<p>I want to go to Vassar. The problem is, that's the only school I want to go to, but I'm not that great of a student. Help me find similar schools or advice on getting in?</p>
<p>Rising Junior
White Female, New Jersey
Competitive non-ranking blue-ribbon school
GPA: 3.68 freshman year, 3.8 sophomore year (all honors classes, crazy courseload with 2-4 electives per trimester)
PSAT: don't ask
SAT: aiming for a 2000</p>
<p>Sports: varsity fencing since 10th grade
Volunteering: ~70 hours, but nothing special</p>
<p>ECs:
-co-founded a club where we go once a week to a nursery and teach the kids about different countries and people and beliefs while doing arts&crafts
-taking EMT courses and will be volunteering at an ambulance corp
-part of a club that traveled to asia for two weeks as part of a global exchange program my school is starting</p>
<p>Other:
-bilingual
-I work at a fast food place
-will have an internship during my senior year because my school requires it. I just don't know what it will be yet but I get to choose.
-NO musical or artistic tallent, but I do enjoy writing and web-design, but that's so common I don't see it helping at all</p>
<p>I'm really really really interested in Cognitive Science. This is basically what limits my school search because I don't want to go to a school that doesn't offer this major. And the ones that do, I have very slim chances of getting in (Vassar, Johns Hopkins)</p>
<p>I think if you apply ED you may have a decent shot. Are you good at writing essays? That might help boost you app. And what will your recs be like?
If you’re interested, Wellesley offers a cognitive and linguistic science major, and you can choose to concentrate on cognition if you want.</p>
<p>Smith also offers CS and there are others - I think BU does, too. Good essays is an excellent suggestion. An interview may help, too - do some prep work and practice. The interview and a strong essay are what got my D’s friend into Johns Hopkins b/c she was very very borderline otherwise. But don’t set yourself up for disappointment - find some other schools through searching Peterson’s or collegeboard.com that offer this major and aren’t quite as competitive. Good luck!</p>
<p>Its a bad idea to obsess about one school. For one thing, there are MANY schools where you would be happy. Second, you are setting yourself up for bitter disappointment or worse if it doesnt work out. Third, open your eyes and your mind to OTHER options. </p>
<p>Apply to 10 schools and see what happens and who gives you the best offer.</p>
<p>Nothing against Vassar. But dont obsess over it. Or any other school.</p>
<p>Keep in mind that out of all the schools mentioned in posts #6 and 7, only Lawrence has a Cognitive Science major (although you might be able to design one at Hampshire).</p>
<p>You may have better luck making a separate thread with Cog. Sci. in the thread title. You sound like a good fit for LACs or small unis. And just LACs w/ CogSci is probably a short list, if my own research re: linguistics is any benchmark.</p>
<p>In addition, Smith is part of a 5-college consortium (with Amherst, Hampshire, Mt. Holyoke and Univ Mass). You can take classes at any, and there is a free shuttle bus to get to classes at the other campuses. They offer a Five College Certificate in Cognitive Neuroscience: [Five</a> College Certificate in Cognitive Neuroscience : Welcome](<a href=“http://www.fivecolleges.edu/sites/cogneuro/]Five”>http://www.fivecolleges.edu/sites/cogneuro/)
</p>
<p>Smith has an open curriculum, and is known for academic excellence and small classes. Smith College students seem quite happy. Students are provided with terrific advising and mentoring, and available, committed professors. </p>
<p>Also, Smith no longer requires SAT and ACT scores.</p>
<p>You’re just a rising junior, you have still have a lot of time to build up your grades and test scores. </p>
<p>schools that are similar but maybe easier to get into than Vassar…I suggest looking into Skidmore and Bard, though I’m not sure if they offer Cognitive Science.</p>
<p>Anywho, I also had the problem that you’re setting yourself up for. DON’T FALL IN LOVE OR OBSESS OVER ONE SCHOOL. It’s not good. Really. REALLY. I applied ED and was basically crushed after being rejected- lost all my energy or desire to apply anywhere else. Of course, I still did, but my applications after that probably suffered. If you do apply ED to Vassar, make sure you finish all your other applications before you get your results back. Focus on other schools for now. I PROMISE you that you have the ability to be absurdly happy at other schools- at one point I thought I had found the one perfect school. Now I’m going somewhere else and I love it just as much. :D</p>