If you’re reading this page, you’ve probably been waitlisted to Wellesley College. First of all, good on you for doing some research rather than just sitting around and hoping for the best. Second of all — take a deep breath! Being waitlisted might not be the awesome news you had hoped for, but it’s still much better than a flat-out rejection. And, if you play your cards right, you still have a chance of one day joining Hilary Clinton, Nora Ephron, Madeleine Albright, and many other fierce women in the ranks of Wellesley alumnae! 

First, let’s look at Wellesley’s admissions statistics from the past 17 admissions cycles. We’ve gathered this data directly from Wellesley’s self-reporting to The Common Data Set.

Wellesley Waitlist Acceptance Rates and Statistics (Classes of 2028 – 2011)

Wellesley College Class Year	Number of Students Waitlisted to Wellesley	Number of Students Who Chose to Join Wellesley’s Waitlist	Number of Students Accepted Off Wellesley’s Waitlist	Wellesley’s Waitlist Acceptance Rate
Wellesley Class of 2029	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD
Wellesley Class of 2028	2,389	1,180	19	1.60%
Wellesley Class of 2027	2,578	1,304	44	3.40%
Wellesley Class of 2026	Not Reported	Not Reported	Not Reported	Not Reported
Wellesley Class of 2025	2,252	926	52	5.60%
Wellesley Class of 2024	2,061	1,221	99	8.10%
Wellesley Class of 2023	1,909	1,245	36	2.90%
Wellesley Class of 2022	2,032	1,153	36	3.10%
Wellesley Class of 2021	1,641	957	23	2.40%
Wellesley Class of 2020	1,404	843	30	3.60%
Wellesley Class of 2019	1,182	687	85	12.40%
Wellesley Class of 2018	1,091	594	23	3.90%
Wellesley Class of 2017	Not Reported	Not Reported	Not Reported	Not Reported
Wellesley Class of 2016	1,162	551	87	15.80%
Wellesley Class of 2015	1,049	495	0	0%
Wellesley Class of 2014	900	543	30	5.50%
Wellesley Class of 2013	816	421	11	2.60%
Wellesley Class of 2012	719	381	0	0%
Wellesley Class of 2011	737	395	10	2.50%

Your Chances of Admission to Wellesley After Being Waitlisted

Phew, that was a lot of numbers! What do they mean? Over the last 17 years, Wellesley has reported its waitlist statistics for 15 different admissions cycles. The average waitlist acceptance rate for those 15 cycles is 4.6%. 

It’s not 100%, but it’s also not 0%. The good news is that you don’t have to rely on chance alone. If you approach Wellesley correctly after being waitlisted, you can stay on the sunny side of that 4.6%. To do so requires having just the right touch. 

Your Chances of Admission to Wellesley After Being Waitlisted with Ivy Coach’s Help

Over the past 30 years, around 40% of students who have turned to Ivy Coach after being placed on an elite university’s waitlist have received admission. That’s compared to an only around 10% acceptance rate for the average waitlisted applicant. 

Our team of former elite admissions officers has developed a tried and true method for getting students off a university’s waitlist and onto its campus. Here at Ivy Coach, we like to call that method the two-step: 

1. Complete Ivy Coach’s PostMortem application review. We need to see what students did successfully and what they did wrong in their Wellesley application. The narrative we help craft can’t have fallen from the sky. Instead, it should be consistent with the story conveyed in the Wellesley application — just told with more conviction and power this time around (hint: with a singular hook!). 
2. Submit a compelling Letter of Continued Interest. Most students know they must submit a letter after being waitlisted to ultimately receive admission. And most know they should do so quickly. But most students don’t know what to write in that letter — the most crucial part. Ivy Coach’s letters to Wellesley contain no brags or updates. It’s a big reason why they’re so often successful. We inspire admissions officers at Wellesley to root for our students! 

Contact Ivy Coach For Help With Wellesley College’s Waitlist

If you’re interested in optimizing your chance of admission off Wellesley’s waitlist to the Class of 2029, complete Ivy Coach’s complimentary consultation form and indicate that Wellesley has waitlisted you. We will then be in touch about our services. We understand how important it is to spring into action quickly and that your letter must be sent to Wellesley ASAP.