Just Wondering…Vassar vs. Haverford ED? I know these schools are different but I think they have a lot in common. I was just wondering which college I should apply to early decision.
My Stats:
Objective:
SAT I (breakdown): 2330 - 800 Critical Reading, 750 Math, 780 Writing
SAT II:
Unweighted GPA/Weighted (out of 4.0): 3.6/3.9 (upward trend)
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): Top 25% ?
AP (place score in parenthesis): US History (4) Literature (5) Chemistry (5) MacroEcon (5) MicroEcon (5)
IB (place score in parenthesis): N/A
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): Chosen for Diversity Confrence, 2nd Place Investment Competition
Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis):
Fundraising Club (Founder+President)
Investment Club
Diversity Club
Chorus (Section Leader)
Model UN
Student Development Board
Spanish Club
Acapella Club
Musical Theater (3 Years)
Visual Arts (Misc.),
Job/Work Experience: Public Policy Intern (DA’s Office), Intern in top 10 Law Firm
Volunteer/Community service: Fundraising Club (200 Hours) + Volunteer at Food Bank
Summer Activities: All of the above + Traveling Abroad to Study Gender Equality in the Netherlands
Other:
Applying for Financial Aid?: Yes
Intended Major: Political Science and Economics
State (if domestic applicant): NY
School Type: Private, Boarding
Ethnicity: Black
Gender: Male
Income Bracket: <100,000
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): URM, son of immigrants.
Have you visited either one? Our D did and it was a slam dunk for Vassar. I do think that Haverford’s honor code is very special. For those that aren’t aware of it, all exams are take home. On your honor, you take the amount of time allocated and do not cheat. Coming from a large school, well, let’s just say that it doesn’t scale!
That said, Vassar was a much prettier campus and the people were very friendly. Vassar is also rated as a top 10 school for happiest student body.
Haverford didn’t seem to have a central campus per se. It felt more like an office complex. I also didn’t like the feeling that Haverford’s constantly being viewed as the safety school for kids who couldn’t get into Swarthmore. This was actually mentioned on the tour because the schools are so close geographically.
Have you visited either one? Our D did and it was a slam dunk for Vassar. I do think that Haverford’s honor code is very special. For those that aren’t aware of it, all exams are take home. On your honor, you take the amount of time allocated and do not cheat. Coming from a large school, well, let’s just say that it doesn’t scale!
That said, Vassar was a much prettier campus and the people were very friendly. Vassar is also rated as a top 10 school for happiest student body.
Haverford didn’t seem to have a central campus per se. It felt more like an office complex. I also didn’t like the feeling that Haverford’s constantly being viewed as the safety school for kids who couldn’t get into Swarthmore. This was actually mentioned on the tour because the schools are so close geographically.
You won’t go wrong if you are accepted to either one but there was just something special about Vassar.
Thank You for your advice @wherezwallace ! What exactly do you mean when you say Haverford felt like an apartment complex? I live in NY and was trying to get away from tthat sort of “stiffness”.
When I started reading your profile, I thought that Haverford might be more suited to you, but then decided that it might be a toss up when I noticed all the music stuff you’ve done. Agree with wherezwallace that they are both awesome schools and that you need to visit them both to see which vibe feels best for you - especially before applying ED. DS actually thought Vassar and Haverford were both very attractive campuses, and never said anything about H looking like an office complex (although I think I remember him saying it looked like a very nice prep school - but that might have had to do with the neighborhood that it is in). He also thought the Haverford code was very very cool, (both the academic and the social parts), but eventually decided not to apply because he thought it was too small.
@LeavingNY: I’ve seen both campuses and each has a lot to offer aesthetically. Vassar is on the edge of a small city. Haverford seems connected to the suburbs. It’s highly subjective, but Vassar may be more “collegiate impressive” in that way, since suburbs in general can be homogenizing, however nice they may be.
For what its worth. My daughter looked at Swarthmore, Haverford and Vassar and chose Vassar b/c she felt the music department was much stronger and there were more opportunities to perform. If music is truly important to you, look closely if Haverford will meet your needs. Good luck
We visited Vassar, Swarthmore, Haverford and a few other LACs. We also visited several large research schools. The schools that seemed the most collegiate were ones where there was a defined “center of campus” feeling. Swarthmore and Vassar have that. Haverford didn’t from what I could tell. Choosing between Haverford and Vassar is like choosing between BMW and Lexus. It comes down to personal preference but at the end of the day, you’ll be happy behind the wheel of either car.
I think that your profile is very strong and you’d fit at both schools- however, I feel Haverford would be the way to go for you as it seems like a better fit. Good luck!
Thank You all for your feedback! I was also wondering if I stood a chance at getting in to either school; I know they are both selective and my GPA is low, but I was hoping good SAT’s and EC’s will offset that.
Not sure why you would apply to either ED, especially because (1) you might like to compare FA packages, and (2) you will have 1st semester grades senior year included if you apply in the RD pool. As a URM with very good SATs, I personally think you shouldn’t apply ED.
@merc81 it’s okay This is what a Vassar rep told me when she visited- she specified that your GPA is one of the key factors of your admit package. Make what you will of it.
Relative to Haverford, Vassar seems somewhat flexible regarding GPA. Vassar is even willing to accept a few more than Haverford outside the top 25%.
Freshman in top 25% of HS class
Haverford: 98%
Vassar: 93%
But in your case, you show so much compensating academic achievement in your AP exams that I think you would still be a viable candidate at either college. So I would definitely keep Haverford in consideration, unless you lose interest in the school for other reasons.
If music and theater are important to you and you want them to be a big part of your college life, Vassar has plenty of opportunities in music and theater. There are numerous opportunities to participate in excellent arts organizations. Even the Vassar swim team has 7 swim team athletes who sing the National Anthem before home meets in a traditional four part harmony arrangement - you just don’t see that at other colleges.
LeavingNY, judging by your SAT and AP scores, I’m guessing that you tested equally as well on the ISEE and are attending a tier 1 boarding school. Having scored in the 98-99 percentile on your SAT, SAT subject and AP tests, and the fact that you’re attending an excellent prep that doesn’t most likely practice grade inflation, I wouldn’t worry about your GPA. It’s fine. Being a URM and first generation to attend college certainly helps as well.
Additionally, the class ranks are predicated on the reporting of only 40% of Haverford and 57% of Vassar enrollees high schools. Extrapolate what you will.
USNWR (2015, Best Colleges) profiled a recruited athlete accepted at Bowdoin with a 3.3 GPA and an SAT composite 680 points lower than yours (although it’s unlikely they were submitted.) Although you do not state any involvement in sports, I think these numbers show that your 3.6 GPA will not, by itself, keep you from consideration at Bowdoin. Really, I’d be surprised if you were denied there.
This is what a Vassar rep told me when she visited- she specified that your GPA is one of the key factors of your admit package. Make what you will of it.