<p>Can someone who goes to Wellesley or has a D in Wellesley give some insight we may or may not find on the Internet?</p>
<p>I have a D at Wellesley, but I am not sure I understand what you are asking. Have you visited, or are you trying to get a sense of Wellesley via their website? Is that what you mean by “the Internet”?</p>
<p>The first time my D visited Wellesley was the day she moved into her dorm her first year. In person it was pretty much exactly as she found it represented on their website/through reputation.</p>
<p>I don’t know if you have discovered this via the Internet, but compared to her friends attending other schools, she feels Wellesley is more rigorous academically. She is doing well, but has to work very hard. She has found it to be fairly stressful, but she has the classic type A personality and tends to stress herself anyway. At Wellesley she has found other students who are very much like her in personality, drive, goals, etc.</p>
<p>I visited the school, and have done extensive research on it, but I want to get more of a feel of the school atmosphere from a student. I have read student reviews on the Internet but still, more reviews wont hurt (: little details about life in Wellesley that may seem unimportant matter also (like having a lake is nice, there’s a frozen yogurt store nearby that everyone hangs out at etc.)</p>
<p>What aspects of the school do you want to know more about? As an alum, I can talk for days and days all about Wellesley – it’s hard to put that into a forum such as this one. Also, keep in mind that the little things that make any school a good place for you, are unique from person to person.</p>
<p>I think I want to know about the people the most (although I’ve already read 50 bigillion reviews talking about the students and professors of Wellesley).</p>
<p>kardelen, here are a few random thoughts of D’s experience at Wellesley:</p>
<p>Students are hard-working, very smart and are busy and involved. </p>
<p>Competitive environment, but mainly self-induced.</p>
<p>Wellesley is somewhat of a distance from Boston. There are regular shuttles, but going into Boston and getting back to campus requires planning and forethought.</p>
<p>It has not been a laid-back or stereotypical American college experience, full of parties and football. It is an intense atmosphere.</p>
<p>I have a freshman D at Wellesley and she also finds the academics very rigorous. She seems to have gotten a handle on them but had a VERY rough spell about a month into the semester. I think classes give you way more work than you can do (or maybe it’s just her taking BIO and CHEM with both labs is her issue) so great study habits and prioritizing are key. The small LAC is great for her and she likes being surrounded by other smart and driven people.</p>
<p>Socially, she is having a very good time. She is on a sports team and they do a lot together on weekends like parties at schools in Boston and neighboring Olin and Babson. She and her buddies have gone to a Harvard football game and support other Wellesley sports by attending their games. I do not think she leaves campus much during the week, but couldn’t be sure.</p>
<p>First and foremost, students at Wellesley are academically-driven. If you want a college life of tailgaiting and football/basketball/etc, Wellesley is definitely not the right place for you. People are interested in a variety of subjects and are attracted to a LAC because of those offerings. Your four years at Wellesley will also be the only time in your life when you can be surrounded by smart, driven women who are passionate about what they do. </p>
<p>If you come to Wellesley, be prepared to get a solid solid education. That doesn’t mean you won’t go to parties, explore Boston, or be a part of countless other activities; it just means that besides all those things, you will still be expected to attend class and be an active participant there. Most people are attracted to Wellesley because of that, and that’s something you will appreciate about Wellesley both while you’re a student and as an alum.</p>
<p>I concur with what has been said above.</p>
<p>The atmosphere is definitely very academic. There’s some academic pressure to succeed at Wellesley because many of the students work really hard, seem to be involved in an endless amount of things, and are good at putting up a good front. However, I’ve also found the atmosphere to be very supportive as well. There are so many resources to go to: private tutoring, help rooms, counseling, resident hall staff, professors, hall mates, etc. There have been times where I’ve gone a little crazy with how academic the environment is… at that point I make my way into Boston (40 min shuttle ride with comfy seats and wifi = power nap time). </p>
<p>Speaking of which, although the bus ride into Boston takes a long time, I usually end up studying or taking a nap on the bus. It can be kind of a pain, but I prefer having Wellesley outside of the city. It’s far enough to preserve the beautiful, peaceful environment Wellesley has, but close enough that if I want to party on the weekends or explore the city, I can. </p>
<p>*It does take some getting used to though. I have to admit, a few months into my first semester, I wanted to transfer to MIT. However, I later realized that no matter what school I transfer to, there will be a trade off.</p>
<p>Thank you to all who took the time to write answers! I really appreciate it</p>