<p>I am currently in my first quarter of my junior year of Northwestern, however I started in winter of my freshman year so I have actually only completed 2 full years of undergrad (so I am aiming to enter next fall as a junior)
I am unhappy with Northwestern's sense of community, or lack thereof, as well as the lack of accesibility to professors in my department. For this reason, I'm looking to transfer to a small liberal arts school. I'm hoping to form closer bonds with professors, and to feel apart of a campus community. I am very involved at Northwestern, I just find myself dissatisfied with the student body as a whole, in terms of the social life available and the level of engagement in academics. I have made up for the lack of academic engagement by taking graduate level courses in my major, philosophy, but I feel like it's always an uphill battle to get in courses that are set aside for grad students. I was wondering if you all could tell me my chances for transferring to Vassar, and if you could also possibly suggest other schools to apply to. Here are my stats:</p>
<p>Major: Philosophy, GPA: 3.7 (possible minor in French or Gender Studies)
Ethnicity: hispanic</p>
<p>Extracurriculars:
Exec Board of NU Human Rights Conference: organizate the selection of delegates and serve as representative to delegates for the annual conference.
Exec board of Rainbow Alliance: organized college LGBT network for Chicago area colleges, coordinate volunteer program at the Chicago LGBT community center.
Gender Studies Undergraduate Board: organize speakers and film screenings.</p>
<p>Work experience: worked at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer Law firm in Vienna, Austria, attended German language program at Diplomatic Academy in Vienna, worked at Northwestern Law school, worked at Chicago LGBT community center.</p>
<p>I feel confident that I can get fairly good letters of rec</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>It's funny that you want to transfer from Northwestern to Vassar... my best friend from high school happens to go to Northwestern and I go to Vassar.</p>
<p>In regards to your chances... unfortunately, I don't know very much about transfer rates into Vassar, so don't feel as if I can confidently tell you what your chances. In my opinion, you look like a competitive applicant, but that being said, your chances really depend on this year's applicant pool (last year it was highly competitive, other years it's apparently been less so). I can tell you that it shouldn't be quite as hard to transfer into Vassar as it was last year, because the construction being done on-campus should be finished for when you'd arrive. </p>
<p>As for some other schools to consider... Swarthmore College, Bard College, Reed College, Oberlin College, Skidmore College, Brandeis University, Wesleyan University, Kenyon College, Grinnell College, Carleton College, Smith College (female only), Sarah Lawrence College, Haverford College, Pomona College, and Macalester College all come to mind as schools I would describe as having a somewhat to very similar feel as Vassar.</p>
<p>What, in particular, about Vassar appeals to you?</p>
<p>If you are female....and are looking for students thinking seriously about academics, good philosophy depts, great sense of community, and good depts in French and Gender Studies, why wouldn't you consider Smith or Mount Holyoke?</p>
<p>The small campus and community appeal to me. I am not interested at this point in going to an all female college. I did that for high school, and the co-ed environment at Northwestern has been refreshing. What is most particularly appearling about Vassar is their philosophy department. There is a focus on French Continental philosophy, that I have not seen at any other undergraduate institution. Addiionally their language departments seem strong, as does the Gender Studies program.</p>