<p>What does Wellesley have that makes it so high on the list?</p>
<p>Smart, diverse amazing student. 500 acre campus. Large endowment. Great programs...travel abroad, internship grants, January Term. Exchange programs with MIT, Babson, & Olin College of Engineering. The best alumna network in the world! 12 miles west of Boston.</p>
<p>A high peer review score which is totally subjective and based on how Wellesley is viewed by other college administrators. I'm not saying it doesn't deserve to be 4. But that's what it has.</p>
<p>You have two answers, now, that approach your question from two different angles. Which is the answer you were aiming for? (I'd like to contribute to the thread, but I'm not sure if your question is about the number-crunching in USNWR or more generally about why Wellesley is a good school ....)</p>
<p>All I want to know is why Wellesley is a good school, because of what I heard about it seems good.. but I don't know enough about it to understand why it would be ranked so high.</p>
<p>mythmom is right about the high peer review score being a large factor in the ranking. Although I can't say exactly why the peer administrations ranked Wellesley as they did, I can say that the factors Mizo noted are important in student perceptions of the school. Wellesley offers a thorough, well respected education in an environment with small classes, individualized advising, and a significant degree of student self-direction. The students themselves are dedicated to their pursuits, highly engaged with the world, and some of the most fascinating people I've met. It's a remarkable environment, and it shows in alumnae participation and (for lack of a better word) devotion.</p>
<p>I think Wellesley ought to be #1 on that list, but that's just my completly biased opinion. Wellesley is the place where women can grow in a supportive, nurturing environment so that they can go out into the world and kick ass! Employers, grad schools, all those important powers know that Wellesley gives students not just a top notch education, but a life changing experience. Our alumnae are seriously the most impressive women ever. It's such an inspiring environment. You really can't compare it to any other school. So rankings shmankings.</p>
<p>Look at the USN&WR rankings to see how the high ranking was derived. It isn't due to any single factor; the best answer is that Wellesley consistently placed near the top in every category that USN&WR considered. </p>
<p>Wellesley rated particularly highly in the Peer Assessment (#4 nationally) and in Financial Resources (tied for #5 nationally), but it also made the top ten in categories like Graduation & Retention (tied for #7), Selectivity (#9), and Faculty Resources (#8). It was just outside the Top 10 in Alumni Giving (#11). </p>
<p>There just aren't many other LACs that ranked so highly in so many different USN&WR categories.</p>