Wellesley College is a women’s liberal arts school in Wellesley, MA. We know we just said it, but a reminder: this is a women’s college. While it is not far from Boston, Wellesley doesn’t feel urban. With forests, a golf course, and a private lake, the campus is perfect for those looking for the picturesque. Wellesley boasts popular programs in economics, political science, and world-class sciences.
It’s a competitive school to get into. Last year, their transfer acceptance rate was around 14.5%. While this was slightly higher than their first-year acceptance rate (which was 13%), you need to stand out as a transfer applicant if you hope to get in. Thankfully, we are here to help. Let’s break it down.
Wellesley Requirements
Wellesley says, “The Office of Admission expects transfer applicants to have completed at least two full semesters of coursework at another U.S. college or university.” However, you also need to “complete at least two years (16 units) of coursework at” Wellesley after transferring. You should double-check that you meet these requirements before applying. They also do not accept transfer applications from online colleges.
Note that the above mentions US colleges. If you are under 24 years old and attending an international school, you need to apply as a first-year student and not a transfer. If you are over 24 (or a veteran or a parent), they have a separate program: the Davis Degree Program for non-traditional-aged transfer students. If either of these sounds like you, reach out: we can help.
If you meet the definition of a transfer, you will need to submit:
Your official high school and college transcripts
A college Mid-Term report (this should ideally be filled out closer to midterms)
A college report from your academic advisor or dean
Course catalog descriptions of college classes.
2 academic recommendations
And two essays.
These are all pretty standard. However, sometimes students can get tripped up on the essays. Let’s look at them.
Essays
Wellesley asks for two essays. Take your time writing and answering these. An excellent essay will help you stand out in a crowded field.
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)
Before you start writing this essay, you need to do two things:
1) Articulate good reasons for transferring.
2) Research: the more you know about Wellesley, the easier it will be for you to write about it.
We work with many transfer students, and often, at first, their answer for transferring often boils down to “It's a better school.” that isn’t going to work here. Your reason needs to feel specific and connected to Wellesley. For example, maybe you are currently at a big co-ed school. You could then write about why you specifically want to transfer to a small women’s college. You also need to connect your reason to what you hope to study. ‘You want the community support of a small women’s college and have fallen in love with Wellesley’s Education Studies major’... now we are talking! You shouldn’t bash your current school, but you do need to make it clear that they are not meeting your needs in some way and that Wellesley is the best place for you.
We recommend starting with a short personal story about how you feel in love with what you want to study. Remember, your major or academic goals must connect to your reason for transferring. Weave it into this section. For example, if you want to major in Education Studies, you could tell how your high school Spanish teacher inspired you to become a teacher.
Then, it is time to back it up with your research. You want to speak to specifics about the college, including higher-level classes, extracurriculars, professors etc. and how they connect with your interests and goals as a transfer. You need to show the overlap between yourself and what Wellesley offers. You want to paint a picture of what you will do and who you will be as a Wellesley student and community member.
By the end of this essay, the reader needs to think that Wellesley is the best place for you and that you would be an asset to them.
Wellesley students actively seek ways to build bridges and to change the world for the better. Tell us about an experience working with and alongside people of different backgrounds and/or perspectives from your own. Why was this important to you, and what lessons from this will you bring with you to Wellesley? (minimum 250 words, maximum 400 words)
There are two main routes to take with this essay, but both will feature navigating a conversation or situation with someone who disagrees with you. Technically, you can write generally about working with people from different backgrounds, but without any disagreement or tension, it is hard to make this feel like a story, and your answer needs to feel like a complete story.
The first of the main approaches is to write about a time when you were “right” and thus either convinced someone to change their perspective or decided to be the bigger person. We don’t hate this route, but if you take it, you must choose a topic with nuance or shades of grey. Don’t give them strawmen or everybody ‘clapped moments.’
However, you can also tell a story about when someone else changed your mind or perspective. These types of stories can showcase openness and growth. At 19 or 20, you don’t know everything. It is ok to change your mind or learn something new that you hadn’t considered before. It is ok to show vulnerability. We actually recommend it, and this is a great place to do so.
Whichever route you take, be careful what topic you tackle. This essay isn’t very long. You don’t want to take on too much. 400 words max isn’t really enough space to ‘solve’ misogyny or racism or homophobia. But you might be able to convince a coworker that women's sports are worth watching and convince them to allow for one of the TVs at your restaurant job to play women’s basketball.
Once you have told your story, don’t forget the end of this question: ‘Why was this important to you, and what lessons from this will you bring with you to Wellesley?’ You need to walk away from this experience with a good lesson and a skill that you are going to use at Wellesley. You want to connect lessons like compromise, openness to new ideas, or communication skills to the type of student you will be on campus.
It is not easy to get into Wellesley. If you are dreaming of transferring, you need to put the work in. Don’t worry if it feels like too much, we can help you.
Talk to a dedicated college college counselor today! Reach out here.