Negative experiences at Wellesley?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Wellesley College
1

<p>I'm going to be honest -- Wellesley has been my top choice for some time now, but after looking at sites such as Students Review (where 60% of students apparently would go back to Wellesley if given the chance and 40% would not) and hearing from others' personal experiences, it seems as if a substantial portion of people don't like Wellesley.</p>

<p>I know this is probably a really vague and maybe even stupid question, but what do you think it is about Wellesley that sends so many students away? I know the retention rate at Wellesley is something like 96%, but the way it was explained to me was that many students want to transfer but are unsuccessful.</p>

<p>I'm just slightly worried. I know that a few peoples' experiences can't speak for the majority, but why does it seem like a good number of people share this I-want-to-transfer mindset / phenomenon?</p>

2

<p>Weird, my experience has been different with those I've spoken to. All the alums I've spoken to have loved it, and the students there seem to really enjoy the college.</p>

<p>I just think that maybe some people can't handle a womens' environment, and really need a balance, or they just plain don't get along with other females. Some students maybe are uncomfortable about the lesbian population.</p>

<p>I'd say that students who go to review sites more likely are the ones who want to complain about a college, while those who are content with it might not necessarily go out of their way to give it a positive report, so I wouldn't take the review too seriously.</p>

3

<p>Yeah, I'm not really sure what to make of it because before I applied, everything I heard was positive. Now all this negativity is coming out and it's making me think twice.</p>

<p>I don't really know what to believe. :(</p>

4

<p>"Actually, it would be interesting to find out how current students felt about Wellesley beforehand, and then how they felt when they actually attended."--LonelyFishbowl</p>

<p>I also would love it and find it very useful if current students would discuss this topic. D is trying to decide between MHC and Wellesley. They are such distinct campuses, and each calls to different aspects of her personality.</p>

5

<p>I understand where you're coming from. I've definitely seen pretty malicious "HELLesley" posts. Also, my friend's friend recently transfered from Wellesley and her negative comments sort of shook me up a bit. But then I asked her if she initially loved Wellesley as much as I do now before she made her college decision, and you know what? She only attended because her sister did, NOT because she though the school was a good fit like you and I do. She also had an aggressive, pessimistic attitude in general about a lot of things btw. </p>

<p>My college decision like yours, is plagued with a lot of "What If's", but I know that my current "What If's" will pale in comparision to the colossal "I wonder what Wellesley would have been..." if I decide to sit in a Northwestern dorm 40 minutes from home next year. I know I'm speaking as if I have everything all figured out but I have yet to send in my Wellesley deposit lol, so I understand your hesitance, your fears, but also your true feelings :). It's a big decision and all yours, don't forget that.</p>

6

<p>sorry operamom! I obsessively edit everything I write-- It's a terrible habit to have on these fast-posting websites lol. And good luck to your daughter! She has great choices!!</p>

7

<p>I totally understand what you guys are talking about. I've always had some reservations about Wellesley, concerning the topics most frequently covered on those review-type sites. </p>

<p>The thing about Wellesley, I think, is that it's a really unique environment. People who initially hate it do sometimes adjust, though. I personally know two people who hated it there when they first got there, but now like it much better. I also think most people who dislike it there have an issue with the lack of traditional social life, the high-stress culture, and the relative inconvenience of getting to Boston (since it's really not as easy as admissions makes it out to be). I personally think the academics and students are worth these negatives, but we'll see.</p>

8

<p>Roxxy, come to Wellesley and we'll make it a positive experience! :D</p>

9

<p>wow, i had the same fears because of negative reviews i had heard online and stuff! But people I've actually talked to love it.</p>

10

<p>Xyai, the friend of a friend that I talked to mainly had those concerns, which led her to transfer.</p>

<p>My main issue is that there is SO MUCH MONEY tied to this decision (aka, Wellesley is mega-expensive for me, even with aid), that I almost feel as if, at times, I WANT people to dissuade me from going. Although my parents have stated that they will try to make it work, they're really not sure they can (or at least I'm not, because apparently the goal is to get the "small business on the side" / "second job" rolling), I don't want us to make a mistake.</p>

