Case Study PDF

Case Study
Vassar College Admissions
1
Everyone has seen the average college viewbook. On the cover, there’s typically a gorgeous shot of an idyllic
campus with someone who’s clearly a professor in the background, chatting affably with a guy and a girl.
Nothing wrong with that. Except that they all kind of look the same.
But Vassar College isn’t average. Founded in 1861, Vassar
was the first college to provide an Ivy-equivalent education for
women. A hundred years later, Vassar was the first of the top
single-sex colleges to go coed. Coming from an institution
with a history of innovation, its graduates are known for their
independence of thought, their penchant for challenging the
status quo.
Over 10 years ago, Nesnadny + Schwartz won the commission
to redesign Vassar’s admissions portfolio by doing exactly
that—challenging the dominant paradigm. Strong typographical treatments and in-your-face portraits. Now in their second
iteration, Vassar’s admissions publications and website have
consistently produced record-breaking results, including the
most selective incoming class in the college’s distinguished
history. And awards. Did we mention awards? All that—on a
tight budget.
Cleveland + New York + Toronto
www.NSideas.com
Hello @ NSideas.com
216.791.7721
Vassar College Admissions
Case Study
organized
2
judicious
collaborative
devoted
ardent
happy
wise
confident
vigilant
possibilities
Okay Picasso,
what’s it going to be?
Up until now, a lot has been decided for you. But from here
What are you going
to put on the canvas? Your canvas.What are
on out, you get to choose.
you curious about? Fascinated by? What are your dreams?
What do you want to make? What do you want to learn?
Who do you want to become?
Vassar At A Glance
02
04
12
22
Define Your Life
Who
What
Where
Vassar Interviews
06
08
10
14
16
Liberal Arts The World According to Luke
Community Rooted in Tradition
Academic Life The End Is Insight
Residential Life Family Matters
Athletics A Question of Balance
Vassar In Depth
18
20
24
26
28
Location Ahead of the Pack
Student Life On Her Toes
Internships Wheeling and Dealing
Faculty Sound Research
Outcomes A Case for Girl Power
31
36
38
40
Academics
Student Life
Apply
Facts
aware
controversial
influential
logical
energetic
artist
self-starter
humorous
coherent
achiever
effectual
gracious
approachable
optimistic
discerning
enterprising
receptive
a thousand acres
Serious About Sports
Let’s say you’re a highly competitive athlete, seriously committed to your sport. Why would
you choose to go to a Division III school like Vassar? Well, for one thing, because you might
actually get to play rather than sit on a bench. And for another, because you might also be seriously committed to your education. At Vassar, academic work is always the top priority, but
we also compete at a very high level. For example, our men’s volleyball team placed second at
nationals in 2008. The women’s tennis team has captured league and state championships and
qualified for the NCAA national team championship for seven straight years.
a question
The empty canvas, the blank page — it’s a little scary, but in a good way, an exhilarating way. If there’s one thing Vassar is good at, it’s giving smart, creative, independent
thinkers the tools to make it happen, whatever “it” is. There is no intellectual
or creative pursuit that’s out of the question here. Defy gravity.
Juggle fire. Recite Hamlet’s famous soliloquy in Russian. Make a film in 48 hours.
What’s it going to be? You get to choose. Finally.
Caitlin Ly ’10, tucson, aZ
According to Caitlin Ly, “There are not very many lackadaisical, I’m-just-kind-of-floating-around type people at Vassar.” That must
be why it’s her kind of place. Ly is double-majoring in history and political science, playing three varsity sports — volleyball, squash,
and rowing — and serving as the class of 2010 vice president. How does she manage to get her homework done? Playing sports,
she says, makes her “a better student…. My sense of accomplishment in athletics carries over into other aspects of my life.”
define your life by living it
Q How did you choose vassar?
A Actually, I was dead set on another college.
My guidance counselor suggested that I take
a trip out here the summer before my senior
year, so I spent about a week, visited a school
a day. I hadn’t really researched Vassar, but I
was going to be in the area, so it ended up on
the list. I set up a meeting with Coach Penn
… took the campus tour … and really, really
liked it. It was just such a good feeling — the
minute I drove in through Main Gate.
