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Colleges / Wellesley College

Wellesley College

Wellesley, MA 4-Year Private
Acceptance Rate20%
Acceptance Rate20%

Wellesley College Admissions

Check in with Wellesley College's admissions department for any important information, including application fees.

Wellesley College Admissions Stats at a Glance

Here is an overiew of some of Wellesley College's admissions stats.

Wellesley College 2022 Admissions Statistics
Admitted Students in Top 10% of Graduating Class 85%
Mean SAT Score 1431
Admissions Test Policy Test Optional
Applicants Who Submit SATs 68%
Applicants Who Submit ACTs 41%
Waitlist Yes

Wellesley College Application Deadlines

These are the application deadlines for Wellesley College.

Application Type Offered Application Deadline Notification Deadline
Early Decision I Yes November 1 ––
Early Decision II Yes January 1 ––
Early Action No –– ––
Regular Decision Yes January 1 ––

Want to Apply Early to Wellesley College?


Wellesley College offers early decision but not early action. Early decision is binding, meaning you must attend if you are admitted, while early action allows you to apply early without committing.

🗓️ Early Decision I applications are due by November 1

🗓️ Early Decision II applications are due January 1.

The early decision acceptance rate at Wellesley College is 39%, compared to an overall acceptance rate of 20%. In 2022, Wellesley College admitted 253 of the 642 students who applied early decision.

Some students apply early because they believe it will help their chances of acceptance. When you apply early, your application is considered before all the regular decision applicants apply. Applying early may increase your chance of admission, since it demonstrates that you are very interested in a school.

➡️ Explore a list of some competetive colleges that admit significantly more applicants during early decision or early action than during regular admission.


More on Wellesley College Admissions


How To Get Into Wellesley College

Getting into Wellesley College is extremely difficult. Wellesley College evaluates applicants carefully based on multiple criteria to decide who to admit, and who to deny or waitlist.

In 2021, Wellesley College accepted 20% of students, approximately 1,343 from 6,581 applicants.

Schools that are extremely difficult to get into, like Wellesley College, accept fewer than 30% of all applicants. At least 75% of admitted students have GPAs in the top 10% of their high school class and scored over 1310 on the SAT or over 29 on the ACT.

Transferring to Wellesley College

Transfer student admissions is extremely difficult.

For Students Waitlisted to Wellesley College

Wellesley College has not reported data for waitlisted and admitted students.

What Does Wellesley College Look For in an Applicant?

Colleges consider a range of factors when determining who to admit for their next incoming class. Each college has a different way of determining which factors are are most important in the admissions process. When assembling your list of schools to apply to, you may want to consider your strengths and any possible weaknesses in your application, and choose schools that put the most emphasis on the areas where you shine.

Admissions Factors at Wellesley College

What does Wellesley College consider during the admissions process? Take a look at the list below to see which factors are most important during the admissions process.

Admissions Factor Level
Academic GPA Very Important
Character/Personal Qualities Very Important
Recommendation(s) Very Important
Rigor of Secondary School Record Very Important
Class Rank Important
Extracurricular Activities Important
Application Essay Important
Talent/Ability Important
Alumni/ae Relations Considered
Geographical Residence Considered
Work Experience Considered
Level of Applicant's Interest Considered
First Generation Considered
Racial/Ethnic Status Considered
State Residency Considered
Standardized Test Scores Considered
Volunteer Work Considered

Make sure to check with Wellesley College for more information on admission factors.

Wellesley College 2022-2023 Application Requirements

To apply to Wellesley College, all applicants must submit the following items. Check with Wellesley College's admissions department to confirm all application materials and requirements.

Area Required Recommended Required for Some Details (If Any)
Interview
Transcript(S) of College Record
Standardized Test Scores
Statement of Good Standing From Prior Institution(S)
Letter(s) of Recommendation 3
Written Essay or Personal Statement
Other Requirements first senior marking period grades and mid-year report
Transcript of High School Record

GPA and Testing


What GPA Do I Need To Get Into Wellesley College?

Wellesley College has not provided an information about GPAs of accepted students. Any questions regarding applicant expectations should be addressed directly with the school.

Out of all students that were admitted, 34% submitted a class rank. At Wellesley College 85% of students ranked in the top 10% of their graduating class in high school, 100% were in the top 25% and 100% were in the top 50%.

GPAs of Admitted Students

At Wellesley College, student GPAs fall in the following ranges.

GPA Percent of Students
4.0 GPA ––
3.75 and 3.99 ––
3.50 and 3.74 ––
3.25 and 3.49 ––
3.00 and 3.24 ––
2.50 and 2.9 ––
2.00 and 2.49 ––

This chart depicts the percentage of all enrolled, degree-seeking, first-time, first year (freshmen) students who had high school grade point average within the given ranges.

Note: Some schools choose not release this information. If you have any questions regarding missing numbers, be sure to reach out to Wellesley College directly.

About GPAs

Your high school grade point average (GPA) is a number that highlights your high school academic performance. A weighted GPA or an unweighted GPA are the two possible GPA scores considered by colleges.

An unweighted GPA is an average of your scores from each class on a four-point scale. Unweighted GPAs range from 4.0 to under 1.0. A weighted GPA considers your average grade and the difficulty of your classes. A weighted GPA boosts your average by adding extra points for honors or Advanced Placement courses.

