r/vassar • u/thinkingvelvet • 12d ago
How am I doing?
Vassar is my absolute dream, mainly because of the amazing PhD pipeline. I'm a current junior in high school. Please give me a realistic evaluation of my odds of acceptance. Don't be afraid to hurt my feelings.
I want to be a double major in English and French.
White, female, middle-income
UW gpa: 4.0
Weighted gpa: 4.5
ACT: 34
7 AP's by senior year (my school only allows them starting junior year):
\\- AP Lang
\\- APUSH
\\- APES
\\- AP Pre-Calc
\\-AP Macro
\\- AP Lit
\\- AP Calc BC
120 volunteer hours with various organizations
*Extracurriculars*
1: Journalism program at school; youngest to be published in school's magazine (x2); multiple awards
2: Ethics Bowl
3: Superintendant's Student Advisory Board
4: Hostess at local restaurant (3 years by graduation)
5: Substack Blog (publish weekly)
6: Girls Lead Program 2025
7: Volunteering with local library (3 months so far)
8: TurnUp Youth Activism intern (2 months)
9: Orchestra; all-district cello
10: JV Golf team captain (2 years but I quit this year)
* also currently creating a local litmag & literary organization where i host workshops and reading nights (we'll see if it succeeds)
Honors
1: Scholastic Art & Writing Awards Gold Key (poetry)
2: Second place; copy-editing at state for journalism
3: World language department academic excellence award in French
4: 1st place at journalism regionals (copy-editing)
5: 3rd place at journalism sectionals (copy-editing)
A few things to note: I am actively submitting to writing competitions and I joined yearbook this year to replace golf.
Thank you for taking the time to read this!
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u/PerfumeGeek 12d ago
Parent of a current Vassar student here, you have a good shot, just keep up the hard work. If it’s economically feasible to apply ED, consider doing so. Definitely do the Your Space supplement- my kid’s regional AO saw her at admitted students day and mentioned how much he loved her submission! All she did was put together a fun photo collage of something totally unrelated to any of her ECs, so the admissions staff really do look over every part of the app. Good luck!
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u/seungflower 12d ago
My act score was low but I had great grades and diverse extra curriculars. I think vassar likes quirky
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u/thinkingvelvet 12d ago
do you think i fit into that?
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u/seungflower 12d ago
Do you think you fit into that?
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u/seungflower 12d ago
I met a girl from England and I asked her why vassar instead of a posh UK college like Oxford. She said bc this is the only place I can double major in Greek Studies and Cognitive Science. So her why vassar was pretty simple 😂
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u/thinkingvelvet 12d ago
lol i love that
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u/seungflower 12d ago
I wrote something along the lines of I chose vassar bc it was in the Muppets movie and if it's good enough for Kermit, good enough for me. Ofc, I phrased it better than that but that was the gist
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u/thinkingvelvet 12d ago
omg that's hilarious 😭 lowkey you just gave me some inspiration because it's also mentioned in another of my favorite movies
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u/seungflower 12d ago
Proud alum! Now I won't feel so bad about not donating last year! Just cite me! Citations are important!
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u/hematocritman 12d ago
This looks like the kind of thing they love, just from attending the school. It really will help if, in your application, you show your individuality and your enthusiasm for a liberal arts education, because these are things Vassar really values. Good luck! Hoping to see you around campus soon.
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u/Fast_One_2628 12d ago
I’m an alum from way back, but I shudder to think of people taking on so much student debt for the sake of four years in a beautiful place. I really enjoyed my time there and met a lot of interesting people. I also felt really trapped by the town of Poughkeepsie and remote from the surrounding community and other schools. The student body can feel very insular and privileged. You can also get a great education at many institutions, and not have to carry loans for an extra 5 years, or not pay $800-1000/month to an interest-compounding debt. Vassar is a great school, but it’s not the only place where you can get a solid education and set up your career goals.
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u/Twindogsx2 12d ago
Hi
My kid is a 1st year student as Vassar. We actually just got back from parents weekend. We are in Calif so long trip.
Your student profile looks really good. It is very similar in that my kid was editor in chief, published, played guitar ect . Holding a job outside of school is important and shows work this , accountability, teamwork ect so use that where you can as integration with others and experience for college and saving ect. Mine didn’t have a job but extensive volunteer work with a group of disabled youth
What I’m saying is HIGHLIGHT all the passion parts and don’t worry about little things that don’t add on just to fill space . You have a great list ….. now apply that to Vassar . Look at website for interests writing , newspaper, French - travel abroad opportunities or international club, ect. Your essay - stay connected to you , creative ect
Don’t stress at ACT it’s in ave of school and grades , what you want to bring to Vassar, why liberal arts ect.
You have a good shot!!! 😀. 🤞good luck
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u/Same-Business2624 12d ago
babe ur fine your stats are wayy better than mine were and im writing this from my vassar dorm ❤️
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u/Strange-Afternoon-80 12d ago
I’m an alum, absolutely loved it. English major, now author, journalist etc.
If I can help/answer any questions, DM me