Q so volleyball is your main sport?
A I played in high school, all four years, plus
club during the winter. Obviously, I wanted a
college with a good academic reputation, but
volleyball was also a huge factor. We have a
great program here. Over the past seven
years, we’ve won our conference six times
and gone on to the NCAA championship five
times. Coach Penn’s enthusiasm and his absolute love for the game played a huge part
in my decision to come here.
Q How would you describe the athletic-academic balance at vassar?
A Our coaches realize that there are a lot of
2
3
footloose
high flier
wheeling
Q you do a lot of stuff — you’re the vice
president of your class, you’re a double
major, you play three sports. How do you
manage it all?
A I think that playing sports makes me a better
person and a better student. It’s not like D-I
schools where your life revolves around sports
24-7, but the athletes I know here have a determination to succeed that carries over into everything they do — sports and academics.
My courses are harder this year and I’m
going to have to devote a lot more time to academics. But I can’t imagine not doing the
other things. My sense of accomplishment in
athletics carries over into other aspects of my
life. If sports are going well, then academics
are bound to be going well. Also, you make
really good friends from sports. Some of my
best friends here are my teammates.
Q What’s your favorite class so far?
A British History with Professor Murdoch.
We learned about the agriculture and the
economy and the politics and even the social
customs of 18 th-century Britain. Professor
Murdoch is just so interesting — she could
talk about anything and we’d pay attention.
One thing I really like about the History Department at Vassar is its focus on primary
sources. You don’t have a textbook, like you
do in high school. You study primary documents — letters, diaries, legal documents —
that were written by people in the time period
you’re studying.
Q Any advice for prospective students?
A I would say come for an overnight, for sure,
and go out and talk to as many people as you
can. And talk to professors, sit in on a class,
go to a practice, go to a drama performance
— it’s a very distinct feeling on campus, and
the more people you talk to, the more of a
sense you’re going to have of whether it’s the
right place for you.
For the complete interview with Caitlin Ly, go to
Admissions.Vassar.edu/Ly
case
curious
Working Connections
and dealing
Q Did you have to say goodbye to your gPA?
A Not exactly. But from that moment until
race day, it was nonstop — going to town
board meetings, meeting with mayors,
Q Did you come to vassar knowing that you
eventually wanted to go to medical school?
A I knew from the beginning that I wanted to
go into medicine, although I wasn’t really
sure where in medicine I would fit in. I did a
couple of “shadowing” experiences. Last
summer and then once a week during my senior year, I shadowed Doctor Lloyd Gayle in
Manhattan. He’s absolutely amazing. He’s
the head of surgery at Weill Cornell — a plastic surgeon who works in reconstructive surgery for oncology patients. He works nonstop.
I didn’t see him eat the entire time I was
compassionate
direct
sincere
jubilant
open
Most Vassar graduates pursue advanced study within five years of graduation, and Vassar’s acceptance rates for medical, law, and graduate schools are significantly higher than the national averages. Vassar graduates who go straight into the job market also do remarkably well. They have two
important advantages: the Vassar name (it opens doors) and the Vassar network, 3,000 alumnae/i
who serve as career mentors through the Office of Career Development. Whatever field you’re
interested in, you can search the network and find a Vassar graduate who at the very least can give
you the inside scoop on how to get started and sometimes can give you internship or job leads.
daring
Life After Vassar
girl
power
Leah Goodridge ’04, ucla scHool of law
When Christian Rose and his teammate Peter Horn put in a bid to host the Eastern Conference Collegiate Cycling Championships at Vassar, they didn’t really expect to get it. But six months later, after an incredible amount of work and not too much
sleep, they watched as 500 cyclists poured into the Hudson Valley for an event a lot of people said was the best race in
decades. Rose is now in an MD/PhD program at Columbia.
meeting with the sheriff, coordinating with
the state police, getting cavalcades for the
riders to keep the roads clear. And then
when race day finally came, it was mindboggling how successful it was and how
wonderful it was to see all these people come
to our neck of the woods and really love it.
