Why Vassar???

As a senior in his last semester at Vassar, I find myself thrilled, terrified, excited, and fulfilled all at the same time. Looking back, there is no way freshmen year that I could have had any idea of how amazing the next four years would be. I entered the college unsure of what I was going to study or major in, but with a strong interest in psychology. Throughout my time here I have met so many interesting and incredible people from all walks of life, and have the privilege to call many of them friends. Reflecting upon my experience, I would not change it for the world.

In the midst of the anxiety filled college decision process, I discovered Vassar College and it was the beginning of a beautiful relationship. At first, I could not really tell Vassar apart from many of the other small liberal arts institutions in New England and they seemed to all meld into one big Frankenstein-like representation of college. But, what really set Vassar apart for me, and solidified my decision was first, the campus itself. Coming from the small town of Torrington, Connecticut I knew I wanted to go to a small school, but also didn’t want to feel socially claustrophobic. With a student body of around 2,500 I felt comfortable that I would get the small school experience with the benefits of a larger student body. Additionally, Vassar’s physical campus is a great size in which it is small enough to allow easy navigation, yet large enough where you don’t feel stifled. Not to mention the campus is also breathtaking in every season from the Fall to the Spring.

In choosing colleges, I decided to do an overnight visit at Vassar, and I think it was that, which gave me an excellent feel for the school. I was able to spend the night in a dorm room with a current student and attend a class of my choosing. As an anticipated Psychology major I sat through an intro to psychology course with Professor Abigail Baird, and absolutely loved it. Going to the class also allowed me to talk with current psychology students to find out about the other professors in the department. The positive comments about the faculty weighed in as another factor in my decision.

Lastly, need blind and need based financial aid is an awesome thing for any college to do and I’ve truly appreciated Vassar’s commitment to making the cost of an excellent education affordable. I applied to colleges through an amazing program called Questbridge, which aims to match high-achieving low-income students with top ranking colleges on a full four-year scholarship. Unfortunately, after making it to the final round, I was not matched with a school but Questbridge still forwards finalist’s applications to their selected schools. In contacting Vassar’s admissions office I found out about their need based financial aid, in which Vassar will meet 100% of your family’s demonstrated financial need. It was their need-based aid, which allowed me to receive an amazing education.

So, why did I choose Vassar?

I chose Vassar for the physical campus, the positive responses about professors, and Vassar’s amazing financial aid policy. It is crazy to think that these three components led me to make the biggest decision of my so far, but there are no complaints here and I’ve had an incredible four years here.