Should I Apply ED?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Vassar College
1

Hello. I really need advice on whether I should apply ED to Vassar/elsewhere similar. Sorry that this is long but I’m having a bit of a crisis.

I’m currently a HS senior and I was planning on applying to Brown ED (because it’s my dream school), but my ACT scores are shitty (36 R, 35 E, 24 M, 24 S = 30 avg.) so I’ve decided against it. (Side note: I’m Filipino so I guess they’d be expecting higher scores from me since I’m Asian, which sucks even more b/c I’m incapable of doing math.)

However, I have great AP Scores (National AP Scholar with six 5’s) and my Subject Tests aren’t bad (770 Lit & 760 U.S.). My UW GPA = 3.81 and my W GPA = 4.86. Further, I studied abroad on a government scholarship for two months, interned at a NPO, and founded my school’s feminist club, among other things, so I think I have other stuff going for me besides standardized test scores. This got me researching test-optional/flexible schools, and now my main interests are Vassar and Wesleyan.

What I like about Vassar: No core, availability of double major, fin. aid for study away, 12 College Consortium, proximity to NYC (could get internships there?), tons of interesting clubs, beautiful campus

Questions:

  1. I am a huge fan of musical theatre/plays. Are there often productions at Vassar?
  2. What are some fun, quirky Vassar traditions?
  3. Do students take advantage of the 12 College Consortium?
  4. Would Vassar allow me to defer for a gap year if I am admitted ED?
  5. Do you think I should apply to Vassar ED? (Do you think I would be at a disadvantage if I didn’t?)

I’d like to double major in Cognitive Science and International Relations.
My list so far is: Swarthmore, Vassar, Wesleyan, Reed, Barnard, Wellesley, Bryn Mawr.

Neither of my parents received their undergrad. education in the U.S. plus I don’t really know what I’m doing. All help is appreciated. Thank you in advance.

2
  1. Vassar has a particularly strong theatre program.
  2. Watch some of the YouTube videos!
  3. Not in the same way that the Claremont Colleges (Pomona, Claremont-McKenna, Pitzer, Scripps, Harvey Mudd) or the Tri-College (Haverford, Swarthmore & Bryn Mawr) or the Five College (Smith, Amherst, UMass Amherst, Mount Holyoke and Hampshire do) Consortiums do, but yes. The one that you hear the most about is the Dartmouth Engineering program.
  4. Yes (most colleges do)
  5. If you are completely sure that it is your first choice why not? The admit rate is higher and about 20% of students who are admitted are admitted ED (though about 1/2 the students who actually enroll are admitted ED).

Your ACT is a little below the average for Vassar (30 v 31), but inside the middle 50% (30-33). They are serious when they say that they want to see a rigorous academic curriculum.

Spend some time online reading about the personalities of the different unis- all of the schools you list are academically rigorous, but (for example) Swarthmore and Reed have something of a reputation for being particularly intense. Reed and Barnard have entirely different campus experiences. And so on.

3

wait…are we the same person

I’m also looking at Swarthmore, Vassar, and Wesleyan and planning on double majoring in cognitive science and international relations…oh my God.

I can’t get over this…I read this and I was like did I make this thread what the HELL. Good luck though!!!

4

^ second this poster
Vassar has an amazing campus (go visit if you can!) so you should probably decide if you want close proximity to the city or a suburban/rural setting (Brown is pretty much like Vassar imo) so I’d say you should ED! Plus, the ED rate for Vassar is so much higher than Brown (I believe like 36% but don’t take my word for it). Good luck!

5

Yes ED at Vassar. Take the SAT, and if there is any way possible get an SAT tutor. My daughter raised her score 200 points with a tutor and is now at Rice. If a tutor is out of your budget there are free online tutorials I knew type2.com used to be recommended. My son is a neuroscience major at Vassar. This summer he had a paid internship where he stayed at Vassar over the summer and presented his research in a symposium in Philadelphia in August. He does go into NY on occasion and someone gave him two tickets last week to comicon in NY. He will be in the play Lion of Winter this fall and be directing a play this spring.