Is Wellesley really the intense and competitive (rather than collaborative) environment that is so often described? My D21 is interested in a women’s college and loves the idea of sisterhood. She is a serious student who already has a tendency to put pressure on herself. I feel a supportive, collaborative environment would be best, and I’m wondering if either Wellesley or Bryn Mawr could be described as such. What is the difference in the overall culture of each school?
I can’t speak to Bryn Mawr, but I like to think of the stress culture at Wellesley as opt-in or opt-out. At any school, you can associate yourself with students who obsess over grades and spend more time worrying than doing. Or you can find like-minded peers who care about having fun, getting enough sleep, and taking care of each other.
Hi GoldPenn,
I can only speak from my experience at Wellesley, but I can say Wellesley is competitive, but not in a way that eliminates collaboration. I think it’s important to distinguish between a toxic competitive environment and the one we have at Wellesley. I went to a HS where students tried sabotaging each other to get ahead, Wellesley is most definitely not like this. I loved Welles when I visited because I could see people pushed themselves to the limit, but always valued compassion and group support, making sure others didn’t fall behind. There may be some who really only care about self-advancement, but the amount of siblinghood I have felt from Wellesley is incomparable. Thus I don’t think you should be concerned that the Welles environment would be too harsh for your daughter.
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