How to Apply to Mathematics at Wellesley College: A Women’s Liberal Arts College Without Admission by Major, Declaring by the End of Sophomore Year, No Application Fee and Test-Optional, for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

Wellesley College, in Massachusetts, is a women’s liberal arts college, and its undergraduate mathematics programme is offered by the Department of Mathematics & Statistics. Students apply to the College as a whole, not to the department. Here is what you need to know, based on the College’s website, organised for US domestic applicants, international applicants and applicants from China, followed by transfer students. Computer science is not covered here, and neither are other majors.

1. Who can apply: a women’s college

• The College’s gender policy says Wellesley “will consider for admission any applicant who lives as a woman and consistently identifies as a woman,” and uses female pronouns and other gendered language in institutional communications. The admission FAQ asks applicants to read the gender policy before applying; questions about eligibility can go to admission@wellesley.edu.
• The College describes itself as having about 2,300 students from more than 50 countries.

2. Degrees and areas

• The department’s programmes: the department page lists a mathematics major and minor and a statistics minor (recommended for students who want both theoretical foundations and applied data analysis). Mathematics and statistics are described as a core part of the liberal arts at Wellesley, and many students combine them with a minor or second major. The degree label (such as BA) is not given in the pages read.
• Major requirements: these are in the College catalog, which was not read. The degree requirements page says a major needs at least eight units, that many departments require more, and that at least two 300-level units must be in the major. Please check the “Major requirements” link on the department page.
• Course highlights (listed on the department page): MATH 223 Number Theory, MATH 340 Calderwood Seminar in Public Writing: Explaining Mathematics, and STAT 320 Introduction to Bayesian Statistical Methods. There is a Math Common Room, and students may take part in the Institute for Mathematics and Democracy housed at Wellesley.
• Data science: the department page mentions a data science major, which is not covered here.

3. How admission to the major works: apply to the College, declare after entry

• At application: the application pages and FAQ do not ask applicants to apply to a major or say that applicants are admitted by major; applications are reviewed holistically by the admission committee. Whether the application asks for an intended major is not stated in the pages read; please ask the admissions office.
• Declaring the major: the Registrar’s degree requirements page says a major declaration should be on file by the end of the second semester of sophomore year, or by the end of the first semester if you plan to study away in junior year; the major is officially confirmed in the fall of senior year. A student may have one major, a major and a minor, or two majors, but not two majors and a minor or a major and two minors. A grade requirement or cap on places is not stated in the pages read.
• College-wide quantitative requirement: all students must satisfy the Quantitative Reasoning and Data Literacy requirement. The QR part is met by passing QR 140 or passing the online QR assessment, ideally in the first year; the data literacy part needs a designated course, and an AP Statistics score of 5 is equivalent to QR/STAT 150 for that part.

4. Prerequisites and placement

• High school math: the FAQ says the most competitive applicants typically take the five core subject areas (English, math, history/social science, science and language) each year, and encourages taking advanced, accelerated or honors courses if offered. Which math course is required is not stated in the pages read.
• Showing quantitative readiness: the FAQ lists a math-based standardized test score (SAT, ACT, PSAT, Pre-ACT, AP, or predicted IB/A-Level results); achievement in precalculus, calculus or advanced high school statistics; and reporting participation or awards in math competitions or extracurricular activities. The College also says the committee is particularly interested in demonstrated writing and quantitative skills.
• AP/IB credit (Registrar): Calculus AB 4 or 5 earns 1 unit (MATH 115); Calculus BC 4 or 5 earns 2 units (MATH 115 and 116, or 115 and 120); credit may be received for AB or BC but not both, and an AB subscore of 4 or 5 on the BC exam earns 1 unit. Statistics 5 earns 1 unit (QR 150 / STAT 150). Each IB higher-level exam with a 5, 6 or 7 earns 1 unit. No more than 2 units in one department and 4 units in total; most departments give no AP/IB credit towards the major or minor (see each department’s “Directions for Election” in the catalog); AP/IB exams cannot be taken after matriculation; credit is added in the spring of sophomore year and removed if the material is repeated at Wellesley.
• Honors sequence: the pages read do not describe an honors math sequence.

