Hi, How supportive or competitive are the Wellesley students with each other?
I hear that Wellesley grades on a curve, which pits students against each other fueling a more competitive versus supportive atmosphere. I want academic challenge but also value having supporting, fun peers who aren’t cut throat. I’m grappling with college decisions (Fall '23) and would love any feedback.
Thank you!
At many colleges, grading on a curve or not is at the discretion of the instructor or department.
If you are pre-med or are in a pre-med-dense major (biology), the environment is likely to be more competitive than elsewhere at the same college.
Thanks so much! This is very helpful.
I’m interested in environmental studies and political science - a popular major at Wellesley. Things may change, of course, but I anticipate going to Law school (Environmental Justice).
- Is the pre-law track likely to be more competitive, similar to pre-med?
- Since GPA’s and class rankings are the first line of cut-offs for Law School admissions, could Wellesley’s grading on a curve/ grade deflation hinder my chances for a good Law School? I don’t want to get too ahead, and want to enjoy/explore learning in undergrad. I typically don’t fixate on grades but have heard anecdotes of Wellesley grads not getting into medical/law school bc of grade deflation. At $85K/ year that seems crazy. Thank you
Pre-law requires no specific major or course work. Although the most popular major for pre-law students is political science, pre-law students are not as concentrated in that major as pre-med students are in biology. But pre-law students do have to pay attention to their college GPA, since getting a higher college GPA (and LSAT score) help get into higher ranking law schools from which law employment prospects are better.
Have not heard of particularly high or low grade inflation at Wellesley, though you may want to investigate further whether that is the case.
If you will be paying $85k per year, do you have other options that are less expensive that will let you deploy some of the money for law school to reduce debt at the end of law school?
That is a good question (one my parents have also brought up). I have offers from other, similar selective liberal arts colleges but because they only offer need based (no merit) aid, they will all be as expensive as Wellesley. The other more reasonable options are lower tier schools which have offered merit scholarships and honors programs (American U, U Denver), or a state school (UCSB). It’s a wide range in size/ type of colleges. I do enjoy learning, critical thinking/ discussions.
- I don’t know how significant a difference there will be in the educational experience between SLAC, American, UCSB? Is that worth the price tag (and eventual loans for grad school).
- How much does a college name/ prestige matter for job or law school prospects?
- For law school admission - is it better to have a higher GPA from a less competitive school? or a lower GPA from Wellesley?
It’s a lot to think through. Thank you for your help…
Most of what is written about law school admissions is that (recalculated) college GPA and LSAT are the primary factors. See https://schools.lawschoolnumbers.com/
For lawyer job prospects, the ranking / prestige of your law school is the big factor. See Discover law schools | Law School Transparency .
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Thank you, these links are very helpful!