Students who choose to go to Wellesley know the College offers a world-class education, a serene campus, and a powerful alum network. But it also provides many perks and amenities they may not have heard about. Here are some campus favorites:
Laundry
This essential service is completely free for students who live in the residence halls. At some other schools students pay $2 or more per load; here, they can simply press “start” to wash and dry their clothing.
“I do multiple loads of laundry at a time on wash days, so I can’t even begin to imagine how much that would run me if it was $2 or $3 per load,” says Callie Morris ’29. “I also would hate having to scrounge for coins, especially when college itself is already so pricey.”
Wellesley’s Young Democratic Socialists of America chapter even provides free laundry detergent for those who need it.
Sexual health supplies
Wellesley is committed to reproductive and sexual health, and provides supplies for students in designated spots on campus. For example, a little vending machine on the first floor of Billings near the Office of Student Wellness contains contraceptives, menstrual products, and pregnancy tests, all available to students at no cost. Condoms can also be found in the laundry rooms and in the dorms, courtesy of the Sexual Health Educators (SHEs), a group of Wellesley students who teach their peers about issues relating to sexual health and safety.
“All of the SHEs have little caddies outside their doors,” SHEs co-president Sada Kalbach ’26 says. “Those will have lube, internal condoms, external condoms, and dental dams. We also provide pregnancy tests upon request.” Kalbach says the SHEs want Wellesley students to be “as healthy as possible in terms of their sexual health … we just want to make sure that these supplies are free and accessible, which is a large part of our ethos.”
Transportation
All the opportunities in Boston and its surroundings are accessible to Wellesley students thanks to the Local Motion bus, better known as the LOCO. On weekdays, the free bus serves as an exchange shuttle, connecting Wellesley to spots near or on the Harvard and MIT campuses. Wellesley students who are cross-registered at MIT, have research or job opportunities in the city, or just want to explore Boston can be dropped off directly at MIT, Harvard, and Marlboro Market, among other stops.
“The LOCO is very convenient, and very necessary,” Lily Mortensen ’29 says. “I go out in the city often to shop, to hang out with friends, and get a change of scenery.”
(On weekends, students can take the Senate Bus to Cambridge or Boston using tokens or punch passes that can be purchased at the Lulu Chow Wang Campus Center, for $3 per ride.)
Warm and professional clothing
The Wellesley Students’ Aid Society (WSAS), a nonprofit on campus that is separate from the College, provides all kinds of assistance to students, especially during the cold Massachusetts winters. Many students hail from warmer states, such as California or Texas, and may not have arrived with a winter coat. The WSAS offers winter clothing grants of $150 that students can apply for so they can purchase whatever they may need to stay warm. (The WSAS also provides funds to students who receive financial aid, separate from the College’s aid award. It gives a $300 welcome gift check to first-years; $250 Amazon gift cards to sophomores, juniors, and seniors; and a $500 gift check to seniors at commencement.)
Students who need business attire for interviews can head to the Lulu Chow Wang ’66 Center for Career Education to borrow appropriate outfits free of charge. “We have blazers and pants in a range of sizes and styles. Any student can come at any point, just drop in and check out a suit,” says Tess Mattern, director of marketing and operations for Career Education. “They can check them out for a week, and then return them. No need to dry clean. We’ll take care of the dry cleaning costs when they drop it off.”
Food
Students who opt in to the dining plan have access to breakfast, lunch, and dinner at any of the four dining halls on campus and unlimited access to food any time the dining halls are open. They don’t have to swipe in to eat, and they are not limited to one plate per meal.
“It’s good that we can take as much food as we want and don’t have to think about rationing dining dollars,” Morris says. “We already are so stressed and busy with classes and clubs, we shouldn’t have to think about sustenance, too. I also think all students being on the same meal plan is great because it gets rid of the economic class divide.”
Life after Wellesley
When applying for jobs and internships, students can get professional headshots taken for free, courtesy of Career Education. “We just thought it would be a great tool for students who are looking to update their LinkedIn profile and keep that fresh,” Mattern says. “We have a beautiful campus, so we try to take photos outside as often as possible to give students a sense of space and where they’re from.”
Career Education also offers a free test-prep book loan program for students studying for graduate school tests, like the GRE or the MCAT. “They can keep the books for four months in advance of their date of taking the test,” says Mattern. “Those books are just really expensive, so we saw a need for students to have access to them.”
And the benefits from Career Education don’t end at graduation: “If you’re an alum, and you’re 30, 40, 50, 60, and trying to make a career transition, you can always come back to Wellesley,” Mattern says. “So, also just something to keep in mind. We’re here for you for life.”