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🏫 Admission
Get all your admission questions answered!
Dates and Deadlines
📅 Early Decision I - ED I is a binding plan for students who decide that Wellesley is their first choice. By submitting an application Early Decision, you commit to attending Wellesley should you be admitted. ED I applications are due by November 1.
📅 Early Decision II - ED II is a lot like ED I, just with a little more time. It's just as binding, but you have until January 1 to submit your application.
📅 Regular Decision - RD is for students who like Wellesley, but want to keep their options open. It's non-binding and has the latest application deadline - January 8.
You can find more information about dates and deadlines here.
Application Requirements
Once you choose a decision plan, it's time to start gathering your application materials. To apply, you'll need:
💻 The Application - You'll find Wellesley on both the Common Application and the Coalition Application. Simply fill out the required fields, upload the required materials, and hit submit.
📝 The Personal Essay - This essay can address prompts on either the Common or Coalition applications or a prompt of your own choice. It should be 250 to 650 words and should give us a window into who you are as a person.
💌 The Wellesley Supplement - In 250-400 words, address the following question: ‘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?'
🎓 High School Credentials - In addition to the application and essays, we require your high school transcripts, two letters of recommendation from teachers that know you well, and a school report completed by your college counselor.
You can find more information about application requirements (and more thorough instructions!) here.
Standardized Testing
Wellesley College will continue to be test optional for those applying for entry in fall 2025. Since the introduction of test-optional practices at Wellesley, approximately 45% of our enrolling first-year students chose to apply without testing.
This means that submission of SAT or ACT scores will be optional for first-year applicants applying to the College. If an applicant wishes to have their standardized test scores considered as one component of their application, we will consider the scores in a nuanced and contextual way alongside all other application credentials. If applicants choose not to submit standardized test scores, we will evaluate their application in a nuanced and contextual way without scores. Our holistic, committee-based application review process gives us the flexibility to evaluate each applicant’s academic and extracurricular accomplishments within individual context.
You can find more information about standardized testing here.
💸 Financial Aid
It’s Need Blind
We Meet Your Need
Little Loans
Meaning, if your family has typical assets, Student Financial Services calculates that your combined parent income is less than $100,000 a year, and your total calculated family contribution is less than $28,000, your financial aid package won’t include student loans. If your package does include loans, your four-year loan total is capped at $15,200.