internationally recognized?
quality of faculty and teaching?
how does it’s rep compare to harvard? to cornell? UC berkeley?
how is it for prospective science majors or Med-inclined students?
what effect does its being a women’s college have on its rep?
I’m asking, because where I’m at, there are some people who have either never heard of it, think it’s trash, and other people who think it’s brilliant and as prestigious as the ‘lower ivies’, while turning out better graduates?
<p>It really doesn't matter what some one else thinks. It is what you think that is important as you will be the one who is attending. Lets hope you are not taking the Band Stand mentality in picking colleges- "I like the beat and its easy to dance to" (Yeah, i am just a little older than you)</p>
<p>BTW, It is an EXCELLENT womens college, anyone who doesn't know about Wellesley, really isn't in the know</p>
<p>Wellesley is an excellent school. Among its alumnae are Senator Hillary Clinton, journalist Diane Sawyer, and actress Ali McGraw. Here's a quote from Susan Estrich, who is a Harvard professor and a former presidential campaign manager:</p>
<p>"I found myself in a place where there was no social pressure inside the classroom, where you might as well be smart, and where there was a sense, at least within the Wellesley world, that women could do anything."</p>
<p>You said: "I'm asking, because where I'm at, there are some people who have either never heard of it, think it's trash, and other people who think it's brilliant and as prestigious as the 'lower ivies', while turning out better graduates?"</p>
<p>No matter where you go people will disagree about the merits of a school. There are plenty of people out there that think that even Harvard is overrated and no good. </p>
<p>The overwhelming majority of people, however, do not think that Wellesley is "trash." I have a friend that is insanely happy there and it very good academically. Everyone who thinks that it is trash doesn't know the school very well. That's the case 99% of the time--people blindly insult things that they are ignorant about (more often than not to feel better about themselves). Don't buy into it.</p>
<p>It's an excellent school, very well regarded by grad schools and "the real world (your employer in particular)" I think it's a marvelous school and would probably apply if they offerred my major</p>
<p>If you like all-girls schools then Wellesley is DEFINITELY the best of the best. There's no question about that. It ranks up there with all the top schools of the country. Personally, I'm not big on all-girls schools because I love the co-ed environment and hearing opinions of those of the opposite sex (not a big surprise we think quite differently ;)). I'm all about diversity, and gender-diversity is a big thing as well. </p>
<p>But again, if a great all-girl's school is what you're looking for, Wellesley is just about the best you can get.</p>
<p>If you are looking for an all-women's environment, you can't do much better than Wellesley. Bryn Mawr might be another consideration.</p>
<p>In my humble opinion, people who think Wellesley is trash are complete and total morons. The only way you could think Wellesley is trash is if you believe that having brilliant classmates, great facilities, wonderful professors and small classes are negatives in an educational environment. I, for one, do not think that way.</p>
<p>which is some sort of club for grads and students of the world's most prestigious colleges. Without offering any opinion one way or the other on the merits of The Square, at least we can see that they think highly of Wellelsley.</p>
<p>Wellesley is an outstanding school and its grads do quite well with grad school and professional school placements. Anyone who's informed about academics at all well know of Wellesley; if somebody talks trash about it, that says more about their ignorance than any deficiency of Wellesley's. Fwiw, though I despise the US News rankings, Wellesley comes in consistently at #4, right after Amherst/Swarthmore/Williams.</p>
<p>Wellesley was my D's runner up; she chose Smith, which while not <em>quite</em> as high on the prestige scale, is pretty darned good and, more to the point, was a better overall fit for my D. I'd second the suggestion of looking at Bryn Mawr as well.</p>
<p>Wellesley is an outstanding college and a beautiful campus. Like Thedad, it came in 2nd for our D last yr. D2 was impressed as well, and will strongly consider it when the time comes.</p>
<p>My daughter is taking a German language class there this semester, most of the students are freshman, D says they're a cheery, bright group, friendly to her, even though she's a student from another area college, not a Wellesley student. She's been pleased w/ the professor and overall with the course.</p>
<p>As a non US citizen, I can at least tell you that Wellesley is known and respected in the academic arena outside the US. An extra advice: You shouldn't choose the school you are attending because of what other people where you are think. At the end, the one who is going there is you (let's hope so!) so what matter is your happiness. I say: Go for it! and the best of luck</p>
<p>marina and others: ah yes, I appreciate you guys reminding me that that is the most important consideration I must be thinking of : ). thank you.
But be assured that in narrowing down my list to include wellesley, the opinions of others have always been low on my priorities. Unfortunately, our school limits the number of college apps we can make, so I'm having to differentiate the colleges I'm interested on baser criteria at this point.</p>
<p>Elizabeth, a datum: one of the reasons my D chose Smith over Wellesley was better opportunities for a number of things. As for location, Wellesley itself is kind of dead and Northampton is pretty hip and busy; yes, Wellesley has Boston nearby but there's a significant time penalty...any trip has to allow for two hours of round-trip transportation.</p>
<p>Wellesley is a great school and I make no bones about it. However, for anyone to say it's the only women's college they would consider raises questions about criteria.
Fwiw, I can see others choosing Barnard over Wellesley for different reasons, or Bryn Mawr. Questions of "fit" usually don't lend themselves to simplistic cut-and-dried formulas.</p>
<p>Fwiw, in the course of the whole process, from initial information parties for prospective students and their families to move-in weekend, I talked to at least four dozen Smith students and most somewhere had a speech that began "I never meant to apply to a women's college...." I suspect something similar would be true at Wellesley, Barnard, Bryn Mawr.</p>
<p>There is someone on this forum whose daughter is attending Wellesley. She got into Duke and several other very selective colleges. I forgot his name...</p>