Hi I am new to CC. My daughter has her heart set on Vassar. She has stellar grades, started a public service group, has done an year long independent study project, is going to a nationally renowned advanced study program this summer, and will have amazing teacher recommendations. Her weak link is standardized tests. She has taken the SATs twice, with the best results being CR 560, Math 640, Writing 700 with a 12 out of 12 on her written essay. She has taken the toughest possible course load and has an average of about 97 or 98. My question is this, how critical are test scores to Vassar? I realize she can take them again in the fall, but I am trying to decide how hard to push test prep. I know she has no chance with scores like these at an Ivy, but she doesn’t want an Ivy, she really wants a small liberal arts college, and one with a strong film studies department. Wesleyan is her second choice, and is now test optional. Should she aim for Wes instead of Vassar?
That SAT score (1900) is low for Vassar. Course difficulty and GPA certainly are top criteria, but SAT scores are considered greatly too. If she really loves Vassar, then taking them again would be advisable. If you both believe that test prep will help, then do that. Very easy to get denied with a 1900 SAT as the applicants there are stellar. Good luck.
Apple, in addition to the SAT reasoning tests, two SAT subject tests are required. Many students do better on the ACT/writing. A significant advantage to submitting the ACT/writing is that SAT subjects tests aren’t required.
Of course, if a student is submitting the ACT/w and has stellar SAT subject test scores, it would be wise to submit them as well.
https://admissions.vassar.edu/apply/
Do you mean ED? Your daughter could apply to Vassar ED1 and if denied or deferred, apply to Wes ED11
Agreeing with @CrewDad - if she hasn’t tried the ACT, she should: some people do much better on it. My D2 (who is at Vassar, and just finished her last final of the year this afternoon), had a similar SAT, but nailed the ACT. Worth a try- not much prep is needed, but she should do some practice tests just to get the hang of it, and to learn how to handle the timing (it’s fast), and there are a few useful tips that are found in most of the test prep books.
Thank you all for your replies. We already tried the ACT route, it was worse. She came home saying that the format didn’t fit her at all because of the time factor. I talked with her guidance counselor and her English teacher today. Both had the same advice, they said practice, practice, practice. Her teacher said that the way they test in English class does not match the format of the SAT. He thinks she should practice to get used to it. I had a heart to heart with her today, and told her that over the next few months she will have to practice if she really wants Vassar. She will have to decide how important it is to her. Unfortunately we live in a rural area with no easy access to test prep programs, so she will have to do it online. Oh, and @crewdad I know she has to take 2 subject tests, she’s taking them June 6. As for when she plans to apply, she would most likely do Vassar ED1 and if rejected do Wesleyan ED 2. I am also thinking about having her do an overnight at each school this fall just so she can get a better sense for the vibe of each. They are really very close in her eyes.
My son had always scored lower on standardized tests than what was expected beaded on his grades and abilities. This was true from early on with state testing. When he did his sophomore PSAT he got a 181 which he knew would keep him from the his top choice schools. I invested in about six months of an online one on one tutoring course. He met with a tutor weekly who worked with him on test taking strategies. They specifically aimed for the SAT math 2 subject test but in reality my son was learning about pacing, how to answer questions, the format of the test etc etc etc. He scored an 800 on the Math 2 then he stopped the tutoring and studied in his own and received a 800M/800w/700cr on the SAT. He plans to take it one more time to see if he can get a 2400.
In the end the tutoring changed everything. It helped his self confidence and it taught him how to self study. It might be worth the investment to get a summer tutor. Like I said, he did this completely online. We were in CA and the tutor was back east. If you are interested in more info (cost, who we used, etc) feel free to PM me.
I can’t remember my daughter’s PSAT but it wasn’t near her 2300 SAT. She said that the SAT Prep Black Book (amazon) coupled with the official SAT book really helped her understand the formatting and common mistakes testers make. She took all the practice tests in the blue book and then turned to the black book which explained her mistakes. Good luck!
IMO, something between LKnomad and gettingaclue’s advice is worth trying. I am not a huge fan of standardized testing, but it is true that for a lot of students good old fashioned practice can make a difference- and I would guess that even a 100 point increase would make her score a non-issue in her application. Her GC can also talk about the disparity in her standardized test scores and her ability in the classroom.
And remember also that Vassar is all about fit. Her SAT now is in the below the middle 50%, but remember that there are still 1/4 of the class who are also below the middle 50%.
Also, excellent idea to have her do the dorm visits & sit in on a class.
