Vassar’s mission is grounded in “an education that promotes analytical, informed, and independent thinking and sound judgment; encourages articulate expression; and nurtures intellectual curiosity, creativity, respectful debate and engaged citizenship. Vassar supports a high standard of engagement in teaching and learning, scholarship and artistic endeavor; a broad and deep curriculum; and a residential campus that fosters a learning community.”
Founded in 1861 to offer women a fully equivalent education to that of the best men’s colleges of the period, Vassar became the first women’s college in the nation to expand its mission to coeducation by opening its doors to men in 1969. Today’s students, who meet each other as equals, are encouraged to develop diverse perspectives through engaging in lively dialogues with faculty and fellow students, which enables them to achieve the insight and confidence needed to function most creatively in today’s complex world.
Vassar is committed to working toward a more just, diverse, equitable, and inclusive college community where all members feel valued and are fully empowered to claim a place in—and responsibility for—working, living, and learning together.
As such, Vassar aims to enroll smart, creative, and talented students from a broad range of backgrounds who will contribute to as well as benefit from the College’s extensive opportunities both inside and outside the classroom. We seek passionate and engaged students who will embrace the shared value of learning from each other’s differences and who will foster an inclusive community together.
Each application is holistically reviewed by the Office of Admission in order to best understand a student’s achievements in context. We weigh a number of factors in selection, with academic excellence and potential being paramount. We also consider other factors such as high school and community contributions, personal strengths, leadership, character, motivation, academic interests, artistic talents, athletic ability, quality of writing, and intellectual curiosity as evidenced in essays, recommendations, out-of-class involvements, and other supplemental application materials. Vassar is test optional, meaning applicants may choose whether or not to submit SAT or ACT scores.
For additional information on the first-year and transfer application processes and requirements, please see the Office of Admission’s website (https://www.vassar.edu/admission/) for the most up-to-date information.
Admission to Exchange Programs
Students attending colleges or universities that have established exchange programs with Vassar who wish to study at Vassar for a semester or a full academic year should make arrangements directly with the exchange coordinator on their own campuses and consult the Office of International Programs and the Dean of Studies Office at Vassar. Exchange students are expected to return to their home institution following their time at Vassar. In addition, an English proficiency exam is required for candidates whose primary language is not English.
Visiting Students
A limited number of places are available for full-time visiting students for a single semester or for the full academic year. To be eligible, a student must be currently enrolled in a college or university and have completed at least one year of full-time work. Students interested in visiting student status at Vassar should contact the Dean of Studies Office for further information and an application. Please note that enrollment at Vassar as a visiting student is an option designed to allow an individual to experience a different educational environment and is not viewed as a route to transfer admission. On-campus housing may be available for visiting students each year, depending on enrollment and housing capacity. In addition, an English proficiency exam is required for candidates whose primary language is not English.
Special Students and Part-Time Students
Well-qualified nontraditional students who live within commuting distance of the campus and who wish to study on a part-time basis are encouraged to discuss special-student status and resumption of work with the Advisor to Special Students in the Office of the Dean of Studies. In addition, an English proficiency exam is required for candidates whose primary language is not English.
Student Right-To-Know Act
Under this act, educational institutions are required to disclose to current and prospective students their completion or graduation rate. This rate is defined as the percentage of students who complete their degree program within 150 percent of the normal completion time for that degree. For Vassar College, this means the percentage of entering students who complete their degree within six years. The Vassar class graduation rate can be found in our most recent Common Data Set, under the heading B4 - B21: Graduation Rates. The Office of Institutional Research annually posts the CDS.
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