Every person that came up to us said it was
the best race they’d been to in decades. It
was definitely a great adventure getting it all
set up, and it was wonderful to see how
much people enjoyed it. They told us they
thought we should host nationals!
balance
for
Christian Rose ’07, columBia universitY mD/PHD Program
Q What was the impetus for organizing the
cycling championship?
A We [the cycling team] got an email from
the guy who runs the conference that said, if
you’re planning on putting a bid in, we’re
going to have a meeting at West Point in November. Two days before the meeting, we
decided to do it. So I threw together a Powerpoint, and the next day, Peter Horn and I
went down to West Point. We were sort of sitting there, just the two of us, and all these
other teams, really big teams, were there. It
was very intimidating. Luckily, I’d done a lot
of Powerpoint presentations for my physics
research. So I got up there, very professional,
and presented this thing that I’d worked on
all through the night, and they were floored.
It went to a vote, and we wound up winning
the bid for the championship over three other
cycling powerhouses. Then, the guy who
runs the conference said, basically, “Say
goodbye to your GPAs, guys.”
of
16
a
quixotic
vigorous
powerful
Internships are extremely useful — first, because they help you make the connection between
what you’re learning in class and the real world, and second, because you make contacts and
get experience that will look good on your résumé whether you’re applying to graduate school
or looking for a job. There are lots of internship opportunities right on campus —research
internships, department internships — and these are usually paid experiences. Off-campus
internships, coordinated by the Field Work Office, are supervised by a faculty member and
awarded academic credit. Through this program, about 500 students each year are placed in
social service agencies, businesses, and nonprofits.
academic demands on us, and if we have a
commitment to some class, or if we have to
go to a film screening, for example, or a lecture, they’re respectful of that. And at the
same time, I think we get to enjoy it more. We
get to focus on team bonding and going to
games and just playing for Vassar.
At the end of her senior year at Vassar, Leah Goodridge was awarded a Compton Mentor Fellowship which she used to
design and implement a sex education program for girls in the Dominican Republic. She’d never been to the Dominican
Republic, she’d never taught sex education, and she never imagined that her project would evolve into an ongoing nonprofit to
help girls become leaders. We interviewed her at UCLA Law School, where she is currently pursuing her JD.
shadowing him — all day, we’d do patients
nonstop from 7: 00 in the morning until 9 : 00
or 10 : 00 at night. So I just hung around and
got to see everything he did. I don’t happen to
want to go into plastic surgery, but seeing what
he did and how he interacted with his patients — people just felt so comfortable with
him — it was great. He was such a cool guy.
Q tell me a little about your background.
A My family is from Barbados, and I grew up
in Brooklyn, NY, in a very Caribbean neighborhood — actually a mix of African American
and Caribbean. I went to a private elementary
and junior high school that was very Caribbean and very strict. And then I went to public high school, which I was really ready for by
that time — James Madison High School — a
wonderful high school, extremely diverse.
Q so eventually you want to have a practice?
A Doing these things — the research and the
shadowing — made me realize that I want to
go into an MD/PhD program and do research.
I love seeing patients, but when I look at doctors — even Doctor Gayle, a plastic surgeon
who does try new procedures and stuff like
that — I don’t think I would like to do the same
set of procedures day after day after day, as
opposed to working on something new, learning something new every day. That would be
a great way to live, I think. Biophysics is where
I’ll probably end up.
Q senior year, you won a Compton mentor
fellowship. tell me about that.
A The project I proposed was to lead a series
of seminars in sex education for young girls
in the Dominican Republic over the course of
a year. I’d never been to the Dominican Republic. I never even knew a Dominican as a
close friend or anything like that. I choose
the Dominican Republic because there is a
great need for such a program and I knew
that the $ 35,000 grant would go a long way
there. According to the United Nations, HIV
is the number one killer of adolescent girls in
the Dominican Republic. There’s a high teen
For the complete interview with Christian Rose, go
to Admissions.Vassar.edu/Rose
pregnancy rate, a high STD rate, and a lack
of programs and resources for young girls.
My mentor, who was from World Vision,
suggested that I work through the church in
La Altagracia, which is one of the poorest
sections of Santo Domingo.
