<p>Just wondering for all those who were admitted early decision and enrolled students (especially littleathiest :)) .... how long was ur why Vassar essay... i ask because on the common app it lets u insert only a 1000 charectars but lets u upload a file of sizes much bigger so i dont know how long i should make it.... also im trying to decide whether or not to have a Vassar professor write a letter of recommendation for me...he doesn’t know anything about my academic status but is a family friend and says he can write about my "character and stuff" ... whats ur opinion ... do u think itll help?</p>
<p>I'm wondering the same thing. One of my friends was accepted ED and his essay was over a page and a half, single spaced, which is waaayyyy longer than any of my essays for any of the schools i'm applying to...</p>
<p>well i called the admissions office and they should it should be just around a paragraph but i feel like this is one of those essays where a little bit more to say might have a bigger impact since ur basically saying more reasons why u should be part of the vassar community.</p>
<p>My Why Vassar was about 2.25 pages, 12 font Times New Roman, and I got in. I talked about The World's Longest Unsuspended Tree Branch, how much I loved Vassar (did a fair bit of that), and my tour.</p>
<p>Mine is a page, single spaced, 12 point Times New Roman.
I talked about my tour, languages, and music (especially a cappella).</p>
<p>My "Why Vassar" "essay" was a bit shorter... it was no longer than three quarters of a page, single-spaced and two paragraphs long. Of course, keep in mind that I applied a couple of years ago, so things might have changed a bit since then. </p>
<p>In regards to your second question... I would definitely recommend you have the Vassar professor your family is friends with write in as a supplementary recommendation for you.</p>
<p>My "Why Vassar" essay was two pages 12 font times double spaced.
I was worried that is was long too, but then I thought that I'm telling them why I love them so much--they'll want to hear it.
I also recommend having the professor write a letter for you. Admissions will probably value an opinion from someone they know more highly.
Good luck! :)</p>
<p>I thought it had to be 750 characters?!</p>
<p>thats only if you type in the response on common app... you can upload a file of whatever length you wish</p>
<p>I feel really stupid for not realizing that before.</p>
<p>My common app only let me submit 700 characters, so that's all I submitted. It was short and to the point- but I was accepted ED1 so that goes to show you it doesn't need to be a novel.</p>
<p>mine was 726 words. i wrote about a page on how i first learned about vassar at a college fair and my continuing research. the remaining was all the things that made me want vassar more than anything. i thought i had really good reasons. i got in.</p>
<p>mine was just under the common app requirement and i got in fine!</p>
<p>I think this thread proves they care far more about content than length.</p>
<p>I'm applying RD, and the essay is 834 words. Definitely on the long side, but I think it's well done.</p>
<p>If I were an adcom, and I had all those applications to read, I would not be happy looking at a two page Why Vassar essay. Get out the editing pen, folks. You don't want to annoy the person who is deciding whether you get in. Short, sweet, punchy.</p>
<p>fudge!
i had so much trouble making it 750 characters ugh...I left out A LOT of stuff...
wow i wish i saw this thread sooner.. :(</p>
<p>I uploaded mine because it just happened to be 890 characters long, and I didn't want to cut it. Plus, it's not that much of a difference...I guess.</p>
<p>Mine's 640. I had to cut it quite a bit, I didn't want to make them read more than they had to.</p>
<p>As long as it's less than like, 900 characters and more than 350, I'm sure it's fine?</p>
<p>lol wow by ur logic im screwed mines is 4457 characters and 734 words .. but i think its gonna be fine especially since my common app essay is relatively short... come to think of it i spent a lot more time on vassar essay then on the common app i hope it pays off on the end of january.</p>