About Babson College
Location: Wellesley, MA
Undergraduate Population: 2,793
Most Popular Majors: Business, Entrepreneurship, Finance, Economics, Marketing, Accounting, Business Analytics
Demographics:
White 26.9%
Latinx 16.7%
Asian/Asian American 12.5%
Black/African American 4.9%
Multiracial 2.7%
Native American less than 1%
History:
The Babson Institute opened its doors on September 3, 1919, in the former home of Roger and Grace Babson on Abbott Road in Wellesley Hills. with twenty-seven students. The school was founded by Roger Babson, an American entrepreneur, economist, and business theoris. tDue to a focus on practical experience, the early curriculum entailed field trips to area factories and businesses, and the viewing of industrial films on Saturday mornings.
Student life was run in a business model from the get-go as well. Students kept regular business hours and had to punch in and out on a time clock like office workers. They were provided an office desk equipped with standard machines in order to fulfill Roger Babson’s goal of “preparing his students to enter their chosen careers as executives, not anonymous members of the work force.” Personal secretaries typed student assignments as a way of correctly reflecting the business world.
In 1969, Babson changed from its initial three-year Bachelor of Science in Business Administration model into a school that offers a four-year Bachelor of Science degree. 1969 was also the year that the institute became a college, and women were admitted for the first time.
Today, Babson continues to only offer a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. Students can choose from 24 concentrations in business and other related fields during their junior and senior years.
Notable Babson College alumni include chairman of the Toyota Motor Corporation Akio Toyoda, cofounder of the Home Depot Arthur Blank, Princess Marie of Denmark, great grandson of Henry Ford and board of directors member of Ford Motor Company Edsel Ford II, Hong Kongian actress Grace Wong, and screenwriter and director Stephen Gaghan.
Traditions:
- Annual Founder’s Day honors founder Roger Babson. Alongside music, lawn and carnival games, henna and tattoo art, giveaways, trivia, and more, students enjoy a variety of apple treats—a nod to Babson’s admiration for Sir Isaac Newton.
- At the end of fall semester, right before exams, Trim Dining Hall opens for a late-night breakfast served by faculty and staff.
- Martin Luther King Jr. Legacy Day includes guest speakers, leadership awards presented to those who have lived Dr. King’s values, and a creativity contest focused on diversity and inclusion.
Noteworthy Features:
- As a business school, Babson offers a wide array of Pitch Competitions. Annual pitch competitions allow students with a business idea or those wishing to grow an existing business to get funding and feedback.
- Although Babson is a business school, with that as its only academic major, students take business classes blended with coursework in the liberal arts and sciences.
- Babson’s entrepreneurship program brings in venture capitalists and executives from such companies as Dunkin’ Donuts and Jiffy Lube for how-to lectures.
Admissions Profile
Average GPA: Not reported
Test Scores (mid-50% range): 1410-1500 SAT/31-34 ACT
Admit Rate: 17.1%
Test-optional? Yes
Offers Early Admissions? Yes—Early Decision I and II
Supplemental Essays
Babson College’s Required Essay Prompts:
- The Babson education prepares students for all types of careers across business, entrepreneurship, social innovation, and more. Tell us about your interest in this area of study and in Babson specifically. (500 words maximum)
We invite you to submit your answer in either essay OR video format. If you choose to submit a video, please limit your response to a 1-minute video, which can be submitted via a shared link to YouTube or another video hosting website. Please ensure your video is set to public and is accessible to the Admission Committee.
If you choose to respond with a written essay, make sure you’re not only covering what your interests and goals are, but why you wish to pursue them specifically at Babson. To make sure your essay aligns with the school’s offerings, log on to Babson’s website. Take some time to look at the concentration you’re interested in, and then write a response that shows what you love about that particular field and how you hope to use your Babson education. Use the 500 words to not just talk about what led you to choose your concentration, but how your interest has developed over time and how you hope to continue pursuing the subject at Babson.
- A defining element of the Babson experience is learning and thriving in an equitable and inclusive community with a wide range of perspectives and interests. Please share something about your background, lived experiences, or viewpoint(s) that speaks to how you will contribute to and learn from Babson’s collaborative community. (250 words maximum)
For this supplemental essay, find ways to focus on your place in the community or identity you cover in this essay. How long have you been involved? What is your role in this group? Why does this community matter to you? What kind of problems have you solved? Have you learned any skills that you’ve applied in other aspects of your life? You could elaborate on one narrative that showcases the difference you make, or you could include a number of events that demonstrate the progression of your growth. In either case, focus on the impact that you’ve made on the place or the people and in turn how the experience will help you at Babson.
Colleges use this type of supplemental essay to gauge what kind of community member you are and how you’d contribute to the campus environment. With that in mind, highlight what you want them to know about you, whether it is about your leadership or teamwork abilities or how you work well under pressure. Let the Babson admissions committee understand how and where you’d fit in within campus organizations and social circles.
For more tips on common supplemental essay prompts, see our blog post here.
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