Parents, what do you think about my dilemma?

Parents Forum
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<p>Hi,</p>

<p>So here's the deal. I love Vassar. Every single bit about it. I applied early last year, got denied straightaway. It tore me apart. I moved on. But....</p>

<p>You see, due to certain circumstances, I'm on my gap year now. I want to apply to Vassar ED again. Is this a bad idea? Will they reread my last year's application? Deny me again? </p>

<p>Please note that I had kind of bad SAT scores when I applied ED I last year (600something CR, 600something math, 700something writing). I have like a 2200 now, with 700 or above in all sections. The rest of the app will mostly be the same, with my transcript being somewhat stronger (for the purposes of this forum, my overall transcript tells you I'm a good student, but not the best of my class. a 3.7 GPA, perhaps? I did British A Levels. 3A's and 2B's), my essays a whole lot better, and my recommendations slightly better. </p>

<p>Now, why I'm conflicted about going for this is that I'm more or less guaranteed admission if I apply ED at this other liberal arts college (no, I cannot apply ED 2 there because there's a lot of competition from my high school in ED 1, and if one or two get in, I am probably not going to get in there due to issues with high school diversity and all). It's ranked 30-40 in US News, and has great academics, but I don't think it is not a very good fit (it's ok, you know, like whatever). Comparatively, Vassar would be my Hogwarts. The other would be........... a muggle school .</p>

<p>Now to top it all off, I am an international student applying for aid. That makes it insanely competitive at all other schools so there is a very good chance that I will get in nowhere if I apply RD and I do not want to go to a non-liberal arts college in some other country.</p>

<p>What should I do? Should I go for the dream again, with firm conviction that my application would be better? Or should I go for the <em>other</em> school, where I would have a chance to study what I want, but with a consuming sense of the lack of something intangible, inexplicable.</p>

<h1>whatshouldido?</h1>

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<p>WHy would you turn down a “sure thing” with the financial aid that you need for possibly nothing? Its not “fair” that your finances are an issue, but it’s reality. Time to start making some mature decisions regarding your future. Being an adult requires you to do the right thing, not necessarily the thing you want to do.</p>

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<p>I know I know, I shouldn’t let emotions cloud this decision. Just needed someone to say that to me. Thanks.</p>

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<p>Before anything else–
What is Vassar’s policy on aid for internationals, and how does your application to Vassar stack up against other international applications also dependent on financial aid?</p>

<p>If you are accepted to Vassar, without the financial aid you need? You won’t be going to Vassar.</p>

<p>Or they may reject your application, because they realize that even if they admit you, you will not be matriculating because they will not be giving you the financial aid you seek. </p>

<p>Could this be what happened last year?</p>

<p>Other than raising your SAT, what did you do this year to make yourself a more compelling applicant, to make them realize that they want to give you the financial aid you need?</p>

<p>What about Vassar appeals to you the most? What other schools come close in those respects? And what is their policy on financial aid?</p>

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<p>Vassar is incredibly generous for international students and if admitted, it promises to meet full need. A dude with a profile similar to mine was accepted last year.</p>

<p>How does my application stack up against other international students? Too little information to know.</p>

<p>Why was I denied last year? I think it was because my SAT score was waaaay off their 25th percentile in math and CR (the better scores came in on December-- conveniently lol), and perhaps because my essays were a bit… er… unconvincingly and unappealingly controversial (in retrospect). </p>

<p>What about Vassar appeals to me the most? The open curriculum. The incredibly amazing and liberal student body. Intellectual students and distinguished professors. The campus. The fact that it’s not TOO small or too big (2500 students). Those are the … visible things?</p>

<p>There’s just something about Vassar. Something I can’t explain. I have been through a lot of college websites, media, information – but Vassar strikes me the most as the perfect school. I mean, I have checked out similar schools. Hamilton, Swarthmore (though they are smaller than Vassar - 1600 students) are great, for instance, but they lack the “Vassar energy”, if that makes sense (check out “**** vassar kids say” on Youtube). Wesleyan comes closest to Vassar, but the campus is too scattered. Does that make a difference to me? Yes, it does. I know I’m not really at liberty to pick colleges to apply to on these fine distinctions, but they can help me decide whether to apply to Bowdoin or Wesleyan and such. All the schools I have mentioned have wonderful financial aid for internationals. They are all very competitive as well.</p>

<p>PS I have made up my mind. Can’t be bothered to entertain instincts when it comes to a very important part of my life. I’m going with the other school. I guess it just wasn’t meant to be.</p>

