HERE are some of the most frequently asked questions I get about going to a women’s college.

Q: Did graduating from a women’s college make you feel awkward talking to men?

A: No. I actually found myself more confident talking to either men or women because I learned to express myself with­out the need to impress, with­out getting tongue-tied and without feeling embarrassed.

Q: Do girls at a women’s college get competitive in terms of wearing expen­sive clothes, cosmetics or jewelry?

A: If anything, we vied more over how much one could drink rather than how rich our parents were.

I once worked alongside an­other girl at the campus post office for US$8 an hour, and only later did I come to find out that her family owned a fancy vacation house that once belonged to a US senator. I remember classmates for the pajamas and sweaters more than for the Chanel they wore.

Q: Did you become ex­tremely feminist because you went to a women’s college?

A: I am not sure what it means to be “extremely femi­nist,” but I support the equal rights of men and women. And I am aware that equality of gender is not perfect yet in the US, China or anywhere else in the world.

I also feel a woman should not be evaluated by her age, beauty, reproductive ability or wealth. Someone who is not married at age 28 shouldn’t be ostracized by society.

Q: Do you all have to wake up at 7am and go to bed at 10pm?

A: No. It was quite the op­posite. Maybe the girls in dorm crew wake up that early.

Q: How can I apply?

A: Applying to a school like Wellesley is no different from applying to any other school in the US.

But it is important to think about it well in advance and make preparations. I have heard that some school coun­selors advise Chinese parents to make the decision about their children studying abroad before their children enter the eighth grade.

It might be wise, consider­ing the application process is much more competitive now than my time, but I think it’s still important for the child to be involved in mak­ing the choice. Overly zealous parents pushing a reticent child in some direction aren’t really helping that child’s development.

SARAH Kochling

Class of 1990

Managing principal, Blossom Innovation Consultancy

“Firstly, you should clarify — it’s not parents who should be applying. It’s the students who should be leading the application process because of genuine interest in our institution, not just their parents’ urging or because of the cachet of our brand name.

I think Chinese parents need to know that top schools like Wellesley are looking for authentically interesting and interested candidates, so parents pushing their kids and reaching out to schools on their behalf is actually counter-productive.

The key is supporting the child to explore a variety of schools/academic programs so that he/she is able to independently discover and passionately communicate his/her genuine preferences and interests.”

Elizabeth Stevenson Haefliger

Class of 1993

President of Shanghai Wellesley Club, professional parent, part-time freelance technical writer

“If time and finances permit, visit the campus of any school before deciding to enroll there. It is the only way to get a true sense of the environment and community and to know if it is the right place for you. No school is perfect but a college student needs to discover independently their niche, people, best habits and talents.”

Christin Mary Hokenstad Kos

Class of 1994

Consultant in international development, currently on family leave as a mother of two young boys and student of Mandarin

“Come to Wellesley College if you are looking to both develop your intellect as well as your understanding of self with the goal of making our world a better place. If you just want a diploma from a leading school, then you will not thrive at it.”

What do you consider the most valuable from your Wellesley experience?

Betty Barr

Class of 1954

Retired teacher from Shanghai International Studies University

“Wellesley, like other American liberal arts colleges, gave me the chance to explore new fields that I knew nothing about. I shall always be glad that I studied such subjects as art, botany and sociology as well as my major, English, and my minor, music.”

Jean Liu

Class of 1985

Senior vice president, corporate affairs, EF China

“There were four students from China’s mainland when I started at Wellesley in 1982 and six when I graduated in 1985. What I liked most is the absolute confidence everyone had in me and the unwavering support at the same time. The balance of challenging and nurturing made life as a foreign student exciting and safe at once.”

Jennifer Wu

Class of 2010

Media and business development manager

“My time as a student at Wellesley encapsulated some of the most formative years of my life. People talk about the strongest women’s network in the world, lifelong friendships, etc. What’s most powerful is that you develop a certain confidence in knowing that you really can do anything you apply yourself to.”

Candice Snowden

Class of 2011

English instructor at Nanjing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine

“The connections, guanxi, that I carried during my time at Wellesley and since I have graduated are by far the most valuable things I have gained from the college. And those are connections that can take you far — after all, it’s taken me 13,000+ kilometers away from my home to Nanjing!”

Shirley Wu

Class of 2013

A consultant at Kantar Retail, a retail consulting company

“For me, it was the amazing friendship I have made with many smart and genuine women. These Wellesley friends not only support me through my personal and professional growth, but also challenge me with difficult intellectual questions.”

Shannon Hasenfratz

Class of 2016

“The most valuable thing is that you’re surrounded by students, alumnae, faculty and staff with drive and ambition to pursue not just their own goals, but help others achieve theirs. This year, some friends and I advocated to have alternate alphabets printed on our graduation diplomas, which the administration ultimately agreed to do for the first time in Wellesley’s history!”

What is a Wellesley Woman?

Mishi Saran

Class of 1990

Writer

“Wellesley works on a young girl’s psyche on multiple levels, through repeatedly challenging deeply rooted social assumptions about what women can and cannot do. Here was a place where women were primarily celebrated for their thoughts and achievements, not their looks or marriage prospects.”

Melissa Lam

Class of 1993

General manager and chief representative, EF China

“To truly embrace the Wellesley motto: Non Ministrari sed Ministrare, “Not to be ministered unto but to minister” and try to make a difference in the world and not be a passive bystander.”

Philana Woo

Class of 2006

Senior strategist

“She is a Conscious Citizen of the World, someone who truly understands that it is not about gender, class, ethnicity, religion… A Wellesley woman is a human with the fullest understanding of humanity, with the power to make the world a better place.”

Victoria Yu

Class of 2016

“A Wellesley Woman is passionate, dedicated and unapologetically herself. She is fierce and bold, yet soft and tender. She is a leader and a follower, always learning from those around her and supporting them to her best ability.”