Highlights

The Wellesley Career Education model was dramatically transformed in Fall 2016, replacing the Center for Work and Service. The 2023-2024 academic year marks its eigth year. We are pleased to share highlighted data points that demonstrate our commitment to helping students to engage in career exploration, develop their personal advisory boards, participate in experiential learning, and implement a career action plan.

Total Appointments

for students and alums

2022-2023

6,662

2023-2024

7,056

6%

Inclusive Excellence

Inclusive excellence is a top priority at Wellesley College. The career education model takes into account the diversity in background, perspective, and career goals of all Wellesley students. We’ve been pleased to see engagement increase across class levels, disciplines, and distinct populations. The chart below demonstrates the appointments and event attendance across distinct populations of students in Fall 2023 and Spring 2024.

Overall 3.9 Out of 5

of all students had appointments, attended events, or participated in programs offered by Career Education in 2023-2024

76%

Humanities

77%

Science

83%

Social Sciences

60%

Davis Scholars

79%

First Generation

80%

First Years

76%

Sophomores

75%

Juniors

83%

Seniors

84%

International Students

84%

Asian/Asian-American

79%

Black/African-American

78%

Latinx

75%

Two or More Races

73%

White/Caucasian

Industry and Field Interests

Students and alums sign up for industry newsletters, and Career Education advisors stay in touch with them regularly to share jobs, internships, events, and deadlines connected to their fields of interest. These industry clusters connect students, alums, employers, and faculty who have the common goal of supporting Wellesley students in their pursuit of career success and satisfaction.

Total Number of Students & Alums in Each Career Grouping

1,715

Education, Nonprofit, & Social Impact

Technology, Engineering, Science, & Public Health

2,043

Technology, Engineering, Physical Science, & Public Health

1,370

Arts, Communications, & Media

1,446

Business, Consulting, Finance, Entrepreneurship

1,514

Government, Law, International Affairs, & Public Policy

1034

Health Professions

Connecting to the Wellesley Network

The cornerstone platform for alum and student connection is The Wellesley Hive, a digital space for mentorship and networking. In 2023-24, Career Education also continued two popular programs that each cultivate connections between alums and students. The Mentorship Affinity Pods (MAP) Program matches alums and students in mentorship pod groups based on self-identified industry interests and shared identity. Similarly, SHort Internship Projects (SHIPs) continued to generate opportunities for students to work with alums, employers, and campus partners.

Wellesley Hive Mentorship

8,406

Alum mentors in The Wellesley Hive

Mentorship Affinity Pods

93

mentorship pods, consisting of 5-10 members each. Examples of pods included Education, Entertainment, Marketing, Private Equity, Veterinary/Animals, and more.

MAP Registration Breakdown

696

MAP Program Registrations

226

Students

470

Alums

SHort Internship Projects (SHIPs)

SHort Internship Projects (SHIPs) are short-term, virtual experiences designed by alums, parents, employers and campus partners. All SHIPs are paid, virtual, and designed exclusively for first-year students.

68

students were hired for summer SHIPs.

Our intern showed promise in all of the NACE competencies. She took initiative and came to me with well thought out questions. She had opportunities to network with members of our company's senior leadership and Board of Directors, and to present her work to the full team. I was pleased to see her present herself with confidence and professionalism during each speaking opportunity.

SHIPs program sponsor

Summer 2024

Wellesley-Funded Internships

Internships help students connect theory to practice, confirm a professional interest, point them in a new direction, or open a surprising new door. Over 25% of all students participate in a Wellesley-funded internship during their four years. Thank you to our generous donors who have made these experiences possible.

Funded Opportunities

284

students were awarded internship stipends (271 Wellesley-funded; 13 employer-funded)

Countries of Employment

33

76 Wellesley-funded students worked internationally in 33 different countries.

States of Employment

21

208 Wellesley-funded students worked in 21 different states (plus Washington D.C.)

Awarding Credit

383

students received .5 non-academic credit for their summer internship experience or HIP

173

Class of 2025

119

Class of 2026

90

Class of 2027

Never count yourself out from an opportunity because you have convinced yourself that you "can not contribute" or that you don’t have the "experience" to take part in the internship. That is exactly what the Signature internships are for, to tap into the potential that all Wellesley Students have through these career and personal development opportunities. If you are interested in something apply for it, and you might surprise yourself with what you can bring to the narrative.

Olivia Torres ’25

Fundación En Vía Intern, Oaxaca Valley, Mexico

Learn about Wellesley-Funded Internships

Fellowships

Fellowships and scholarships can fund graduate or professional study, purposeful travel, professional placements, self-designed projects, and so much more. They can help students and alums build experience and qualifications, explore a passion, and clarify a path forward.

Funding

$1,084,687

Total awarded through Wellesley-funded & graduate fellowships in 2023-24. $874,687 of the total amount was funded by Wellesley.(Distribution amount as of 10/15/24)

Appointments

1,159

Total fellowships advising appointments, including pop-up advising

Highlighted Programs

Career Education has developed programs to help students explore various careers and develop their skills. Below we highlight a few significant programs for 2023-24: Embark: a First-Year Career Retreat; Upskill: Skill-Building Intensives; and the Pre-Med Scholars Program

Embark: First-Year Career Retreat

Embark is a free weekend-long immersive program that equips students with a toolkit to begin their career exploration. First-years discover how to identify and utilize their values and strengths through assessments and activities, hear career stories from Wellesley sibs, and learn about the variety of opportunities that are available to Wellesley students, like funded internships, study abroad, and research.

Embark Participants

178

first-year students (Class of 2027)

I think this program made me feel better about what my path could be following Wellesley. Nothing is ever set in stone no matter the degree you pursue. There can be wonderful opportunities awaiting us anywhere.

Embark Participant

2024

Upskill: Skill-Building Series

Upskill is a one-week, immersive experiential learning opportunity during wintersession where students gain hands-on experience and begin building skills in specific industries. Students work with experts, practitioners, and trainers to apply what they’re learning. In January 2024, there were three tracks offered: Coding Careers, Entrepreneurship, and Investment Banking.

Upskill Program Participation

55

students

18

Investment Banking

19

Entrepreneurship

19

Coding Careers

Pre-Med Scholars

The Pre-Med Scholars program supports Wellesley's inclusive excellence initiative, preparing students for careers in medicine by offering connections, information and opportunities during the crucial first year of college. The goal of the cohort program is to support students from low-income and first generation backgrounds in successfully preparing for and entering medical careers. 2023-2024 was the inaugural year of the program.

GUIDANCE 10/10: The Pre-Med Scholars Program offered a sense of comfort because I felt less anxious about things knowing that I could reach out to anyone. It feels like we are all here for each other which is great!

Pre-Med Scholars Program Participant

2023-2024

Participation

11

students participated in the full Pre-Med Scholars pilot program

Financial Need

100%

of participants were considered high financial need by the college

Annual Report 2023–2024