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Wellesley College

Wellesley, Massachusetts4-yearPrivate

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Campus experience

Everything About Us All at Once

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What It's Like to Be Here

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The Power of Place: An Aerial Tour of Wellesley College

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Roommates: Paige & Gabi (&Fabi)

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Coursework

Africana Studies

A sample of courses for this department

AFR 390 Seminar: No Moral High Ground, A History of Slavery and Racism in the North

American slavery was a national crime. Every state in colonial America enslaved black people. However, the North’s profit from—indeed, dependence on—slavery has mostly been a shameful and well-kept secret. This course reveals the history of the slave trade and slavery in the American North. We grapple with New England in particular as we examine the lives of the enslaved people in places that feel incredibly “close to home.” From there, we will explore how after the Civil War, structural racism and white supremacy manifested in the policy, housing, education, and policing systems of northern cities and states. This course covers the false promises of the Great Migration and the myth of an equal North in the face of Jim Crow South. Ultimately, this class uses history to combat the idea that slavery and racism are regional.

Expected class size: 15
Taught by: Kellie C. Jackson

AFR 225 Introduction to Black Psychology

This course is designed to provide an overview of Black psychology as a field of study. Both conceptual frameworks and empirical research related to the psychology of individuals of African descent will be presented, with appropriate historical and sociopolitical context. Topics include the Black child, Black youth, achievement and schooling, kinship and family, identity development and socialization, gender norms and behaviors, sexuality, religion and spirituality, wellness, and mental health. The course will also look at the psychology of Black people through the lenses of gender, ethnicity/nationality/culture, and religion. Additionally, this course will explore the legacies of enslavement, racism, discrimination, and racial violence as factors in Black psychology, as well as the role of the Black social movement in the psychology of Black people. The course will incorporate current topics and controversies related to Black psychology, as well as recent advances in the field of Black psychology.

Expected class size: 30
Taught by: Lindsay-Dennis

Local area

Wellesley, MA, New England

Wellesley College sits on a lakeside campus 12 miles outside of Boston in the town of Wellesley. It’s small town vibes, with a quintessential New England mainstreet and loads of charm—plus direct access to the big city via 17 (yes, 17!) free daily shuttles.

Top things to do

The Big Cities (Boston/Cambridge)

Also known as Boston and Cambridge, home to a combined 250,000 college students, and full of cultural exchange, scientific discovery, and world-class historical and cultural sites.

New England Nature

It’s what New England is known for—the hiking, the skiing, the sailing and sun bathing, and, of course, the old classic leaf peeping.

Cultural Sites

A comprehensive, but not exhaustive, list: World-class museums, like the Museum of Fine Arts and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum; Rich history along Boston’s Freedom Trail and in places like Lexington, Concord, and Plymouth; and Game days at Fenway Park, the oldest baseball stadium in the country.

Student groups

Student-run groups and organizations
233

Audio Engineering Society

Special Interest Organization

Brandeis-Wellesley Orchestra (BWO)

Performance Organization

Girls Who Code

Volunteer Organization

MIT Wellesley Toons

Performance Organization

Neuroscience Club

Academic Organization

She's the First at Wellesley College (STF)

Social Justice And Awareness Organization

Study away & study abroad

Wellesley study abroad is all about opening yourself to the world. You’ll choose from over 180 programs in just about any country—from Egypt to Italy, Cyprus to Switzerland, Argentina, Ecuador, and South Africa, France, England, and Cameroon, China and Sri Lanka. Just to name a few. About half of Wellesley juniors spend time abroad—some at a university, some at an internship, some with a Wellesley professor and a cohort of their Wellesley siblings. Most importantly, your Wellesley financial aid travels with you, meaning your time abroad likely won’t cost any more than a semester at Wellesley. Note: In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Wellesley designed several innovative programs that provided students safe and meaningful study abroad experiences. We will continue to monitor the pandemic to ensure that these experiences are available to future Wellesley students.

Featured programs

Wellesley-in-Aix

Location: Aix-en-Provence, France

Wellesley/Middlebury in Chile

Location: Santiago or Valpariso, Chile

Financial aid case study

The Truth about Money

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Annual cost

Out-of-state Tuition$60,424
In-state Tuition$60,424
Room & Board$18,288
Books, supplies, and other fees$3,378