International Applicants

Important Changes for First-Year Applicants

Please note that the Office of Admission has made important changes that you can read about in the blue shaded box below. We encourage you to contact the Office of Admission should you have any questions.

students laughing while descending the steps in front of Tower

International Applicants

The application: an overview

Wellesley is proud to claim a long history of engagement with the world. Our 2,300 students come from more than 80 countries; many of our faculty were trained or currently conduct research abroad; and many of our most prominent programs, from the Albright Institute to the Wellesley Centers for Women, are explicitly global in scope. Our stunning 500-acre campus is located in the suburban town of Wellesley, 12 miles from Boston and Cambridge, one of the world’s great concentrations of intellectual, entrepreneurial, and technological innovation.

For many students, Wellesley is a transformative experience. We appreciate your interest, and we’re excited to learn more about you.

Important Updates for First-Year Applicants

Suspension of Standardized Testing Requirement (Updated April 2022)

Wellesley College has temporarily suspended its standardized test requirement for a four-year period of review. Applicants to Wellesley for entry in 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 are not required to submit SAT or ACT test results with their applications.

Our holistic, committee-based application review process gives us the flexibility to evaluate each applicant’s full record within the context of their available resources. While standardized tests have long served as an external benchmark of college readiness, they are one factor among many that we can consider in the admission process.

Regardless of an applicant’s decision to submit test scores, the admission committee is particularly interested in an applicant’s demonstrated writing and quantitative skills as key predictors for success in Wellesley’s curriculum.

Academic preparation for admission

Your academic preparation as an applicant for admission to Wellesley should include:

training in writing
the interpretation of literature
mathematics
at least one laboratory science
other academic studies customary for university admission
fluency in all areas of the English language: reading, writing, and verbal skills.

Wellesley does not offer courses in intensive English or in English as a second language (ESL).

Financial aid for international students

Financial assistance is available for a limited number of international citizens. Wellesley is committed to meeting 100 percent of calculated need for all admitted international citizens who have applied for financial aid during the admission process. Its purpose is to support highly qualified candidates who could not otherwise attend Wellesley. Because of the keen competition for these funds, candidates should apply for them only if family resources cannot adequately meet College expenses. In determining the amount of aid given, the College examines the financial resources of the student and her family through information provided on financial aid forms. A well-formulated financial plan is required of all financial aid applicants. For more information on financial aid for international students, please see Financial Aid for International Applicants.

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