Wellesley is an all-women’s liberal arts college at the very top of its game regardless of being a women’s college. It is a premier college, and it is a women’s college — both. Located in Wellesley, Massachusetts outside of Boston, the college offers over 50 majors and, for over 150 years, has been at the forefront of liberal arts education and interdisciplinary learning. The acceptance rate has held at between 13% and 14% for two years running, making Wellesley a highly-selective college and one of the most selective all-women’s colleges. The international acceptance rate, though, is merely 6%.

Most students who get into Wellesley are in the top 10% of their graduating class, but they aren’t all about the numbers. The application is test-optional (https://www.wellesley.edu/admission-aid/faqs#standardized-testing), meaning that it is up to you whether you submit SAT or ACT scores. Nearly 60% of accepted and enrolled students in the fall of 2023 had submitted scores, which leads us to suggest that you submit them if you can earn scores that will assist your application. This means getting an SAT over a 1510 or an ACT over a 34.

In this post, we’ll focus on another part of the application you can control: the supplement.

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Writing an effect, acceptance-winning supplement isn’t a formula. A successful supplement is a creative effort that requires time, patience, and at least a couple of drafts. This particular supplement also has a bit of a twist…we’d even call it a trap.This supplement is submitted as an uploaded document, rather than text that is pasted directly into a text box. When you’re asked to upload a document, you can technically submit whatever you want at whatever length you choose. You could put a novel in here if you wanted to, and thought it would help. To be clear, it wouldn’t. Disregarding the instructions is a very, very bad idea. It doesn’t matter how strong your writing is, or how compelling your story.

One of the things Wellesley is filtering for is your ability to follow directions. So, do not push beyond the parameters of the prompt below. Namely, two paragraphs between 250 and 400 words. We repeat, follow the parameters. Now to the prompt.

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?

Please limit your response to two thoughtful paragraphs (minimum 250 words, maximum 400 words).

Okay, so you’ve got two paragraphs. Wellesley wants you to tell them a story, so what are you going to do with them?

First, narrow down your narrative. They want to read a story about you working with someone, or a group of people, with a different perspective or background from your own. When selecting what to write about, you need to think carefully, and strategically. If you pick someone who is in a somewhat ‘less powerful’ position than you, it could seem like you think that you are better than the person or people you are writing about. So, need to punch up, meaning that you focus on someone in an equal or more powerful position — a coworker, classmate, educator, or the like. Ideally, this should also not be about someone who was the recipient of charity work or volunteering that you took part in. 

“Punch” may be the wrong word, though, as there really shouldn’t be anything aggressive in this supplement. It’s about coming together, not pulling apart.

The most successful essays for this supplement will show the coming together of two people, or a group, to find common ground despite difference. You won’t be a hero, but you will be heroic in your ability to see beyond your preconceptions or assumptions.

Once you’ve shared your story, it’s important to pivot into what this means for you at Wellesley.

Wellesley takes applicant interest when reviewing your application, so it’s important to speak about the college in specifics so they know that you really know the school. Where will your ability to bring people together shine? Maybe in the dorms, a dining hall, or the Academic Quad. Or it could be through that builds bridges like Fusion, Mezcla, Wasa, or through student government. Whatever you pick, it should connect to your leading story and to your broader profile as an applicant. It shouldn’t be out of left field, but should echo activities, passions, or previous experiences that appear elsewhere in the application.

Finally, you need to close with a single sentence at the end of the paragraph reinforcing your interest in Wellesley precisely because it is a place that brings people together.

Wellesley is an outstanding all-women’s college that looks for a particular type of student: one that’s driven to do more than advance themselves, but to push all around them forward, too.

Applying to a top college requires strategy. Email us to learn more.