hi everyone!!
Wellesley has been a dream school of mine for as long as I can remember. I want to go more than anything. If I have a shot I will apply ED 1.
GPA: weighted: 3.49, uw: 3.3 (if you dont count freshman year it is a 3.54 uw and 3.66 w)
ACT: 34 (I am taking it once more and hope to get a 35)
I have strong extracurriculars and write very good essays 
As for my GPA, I have had a rough time battling mental and physical illnesses during my high school career. Freshman year I was at the doctors more than four times a week for various physical problems–ranging from severe migraines (which got worse my junior year) and an eating disorder. My GPA has gotten better every semester, however first semester junior year my doctor suggested I drop a stressful class to deal with my migraines which had been affecting me nearly every day. I chose math and am taking it along with my concurrent math class first semester senior year.
I know that Wellesley really values GPA so I wanted to know if it is even worth a shot. What do you guys think?
Thanks
This is a tricky one. On one hand, your ACT score and recommendations sound strong and your GPA is not bad—but not quite as high as Wellesley’s average. The thing that causes me to pause, and will likely be a concern to an admissions committee, is your history of physical and mental health issues. I say this because some of what you’ve mentioned can be caused by stress and can certainly be exacerbated by stress. Because Wellesley has a reputation for being an intense, competitive school with grade deflation, it sounds like it might not be the best fit for you. I also love Wellesley and it’s on my D’s list—however, my D suffers from anxiety, and I tend to think a less intense, more collaborative environment might be a better fit. Have you considered Bryn Mawr and Mount Holyoke? Both are very highly regarded but the vibe is less intense and the admissions isn’t quite as selective as Wellesley. Both have gorgeous campuses like Wellesley and strong alumni networks. I encourage you to look at more colleges before deciding which one to apply ED. Good luck!
Have you taken steps to address the health issues that caused your GPA to dip? I ask for two reasons: 1) College is a stressful time, and you’ll need a good support system. 2) You should include that information in your application so that the admissions office knows you’ll be able to handle the workload.
I think you are a strong enough student to understand the implications of your stats - your strong ACT score is a positive, while your GPA is not - if you do get accepted - then you would be in the lower half of Wellesley’s class. But remember that GPA matters most in context - do you know your class rank? A 3.5 GPA could be top 1% in some schools, but might not crack the top 25% in other schools. The fact that you had to drop a stressful math course might indicate your GC can’t say that you’ve taken a “most rigorous” schedule - but only you and your GC would know this. You are a smart enough student to understand that Wellesley is harder than ever to get into, and that lots of super talented young women have to get turned away ever year.
To me, it sounds like you understand your struggles better than many students your age, and I applaud you for working through them successfully. Kudos.
Sure, there are a lot of driven, competitive women at Wellesley who are used to always give their best, but I don’t necessarily agree that the fact that Wellesley is intense makes it less collaborative.
I don’t think you’re an automatic acceptance - ( but your strong extracurriculars may be a match for what they need that year), nor do I think you’d be swiftly rejected either. Based solely on your 12 lines of introduction, I wouldn’t recommend ED at Wellesley because I understood that they generally reserve ED acceptances for the “automatic” acceptances - my guess would be that they would defer your decision to the regular pool.
You will have lots of choices, and you will end up in a school that is right for you.
Wellesley is intense and not the easiest fit for people with mood disorders. My daughter loved it, but had a rough time because of her anxiety and depression. If you do apply and end up there, make sure you have all of your medications and therapists in place. Don’t depend on the school counseling. It’s good in a crisis, but if you need long term therapy, you need to have it off campus and you need a way of getting there. My daughter had a Zipcar account.
Hey! I’m a Wellesley junior whose grades took a strong drop in my junior yr of high school due to illness and missed school. I wrote a letter explaining my situation as part of my application, and I think it helped so I would strongly encourage you to do the same – they don’t want to penalize you for being sick, but I think they also want to know whether you think you’ll be able to keep up with the academic rigor at Wellesley.