The first meeting, about five girls came,
and during that first meeting I asked them,
“Who are you? What do you want to do with
your life?” And they all answered, “I want to
be a housewife and I want to have five kids.”
And not only did they want to have five kids,
they said they wanted to have “a nice looking
husband” so their kids would be lighter than
they were. I was a little shocked, and thought,
well, I have a little bit more cut out for me
than I anticipated.
They didn’t quite know what to make of me
that first meeting. Who was I? I was a Vassar
graduate and a foreigner, and I spoke with
this big, thick American accent. But the five
girls slowly grew into 20 because they told
their sisters and their friends, and it gradually
evolved into a nonprofit that is still going
strong. I called the program Proyecto LIDER,
25
which stands for leadership, identity, development, education, and realization. And we
now focus not only on reproductive health
but also the arts and technology.
Q Do you see outcomes from the program?
A Remember the five girls that I started with
on the first day who said that they wanted
to be housewives and have five kids? Before
I left the Dominican Republic at the end of
the Compton, I asked them, “Okay, what do
you want to do?” And they answered things
like, “I want to be a doctor, I want to be an engineer.” And I said, “Wait a minute — don’t
you want to be housewives?” And they all
just looked at me. They were all offended.
They had come so far that they had actually
forgotten that they once held that notion.
And I said, “Well, don’t you remember?
That’s what you told me!” And they said in a
very business-like way, “Oh yeah, we did say
that! Well, we’ve learned!”
For the complete interview with Leah Goodridge, go
to Admissions.Vassar.edu/Goodridge
29
Cover and selected spreads from Vassar admissions viewbook.
Cleveland + New York + Toronto
www.NSideas.com
Hello @ NSideas.com
216.791.7721
Vassar College Admissions
Case Study
intellectual
aware
perceptive
audacious
adventurous
talented
25
NUmbER OF NCAA DIVISION III
VARSITY TEAmS fielded by Vassar
58%
1861
PERCENTAgE OF VASSAR STUDENTS
who receive financial aid. Vassar adheres
to a need-blind admission policy.
ThE YEAR VASSAR
wAS FOUNDED
define your
life
by living it.
introspective
tenacious
fluent
Vassar:
enterprising
leader
fascinated
3
artist
spunky
complicated
fair
thoughtful
respectful
optimistic
RObOT COmPETITION
Annual event pitting studentdesigned robots against
faculty-designed robots
rational
bAREFOOT mONkEYS
Vassar’s circus troupe of
acrobats and jugglers is one
of 100 + student-run groups.
1.75
You. We don’t know you yet.
But we know some things about
you. For example, you’re smart. You’re almost certainly near the
top of your class. You’ve taken the most challenging courses
your high school has to offer, and while you might not be in love
with every subject, you do like using your brain. There is something you are passionate about. It could be anything—sky diving,
hip hop, existential philosophy, politics. You can’t remember
a time before the Internet. You’re being inundated with college
viewbooks. You use the word “friend” as a verb. Other than that,
we don’t know much about you; we’d like to learn more.
hours
AN hOUR AND 45 mINUTES
on the train and you’re in the
heart of Manhattan.
Vassar. We’ve been in existence for almost a century and a half.
We’re consistently ranked among the top one percent of colleges
and universities in the U.S. We’re a college, not a university.
That sets us apart from about half of the schools in the top one
percent. We have a small student body ( 2,400 students) and a
large faculty (290 members). What’s important about this is that
you’ll never be taught by a TA, and you’ll never find yourself in
a lecture hall with hundreds of other students. Small classes, lots
of individual attention. You will get to know your professors.
28%
PERCENTAgE OF STUDENTS OF COLOR
in the most recent incoming class
Now. Everything isn’t for everybody—we realize that. You
are a unique individual, with ideals and interests and aspirations.
And Vassar is a unique environment. The opportunities here are
truly limitless, but along with that freedom comes responsibility.
You have to be ready for that—ready to be challenged intellectually; ready to connect with other people who have as much
going on in their heads as you do; ready to take responsibility
for your own learning. If you are, then we’ve got things to talk
about. We’ll look forward to meeting you in person.
expenses
Why is college so expensive?