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<p>I regret that my husband and I went in to the college search with the idea of a perfect “fit” or some sort of wonderful campus life. We are in our 40’s and still paying off our student loans. In the end, where our degrees came from did not matter. And college, it is such a distant memory. The only good memory about college that stands out (because nothing else mattered now, all these years later) was Christmas’s with my grandparents. I was in college not too far from my grandparents and move away right after college. Grandpa is no longer with us. Maybe if my student loans were not so big, I could have visited him before he died. (I knew little about how financial aid worked back then, I thought all was equal).</p>

<p>My point is, go where you can get in and get the financial aid. Good luck!!</p>

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<p>Vassar is a great school, but you are truly setting yourself up for disappointment by making it such a DREAM school. There is always the chance you will not get accepted again. I know you say your “mind is made up”…but really, there are many fine colleges here. You need to be a LOT more open minded.</p>

<p>Why do you feel compelled to apply ED. Make a good and varied list of colleges, and apply RD to them all. You will be able to compare financial aid packages and your bottom line costs amongst a number of schools (hopefully). </p>

<p>Your mistake, (from what you posted here) was that your GOOD SAT scores came after the ED deadline last year…so that probably put Vassar out of the running.</p>

<p>BUT…did you apply elsewhere last year RD? Or did you just give up after Vassar didn’t accept you?</p>

<p>I think you need to find MULTIPLE schools to apply to…and choose carefully…so that at the end of the process you will have at least one acceptance with sufficient aid to attend.</p>

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<p>I think you should apply to Vassar ED - on two conditions. You set in advance, for yourself, what kind of aid you need or you will feel comfortable turning them down, and, more importantly, put a lot of energy into finding a true SAFETY school - not a Wesleyan or Hamilton or Swarthmore or Bowdoin - but a safety school, which you love, which are sure you can afford, and where you are sure to get in. The safety is much, much more important than “alternatives to Vassar” (there are probably 30-40 of them). If you are turned down at Vassar, you are just as likely to be turned down at Hamilton, Wesleyan, etc. You need a SAFETY, not “fine distinctions”.</p>

<p>Have you looked at Ohio Wesleyan, Kalamazoo, Earlham, Guilford, Hobart and Wlliam Smith?</p>

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<p>mini gives good advice</p>

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<p>You have excellent standardized tests at this point, but the main issue seems to be financial aid for an international student. It is important to know your “muggle” school and why it is so much lower in your estimation. Remember, a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. (You asked for parental input).</p>

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<p>Yes, I would agree that you should go with the sure thing being that you need aid. What needs to change is your attitude (sorry but you asked for a parent’s opinion and here it is). You have the opportunity to come to the US and go to a top school with the aid you need to make it happen. In my mind your “muggle” school is really your dream school because they are presenting you with a great opportunity. If you decide up front it will be a bad fit, then I’m afraid it can be a self-fulfilling prophesy. Turn that attitude around and get excited about the school that really wants you. When you get to school find clubs and activities that excite you and join the international students group at the school – get involved quickly and you should meet people with common interests. </p>

<p>Surely Vassar is a great school, but it seems like a longshot at this point. It is hard for internationals needing aid. I’d jump at the opportunity you have and get excited about it.</p>

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<p>If you are positive your application would be different (and that means different teacher recommendations too) and a good story about what you are doing this year, I don’t have a problem with applying again to Vassar. But you must be prepared to be disappointed again - it’s very rare that kids who have been rejected from a school get accepted the second time around. One suggestion for a safer school to look at that shares some qualities with Vassar is Bard.</p>

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<p>Hi guys! Thanks for your advice, all of you @mathmom, @mini, @happy1, @nervedoctor, @thumper1, @boysx3, etc</p>

<p>So I applied to Vassar RD, and didn’t get in. I was denied at the other ED school too. It really crushed me at first.</p>

<p>Fortunately, however, I was admitted to Hamilton, Wesleyan, Reed, Grinnell, Bard, Haverford and Connecticut College (note that I was denied or waitlisted at 12 others lol). All these schools offered amazing aid.</p>

<p>After much deliberation, I chose Wesleyan, not because it’s anything like Vassar (it’s not), but the energy of the campus is just another type of amazing. </p>

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<p>Congratulations, Wes is a great school. You will love it.</p>

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<p>Wes is a great school, my son’s best friend’s brother graduated from their recently and one of my cousins attended many eons ago. Good luck!</p>

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<p>Great choices, great pick, excellent news. Thanks for posting the outcome, too. Really appreciate it. :)</p>

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<p>Amazing results, and I think Wes is a fantastic pick, really special. Thanks for the report.</p>