<p>Anyway, I don't know what'll end up happening. I mean, I like to think of myself as a generally positive person that is capable of adapting, but when something like $150,000+ over four years comes into the equation, I'm just really thrown for a loop and am at a loss for what to do.</p>

11

<p>Hi Roxxy,</p>

<p>I've never been to the Student Review website you've mentioned and have no experience with it other than visiting it briefly after reading your post. </p>

<p>The vast majority of people I knew as a student and now know as an alum loved their Wellesley experience. Hands down. Not to say that there aren't some things that they might like to have changed or be different, but overall they really really enjoyed and loved their time at Wellesley. I'm no different. Every year, the school does two surveys, the Senior Survey and the Senior Exit Interview. They are both offered to all graduating seniors - the survey is online and ask general questions about students' satisfaction with their experience, did they feel they knew their professors well, did they do an internship, etc. I remember doing it as a senior, using it as a good procrastination tool during finals. I just went on the school website to see if they publish the results and it looks like it's only available to those of the "Wellesley Community" which probably means you have to be on campus to see it. Anyway, from what I remember, the survey always gets a good response rate (75-80%) and the general consensus is that the vast majority of students are satisfied with their Wellesley experience. I remember looking at the previous year's data as a senior and it being in the low 90's and a similar percentage would recommend the school to a high school senior -- I remember because it was higher than I had expected.</p>

<p>The Senior Exit Interviews are in-depth interviews that students can opt to do one on one with a faculty or staff member. It's the same sort of questions that are on the survey, but you get to talk about them at length with a person. I did one as a senior and it was a really great chance for me to think and reflect on what I did and experienced as a student. These interviews are collected and summarized and also available to the "Wellesley Community." Again, I did a quick perusal before my interview and the summaries give a positive outlook on student experience. Not as many people participate in the interview (about half?) and you can make the argument that students self select themselves in doing an interview: those that have really positive or really negative things to say.</p>

<p>Anyway, in terms of students wanting to transfer, I personally didn't know anyone who did, though I occasionally heard students talking about it. I had two friends who didn't have very good experiences their first semester. Not because of academics or schoolwork, but because they didn't find their niche of friends/activities until spring semester of first year. After that, they had an awesome time. I think it's a combination of being away from home, adjusting to college life in general, added to the fact of being at a women's college - it can take some time to find where and what you want to be involved with. That's ok.</p>

<p>Keep in mind that no school is going to have a 100% satisfaction rate. If the numbers on the website you mentioned are accurate, then I'm totally surprised.</p>

<p>To try and give this post some parity, things I didn't like about Wellesley, or wished was different:
- The "I have more work than you and am more screwed than you are" game that gets played during midterms and finals.
- The sense of entitlement that some students have, i.e. I pay X amount of dollars, I should get Y (a small number of students, but they can be loud).
- A seemingly million different things that are going on and you miss out on something cool because events aren't advertised in an efficient manner.
- Students getting trapped in the "Wellesley Bubble" mentality because they're too lazy or apathetic to get off campus or try things outside of their own organizations.
- People assuming I'm a lesbian or bra burning feminist or social outcast when I say I graduated from Wellesley. This isn't really W's fault, as much as it is a reflection on society, but it gets old pretty fast.</p>

12

<p>I just re-read my post and I think I came off a little cold or off putting and I wanted to clarify some things.</p>

<p>Maybe it's because I was a science major at Wellesley and have to do a good amount of data analysis in my current position, but I'm always a bit wary of forming an opinion solely based on anecdotal evidence. Because of their nature, the quality of anecdotal evidence and what gets revealed in them depend so much on the people to whom you speak. Depending on the five people you might speak with and the five I speak with, we could end up with totally different opinions of Wellesley. I was trying to think of a way to give some concrete numbers for you to have in addition to the stories you've heard. Sorry that I wasn't able to give you some of those statistics like I wanted to. I do know that Wellesley has a high alumnae donation rate - the exact number escapes me, but I'm sure it's out there somewhere, like in the USNews rankings. Maybe another number for you to consider of how people feel about their Wellesley experience.</p>