When Vassar College opened its doors in 1865, the fees
for tuition, room, and board totaled $350. Today, that
sounds like nothing, but at the time, it was a lot of money —
admission policy for all first-year students who are
Matthew Vassar, the founder of the college, wanted to
U.S. citizens or permanent residents. This means
financial reasons, so when he died, he left $50,000 in
that admission decisions for those applicants are
“superior mind and high scholarship” whose families
made without regard to their financial situation.
Today, $350 doesn’t even cover the cost of books for one
well beyond the reach of many prospective students.
make sure that no qualified student was turned away for
his will to endow a scholarship fund for students of
couldn’t afford the full cost.
semester, and $50,000 covers tuition and fees for just one
student. But even families who can afford to pay $50,000
a year are not paying the full cost of a Vassar education.
not need-blind at this time, but international students
Tuition and fees cover
are also eligible for need-based financial aid. The goal only about 50% of what it
of the college is to make a Vassar education afford- actually costs to educate
Vassar students. So in a very
able and accessible to all admitted students.
real sense, every student at
Vassar is on financial aid.
Why does it cost so much? In a nutshell, running a top-
You do not have to be wealthy or even well off to attend Vassar.
Financial aid is awarded to over 58% of Vassar students, exclusively on the basis
of need.The loan portion of the financial aid award is replaced withVassar scholarship funds for both new and returning U.S. students with calculated family
incomes of up to $60,000. In 2008-2009, our students received financial aid
awards ranging from $1,200 to over $52,000, depending on their financial situations. Their families’ annual incomes ranged from $6,000 to $200,000.
notch educational enterprise is an expensive proposition.
The first priority is to recruit and retain faculty members
who are leading scholars in their fields, which means
that our salary and benefits package must be on par
with our peer institutions. Some colleges and universities cut costs by hiring fewer full-time faculty members
and using teaching assistants or adjuncts (who can be
paid on a course-by-course basis) for introductory level
courses. At Vassar, we believe that introductory level
If you are considering Vassar, do not hesitate to apply because you think your family
cannot afford it. A Vassar education can be surprisingly affordable.
courses are just as impor tant as advanced work and
that fewer students in a class results in a measurably
different kind of educational experience.
Applying For Financial Aid
An exceptional library, up-to-date technology, instru-
Applying for financial aid can be a confusing process — many forms, many deadlines. To make this process as easy as possible, we have created a financial aid
checklist for each applicant category (early decision, regular decision, transfer,
returning) that you can download on our website in the section titled “Apply for
Aid.” Print it out, follow the instructions, and comply with the deadlines. The only
reason an applicant with demonstrated financial need might not receive aid is
failure to meet the deadlines.
$34,000,000
WVKR
VASSAR’S STUDENT-RUN
RADIO STATION
ThE AmOUNT VASSAR AwARDED
this year in scholarships
room and board
Vassar education?
tuition
tic, for all four years. Vassar adheres to a need-blind
Admission decisions on international candidates are
SPIDER RESEARCh
Professor of biology Bob
Suter researches spiders
who walk on water.
NUmbER OF PLAYS, PARTIES, guest
lectures, performances, athletic events, concerts, symposia, art openings, etc., that take
place annually on the Vassar campus
ThE YEAR VASSAR wENT
COED and Neil Armstrong
walked on the moon
grants
Will I be able to afford a
of all admitted students, international and domes-
1969
investment
affordable
support
commitment
Vassar meets 100% of the full demonstrated need
1,650
ThE NUmbER OF CLASSES TAUghT
bY TAs (teaching assistants)
STUDENT/FACULTY RATIO
Vassar faculty are distinguished scholars and artists. They
win big awards — Guggenheims, NSF research grants, and
major artistic commissions. But they’re also master teachers.
