<p>I think the fact that you put your considerations in at least helps us give you advice.</p>
<p>I can only give you the Wellesley side sadly.</p>
<p>About 40% of Wellesley students study abroad. I had an intensive major and chose not to. I have done internships away from home my past three years I'm not sure what the kind of programs the Chinese Dept has (I know people at Wellesley who have spent time in China, but I think it was outside the school year or in high school). but there are certainly opporunities to study in France. Wellesley has its own program at Aix-en-Provence, where you attend a French school and take classes there. It has an orientation program in Paris, so you can say you've been there (hint: everyone in Paris speaks back to you in English even if you try to speak French, so an abroad program in Paris will teach you little French). You do have to take four French classes at Wellesley before you leave and at least French 211 or 210 (basically a fifth semester of French if you took them all from the ground up). I imagine that the program in China has a language requirement as well.</p>
<p>Wellesley does not have an engineering major. If you know you want to be an engineer you may want to go to an engineering school. I'm not sure to what degree you can get into Engineering at MIT but we are working on a certificate program with Olin College. I know one Wellesley Physics major who has done Engineering research at Olin. There is an Intro Engineering class taught at Wellesley by Olin professors partnered with Ted Ducas. If you really want info about what's going on and what your options are, I'd try emailing tducas [at] wellesley.edu.</p>
<p>If you plan to go abroad fall semester of junior year, you must declare your major first semester of sophomore year. Otherwise it's the end of sophomore year. Your major isn't carved in stone until you "confirm" it senior year.</p>
<p>What qualified for "entertainment" provided by guys in my high school class involved student making bird noises while the teacher's back was turned. I think the atmosphere at Wellesley can be serious at times, but one of my professors this semester has started off two of our classes by showing (semi-related) videos on youTube. </p>
<p>As someone who doesn't drink and dislikes alcohol and drinking games, I was both lucky to have a roommate who felt likewise, and have been extremely pleased with the atmosphere at Wellesley. People drink here, people get drunk here, people puke in the bathrooms here, we have a campus pub, but I mostly don't see it. The alcohol scene is easy to avoid if you wish to do so, and you will find people who find fun in other ways. I have been told that at another school (neither Dartmouth nor Wellesley, there is nothing to do but drink).</p>
<p>I like the food at Wellesley. Apparently I used to be a picky eater when I was a kid, but here, I'm not. Some people don't, but I will eat anything served by the dining hall if it's something I eat. That seems like a bizarre comment, but some people just don't like the lettuce or the mac and cheese or the Dining Hall beef when they might eat those things somewhere else.</p>
<p>I think I've grown at Wellesley. I don't know what would have happened if I went elsewhere.</p>
<p>I imagine sports at Dartmouth aren't coed. So you would be with athletic women anyway. I think it's a non-issue. But at the same time there are no things that are stereotypically for either sex at Wellesley, there are just crazy people. Wellesley's PE is nice for not having boys! </p>
<p>Wellesley will be able to help you get into graduate school in your chosen major. The course catalog will tell you what you need to be taking as will your major advisor.</p>
<p>Hope this helps!</p>