Wellesley v. Wesleyan

Colleges and Universities A-Z Wellesley College
1

<p>Hello! I am transferring as a rising sophomore this fall and am lucky enough to have my choice between Wellesley College and Wesleyan University (and Brown if they let me off their wait-list, ahahah). I'm a bit lost. </p>

<p>A bit about me: I am coming from a small liberal arts college in the Midwest looking for a more academic environment, more student activities, a more fun environment, a great alumni network (I really gotta get a job you know), friendly students who are passionate and fun and whatnot, and a good location. I am going to be majoring in Sociology and Economics (could dabble in Environmental Studies but we'll see) and would appreciate stellar departments and approachable faculty that can set me up for internships, summer research, and so forth. It's a lot to ask for, but as a transfer student, I've already been around the block a bit and can't settle :)</p>

<p>I am transferring from my old school because it was too small, the location was really crappy, I wasn't academically challenged, and there was really nothing to do at all except drink heavily (which is fine sometimes but like come on). So I'm looking for a good atmosphere.</p>

<p>Anyhow, I'll break down my perceptions/internet-findings about the schools and my perceived pros and cons. Please correct me if/when I'm wrong and elaborate!</p>

<p>WELLESLEY
Pros:
-arguably better academics/name recognition/ranking/prestige
-no dumb boys
-MIT/Olin/Babson cross-registration
-Proximity to Boston for internships
-Beautiful campus (I visited during Thanksgiving and died a little, it was so beautiful)
-great Econ department
-Educational Studies department (I'm really interested in Ed research/policy)</p>

<p>Cons:
-social scene could leave something to be desired. Would I have to go to MIT/Harvard to have a decent time?
-too intense?
-cliquey prep school girls? (how will a normal girl make friends? quite concerned. Most of my friends freshman year were boys.)
-it's not Boston, I might grow to dislike the upper-class suburb of Wellesley</p>

<p>WESLEYAN
Pros:
-It seems like the culture is very progressive and liberal and laid back
-A bajillion artsy, music-y, cool things to do on campus
-Proximity to New Haven, New York (!!)
-slightly larger
-small town setting (so everyone will stay on campus and hang out with me)</p>

<p>Cons:
-According to my mother, "It's not Wellesley." Prestige factor?
-Less access to a big city than Wellesley
-Lesser academics? I don't know.</p>

<p>Help would be MUCH appreciated. Thank you CC! (Cross-posting in both college and general transfer forums)</p>

2

<p>If you are looking for “stellar departments and approachable faculty that can set me up for internships and summer research,” the experience of my daughter suggests that Wellesley fits the bill.</p>

<p>Boston is considerably closer to Wellesley than Middletown to NYC. (Not sure that New Haven is worth weighing in this equation.)</p>

<p>If you are seeking academic challenge, you can definitely find it at Wellesley.</p>

<p>Did you visit Wesleyan? What was your gut reaction?</p>

<p>(My daughter is a rising senior at Wellesley and applied ED after visiting Wesleyan.)</p>

3

<p>@fendrock – I haven’t visited Wesleyan yet, but plan to on Thursday. I’m going to try to speak with a professor and some students if I can. Could you or your daughter speak to why she chose Wellesley over Wesleyan?</p>

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<p>I will be interested to hear what you learn regarding the perceived prestige/name recognition of these two. Having lived in New England most of my life, I have always felt that they are about equal in more educated circles, and Wesleyan has more name recognition in a wider group (ie “man on the street.”) In fact, when I mention Wellesley, many people assume I mean Wesleyan ;)</p>

5

<p>@transferfall2014 my daughter initially planned to row with the crew team, and her coach (who is a fabulous person) at the time was a Wellesley alum. So that played into her decision to apply ED to Wellesley. She did do an overnight at Wesleyan.</p>

<p>Here is something to give you a flavor of Wellesley. My daughter’s geology professor took the class to El Paso to look at rocks over spring break (but only for a long weekend so that the students had time to enjoy their break as well). The trip was heavily subsidized by the college. A good time was had by all.</p>

6

<p>Sorry to not have updated: I chose Wesleyan! It was a better FA package that sealed the deal, but ultimately I had fewer reservations about Wes as far as the social scene went. I still love Wellesley, though–maybe I’ll do an exchange semester or something!</p>