5. Deadlines and application materials

• Deadlines: Early Decision I (binding) 1 November, with notification in mid-December; Early Decision II 5 January (the international FAQ gives 1 January, so the two pages differ; check the latest from the admissions office), with notification in mid-February; Regular Decision 8 January, with notification in late March. Reply dates are early January, late February and 1 May. Quarter grades are due 16 November (ED I) and 11 January (ED II); mid-year grades 10 February (RD) and 12 March (ED, enrolling students only). The pages show no year, so check that they apply to fall 2027 entry.
• How to apply and fee: the Common Application, the Coalition Application or the QuestBridge Application, considered equally; there is no application fee. Early Decision applicants complete an Early Decision Agreement signed by the student, a parent or guardian and a counselor.
• Essays: a personal essay of 250 to 650 words and a Wellesley-specific essay of 250 to 400 words on an experience working alongside people of different backgrounds or perspectives, why it mattered and what lessons you will bring.
• Recommendations: two teacher recommendations (the pages read do not require a math teacher); the counselor submits transcripts and the School Report, preferably with a school profile. The College says it does not offer interviews.
• Testing: the College is test optional for fall 2027 entry, and says about 45% of enrolling first-years applied without testing. SAT or ACT scores are accepted if you choose to send them (the new ACT with or without science). Applicants indicate their choice in the application.

6. US domestic applicants

• Tuition (2026-27, resident students): the cost page lists a single price, with no in-state or out-of-state difference: tuition $72,570, housing $12,020, meals $11,186 and a student activity fee of $360 (billed directly), plus books of about $800, personal expenses of about $1,250 and transportation that varies (not billed). Massachusetts requires health insurance, and the College’s plan fee can be waived with qualifying coverage. The rates for fall 2027 entry are not stated in the pages read.
• Aid: the College says admission is need-blind for U.S. citizens and permanent residents and that it meets 100% of calculated need; nearly 60% of students receive aid, over $84 million was awarded in 2025-26, and the average annual grant is $70,519. The admission FAQ says students from families earning under $150,000 with typical assets attend tuition-free, while the Tuition Promise and cost pages say that starting in fall 2027 US students from families with total income under $200,000 and typical assets attend tuition-free, with no loans for incomes up to $100,000. The two figures differ; the Tuition Promise page is the one stated for fall 2027, but please confirm. Eligibility for the Promise requires being a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, the student and parents residing and working in the United States, and the student living on campus with the meal plan.
• In-state priority or guaranteed admission: not stated in the pages read.

7. International applicants

• Who counts as international: anyone who is not a U.S. citizen or permanent resident; applicants from schools outside the US only need to submit the Common Application or Coalition Application, with no extra application form.
• English requirements: an English proficiency exam is not required. If English is not your native language and you have studied in an English-based curriculum for fewer than four years, the College strongly recommends one of: TOEFL (iBT or Essentials), Duolingo English Test, IELTS, Cambridge C1 Advanced / C2 Proficiency / C1 Business Higher, InitialView, a Vericant Standard Interview (with writing sample) or GTEC CBT. If the committee feels a test would help and you have not taken one, the admissions office provides a waiver code. Wellesley offers no ESL courses. No minimum scores are published in the pages read.
• Materials: official transcripts for all schools attended in the previous four years (original language plus translation if not in English) and the School Report; certified copies of all academic diplomas and government examination certificates, bearing an official seal or certification (these cannot replace the transcript); two recommendations from academic instructors, at least one evaluating your English reading, writing and speaking; and, for aid applicants, a Financial Aid Intent Form after submitting the application. The CSS Profile is needed only if staff ask for it.
• Aid: admission is need-aware for international citizens, only a limited number of awards are available, and the competition is described as very strong; for those admitted, the College funds the full calculated need. You must apply for aid when applying for admission; aid applications are not accepted after decisions, and students who do not receive aid at admission cannot apply later. The cost of attendance for international students does not include travel.

8. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: whether Gaokao results are considered or how they are used is not published on the pages read; please contact the admissions office.
• Transcripts and school-leaving materials: no China-specific requirements are published; the general international requirements are in section 7. The examples of certificates the page lists are from India, Kenya, Hong Kong and Malaysia, not mainland China.
• International curricula: students taking AP or IB can use the credit rules in section 4 and these results can also show quantitative readiness.

9. Costs, scholarships and outcomes

• Costs: see section 6.
• Department scholarships: the department page read does not mention math-specific scholarships.
• Outcomes: the department’s career link points to another host (careereducation.wellesley.edu), which was not read; the pages read print no employment data for math majors.

10. Transfer students

• Eligibility: at least two full semesters at an accredited college; to earn a Wellesley degree you must complete at least two years (16 units) at the College, so only incoming sophomores and juniors can apply; all courses are in person and full-time; online colleges, students holding a bachelor’s degree, and spring entry are not accepted. Women aged 24 or older, or who are U.S. veterans or parents, apply to the Elisabeth Kaiser Davis Degree Program.
• Deadlines and materials: application due 1 March; supporting materials within a week; self-reported midterm grades 24 March; financial aid materials 1 April; decisions in early May; reply 1 June; final college transcript 15 June. The pages show no year, so check. There is no application fee; use the Common Application for Transfer. Materials: a statement on your reasons for transferring, the Wellesley essay, the final high school transcript, all college transcripts, a college report, course catalog descriptions and two recent college instructor recommendations; no School Report. Testing is optional.
• Math preparation: the College says transfer applicants should show strong analytical writing and solid foundational math, ideally through precalculus or college-level statistics.
• Credit transfer: an estimate of transfer credit comes only with the admission letter. The admission transfer page says community college economics and department-approved community college lab sciences, single-semester language courses (transferable once the second semester of that level is complete) and first-year seminars generally transfer, but the Registrar’s page says two-year college economics is not eligible and that biology, chemistry, neuroscience and physics taken before enrolment need case-by-case department approval, so the two pages differ; check the Registrar’s latest rules. Courses that typically do not transfer include math before calculus (precalculus, college algebra, trigonometry), non-liberal-arts courses, pass/fail courses (unless a professor confirms at least a C), grades of C-minus or below, online, distance or self-paced courses and MOOCs (remote summer courses 2020-2026 are an exception), internships and workshops, courses under 0.5 units, and college courses on the high school transcript. At most 16 units transfer, up to 4 from AP/IB, with limits on distribution requirements. For international institutions, credit evaluation is requested only after a year of successful study at Wellesley. International transfer applicants seeking aid are need-aware and must apply for aid at application.
• Math major: GPA or calculus/linear algebra prerequisites for math transfer students are not stated in the pages read.

Checklist

US domestic applicants:

• ED I 1 November; ED II 5 January; RD 8 January; no fee; two teacher recommendations and two essays; testing optional
• Financial aid materials share the application dates (see Student Financial Services)

International applicants (including China):

• No English exam required but strongly recommended with under four years of English-based study; two academic recommendations (one on English); certified diplomas and exam certificates
• Aid must be requested at application via the Financial Aid Intent Form, with limited places

After entry:

• Complete the quantitative reasoning requirement in the first year; declare the major by the end of the second semester of sophomore year

Transfer students:

• Fall only, 1 March; two full semesters completed; at least two years (16 units) at Wellesley

Sources: Wellesley College, Mathematics and Statistics department; Apply and key dates; First-year applicants; International applicants; Transfer and Davis Degree Program; Admission FAQs; Gender policy; Degree requirements; AP/IB credit; Transfer credit; Cost of attendance; Student Financial Services; Wellesley Tuition Promise; International student financial aid. The admissions pages show no year on their dates (the testing policy is stated for fall 2027 entry), so check that the dates apply to fall 2027 and see the College’s website for the latest.