As one sophomore put it, “They really, really love their jobs.”
finances
scholarships
need-blind
assistance
ZERO
9:1
wIRED AND wIRELESS
The entire Vassar campus—including student
rooms—offers both wired and wireless data
connections to the network, which has a full
45 Mbps connection to the Internet.
91.3 FM
We believe in the value of a liberal arts education. We don’t have
“core” requirements—in fact, we have very few required courses—
but we do believe in the importance of learning a great deal about
a wide range of subjects because we think that prepares you to go
out and conquer the world. You probably think you already know
how to think, and of course, you do— but four years at Vassar
will hone your thinking into a precision instrument.
mentation for labs, one of the finest college art museums in the country — all of these cost money. But the
college is also very proactive in critically evaluating
costs and looking at ways to economize without compromising the quality of a Vassar education.
Costs will no doubt continue to rise. But there are two
commitments that haven’t changed since the college
began. One is, in the words of Matthew Vassar, “to do
Understanding the Financial Aid Award
Vassar’s financial aid program is need-based, not merit-based. We don’t give scholarships based on achievement in a particular arena (such as sports or music or even
academics). We believe that every student we admit is outstanding and has the
potential to make a significant contribution to the Vassar community — that’s why
we admitted him/her. We determine how much financial aid the student needs
by taking the personal and financial information provided by the student and his/
her parents and using a nationally recognized formula to assess the family’s financial situation. Once we’ve calculated the need, we put together a financial aid
award to meet 100% of the need.
The financial aid award usually includes a loan, a campus job, and grants and scholarships. For U.S. students with calculated family incomes of $60,000 or less, the loan
component of the financial aid package is replaced with Vassar scholarship funds.
Grants and scholarships do not have to be repaid. Loans (usually from one of two
federal programs, Stafford or Perkins) are low-interest and can be repaid over a
period of 10 years when the student either graduates or leaves the college. A campus
job requires eight to 10 hours a week and generates enough income to cover most
of the cost of books, personal expenses, and travel to and from campus.
If you are offered financial aid, you don’t have to accept the whole package. You
can accept the scholarship and the loan, and not accept the job, for example. Some
students who are worried about acclimating to college choose not to have jobs
the first year. If you decline part of the package, however, it is up to you and your
parents to make up the difference.
a Vassar education affordable and accessible to all
qualified students.
Nov. 1
Dec. 15
Feb. 1
Mar. 15
Nov. 1
Apr. 19
Early Decision I
Early Decision II
Regular Decision
Fall Transfer
Spring Transfer
Returning Students
58%
PErCENTAgE OF VASSAr STUDENTS
who receive all types of financial aid
$ 36,100,000
THE AMOUNT VASSAr AWArDED
this year in scholarships
$ 34,600
THE AVErAgE NEED-bASED AID AWArD
Two Hypothetical Financial Aid Cases
Case #1
Case #2
Jack Jones, from Louisiana, lives with
his parents and brother, who is also attending college. Both his parents work and earn a combined
salary of $89,000. In addition, they earn $3,300 in
interest on savings and investments. They have a
modest amount of equity in their home.
Sally Smith lives in a rented apartment
in Brooklyn with her widowed mother and a younger
sister. Her mother earns $18,500 a year and receives
$11,000 in Social Security benefits.
(including $ 2,150 for books and personal expenses and $ 910 for travel to and from campus)
Total Cost
$ 54,530
(including $ 2,150 for books and personal expenses and $120 for travel to and from campus)
Total Cost
$ 53,740
Total Family Contribution
Parent contribution
Student contribution
Financial Need
Total Financial Aid Award
Vassar Scholarship
Federal Perkins Loan
Stafford Student Loan
Campus Job
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
Total Family Contribution
Parent contribution
Student contribution
Financial Need
Total Financial Aid Award
Vassar Scholarship
Pell Grant
NY State TAP
Campus Job
$ 1,550
0
$ 1,550
$ 52,190
$ 52,190
$ 41,440
$ 4,000
$ 5,000
$ 1,750
13,120
11,570
1,550
41,410
41,410
36,160
1,000
2,500
1,750
all things material and intellectual the best,” not to
cut corners on excellence. And the second is to make
Financial Aid Deadlines
www.Admissions.Vassar.edu/FinAid
845.437.5320 or 800.827.7270
FinAid@Vassar.edu
www.Admissions.Vassar.edu/FinAid
Tuition and Fees 2009/2010
Tuition
Room and Board
Fees
Total
$ 41,335
9,540
595
$ 51,470
In addition, students should anticipate
$2,150 for books, supplies, and personal
expenses, and an allowance for transportation to and from the campus.
