<p>people keep talking about how you shouldn’t go to vassar if you aren’t the right type of person who would enjoy it. so, what type of person do you need to be?</p>
<p>You need to be smart, have an A- average, have high test scores and be involved with an extracurricular/s that you have shown a commitment for and have achieved a measure of success. You need to be involved in your community and a good citizen. You need good references. You need to be eager to learn with other smart people, both students and professors and become part of a caring community where independence and a sense of community are both valued. You must want to live on a beautiful college campus, in a fairly cold climate, not too far from NYC. There is no typical Vassar student beyond that description in my opinion. It is one of the most diverse collections of students with the common threads I mentioned. Students come from all over the world and from every background. This, of course, is my opinion. Good luck with your decision on where to apply.</p>
<p>Another thought. Vassar does not have fraternities, a football team or a hockey rink. If any of that is important to you it is not the right place. Affiliation is by dorms. There is a language requirement. Drama and music are big. Athletic programs are small and vibrant but not as prominent as other activities. More people will show up for a play than for a lacrosse game I am told. The class size is around 700 students give or take 50. As I said, my opinion, no more or less.</p>
<p>i would say it’s important to want a small, close-knit school atmosphere. i transferred to vassar as a sophomore. Upon meeting a fellow sophomore for the first time, i would get a quizzical look until telling him/her that i had transferred – b/c that person would be surprised that he/she hadn’t seen me around before! it’s a small school, and a fairly small campus, so you see/recognize a lot of the same faces. in my opinion, that’s a GOOD thing, but i understand that it isn’t for everyone! this also means that classes are small, and professors are really focused on their students – i felt this much more strongly than i did at my previous school, which wasn’t really all that big (about 3600 undergrads, not sure how many grads).</p>
<p>I haven’t gotten to Vassar yet, but I’ll be living there in eight days (!!!). Like everyone’s said, I wanted a smaller school with a strong focus on both the arts and academics. I guess I was a strong applicant… valedictorian of my class of 300, from a performing arts magnet in Las Vegas, with fairly high test scores. I was active in dance, theatre, voice and a couple of other random things (Varsity Quiz!), and had a part-time job… which I thought were good extracurriculars until I started reading this board and realized that I needed to be spoon-feeding Chinese orphans… I also had THE greatest letter of recommendation in the universe, albeit unintentionally (it was a page-long extended metaphor of me as a yacht; I kid you not). </p>
<p>Really, though, read the reviews of it on… what’s the website? I don’t know. It seems like a pretty “niche” school, but so was my high school. I’ll learn if I like it or not over the coming months, but I think I will…</p>
<p>I think, though the resume requirements are useful, your question really refered to that magical Vassar vibe . . . it’s either there or it ain’t, I’ve seen everyone from Texas baptists to NYC rich kids with it. Take your son/daughter there while school is in session, they’ll either get it or they won’t.</p>