Academics
Wesleyan University is a liberal arts school in Middletown, Connecticut that “allows students to explore a broad spectrum of subjects” through an “open curriculum” without core requirements beyond your major. Classes are “challenging, but aren’t so difficult that you don’t have time for extracurriculars and friends.” Plus, the small class sizes allow for connections and opportunity. One first-year student says they have already been “recommended as a TA to another professor.” Faculty members are “experts in their field and make learning challenging, yet rewarding,” and these “exceptional” professors “not only teach, but carry out their personal research as well, making sure to keep updated in this field.” In particular, students “have raved about the college of social studies, the college of letters,” and the “writing and the film” departments. Wesleyan also boasts the “highest STEM funding of any NESCAC school.” In addition to career development through the Gordon Career Center, Wesleyan students benefit from an “altruistic alumni network that takes pride in school culture and the well-being of current students.” And, students note, “because of Wesleyan’s no loan/reduced-loan policy, the school is a very affordable option to students who come from a low income background.”
Student Body
The Wesleyan “unofficial motto is ‘Keep Wes Weird,’ and it’s a credo students take seriously, whether it means playing their electric mandolin on Foss Hill or sleeping in the middle of the dining hall as their senior art thesis.” Wesleyan offers a “mixed bag of athletes, artsy kids, and hardcore STEM kids,” who “like to stay busy,” which extends to the prominent “political and social activism” on campus. The size of the campus is “perfect for meeting new students (even in your third or fourth years) and this helps drive students toward classes and activities that may not be on their radar at first.” The open curriculum means you’ll find students “with an array of interests that may seem strange outside of the Wesleyan Bubble, such as a double major in Theater and Molecular Biology, or a varsity athlete who finds time to be heavily involved with dance and theater.” “Wesleyan’s greatest strengths are its diversity and its willingness to engage in the hard questions,” one student remarks. It’s a community of “individuals who aren’t afraid to be themselves” and who “appreciate the differences in others.” Students come from a diverse set of backgrounds, including “first-generation/low-income” students, some who report experiencing “a bit of culture shock,” as first years, but stress that “most of the students here are friendly and easy to talk to.” If you are “trying to find yourself (on a personal, spiritual, academic level), Wesleyan is a good place to do that.” “It’s truly amazing to me how such a small school can be so engaged, energetic, and exciting.”
Campus Life
Wesleyan students are “committed to academics and many take more than a full course load,” so studying is the common activity on weeknights. On the weekends, students tend to “sleep in, go to brunch, and then do some work in the afternoon.” Wesleyan offers “theatrical or artistic performances throughout the semester,” as well as “movies in the on-campus theater,” where they show movies Wednesday to Saturday, and “a plethora of fun events like dance group performances, theater performances, athletic competitions, lecture series.” There are “winter or Halloween festivals that go on in Middletown (about a ten to fifteen minute walk from campus)” and “Wes kids also love murder mystery parties.” Sitting on Foss Hill when the weather is nice is the “most quintessential Wesleyan activity,” and students praise the housing, where “you progress from dorms to apartment-style living to wood frame houses as seniors,” along with “program houses.” Wesleyan hosts the “most competitive athletic teams in NESCAC Division III sports,” so “there are a lot of athletes on campus” and “many games students can attend, such as soccer, hockey, lacrosse, and football.” Weekends bring a mix of people together at the parties thrown by “senior houses, frats, and program houses like Art House and Music House.”
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