So I want to major in biology/biochemistry with the goal of premed but I am concerned about it’s ‘artsy’ reputation even though they have a new science facility… Would Vassar be an OK school for premed?
Next, how is the social scene at Vassar?? Obviously I want to work my hardest but I want to have some fun… are there any parties on campus?? (On niche it has a B- party rating… so I’m just wondering if this goes toward all fun/the vibe on campus)
Also, how incredibly hard is it for a girl to be admitted because of the extreme gender ratio when applying??? There are sooo many more girls that apply than boys so that makes me nervous.
Finally, how holistic are admissions?? I am on the lower end of the testing range but if they take the time to look at my grades/classes/ECs/recs I HOPE(?) that would make up for it.
… Also I had the ability to personally meet a head admissions rep and talk about my passions involving my EC’s so how would that impact my low tests/chances?
Thank you! If you have any insight to even one of these questions it would be appreciated
idk anything about the actual dept bc im not interested in science but their science building is SO beautiful and from what I remember on the tour, they put a lot of effort ($$) into allowing for opportunities for their science students and stressing that aspect on the tour. they also make sure to put on their website that their students have a 70-90% acceptance rate to med school and a lot of guidance for pre-med.
I’m curious about the party scene, too. It’s a little larger than most LACs, so I think that might be a good thing? But otherwise Poughkeepsie is definitely not a great party location.
Yeah, they get way more girls applying, but they also do let in more girls.
Vassar is a great school for premed. Since you will be receiving a BA instead of a BS, you will stand out in the applicant pool. There’s lots of opportunities for research as well since there are no grad students. You will leave Vassar with the science knowledge you need for med school PLUS the ability to read and write effectively, which is rarer than you think.
There is a party scene like most other schools. No Greek life so a lot of the social stuff revolves around sports teams and clubs. Parties frequently happen in senior housing, but there’s always stuff going on in the dorms too. Perks of not having RAs. If you want to have a vibrant social life at Vassar, it is a smart move to join some kind of organization.
Lastly, it seems Vassar accepts the students they really see fitting well at the school. There’s definitely a Vassar type. Grades and test scores matter, but they really care about who you are too. Good luck!
Two ways to approach premed. Not sure which is better. Small LAC or Large State school finish at top (i went to LAC 100% acceptance all 7 of us that were accepted were at very top of 200 plus starters( back in the day 1 C and you were out), or go to very high power school (ie Johns Hopkins) finish in top third approx 700 starters 439 actually get in.D1 there doing very well, but I’m not sure she would not have been successful at LAC . I would not pay too much much attention to admission rates, those only apply to those left standing at the end. D2 attempting ED2 at Vassar (deferred Princeton).Wants sciience PHD eventually. We feel better research and teaching at LAC. Much more pressure at LA in my opinion, for premed, as you must be near top…
I’m pretty late but the acceptance rate for guys (2022-33%) is way higher than girls (2022-24%) so its definitely harder lol.
But in terms of parties- from my experience, unless you host them, are an upperclassman, in sports, or know the right people, the only way that you will be able to go to any (without crashing someone’s house) is if you are in an org. Some orgs don’t have parties tho so you have to be careful : )