Is Wellesley College Ivy League? Ranking, Acceptance Rate

Are you interested to know the answer to the most pressing question some readers have about Wellesley College? Then feel relaxed because we will be giving an answer to the pressing question of the reader “Is Wellesley College Ivy League?”

In addition, the ranking, acceptance rate, and admission requirements of the school in this article will also be considered.

Overview

Wellesley College is a private liberal arts college for women that was founded in 1870.

Located in Wellesley, Massachusetts, United States, the institution has a total undergraduate enrollment of 2,461 (fall 2021). Read Is Williams College Ivy League?

It is a member of the original Seven Sisters Colleges, an unofficial grouping of elite current and former women’s colleges in the northeastern United States.

Other members of the college include Mount Holyoke, Vassar, Smith, Radcliffe (now part of Harvard), Bryn Mawr and Barnard.

Wellesley College accommodates 56 departmental and interdepartmental majors spanning the liberal arts, as well as over 150 student clubs and organizations, from which students can opt from.

The school has 14 varsity athletic teams that are part of NCAA Division III East College Athletic Conference. Instead of sororities, Wellesley College has societies that serve as social and academic clubs.

They provide accommodation for incoming freshmen, and the majority of students live in Wellesley’s 21 residence halls throughout their four years.

For more than 50 years, Wellesley has offered a cross-registration program with MIT, where they offer students a greater range of courses.

Also, students can spend a semester in another college in the Northeast as part of the Twelve College Exchange Program.

Some of Wellesley College notable alumnae and affiliates include two United States Secretaries of State; the first female nominee for President of the United States from a major party; notable academics, journalists, writers, politicians, diplomats, activists, businesspeople, filmmakers, and entertainers.

Is Wellesley College Ivy League?

No, Wellesley College is not an Ivy League school, as a result of its part of the Eastern Conference Athletic Conference (ECAC) and the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC).

Why does that matter? The reason is that Ivy League is not a distinction for academic excellence or age or even reputation.

the term “Ivy League” only came about in the 20th century because of athletic competition among some of the schools.

This solidified in the 1950s when the NCAA officially formed an athletic conference for Division I. Presently, the term refers to eight schools, including Harvard, Yale, and Princeton universities.

The name stuck, though, and today it evokes images of intellectually rich universities with world-class reputations. It’s also spawned other groups, like the Little Ivies.

Like their Ivy League counterparts, these are selective, private liberal arts colleges with challenging academic programs.

Most are located in New England, and as their name suggests, their student bodies are much smaller than those of Ivy League schools.

Student-athletes at Wellesley and its counterparts compete in NCAA Division III, while Harvard and the like are members of Division I.

Wellesley College Ranking

According to the ranking site Niche.com, Wellesley earns an A+ grade. In addition to praise for its academics, diversity, and value, the school ranks 2nd on Niche’s list of Best Colleges with No Application Fee and 2nd on the list of Best Women’s Colleges in America.

Thanks to its reputation as “the most powerful women’s network,” Wellesley College gets 32nd position at Forbes.com.

At that point, Wellesley tops schools such as Washington University in St. Louis, the Georgia Institute of Technology, and Emory University.

The school even earns high rankings on the lists compiled by Washington Monthly. Unlike many of its competitors, Washington Monthly ranks according to social mobility, research, and community service.

Taken together, those qualities earn Wellesley #13 position on its list of Best Liberal Arts Colleges, with a #6 place spot for quality of research.

While there is certainly value to all of these rankings, many consider those from U.S. News & World Report to be definitive.

Wellesley College’s writing across disciplines program is tied for #14 in the nation, while the school is ranked number five on the list of National Liberal Arts Colleges and 4th on the list of Best Value Schools.

Wellesley College Acceptance Rate

The acceptance rate of Wellesley College is 20%. This implies that the institution is extremely competitive and also has a selective admission process.

Out of every ten students who try to enter, eight will be denied offers of admission. For those who do make it in, Wellesley offers a quality educational experience.

Wellesley College Admission Requirements

Just looking at those high rankings, you can probably guess that gaining admission into Wellesley College won’t be an easy thing.  

The school does not only extend admission to women or non-binary applicants, and it only permits the most committed and accomplished from those groups.

If Wellesley College is the school of your choice, then here is what you need to know to have the best shot of being admitted into the school. See What is ivy league school?

Those who are accepted to Wellesley College tend to have an average GPA of 3.97 on a 4.0 scale. In other words, they like to take straight-A students. You can have a lower grade or two on your transcript, but not in a class in your major field.

Although Wellesley College does not require that its first-year students submit standardized test scores with their applications, those who do tend to have excellent scores.

The average SAT score among Wellesley students is 1425, with a 720 in Math and a 705 in Reading and Writing. The average ACT score is 32.

That is a demanding standard to meet, but don’t count yourself out yet, even if you don’t have these grades.

As they state on their admissions website, Wellesley looks for exceptions to every rule when evaluating candidates.

They pride themselves on diversity, which means looking at everything a student can bring to the school, not just numbers.

If your grades are coming in low, focus on the other things you can offer the Wellesley student body.

Try to secure strong letters of recommendation and evidence of participation in extracurriculars. Demonstrate to the admissions team that you have a lot to give to enrich their college.

Conclusion

As it has been clearly said in this article that Wellesley College is not an ivy league because of the various reasons stated in this article.

But that doesn’t affect the high quality educational experience that is carried out by the school. Was this article valuable to you?

Last Updated on July 15, 2023 by Admin