Will I need to ED?

<p>I recently visited Vassar and loved it. It's my top choice and I'm strongly considering ED'ing there (acceptance rate jumps from 24% to 41% with ED). However, to keep my options open, I don't want to ED unless I have to. </p>

<p>I'm an incoming senior, male, caucasian, from Seattle WA.
GPA: 3.98 (unweighted)
SAT: 2120 (760 CR, 680 M, 680 R)
ACT: 32 (29 M, 34 CR, 34 S) don't remember the rest</p>

<p>Honors: English/History 11, 12
Spanish 11, 12
Bio 11 (partially)
Calc 12
Physics 12
Adv. Acting (I believe this counts as honors at my school)
Did an independent study in computer science. This isn't an interest of mine but I ended up doing it to fill a block. </p>

<p>Co-Chair of Judiciary Committee, 9-12
Student Facilitators (group that serves as student advisors to freshmen), 10-12
JV Soccer 9-11 (Captain in 11) will continue 12
JV Basketball (9-11) will continue 12
Featured Columnist/Correspondent on a sports website
...Ping-Pong Club? (I wasn't really in it actually but they put me in it in the yearbook because I photobombed the team picture. Probably not a college factor either way)</p>

<p>I've done a school service trip in Costa Rica
Approx. 260 hours community service</p>

<p>So, what are my chances overall and should I ED? Thanks!</p>

<p>If Vassar is still your first choice come September or October, ED. Your stats are fine (better than mine, actually, and I’m a rising sophomore who RD’d!) but I’m always wary about chancing people because college admissions really are a craps shoot. You have a decent chance either way. But I sincerely wish I had ED’d because it would have saved me a lot of time and money if I had. If you know that you want to go to Vassar at that you’ll attend if you get in, EDI. If you have another top choice, then EDI at that school and, if you don’t make it, EDII at Vassar. Lots of applications oftentimes just end up costing excessive amounts of money (I spent around $400 I think). So. I recommend ED just because it saves a lot of stress since you have the possibility of knowing where you’re going very early in the year.</p>

<p>Waiting until March is absolutely agonizing.</p>

<p>I basically second what averagesnarker said. Go ED if it’s by far your first choice, but I think you have a really good shot at RD either way. Your stats are better than mine, and I’m an incoming freshman, though I did apply ED I. I will say that it definitely saved me a lot of time, money, and agony. It was great being finished with everything in December while everyone else was stressing over acceptance/rejection letters in March.</p>

<p>Also, not that this makes much a of a difference, but the acceptance rate is 22.5%, with ED being around 38%.</p>

<p>Thank you both for the feedback! While I would like to have the experience of seeing which schools I get into, I would much rather get it over with if my mind is made up. Also, do either of you know how good the economics program is at Vassar?</p>

<p>I can’t comment on the quality of the econ program, being a bio major, but the number of friends I have who are econ majors is stupidly high. There are so many econ majors it’s ridiculous. So, you’ll find people with similar interests? But it might also be difficult to get into classes. Not sure. And your mind might change when you get here, anyway.</p>

<p>Ok, well at the very least the popularity of the major is somewhat comforting. Thanks for sticking with the thread and I have one more question (at least for now). I’ve heard that males in general have a better chance of getting in at Vassar? Is this true? Since they strive to keep the male population at about 40-45%, any there are far less male applicants than female applicants, is there any merit to what I’ve heard that acceptance rates are higher for males?</p>

<p>

You heard correctly. </p>

<p>A higher percentage of males vs. females are admitted (fewer apply) but not at the expense of lowering standards for male admits.
…Total Male Female
Number of applicants 7,985 2,518 5,467
Percent admitted… 23% 33% 18%
[College</a> Navigator - Vassar College](<a href=“http://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?q=vassar&s=all&id=197133#admsns]College”>http://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?q=vassar&s=all&id=197133#admsns)</p>

<p>Regarding grades, does your school offer AP classes?</p>

<p>NB–If financial aid is a consideration, do not apply ED. Comparative schools financial aid awards can vary by thousands of dollars. You’ll be unable to compare offers if you apply ED</p>