<p>Hello! I am currently a sophomore in high school, but I have begun looking at colleges, and I am considering Wellesley. I have a few questions. </p>
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<li>How good is the English program? </li>
</ol>
<p>CC posted my question before I even finished. My other questions: </p>
<ol>
<li><p>What is the political/religious atmosphere like on campus? I am liberal/agnostic. Would I fit in? </p></li>
<li><p>What are student activities and organizations like? </p></li>
<li><p>How does Wellesley compare to Vassar? </p></li>
<li><p>Does the college have a feminist atmosphere?</p></li>
<li><p>How often do you see boys? This is not a huge factor, but I already go to an all girls high school, and I wouldn’t mind meeting some of the opposite sex once in awhile. </p></li>
<li><p>How heavy is the course load, and how hard are the classes? </p></li>
<li><p>What kind of universities do Wellesley students typically gravitate towards for graduate degrees?</p></li>
<li><p>How nice is Wellesley, Massachusetts? </p></li>
</ol>
<p>1) The English program is good. Professors are great. Academics are pretty strong across all majors.
2) Do you like Hillary? Good! (Just kidding.) If you want to debate politics, you will find plenty of other students who will join you. But if you are not political, it is not too “in your face.” Although students here, like to debate just about any issue–not just politics! There is not much emphasis on religion. I know several students who are members of religious organizations, but most are private about their religious beliefs. (However, there have recently been some cries of growing anti-Semitism in response to some pro-Palestinian/anti-Israel support/posters on campus, but I have never heard any anti-Semitic rumblings here. IMO this is a hot issue everywhere, and the untimely firing of Hillel staff made this a much bigger deal at Wellesley.)
3) Student orgs are varied. Many are culturally-based. I’ve heard that it is easy to form new groups, but I have not tried. Student activities tend to be small-scale, and appeal to specific groups. It would be nice if there were some “fun” campus-wide events.
4) The few students I know at Vassar are more artsy, laid-back. They are very bright, but have a less-intense focus on academics (i.e., they don’t seem as academically stressed out as Wellesley students). I feel like there is more of a rich-kid vibe at Vassar. (I have a relative who graduated a few years ago & I visited a few times.)
5) IMO, the overall student body at Wellesley is not as feminist as other women’s colleges, but you can certainly find feminists here.
6) You will see trans men on campus all the time. Cis men, not so much, unless you take the Peter Pan bus off campus.
7) If Wellesley accepted you, you should be fine.
8) I’d google that info, or check the school website for that info.
9) It’s a very upper-middle class town. I think it was just voted one of the most educated towns in the US. It’s very nice to take a break from campus and walk in for: bagels, ice cream, coffee, etc. If you don’t mind going a little farther, there is a Whole Foods that is definitely within biking distance.</p>
<p>Are you a sophomore or a senior? You seem to have posted conflicting info.</p>
<p>I am a sophomore. I have not been accepted, but I simply want to know how hard the courses are. </p>
<p>og123 - In response to question #8, you’ll find that Wellesley grads go to all type of universities for grad school - depending, of course, on the field of study. So, you’ll find folks going to Harvard (business, med, law, etc.), MIT, as well as others farther afield, e.g., Stanford, Cal Berkeley. I myself went to the University of Kansas for my grad degree in music therapy because the national headquarters for music therapy was in Lawrence, KS, at the time and I had the opportunity to study with the folks who “wrote the book.”</p>