To feel less like I’m just waiting around for decisions, I thought I’d post my stats here so you all could chance me…
Background:
School: Vassar College
Major: Undeclared, plan on going into Environmental Studies or Biology
- I’ve done two intro classes for both Environmental Studies (Vassar doesn’t have En. Science) and Bio, but for a lot of college I was just testing out different subjects
GPA: 3.67
I’m hoping to transfer as a junior, but I’m in a weird situation. I’ve completed three semesters at Vassar, but I’m taking a gap semester to participate in a maritime studies program. The program is pretty well regarded (it’s through Williams College), but I’m not receiving credit for it because I’m a sophomore, and students at Vassar are technically not allowed to study away until they’ve completed four semesters. If I had decided to participate in the program next year, I would have received credit.
ACT: 33
High School GPA: 4.0 Unweighted (school didn’t do weighted)
EC (I only listed things after high school):
Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange: government funded program to study abroad in Germany for a year. I did this as a gap year after high school
Transitions Program: This is a program for low-income, first-generation students. I was a participant of the program for my freshman year, and for the Fall 2019 I was a student leader, where I led some workshops and advised a small group of freshmen
Summer Internship: I worked to help plan and gain funding for ADELANTE Student Voices, a program to help undocumented high school students find a pathway to college. I was also a counselor for the actual program.
Work study: Throughout my time at Vassar, I had a work study with the German Department. I helped plan some events and do some outreach, but mostly I just scanned books.
Vassar Food Community Planning Community: I helped plan events for VFC, whose goal is to use food to create community inside and outside of Vassar
Williams-Mystic Maritime Studies Program: This is the semester long program that I’m participating in now. For this program we take maritime policy, literature, science, and history classes, and then go on three short seminars throughout the semester to gain hands-on experience. In my app I also mentioned that I’m taking blacksmithing classes through the program.
LOR: two okay ones (one from intro bio from last semester, one from intro environmental studies from freshman year). one from the Transitions Director and one from my supervisor for my summer internship. I think these two will be pretty good.
Essay: I wrote about feeling isolated at Vassar because of the small setting and lack of opportunities outside of campus, which ultimately hindered my academic progress. Haverford appeals to me because of the proximity to Philly and the partnership with Bryn Mawr.