<p>Very easy: Wellesley does not advocate diversity as much as it likes us to believe; Wellesley is not open for every deserving,brilliant woman who is REALLY going to make a difference in the world so in other words, Wellesley is...snob. And I am sorry to say this but when I attended classes there, Wellesley women were somehow intolerant for individuals who are outside of their clubs (wealthy, white, legacies). Probably I found this in the only two classes that I attended, while the general atmosphere may not be like this. Please tell me, don't you think that she deserved to be accepted? I have achieved less accomplishments than her and I was accepted (oh yeah, I did NOT apply for financial aid, while she DID). And please forgive my limited vocab; English is my fourth language and I am not very fluent.</p>
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Please tell me, don't you think that she deserved to be accepted?
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<p>I don't know. "Deserve" is a tricky word, implying varying degrees of entitlement, and there's also the difficulty of measuring a person's viability for admissions based on someone else's report. As with my earlier question, I mean this with all respect and candor! </p>
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I have achieved less accomplishments than her and I was accepted (oh yeah, I did NOT apply for financial aid, while she DID).
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<p>Only the admissions committee (and possibly the student) can know for sure, but it's reasonable to guess that this is one answer to your question about how she could have been rejected. International students, unfortunately, aren't admitted under the need-blind policy, and there are only so many funds available--funds that were probably already earmarked for other international students. A lot of students (Wellesley students, too) don't understand that having a large endowment doesn't equal near-endless funds for any purpose. Gifts to the college often come with constraints, and the basic operating costs of the campus far exceed the total cost of attendance that is passed along to the students. It would be ideal to offer extra aid to any and all deserving students, but (especially with international students), the available funds only go so far.</p>
<p>I would argue that the Wellesley is not as snobby as you see it, but perhaps that's best left for a different message.</p>
<p>Are roomates matched up with deliberation or are they matched randomly? I heard both versions from alumnae at a reception for accepted students.</p>
<p>Most of the time, at least some attempt is made to match roommates up according to living preferences, but that doesn't mean it'll make sense to you :) There are, of course, stories about how the person making the matches one year was leaving and angry, and all of the first-year Sarahs were put in the same (very small) dorm. Normally, the rooming is made with some attention to the details.</p>
<p>I plan on majoring in econ, maybe a minor in sociology, so how much homework is there on schoolnights? Weekends?</p>
<p>Do you find that there's enough free time to go into Boston for a full Saturday each week?</p>
<p>I'm more of a social sciences/math person and not really into English/Literature or really reading novels in general (although some books I really love). Is it hard to keep up in lit classes and how many of those do I have to take? Am I in the minority in terms of Englishphobia?</p>
<p>Diplomat,</p>
<p>We have no idea what the reasoning is behind any admission decision (though we're all free to speculate) unless we're actually in the admission committee. I have no idea why the transfer student you mentioned might not have been accepted. However, I do know that Wellesley's transfer policy is such that students who would be coming in with over a certain number of credits cannot be admitted. Flat out. This isn't an admission policy as much as a registrar policy.</p>
<p>Thanks jacinth_ambrose. I am the girl that Diplomat talks about and God knows I would have done anything to study at Wellesley. It is true that I had more credits, but they were from classes at 100 and 200 levels. Regardless of the number of credits that I have, I still need two more years of 300 and 400 level classes to graduate. Some of my "extra" credits came from repeating classes where I had Cs (for reasons that Diplomat explained). Needless to say,it helps tremendously to know that probably it was not that I was not qualified enough to study there: I just wish that they had told me that I did not have a chance to be admitted there: i had to sell my bracelet that my father bought me for my bday to pay for the tickets to have the interview at Wellesley- that is something that I will never get back ! Somehow I will be able to get over four years of planning how I will be a Wellesley Woman and the dissappointment of rejection, but I am not ready to accept that there is absolutely nothing I can do to change their decission. It will take a few months to get over this. Thanks again.</p>
<p>elmtree, it is a little hard to say how much homework you will have on any given night. I am not familiar with Sociology, but Econ is a "problem set" major (as opposed to a paper major, where you only write papers). This means that you will probably have a problem set due every week or so. Econ classes tend to meet three times a week from what I can tell, so there is an extra class compared to your average 2 class/week courseload. This is very manageable though--I'd guess that probably half the classes here meet at least 3 times/week. I am in Econ 101 right now, and I find the workload relatively minimal, but I should be careful to point out that since I took AP Econ in HS (and got a 4 on the exams, boo), this class has been a review for me. </p>
<p>I usually do little to no homework on Saturday's, so I feel that if you wanted to go into the city pretty much every week (there will always be a super busy week or two!), that wouldn't be a problem. There is some travel time into Boston (about a half an hour or so to get in, depending on the time of day), but I feel that it goes by quickly, since you are usually with friends, chatting and looking forward to whatever you are going to do. </p>
<p>You would not necessarily have to take any English classes. As you probably know, we have distribution requirements that every student needs to fulfill. One of these is "Language and Literature"; however, this can be fulfilled with a foreign language class (some restrictions apply) as well as creative writing, not just a straight English class (although obviously a straight English class will fulfill the requirement as well). The only way that you may run into trouble is if you have already fulfilled the language requirement (essentially, if you got an AP 5...there might be some other ways to pass out of it, but that's the most common) and you don't want to take another foreign language class. But, the point is that you have options, and even if you do end up in an English class, you won't ever have to talk more than one if you don't want to. Also, there are MANY science-oriented students; you are definitely not in an minority in this respect.</p>
<p>so i haven't exactly visited Wellesley, but i know there is a park/lake on campus. whats it like? do people go there often to just hang out?</p>
<p>People from the town will walk their dogs/babies on campus or go jogging. They will also come to go sledding. Outdoor pickup games are slim at Wellesley. The lake is quite nice though.</p>
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so i haven't exactly visited Wellesley, but i know there is a park/lake on campus. whats it like? do people go there often to just hang out?
