Wesleyan, Notable Alumni Welcome the Class of 2024

Wesleyan received 12,752 applications for its Class of 2024, offering admission to 2,531 students (19.8%) from a competitive, diverse applicant pool.

“In one of Wesleyan’s most competitive years, we selected students as much for their character and personal promise as their outstanding achievements and talents,” said Vice President and Dean of Admission and Financial Aid Amin Abdul-Malik Gonzalez ’96. “I am proud of the fact that, statistically, the Class of 2024 is among the most distinguished group of students ever admitted who will undoubtedly contribute to our educational community in dynamic ways. They are bright, motivated individuals who love learning and are eager to make an impact. We, in turn, are eager to welcome them to campus and assist them in those efforts.”

Admitted students hail from 51 different countries, with international students making up 10% of the admitted class and 83% living outside of New England. Nearly half (49%) are students of color and 13% are the first generation in their family to attend college.

“From across the country and overseas, from as far away as Singapore to right here in Middletown, the Class of 2024 includes third-generation Wesleyan legacies, a good number of first-generation college-bound students, exceptionally talented athletes and artists, environmental activists, quirky intellectuals, STEM enthusiasts, and many more,” Gonzalez said.

Wesleyan was a leader among selective institutions in making standardized testing optional for applicants in 2014. The change allows students more control in how they present themselves to the admission committee and is intended to improve access for underserved communities, students of color, and first-generation scholars who may not have access to standardized test preparation opportunities. Of those admitted to the Class of 2024, 78% made their test scores available, with median scores of 34 ACT Composite, 750 SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing, and 770 SAT Math.

Prepared to work across the full Wesleyan curriculum, the vast majority of admitted students have taken calculus (88%), biology/chemistry/physics (82%), and four years of foreign language study (80%) as part of their high school preparatory studies. Around 45% of admitted students applied for need-based financial aid, with Wesleyan meeting the full demonstrated need for all those admitted.

The students include 424 admitted and matriculating through Wesleyan’s early decision program, 23 students through QuestBridge (a nonprofit program that connects the nation’s most exceptional low-income students with leading colleges and scholarship opportunities around the United States), and eight Wesleyan Posse veterans as part of the University’s seventh year of partnership with the Posse Foundation.

Wesleyan typically hosts a three-day WesFest celebration on campus for admitted students in April. This year, that in-person celebration has been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, the University has been hosting ongoing virtual WesFest events, and admitted students also received welcome messages from notable graduates like composer, actor, and director Lin-Manuel Miranda’02, Hon. ’15.

“These students’ impressive credentials do not adequately convey their individual or collective intellectual curiosity, leadership capacity, resilience in the face of adversity, social conscience, or strength of character,” Gonzalez said. “We so look forward to them bringing out the best in each other.”