Wesleyan University is a small liberal arts college in Middletown, CT. Famous alumni include both Lin-Manuel Miranda and Michael Bay–what an assortment. It’s considered a “Little Ivy” and uniquely, does not have a set of core classes for all undergrads to take. They seem to pride themselves on flexibility, going so far as to say “deadlines are important to us, however we will accept applications submitted up to one week after the deadline,” on their Common App information page.
“Hold up,” you’re thinking. “Wesleyan doesn’t have a supplement.”
Correct, and that kind of attention to detail will get you far.
Here’s the deal, Wesleyan is crazy competitive. In 2026, they had their lowest-ever acceptance rate of 13.9% for Regular Decision students. For ED1 and ED2, they see much higher numbers–44% and 32%, respectively. That means they’re looking for students who really, really want to be at Wesleyan, and applying Early is the best way to do that. So how can you set yourself apart when there’s no supplement? Send an email.
The Email
Frequent readers of the blog are familiar with our classic Why *insert college here* essay format, and you’re going to draw your inspiration for your email from that template.
HOWEVER (!!!!) this is not an essay. It’s an email. You cannot wax poetic about Wesleyan for hundreds of words like you could in some essays. Instead, try to cap your email at 400 words max. Less, if you can crack it.
Start with an origin story, something that explains how you decided on what you want to study. If you’re undecided, just go with whatever you’re most interested in, in general. If you’re interested in the Science in Society major, you could talk about dressing up like Marie Curie for a History project, or about how you got super deep into the drama around stem cell research and policy. End the story by declaring your major.
You should then pick an upper-level class in your intended major, no “Intro to” classes. Maybe you want to take SISP 301: Unsettling Times: Clocks for Ghosts, Monsters, and Aliens because of your interest in how humans have designed methods for keeping track of our lives over the years, or SISP 377: Worlding the World: Creation Myths from Ancient Greece to the Multiverse because you’re interested in how we’ve answered the question “where do we come from?”
Next, talk about a professor you’d want to research with, like Dr. Elaine M. Gan, because her research into feminist science and experimental media is right up your alley. This could also be a place to talk about any research labs, study abroad opportunities, or centers at the school you’re especially interested in.
Now add an extracurricular or two into the mix, but don’t be random with it. If you were on the yearbook staff in HS, maybe you want to be a photo editor for the Wesleyan Argus or work on a literary magazine.
Finish your email with a nice conclusion that wraps everything up and connects you to Wesleyan. Thank them for their time and keep it profesh. Now go over this with a fine toothcomb for edits and maybe pass it off to an adult to catch any other errors.
You’ll send this to Wesleyan’s Student Admissions office, but make sure to call and see if there’s anyone else you should forward it to, like the admissions officer for your region. Good luck!
If you need help with your Wesleyan faux-supplement email, or any other application, reach out to us today.