Half a year after graduating from Wellesley, 97% of the class of 2024 were employed, accepted to graduate schools, serving in the military, or participating in a service program, according to the College’s annual class destination survey, released in February.
Nearly 73% of the class of 2024 are employed; top employers include Microsoft, JPMorganChase, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, and Bloomberg. The top industries are education (22.36%); consulting, business, and finance (18.94%); and health care and life sciences (15.84%). All the respondents described their outcome as “an opportunity to grow and learn,” and 99.11% said they felt they were “engaged in meaningful work.”
Another 22.47% are in graduate programs. Top schools include Columbia University, Harvard University, MIT, the University of Oxford, Geneva Graduate Institute, and Stanford University.
Sahar Habibzai ’24 is now a student at the Tufts University School of Medicine. She says initially she was overwhelmed by the process of applying to medical school: “I remember thinking there were so many boxes I needed to check to be seen as a strong applicant. But authenticity will take you further than a million extracurricular activities. Find what you’re passionate about, and let that passion guide your journey.”
Members of the class of 2024 are taking diverse paths. Cheryl Minde ’24, for example, is working in Minneapolis as a staff assistant for U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar. Darcy Kim ’24 and Emma Sullivan ’24 received prestigious
Thomas J. Watson Fellowships, and Deborah Banketa ’24 was awarded Wellesley’s Susan Rappaport Knafel ’52 Fellowship, which funds a year of independent research and exploration abroad. Her project “focuses on studying transitional justice and reconciliation processes in countries with histories of violence,” she says. Since August 2024, Banketa, who was an international relations and history major, has visited seven countries—from South Korea to South Africa. She plans to finish off her year in Southeast Asia.
English major Aidan Reid ’24 is finishing her master’s degree in Shakespeare studies at King’s College London and is excited to continue her career in writing and communications. She credits Wellesley’s distribution requirements with helping her become a qualified candidate for graduate school. Though she wasn’t enthusiastic about them at first, she says, many of them ended up being her favorite classes.
Reid encourages students to “take advantage of all of the unique things Wellesley has to offer. Join clubs, study abroad, and take classes that have nothing to do with your major,” she says. “It can be easy to get into the rhythm of the school and forget to take advantage of everything else Wellesley has.”
Banketa also urges Wellesley students to “learn to take a break—and not feel guilty about it.” Banketa says she experienced that herself and that it had “a detrimental impact on both my physical and mental health. I hope all Wellesley students learn to be just as dedicated to resting as they are to their academics and extracurriculars.”
In addition, Banketa recommends checking out Wellesley’s Lulu Chow Wang ’66 Center for Career Education, which she says was incredibly helpful during her career planning: “I discovered so many opportunities through the Career Education website, and I made sure to schedule at least one appointment per semester. Those meetings were invaluable in helping me navigate my career path.”