marleegrace

I'll be applying to Vassar ED-I, and I'd like to know how likely I am to get in.

-Female
-SAT: 2160 (1410 2-score), likely to go up slightly when I get the scores back from the most recent time I've taken it.
-Top 25% of my class, likely to go up within the next semester.
-Unweighted GPA: 3.0
-Unweighted core GPA: 3.14
-Weighted GPA: 4.14
-Extracurriculars: Heavily involved in Speech & Debate (with officer position); moderate participation in Drama Club; officer positions in National English Honors Society, JSA, and poetry club.
-Service hours: ~250
-Awards: Many Speech & Debate national awards, a few national writing contest wins, National Merit commendation or higher (not sure yet)
-Other: Part time job, volunteer position reviewing books for a major publishing company, and I spend much of my time writing (3 novels so far, not sure if that's relevant, but it can't hurt, I guess).

Writing is my strong suit so I'm very confident in my application essay.
Additionally, my GPA is lower than it should be due to severe family and mental health issues my sophomore year. However, my weighted GPA went from a weighted 2.9 at the end of sophomore year to the weighted 4.14 by the end of junior year, and I will be including this information explaining my circumstances in a letter added to my application.

Thoughts?

Globular

I'm a rising freshman going to vassar this next august who applied RD and got in.

As a girl, it will statistically be harder for you to be accepted. Make SURE you outline fully your mental health issues and get a note from a psychiatrist. I failed 2 classes my freshman year for the same reason (it was when I was diagnosed OCD and was being put on anti depressants.. bad bad bad bad reactions to those) and a simple note from a psychiatrist to all my schools sufficed, I got accepted where I wanted to (Vassar!) and many other schools. So don't worry about your GPA like I did. Top schools are really understanding of personal problems, so long as you document them and show an effort (I got a 4.0 every year following that)

Your SAT is good. Make sure to do well on subject tests though. Your national awards will DEFINITELY help. Also, if you can, you should find a way to incorporate your writing into a "your space" thing for vassar. Writing 3 novels is a pretty big deal. Are they published? If so wow. Impressive.

Overall, I'd say you have a really good shot. So long as you get a good explanatory letter for your GPA and have shown a rising trend sense then! Vassar really doesn't care too much about GPA, although the average gpa of the students is incredible. They care about diversity. PLAY UP your family problems. Make yourself unique and diverse as a student coming from a bad background and talk about how it has changed you, and you'll have an awesome chance

averagesnarker

@Globular, I'd be very hesitant to say that Vassar 'doesn't care about GPA.' It does. A lot. It can also be understanding if there are extenuating circumstances, but the average GPA and test scores show that, yes, grades are very important. And, being a student here, most of my friends had stellar GPAs in high school and very high test scores. There is no denying that Vassar is a highly selective school and that it is difficult to get in. I would not go around telling people they are 'definitely' going to get in EDI, or that they have a 'really good shot' because even people with amazing grades and unique talents get rejected. I had a prospie stay with me who had better grades than I did, wonderful test scores, and plenty of ECs and she still got rejected. There is no guarantee, and college applications can really be crap shoots.

However, to the OP, I think you have as good a chance as any if you have documentation about your family and mental health issues. The school is pretty understanding about things of that nature; I didn't do terribly well my freshman year but I stepped it up. But I won't guarantee you'll get in, and I wish you the best. You will get accepted to the schools that you are suited for, whatever they may be, and you will find the place for you. It might be Vassar, it might not be, but it'll work out.

marleegrace

Update: just got a 33 on my ACT. Will that make up for my less-than-stellar GPA?