Standardized Test Scores

Wellesley College looks at standardized tests scores during the admissions process.

Wellesley College has a test optional admissions policy. Test optional schools allow students to choose if they want to submit ACT or SAT scores with their applications or not.

In 2022, 68% of Wellesley College's first-year students submitted their SAT scores with their application. 41% of admitted applicants sent ACT scores.

What is a Good SAT Score for Wellesley College?

To be competitive with other Wellesley College applicants, you should strive to earn between 1370 and 1510 (or higher!) on the SAT. At Wellesley College 25% of admitted students scored higher than 1510 and 25% of scored lower than 1370, but the majority of students scored somewhere in between these two numbers.The mean composite SAT score for a Wellesley College student is 1431.

On the SAT Math Section, 25% of Wellesley College students scored 770 or higher and 75% of students scored 680 or higher. On the SAT Critical Reading section (formerly called the Verbal section), 25% of Wellesley College students scored 750 or higher, and 75% scored a 680 or higher.

What is a Good ACT Score for Wellesley College?

To be most competitive at Wellesley College, you should strive to earn between 31 and 34 on the ACT.

An ACT score of 34 means you fall in the 75th percentile for Wellesley College's admitted students. One out of every four students scored above a 34, and three out of four students scored lower than 34 on the ACT.

A 31 on the ACT is the 25th percentile for Wellesley College students. Only one out of every four students scored below 31.

Want To Bring Up Your ACT Score? Access ACT practice tests and study tips and see upcoming ACT test dates.

More Information on Transferring to Wellesley College

For transfer students, it is extremely difficult to get admitted to Wellesley College.

For transfer students wishing to start in the fall, the deadline to apply is March 1. Transfer applications are processed on a on a rolling basis as they are received.

Transfer students can enroll in Wellesley College during the following terms:

• Fall Term

• Spring Term


Wellesley College Admissions FAQs


Can I defer my acceptance to Wellesley College?

✅ Yes, admitted students can defer their admission to Wellesley College.

Does Wellesley College accept transfer credits?

✅ Wellesley College accepts eligible transfer credits from accredited institutions.

Does Wellesley College accept Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) credits?

✅ Wellesley College accepts International Baccalaureate credits (IB) credits and Advanced Placement (AP) credits.

Do I have to submit test scores to Wellesley College?

❌ No, Wellesley College is test optional, so it's up to you if you want to submit test scores or not. If you have higher than average scores, you should strongly consider submitting them. If your scores are average or below average, you it might make sense to leave them out of your application.

What is Wellesley College's acceptance rate?

✅ The acceptance rate for Wellesley College is 20%.

What is the early decision acceptance rate at Wellesley College?

✅ Wellesley College's early decision acceptance rate was 39% in 2021.

Want To Learn More About Wellesley College?

To learn more about Wellesley College, choose from the options below:

Overview

Student Life

Academics

Tuition & Aid

Connect with other students, parents, and admissions professionals to learn more about about Wellesley College in the College Confidential forums

Explore other colleges in Massachusetts or use the college admissions predictor to calculate your chances of getting into some of the top colleges and universities in the U.S.

Wellesley College Admissions Requirements

Admission Difficulty

Selective

20%

How hard is it to get into Wellesley College? Wellesley College is a selective institution. The Wellesley College acceptance rate is 20%. This means that the institution accepts 20 out of every 100 applicants.

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Wellesley College Application Deadline

First-Year Applications are Due

Jan 8

Transfer Applications are Due

Mar 1

The deadline for Fall first-year applications to Wellesley College is Jan 8.

The deadline for Fall transfer applications to Wellesley College is Mar 1.

Check the school website for more information about deadlines for specific programs or special admissions programs

Wellesley College ACT Scores

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ACT Range

31 - 34

Estimated Chance of Acceptance by ACT Score

ACT Score

Estimated Chance

34 and Above

Good

31 to 34

Avg

31 and Less

Low

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ACT Scores Needed to Get Accepted

The median ACT score of an admitted student to Wellesley College is 32. Students with an ACT score of 34 and above have a good chance of getting into Wellesley College. Students with an ACT score that falls between 31 and 34 have an average chance of getting admitted, and students with an ACT score of 31 or below have a low chance of being offered admission.

Wellesley College SAT Scores

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Composite SAT Range

1370 - 1510

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Math SAT Range

670 - 770

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Reading SAT Range

680 - 750

Estimated Chance of Acceptance by SAT Score

SAT Score

Estimated Chance

1510 and Above

Good

1370 to 1510

Avg

1370 and Less

Low

SAT Scores Needed to Get Accepted

The median SAT score for Wellesley College students is 1431. Applicants with SAT scores of 1510 and above have a good chance of being admitted to Wellesley College, while applicants with SAT scores between 1370 to 1510 have an average chance of admittance, and prospective students with an SAT score below 1370 have a low chance of being offered a spot at Wellesley College.

Wellesley College GPA

Avg. High School GPA (non-weighted)

Not available

Data Source: IPEDs and Peterson's Databases © 2022 Peterson's LLC All rights reserved

Quick Facts

Total Enrollment

2,280

Campus Setting

Suburban

Acceptance Rate

20%

Tuition and Fees

In State

$61,920

Out-of-State

$61,920

Fall Freshmen
Application Deadline

Jan 8
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