Reader Questions Six & Seven: Transportation, Part III & Admissions

Hey there... sorry for the lack of new posts. October Break begins a week from this Friday, so I'm currently swamped in work for several midterm exams and a paper. Anyway, a couple more questions came in in the past few days, so I thought I'd answer them quickly.

Thank you for that info on the Boston bus service. Is that fare one way? and do they offer bus service for the return trip-back to Vassar after these breaks?

According to the email I received about the bus service for October Break, the service is one way.


Can you kindly offer me some tips [for applying] and is it possible for people like me to get in?

First of all, let me just say that I'm no expert as far as admissions goes. I can give you advice and tell you about my own experience; however, I can't guarantee that you'll get in by listening to me. That being said... some advice on your application. The first is to make sure that all of your application essays are strong. Your common application essay should tell your readers something about you that they wouldn't be able to pick up from your resume: it should be a personal insight into who you are. In addition, be sure to give your "Why Vassar?" paragraph plenty of thought. Tell the admissions officers what about Vassar makes it appeal to you more than any other institution and what makes you a good fit for the school. Basically, even though it's "just a paragraph," be sure to give it plenty of attention.

Another suggestion I can offer is to make use of the YourSpace part of the application. You mentioned that you're involved in music, so send in a short recording of yourself playing your instrument (please keep in mind that if you're planning on a serious study in music, you should submit a music supplement instead). The YourSpace gives you another space where you can differentiate yourself from the thousands of other students applying to Vassar, so take advantage of it if you can. That being said, if you can't think of anything to put in the YourSpace, leave it blank (that's what I did). It's entirely optional, after all.

Lastly, I'll address the second half of your question: whether or not it is possible for people like you to get in. I don't really want to turn this blog into a "what are my chances?" sort of site, so I'm not going to go into your chances based on your resume here (if you want that, try College Confidential). That being said, I will say that, generally-speaking, it certainly is possible for international applicants requesting financial aid to go to Vassar. The school is not need blind for international students; however, if you are accepted, Vassar guarantees that it will meet 100% of your demonstrated financial need for all four years.