<p>I guess sites like these try and aggregate students' anecdotal experiences so that you have more than just a few opinions to go upon, but when there are 2300 current Wellesley students and 30,000+ alumnae, how accurate a portrayal are these hundreds of posts by a handful of people? But let's not get into a philosophical debate on the pros/cons of CC.</p>

<p>I guess my point is that as a bright and capable young woman (you were accepted into W after all), I'm sure you have some great choices for schools. I'm sure that no matter where you attend, you will have a positive experience, because that's the type of person you are. Remember all those people who are successful in life in all types of fields, no matter where they went to college? It might seem scary because you're potentially investing a significant amount of money into one place, but ultimately, your experience will be what you make of it. No use in going to a school with all sorts of awesome resources if you don't take advantage of any of them.</p>

<p>I think Wellesley is a great place for a lot of students, but not the right choice for all. It's all about that elusive fit. Are there people that you know, admire, whose opinion you respect, are similar to you in personality and/or interest? What do they say about Wellesley?</p>

<p>You seem to be a very intelligent and deliberate person from these questions that you're asking and considering. That's a good thing and it'll serve you well no matter where you go. If you had a chance to visit the campus and personally speak to a wide range of people (as opposed to hearing things second or third hand), then I bet you have a pretty good sense of what your instincts are saying about Wellesley. Only you know just how much import you should place on the negative things you've heard. Are they legitimate? Who's saying them? How many amongst whom? How does it weigh against everything else you've heard? And that goes for what I wrote above as well.</p>

<p>Good luck with your decision, roxxy.</p>

13

<p>The students review website has only 19 reviews for Wellesley, and the responses are entirely self-selected and dependent on the students/alumnae knowing about the site and feeling that their input would be helpful. People with a bone to pick will often post.</p>

<p>The senior surveys offered every year are far more comprehensive, but the reports are confidential and restricted to on-campus distribution. Based on my recollections, the response rate is very high for a survey (around 70%), and the students' responses are overwhelmingly positive. The vast majority of respondents indicate that they're satisfied with the school and the education they've received. </p>

<p>From my experience (limited though it might be), students who are dissatisfied with the school are often the students who are either attending because of family expectations or because they didn't look beyond the rankings. Don't go into any school without doing your research, and be aware of what you consider to be drawbacks.</p>

14

<p>Thanks, you've all been very helpful, especially jacinth_ambrose!</p>

<p>I actually searched around online and stumbled upon Oprah Winfrey's Commencement Address to the Class of 1997 (<a href="http://www.wellesley.edu/PublicAffairs/PAhomepage/winfrey.html)%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.wellesley.edu/PublicAffairs/PAhomepage/winfrey.html)&lt;/a>, and she actually mentioned how her fiance's daughter experienced a similar situation in her first year:</p>

<p>
[quote]
You are so blessed to have had this, although I know your first year you maybe didn't think it was such a gift because I was there for a lot of those phone calls that Wendy made home. "Daddy [in small girl's voice], this is hard, they just want you to study all the time." Yes, they do. That was the Freshmen Year. About mid-Sophomore Year, though, I think she had several epiphanies and realized what all of you had come to realize here, that you do this for yourself, you don't do this for anybody else and that everything you heard about this institution is true--it is a prestigious and powerful place that will wear you out, but what happens is something--that Woman Thing starts to kick in around mid-Sophomore Year. We saw it kick in with Wendy, that Woman Thing that happens. She came here a naive girl from Dallas and Stedman and Glenda, I, and all of those who loved Wendy, are grateful to you Wellesley for the woman in process that you gave us back. We are grateful for that.</p>

<p>You could feel the change about a year and a half after her being here because she went from "Daddy [small girl's voice], this is hard," to "Daddy [adult voice], I won't be able to go on the trip to Africa because I have to study, Daddy." That Woman Thing!

[/quote]
</p>

<p>I realize that first year troubles are probably common at any college and that maybe some people are quicker to blame Wellesley rather than evaluate what else they could be trying or doing differently.</p>

<p>Anyway.</p>

<p>I have to difficult decision to make, but it was really helpful to read what you current students had to say, so thanks again!</p>