Wellesley College is a small, all-women’s liberal arts school in Wellesley, Massachusetts. This school has been for the girls, by the girls, since 1870 (and is a Seven Sister’s member), and its proximity to Boston gives students access to dual degree programs at MIT and Brandeis.
Out of the all-women’s schools, Wellesley is one of the more competitive ones in the bunch, with a first-year acceptance rate of around 14%. This translates to low transfer acceptance rates too, with only 43 of 241 applicants gaining admission last cycle. Roughly 18%! If you’re looking to transfer to Wellesley, keep reading for our guide on how to create a perfect transfer app from the ground up.
Wellesley’s Requirements
Can you apply to transfer to Wellesley?
“Incoming sophomores and juniors: The Office of Admission expects to see at least two full semesters of course work completed at another college or university for transfers.”
It’s also funny to note that the title on their Common App reads “Undergrad Transfer Program (NOTE: Wellesley is a Women's College).” We wonder how many men have accidentally tried to apply thinking it’s Wesleyan.
Here are their other requirements:
Transfer Common App
Essays (more on that later)
Two faculty recommendations (can be professor or TA)
School/College report
Midterm report
Official Transcripts (college + high school)
Course catalog descriptions of current + past classes
Optional requirements:
Test scores
Arts supplement
Athletic supplement
More on their requirements and process for transfer applicants here.
Pick the Right Classes
Wellesley doesn't lay out specific prereqs for applying, but there's definitely an art to picking your classes. The key is to showcase your commitment to your declared major by selecting courses that align with it and highlight your unique interests. For instance, if you're gunning to study econ (specifically econometrics), it might not be the best move to spend your few elective classes each semester on macro classes.
It's smart to tackle prereqs at your current school. This serves a dual purpose: racking up credits that might come in handy at Wellesley, and creating a safety net of completed credits in case your transfer plans hit a bump.
Get Really Good Grades
It's a pretty safe bet that you'll need stellar grades. Luckily, one cool thing about college is that you mostly get to pick classes you genuinely enjoy, and that usually translates to better grades.
If you're stuck with some prereqs in subjects you're not too fond of, steer clear of the topics that gave you a very hard time in high school. For instance, if calculus gave you a run for your money, maybe go for statistics or algebra instead. There's really no need to take classes that mess with both your GPA and your confidence unless it's absolutely necessary! You’re there to learn, not cry (although you can cry if you need to, we get it)!
Btw, go to office hours. Seriously, all of them. Building connections with your professors not only helps boost your grades but also comes in handy when you need those two recommendation letters later on.
Develop Your Niche
Simply enrolling in a couple of econ classes won't cut it. You've got to demonstrate to Wellesley that you've delved into your academic interests beyond the confines of the classroom. Here are a few ways you can achieve that:
Researching with a professor
Joining (or starting) clubs
Writing for an on-campus publication
Getting an internship
Getting a paying job
Volunteering (in something related to your major)
While these additions boost your resume, they also come with an extra little bonus. By getting involved in your current school's community, you're essentially creating an additional cushion and safety net in case those transfer applications don't pan out.
Write Good Essays
Wellesley has two essays:
Personal Essay 1: Please provide a statement that addresses your reasons for transferring and the objectives you hope to achieve in doing so. (minimum 250 words, maximum 650 words)
The classic transfer essay! Most schools will ask you some variation of this.
You should state why you're considering leaving your current school – and, hey, we get it, there could be various non-academic, pretty tough, and traumatic reasons – but for this essay, let's focus on the academic side. If there's been some trauma affecting your grades, please don't hesitate to reach out to us; we're sorry that you've had to go through that. It might be a good move to include that information in the Additional Information section on the main Common App. When explaining your academic reasons for leaving, try to avoid criticizing your current school.
Outside of classes, professors, their internship stipend, or their research opportunities, there are a lot of things you can also talk about in this essay: like the all-women’s thing, class sizes, availability of majors, overall culture, etc. More on how to write this essay here.
Personal Essay 2: When choosing a college, you are choosing an intellectual community and a place where you believe that you can live, learn, and flourish. We know that there are more than 100 reasons to choose Wellesley, but it's a good place to start. Visit The Wellesley 100 and select two items that attract, inspire, or celebrate what you would bring to our community. Have fun! Use this opportunity to reflect personally on what items appeal to you most and why. Please limit your response to the Wellesley College essay to two thoughtful paragraphs (minimum 250 words, maximum 400 words).
Wellesley asks this question of all first-year students, and good for you, we have a whole guide on how to write it here.
We hope these tips help you a) prepare to transfer and b) make that transfer application happen. Good luck with your Wellesley application and make sure to keep your grades up, get plugged into your community, and dive into your passions.
If you need help with your transfer applications, reach out to us today.