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<p>It's not so much that the campus has a park--rather that the campus is a park. Interestingly, not many students go outside just to hang out. Some will sunbathe or read in the various courtyards or on the greens, but there isn't as much outdoor studying as you might expect. The lake is popular for walks (there's an informal pathway all around it). On particularly nice days, classes will sometimes meet outside.</p>
<p>On the other hand, just because most students don't spend a lot of time out of doors doesn't mean that they won't :) A little encouragement goes a long way.</p>
<p>WendyMouse and ringer05, thanks for the reply. :) that still sounds awesome.</p>
<p>First off Thank you all for taking the time to answer the questions. You all have been a great help. Been reading the posts for quite sometime and this is my first post. </p>
<p>Wellesley's website has a calendar for Fall 2008 that show new students arrive on Aug 25th.
<a href="http://www.wellesley.edu/Registrar/0809calendar.pdf%5B/url%5D">http://www.wellesley.edu/Registrar/0809calendar.pdf</a>
What do the students do this first week? Will the student have a busy schedule during the first week before the classes start? or is just setup week, where you are pretty much free to do move around. Should the parent stick around for the initial day or 2 to run errands like shopping for last minute items etc? or do you recommend we arrive a day or 2 earlier to do the shopping? When do you think we should shop for the winter gear. We are from sunny California, so I think its better to shop in Boston or Natick.
What would you recommend?</p>
<p>Thanks in advance
-First time college dad :)</p>
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What do the students do this first week?
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<p>They meet many times with their First-Year Mentors (upperclasswomen who volunteer to guide new students through their first year), attend introductory meetings about the campus culture and diversity, set up various computing and technology services, register for classes, meet Campus Police who give a safety talk, and get to know each other. There are probably other things that I've forgotten about, now.</p>
<p>If you want to spend a little extra time with your daughter, I would recommend getting to Boston a day or two early. She won't be able to move in before the 25th, but you'll be able to see more of the surrounding area and do some extra shopping. Is there still a family dinner at the end of move-in day? (There was one my first year, but that was many years ago.) If there is, the end of the dinner is a nice time to leave and let your daughter settle in.</p>
<p>A word of caution: you probably won't find good winter gear in August. Even if you do, the steamy weather could cloud your judgment :) Consider sending your daughter some money for warm clothes later in the fall, and then send some more when winter really hits. She'll have a better idea, then, of what she really needs.</p>
<p>D's dad, thank you for asking the questions! I'm a first-time OOS LAC mom, so the process is (somewhat) new to me. I was told the same thing about winter clothes: send money, and your D will get warm gear and entertainment (shopping) at the same time!</p>
<p>ringer05, many thanks for your informative answers. You ladies are amazing.</p>
<p>I have another question. Can out-of-staters fly home for the Thanksgiving break or is it not recommended because of the upcoming finals? What is the best way to get to BOS (Logan Airport)? Are there shuttles going there from campus during busy travel days? (Please forgive me if I'm repeating someone else's questions.)</p>
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I have another question. Can out-of-staters fly home for the Thanksgiving break or is it not recommended because of the upcoming finals? What is the best way to get to BOS (Logan Airport)? Are there shuttles going there from campus during busy travel days?
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<p>I flew home every Thanksgiving, and the schedule was just fine. Getting to Logan isn't difficult: students and student orgs on campus offer rides around the holidays (generally $20-25, which is less than the other shuttle or cab options), and a combination of the regular Wellesley buses and the T will get you to Logan for $4 or less (but the travel time is significantly longer).</p>
<p>TF Green Airport in Providence might also be something to look into. Mass-transit is longer and more expensive to get there, but the airfares are generally much lower. It's a great airport, too--not nearly as hectic as Logan! If your daughter can catch a ride with another student, it's about an hour drive south of Boston. There's also a proposal to extend the MBTA commuter rail line from the last stop in Providence to the airport in the near future.</p>
<p>Thanks again, you are so helpful. Another question: when do students have to vacate their dorms for the summer (or winter break)? On the last day of the exam period (Fri)? Again, sorry for being so clueless, but I'm new to this and I'm trying to plan travel and other things.</p>
<p>do any of you know someone who was Russian major, with Russian not being their native language? did they say it was difficult?</p>
<p>What if we are from the opposite end of the country and we can't afford traveling for winter break each year? that adds a significant amount to traveling fees...but I read the catalog and it says that the residence housing closes during winter break...is there another option for students who can't go home?</p>
<p>Thank you ringer05. Your answers really helps us plan the trip.
Wow the flights are so expensive already. </p>
<p>-D's-Dad</p>