Wellesley College Sees Record Increase in Applicants

WELLESLEY, MA – Wellesley College has seen a recent explosion in popularity recently, reporting a 17 percent jump in applicants from last year and a 39 percent increase over the past decade. According to the school, Wellesley experienced growth in applicants not just from the northeast, but from the midwest, mid-Atlantic, west and – the largest jump – the south.

"These record numbers tell an important story about women today," Dean of Admission and Financial Aid Joy St. John said in a statement. "Young women everywhere are seeking out the immense value and advantages that come with being part of a college like Wellesley, which is renowned for its rigor, its world-class faculty, and its track record of educating women who make a difference in the world."

Twenty-one percent of applicants were granted admission this year. They hail from 921 high schools in 50 states and 42 countries. Ten percent are international citizens, 13 percent are relatives of Wellesley students and alumni and 15 percent will achieve a milestone as the first generation in their families to receive a post-secondary degree.

"We are in a transformative moment in time for women, and the extraordinary students who have been offered admission to Wellesley, who come from an incredibly diverse range of backgrounds and interests, are considering Wellesley in record numbers because they know Wellesley is uniquely able to prepare them for lives of leadership and service," St. John said.

By Daderot (Own work [Public domain]), via Wikimedia Commons