Vassar is a small, private liberal arts school in Poughkeepsie Town, NY. It started as the 2nd ever college for women, and an original member of the Seven Sisters, but became co-ed in 1969. Like a lot of other liberal arts schools, popular majors include bio, econ, poli sci, and English.
Vassar is competitive for first-year students, but it’s even more so for transfers. First year applicants are looking down a 19% acceptance rate, while transfers are looking at around 9%. To put that in perspective, last cycle, out of 349 applicants, only 45 were admitted. 13%! Keep reading for our tips and tricks to have the most competitive transfer application to Vassar as you can.
Vassar’s Requirements
Are you eligible to apply as a transfer to Vassar? “If you have earned a high school diploma or GED and have enrolled at a college or university, you will be considered a transfer applicant.” If you’re reading this, probably! Vassar also offers both spring and fall transfers, which is fairly uncommon in the transfer world.
Here are their requirements:
Transfer Common App
Essays (more on that later)
Faculty recommendation
School/College report
Midterm report
Official Transcripts (college + high school)
Optional requirements:
Test scores
Extra rec letters
More on their requirements and process for transfer applicants here.
Pick the Right Classes
The classes you take should mirror your stated academic goals. If you’re applying for computer science, a ton of elective English classes won’t make a ton of sense. But, it’s also important to remember that Vassar is like, as liberal-artsy as it gets, so having a balance of classes is going to be really crucial for your application.
Essentially, take your prereqs and use your few free elective spots to really dive into your major topic. Prereqs help you get credits, both at your home school and at Vassar! And because transferring is always a risk, it’s good to have those home-school prereqs done to give yourself a bit of a safety net.
Get Really Good Grades
The best way to prove you can be a stellar college student at Vassar is by being a stellar college student at your own school. Vassar is competitive to get into, and making all As is important for your application.
A tip for you: when choosing your prereqs in the subject areas that are not your jam, maybe don’t take the ones you almost failed in high school? Idk, just an idea. If you haaated Hemingway, that freshman English seminar on the Great American Novel isn’t probably going to be your best friend. And pretty please, go to office hours. Those relationships with professors will help your grades and it’ll be good for when you have to ask for rec letters.
Develop Your Niche
You can’t just take classes to prove you’re interested in your major! You have to do other stuff, perhaps outside of your curriculum… isn’t there a word for that? Here’s a list of things, although these are certainly not all of the things, you can do to build out your extracurriculars (there’s that word!) and develop a deeper interest in your stated major:
Researching with a professor
Joining (or starting) clubs
Writing for an on-campus publication
Getting an internship
Getting a paying job
Volunteering (in something related to your major)
Just so we're on the same page, this isn't about inflating your resume. It's about giving Vassar solid evidence that you've dived into your passions and have a clear direction. Plus, it will help you build a community at your current school – a handy backup plan if your transfer dreams don't quite pan out.
Write Good Essays
Vassar has two questions
Please explain your reasons for transferring and why Vassar would serve you better than your current or most recent school. Your response should include your academic and long-term goals.
This is a very standard transfer essay that will mostly follow the Why essay format:
Origin story (your lightbulb moment for your major)
Declare your major
List 1-2 upper-level classes + why they’re good fits for you
A professor or two you want to research with
Academic extracurriculars
Make sure to explain why you’re transferring (but keep the reasons academic), but don’t bash your current school. If you have a significant reason for leaving your current school, and it’s not academic, you can put that info in the next prompt. More on this prompt here.
Please describe any gaps or special circumstances regarding your educational progression. How will these experiences contribute to your education and to the Vassar community? What influenced your decision to apply now?
It’s weird to us that this is a required one because the context makes us feel like this should be an optional/additional information type question. If you haven’t had gaps or special circumstances, this is probably where you’ll want to talk vibes for Vassar. Things like class sizes, liberal arts education, and access to professors/resources are all good things to talk about in terms of “what influenced your decision to apply now.”
We hope these tips help you a) prepare to transfer and b) make that transfer application happen. Good luck with your Vassar application and make sure to keep your grades up, get plugged into your community, and dive into your passions.
If you need help with your transfer applications, reach out to us today.