is designed to create a sense of community and students from all four classes live in most halls; each hall has both professional resident directors and student residential staff and all halls offer cooking and laundry facilities. Wellesley’s campus also features a number of dining halls (with vegetarian and Kosher options), cafes (including a few that are student-run), and a student-run pub. Over 150 student organizations exist and Wellesley’s students have easy access to cinema, theaters, cafes, dining halls, art galleries, golf course, and more all on-campus.A leader in athletic and physical education for women, Wellesley sponsors approximately 14 varsity team, plus several team clubs and recreational activities. A member of the NCAA – Division III, Wellesley’s athletic department also holds memberships with the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC); New England Men’s and Women’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC); and the College Squash Association (CSA), to name a few.