Chance me for I am considering Vassar

Colleges and Universities A-Z Vassar College
1

<p>Read everything. A forewarning - I'm not the typical CC genius.</p>

<p>GENERAL INFO</p>

<p>High School: a decent college prep
year: Rising Senior
Gender: Male
Ethnicity: White
Income: Family income of less than $60,000
Parental colleges: Neither of my parents went to college (may help me?)</p>

<p>STATS:</p>

<p>I had a bumpy start.</p>

<p>Freshman year GPA - 3.33
Sophomore GPA -3.48
Junior year my GPA - 3.9, so it totals to 3.64 for the 3 years
Senior year - undetermined, expected 3.9-4 unweighted</p>

<p>Junior Year Schedule and grades
Honors British Literature - A
Precalculus - A
Physics - A-
French III - A-
Modern World History - A
Latin II - A
Greek - A</p>

<p>Senior Year Schedule
AP Psychology
AP English
Calculus Honors
French IV Honors
Latin III
Electives: Painting/Aquaculture</p>

<p>Self study - APUSH, and/or AP Environmental Science</p>

<p>SAT: 1400/1600, 2090/2400
SAT II's: None taken yet, plan on SAT Math I or II, SAT Physics, not sure what else to take.</p>

<p>I'll probably improve my SAT score, but just chance me like it is now.</p>

<p>Class Rank = My class is really small, like 60 kids, I'm in the 10-20.</p>

<p>Letters of Recommendation -</p>

<p>My Academic Dean is writing a letter that I think will be "explosive" (in a good way).
My math teacher might have something good to say, considering I had one of the highest grades in Precalculus and Geometry.</p>

<p>Awards - Excellent on French Congres Literature, Magna Cum Laude on National Latin Exam, Honor Roll, High Honor Roll (not sure if these two count as awards)</p>

<p>EC's</p>

<p>4 years Chess Club (Secretary Sophomore year)
1 year Film Machinima (only lasted one year)
2 years Improvisation Club
2 years Newspaper
1 year Academic team
2 years Web Design Club
2 years Objectivist Society
2 years French Congres
1 year JV Basketball
1 year Golf (if I make the team)</p>

<p>Hook: don't really have one, I've been working on a computer program, but it won't be good enough</p>

<p>Volunteer: Set up and replaced over 100 computers for my school, helped in a cancer relay for 3 years, volunteered at a local food bank, volunteered at a nature center</p>

<p>Work experience:
- can't find a job these days</p>

<p>NOTE: I have an upward trend from my sophomore year to junior year. I'm afraid that my Freshman and Sophomore years were a little rocky, but my Junior Year I tried really hard, and I plan on doing well my Senior Year.</p>

<p>My Major: undecided at the moment</p>

2

<p>I don’t know what others will say, but I think you have a chance. Being male helps, especially at a female-dominated school like Vassar. Being 1st gen college helps - it’s a good hook. Your improvement year-over-year suggests an increasing maturity that admissions folks will probably like. You have good club ECs and your general lack of sports ECs won’t be as big a deal at Vassar as it would at, say, Penn State or something.</p>

<p>As far as your stats are concerned, I had a better GPA and better SATs and I got waitlisted. That doesn’t mean you will. I’m female and both my parents went to college, so… just spend enough time on your essays to make them great, don’t forget to be engaging in your My Space on the Vassar suppliment, and be yourself in the interview and you should be fine.</p>

<p>Out of curiosity, you listed your Junior year grades and there’s nary a B among them. All As. how do you get a 3.9 out of that? It’s an unweighted 4.0 where I live.</p>

3

<p>2 of the A’s are A-'s</p>

<p>I can’t do the interview because I can’t afford a flight up there. :|</p>

4

<p>My son actually had a telephone interview since we live way out in a rural remote area. Vassar didn’t even do interviews during campus visits last summer.<br>
Of course they didn’t accept him either but I don’t think the interview was any main source of problem…it was just a pretty competitive year. Lots of people with higher stats than his were also refused admission.
If Vassar is your really true first choice consider applying ED.</p>

5

<p>I agree with applying ED. Vassar doesn’t do campus interviews (pretty sure), they do alumni interviews. This means your application is due two weeks earlier, but it’s so good to demonstrate as much interest as possible. I live in Los Angeles (no WAY could I go to vassar to interview) so I requested one and I had an interview with an alumna who lived ten minutes away from me and she reported back.</p>

6

<p>Vassar only does campus interviews for legacies, “as a courtesy”. They were actually kind of snotty about it on the phone. Everyone else gets an alumni interview local to their area, but you have to ask for it.</p>

<p>ED’s a good idea. Def raises your chances.</p>

7

<p>I had the same SATs as you do and I was accepted (2090), so they are definitley in the range.</p>

<p>Make sure your writing is unique and interesting and use the ‘Yourspace’ on the application.</p>

<p>They will set you up with an off campus interview in your area after you apply.</p>

8

<p>I spent two weeks at Vassar for an academic camp, IT SUCKS! Set your sights on someplace better or I guarantee you’ll have $200,000 in debt and four years of misery to show for in a few years.</p>

9

<p>Wow… Well, to each his/her own, I guess. I visited and I loved it. I haven’t talked to anyone who attends that hates the place as much as you. In fact, everyone I’ve spoken with seems thrilled to be there. And according to the stats, they rarely lose new students to transfer, which indicates most people are pretty satisfied with the college.</p>

<p>Its too bad you had a crappy time at your camp. I’d think maybe the actual camp had something to do with that and not the campus, but who knows? Like I said, to each his own.</p>