Can I get into Vassar College?

<p>I'm a rising senior whose dream school is Vassar. Here are my stats:</p>

<p>Cumulative Average: 99.04
Rank: Top 10%</p>

<p>SAT scores:
-Critical Reading: 680
-Math: 640
-Writing: 730
-Overall: 2050
-Math and Verbal Overall: 1320</p>

<p>SAT II:
-US History: 670
-I'm taking Math IC and Literature in the Fall.</p>

<p>AP Classes: I'm taking two in Senior Year. I spent ninth and tenth grade in Egypt (no AP or Honors classes there), and when I came back to the states for eleventh grade I wasn't allowed to take AP classes because I needed teacher recommendations. Also, my school only offers about five AP classes. I did take three Honors classes in Junior Year, though.</p>

<p>Other:
-Writing Club
-ARISTA (National Honor Society)
-A full academic year, two summers, and a semester at anacademic enrichment program.
-I spent a summer in Egypt tutoring kids in English.
-I also worked as an assistant in my grandfather's salon that summer.
-I have about 21 hours of community service in an office.
-I speak Arabic as a second language, and I spent three years in Egypt (I'm of Egyptian background as well).
-I spent the first half of Junior year on the Cross Country Team (though I don't know if I should mention that).
-My father went to college in Egypt; my mother didn't. </p>

<p>Senior Year Schedule:
AP English
AP European History
Physics
Creative Writing
Government Honors
Gym/Health
Math B/Pre-Calculus </p>

<p>I'm also applying to Columbia, Swarthmore, Amherst, Middlebury, Bard, and Skidmore. But I'd like your opinions specifically about my chances at Vassar College. Also, any ideas on something I can do to make me stand out?</p>

<p>Thanks so much for any help. =]</p>

<p>Elite LACs like Vassar tend to like to add an international flavor to the community when they are able. Your experience in Egypt is right up their alley. Your ethnicity will be a factor, it will help. Your Arabic Language will help. If you are male, it will help. Your SAT is a little low, but given your background and your GPA they’ll probably overlook it. It isn’t low enough to disqualify you.</p>

<p>I’d play up your experience in Egypt and how deeply enriching it was for you. I’d think you have a good chance.</p>

<p>Vassar is much easier to get in to for boys than for girls. Highly selective for girls, pretty easy for guys.</p>

<p>I disagree with the comment that it is “much easier” to get into Vassar is you are male. I don’t know the application splits for f/m and even tough the history of Vassar would probaly attract more f apps, many males still apply here. This was the only school my s didn’t get accepted to and he had very similar stats (slightly lower test score) to yours. However, I know he was competitive by a previous post from last year of a student (m) who was accepted with almost identical scores. Good luck There is no reason you won’t get a strong look.</p>

<p>Which High school did you attend in Egypt? AIS? CAC?</p>

<p>I don’t think it’s “much” easier for males to be accepted to Vassar, though I admit to not knowing what “much” means in this example. But it is easier. Vassar, being co-ed for 40 years, knows full well that their college is more attractive to both sexes the closer they get to a 50/50 split. the fact that they are still 57/43 after all these years indicates a significantly larger pool of female applicants than male. They of course get enough applicants of both sexes to force a 50/50 split, but they are trying to maintain a high standard for everyone while normalizing the student population, gender-wise.</p>

<p>This means that a qualified student who is also male will have a better chance of being accepted than a female student of the same calibre. Its just probabilities. How much of a better chance will be dictated by the number of applications in a given year, the gender split among those applications and how many of each gender are considered qualified by the school after initial review.</p>