Also, this:
Again, thank you all! It is great to get advice and understanding from all of you. I have three step children who have gone through this process already, so it’s not exactly new to me, and I agree with collegemom3717’s post #8. I hate the standardized testing process, but because my dd has chosen Vassar she has no choice but to really prep and get the best scores she can. My kid’s gc believes that her extra curriculars, grades and community service combined with recommendations put her in the ballpark for Vassar. We have had success getting kids from our high school into Vassar in the past, so there is a good track record. I know there are no guarantees, and we all agree that she should PRACTICE and take them again in the fall, and hope for at least a 100 point swing.
The problem with a place like Vassar is that once you visit, you fall in love with it. Hopefully you can use a visit as personal motivation for her to study over the summer. I know that our D fell in love with Vassar the spring of her junior year in HS. It helped her focus on finishing strong so she would be a good candidate. I reminded her that if she wants to go to Vassar, the GPA isn’t going to distinguish her because “everyone applying has a 4.0.”
In the end, she put in the work on her ACT and made her dream come true. But we did have a plan B, just in case. 
Good luck!
Echoing a lot of other advice, I think she should shoot for ED 1 to Vassar and ED 2 to Wesleyan. She has a few months between now and the October SAT. She should try for a full length timed practice test every 2 to 3 weeks for a total of 8 or 10. My daughter did every single practice test in the SAT Blue Book. In addition, because her CR score was noticeably lower than the others, I would specifically work on vocabulary. My daughter used a few different lists but I liked the two “Direct Hits” books for vocab.
OK, I’m going to offer a different recommendation and perhaps won’t go over as well. But here it goes. I think it’s dangerous for your daughter to have Vassar as a " dream school". If she were a rising sophomore/junior and had a lot of time to study for the SAT, then yes. But she is a rising senior and already has taken 2 SAT’s. That is a lot of pressure to put her under to raise her scores so steeply that she has to increase them by at least 100 or more points. Vassar has a lot more women applying so that the acceptance rate for women is really tough. If he were a young man applying an ED would make more sense. The acceptance rate for women was 19.7% according to latest CDS. You still need to be a candidate in the ballpark metrics for ED to help. Does she have a hook? That would help too. I think you might be wasting an ED opportunity to apply to these schools.
Instead, I would have her write down everything that makes Vassar such a great fit for her and go researching other schools that offer that environment to her. Of course it won’t be exactly the same. But good enough. Also, use your schools Naviance and go to the latest CDS for more information on the schools metrics/stats. Build a school list from all this information. She can still have Vassar on the list but it would be a reach. And if she still chooses to do the ED with her reach then an ED deferral/rejection won’t sting as much because she may have applied to some rolling, or EA schools already. The main thing I’ve read about ED is a kid gets demoralized and does a crappy job of the apps left. Good luck.
Go get Fiske, Insiders Guide and Princeston Review from the library to develop a solid list along with the CDS and Naviance. Also look into fair test schools.
The Vassar Common Data Set 2013-4 said only 4.2% of students had SATS in 500s in Critical Reading, so admission with those scores would seem to be extremely unlikely.
^ Yes, very few get selected from the 500 ranges. And I’m guessing that those students have a hook. Recent CDS has 55% CR in the 700-800 and 40% CR in the 600-699. That’s what she is up against.
I agree. The first rule of college search and selection: don’t fall in love.
Again, thank you all. @goingnutsmom, I will clarify. She does indeed “love” Vassar as much as any kid can from two visits. She is also realistic. She has not put all her hopes and dreams on Vassar. She also loves Wesleyan (test optional), and has on her list Kenyon, Oberlin, Mount Holyoke, Connecticut College, Bowdoin (legacy, grandfather, uncle and sister are alums), Hamilton, Bard…and others… we realize there are differences in “vibe” with all these schools, but she has tried to create a good list of places she can see herself attending. Many of these schools are test optional, including Bowdoin, which also happens to be the most selective of the list. Given her academic and extra curricular record she actually is a stronger candidate than her sister was. Sister graduated Phi Beta Kappa and went on to Dartmouth Medical School. So as you can see, we have done our research, and have tried to create a realistic list of choices.
Having said all that I will not dissuade her from pursuing Vassar. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Everything about her makes her a strong candidate except that one test score. Our guidance counselor has had many kids get into Vassar, and she considers this kid to be stronger than any who have gotten in in the past. Can we explain the test score, I don’t know, it is an outlier for this kid. She will work hard to improve the score in the fall, that’s all she can do at this point.
Believe me, we are realistic, we know it’s tough, we know they get more female applicants, we know there are no guarantees. My daughter will do what she can, and if it is not enough, then she will shift gears and move on to another school.
^ Sorry OP, didn’t mean to hurt anyone’s feelings. Is just when I read that your D has her “heart set on Vassar” that I thought it would be crucial to start a conversation about a solid list of schools. If your counselor is reassuring of an acceptance, that’s great news. I hope it all works out. Good luck!