Thoughts on Wellesley

[Anonymous]

My sister went to Wellesley and hated it. Really regretted going there. We are from the midwest and she found the women condescending and rude. She had friends and is still in touch with some, but the only thing she enjoyed about her 4 years at Wellesley was the year she split between Wesleyan (exchange) and Paris. She graduated in '91.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think it really depends on there student. I agree with the PP that brought a different perspective. I am sure some people have wonderful experiences but my bestfriend from childhood went there and I went to visit and wanted to gauge my eyes out. She graduated in 2002 and if she hadn't played a sport she would have left after freshman year. I recall one girl telling me she wasn't a lesbian but when she was at Wellesley she was open to girls. Seemed so odd to me.

There's sexual experimentation on every college campus. The difference might be that at Wellesley women are comfortable talking about this issue because they don't fear homophobic comments.

[Anonymous]

Great school, great financial aid, great career services. lots of asian students and cultures where female-only schools are the norm. Ability to take classes at MIT, Harvard, etc Jr and sr year. Strong alumni and school spirit. Most had cars on campus, and drove in to Boston if/when we wanted. A lot of m friends all went into investment banking or consulting, but people did all sorts of things, lots straight to grad school.

[Anonymous]

Wellesley graduates are always very well prepared. School asks a lot of the women who attend. Excellent choice.

[Anonymous]

Smith graduate here. I loved Smith and am still friends with my Smith housemates after 35 years. At the time I felt more comfortable participating in class at Smith than I did in my public high school and felt there were opportunities for women that didn't exist in coeducational colleges and universities at the time.

However, I felt unprepared to compete with men upon graduation. I was so used to the Smith experience that it was difficult learning to compete with men in the work world.

I do not think there's as much a place for single-sex education now, and I wouldn't have been too enthusiastic about my daughter applying to a women's college but it turned out she wasn't at all interested anyway. Although I'm sure that a quality academic education is available, I think gender segregation is ultimately harmful.

[Anonymous]

I went to one of the 7 sister's schools. In response to the husband whose wife and in-law were unhappy at Wellesley and Smith, maybe it was a mistake. But for a young woman today who can weigh the pros and cons, and makes the decision to go, it can be truly fantastic to be at a women's school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was so used to the Smith experience that it was difficult learning to compete with men in the work world.

I'm a Wellesley alum and have never felt that I was unprepared to compete with men, nor have I ever heard another Wellesley alum say this. Just one case in point, Hilary Rodham Clinton (Wellesley '69) seems pretty comfortable competing with men -- as well as working in cooperation with them.

I'm not trying to dismiss your experience, PP, but I wonder if your feelings can really be attributed to your experience at a women's college; perhaps that would have been the case regardless of where you attended college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was so used to the Smith experience that it was difficult learning to compete with men in the work world.

I'm a Wellesley alum and have never felt that I was unprepared to compete with men, nor have I ever heard another Wellesley alum say this. Just one case in point, Hilary Rodham Clinton (Wellesley '69) seems pretty comfortable competing with men -- as well as working in cooperation with them.

I'm not trying to dismiss your experience, PP, but I wonder if your feelings can really be attributed to your experience at a women's college; perhaps that would have been the case regardless of where you attended college.

I'm a Wellesley alum too, and like the pp, I have never felt unprepared to compete with men. Just the opposite.

I notice that all the rave reviews on this post are from Wellesley alums, and all the hesitations are either second hand or from alums of other schools. While Wellesley has a lot in common with fellow Seven Sisters schools, the schools have differences as well. It's similar to a post asking "Thoughts on Ohio State?" and a few replies with experiences of Penn State alums. They are both big schools with several things in common, but not the same experiences.

[Anonymous]

Wow, one of the most expensive colleges in the country, or is that the new medium?
Did you all do it with scholarships or family money? Those must be the only options

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow, one of the most expensive colleges in the country, or is that the new medium?
Did you all do it with scholarships or family money? Those must be the only options

Wellesley, like all colleges, was cheaper when I graduated in 1998.

My parents contributed a few thousand, and I had a $150 scholarship I won from a local newspaper writing contest I won when I was 12, but I wouldn't call that "family money and scholarships".

I mainly paid for Wellesley with federal grants and loans, Wellesley Student Aid society grant and loans, work study, and summer jobs. I had pretty good sized loans when I graduated.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I went to one of the 7 sister's schools. In response to the husband whose wife and in-law were unhappy at Wellesley and Smith, maybe it was a mistake. But for a young woman today who can weigh the pros and cons, and makes the decision to go, it can be truly fantastic to be at a women's school.

My wife went to Mt Holyoke, and I continue to be impressed with her and her classmates. She has had NO issues competing with anybody, and when my daughter is old enough I would be thrilled if she decided to go there.