Check out ScienceWeb.Vassar.edu for links to all of our
science departments and programs, with information
on courses, faculty, and research opportunities.
Astronomy
Science, Technology,
& Society
Psychology
Earth scientists study our planet as a system
of interacting reservoirs (lithosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, biosphere) that together
determine the climate and environment of
every location on Earth. As integrative scientists, they use biology, chemistry, physics,
and mathematics to investigate geologic
processes, reconstruct Earth’s history of
environmental and biotic change, assess a
variety of natural resources, including water
supply, study the causes and effects of natural hazards, and understand the impact of
human activities on the surface of the planet.
Adam Jost ’08, earth science major, is a typical atypical Vassar
scientist. He chose Vassar in part because of its strong film program, ended up never taking a film class because he became so
immersed in earth science, did two summers of URSI (Undergraduate Research Summer Institute) and loved it, and says his
favorite non-science course was Art History 105-106, a year-long
survey of the history of art. “It was something I had never
studied before, and it was just so fascinating. I think it’s really easy
to corner yourself into one subject or one perspective. Science
people and humanities people are constantly arguing about
which one is more important. And they’re both essential because
there are different aspects that make us human.” Jost is now
working at Stanford University in the paleobiology lab.
Biochemistry
Biology
Earth Science at Vassar is very much an
environmental science, and classes and
faculty research projects emphasize surface processes and human-Earth interactions. Examples of ongoing projects include
researching climate change in the Shawangunk Mountains (New York) since the last ice
age 21,000 years ago, assessing the longterm impacts of the Indian Ocean tsunami,
studying local sustainable agriculture practices, creating an inventory of environmental
hazards in the Hudson Valley, and determining the impacts of urbanization on streams in
Dutchess County. Working with departments
and programs across the campus, Earth Science and Geography is a major contributor
to our understanding of how humans can
shape the future of the planet and how we
can learn to live sustainably.
Earth Science and Geography
Physics
Chemistry
exploration
fractal
sedimentology
paradigm
encryption
acoustics
intercellular
Neuroscience
& Behavior
topology
Environmental Studies
Mathematics
Computer Science
Earth Science
& Geography
Science at Vassar
Why study science at Vassar rather than at a big research university? The answer is: access. Science students at
Vassar have extraordinary access to faculty, to sophisticated instrumentation, and to research opportunities.
At the big research universities, introductory-level courses are typically taught in huge halls with anywhere
from 100 to 500 students, with lab and discussion sections led by graduate students. At Vassar, the average class
size is 17, with upper-level courses much smaller. All courses and labs are taught by Vassar faculty, all of whom
are actively engaged in their own research in addition to teaching, and many of whom are the recipients of
major grants from the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, and other prestigious
science organizations.
Environmental
Studies
The Program in Environmental Studies incorporates the perspectives of the natural
and social sciences as well as the arts and
humanities, investigating the relationships
between people and the totality of their
environments—natural, built, and social. It
encompasses the study of natural systems,
policies toward the environment, and aesthetic, ethical, scientific, and theoretical
understandings of nature.
Research Opportunities
Undergraduate Research Summer Institute
Environmental Research Institute
Keck Northeast Astronomy Consortium
Vassar students don’t have to wait until graduate school to do original research and coauthor articles in scholarly journals. They do independent research for course credit, work as paid research assistants in professors’
labs, and do intensive summer work both on campus through the Undergraduate Research Summer Institute
(URSI) and at other major research laboratories and universities— NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Mayo
Clinic, and Los Alamos National Laboratory, to name a few.
Science majors at Vassar become adept in deductive reasoning, critical thinking, and precision of thought,
while building familiarity with the scientific method and skill in using sophisticated technologies. They are
extraordinarily successful in gaining admission to topnotch medical and graduate schools. They can—and
do—go on to do just about anything.
To foster depth as well as breadth of understanding, environmental studies majors
focus on a single field of their choice (any
one of Vassar’s academic departments) and
then link their studies to broader issues of the
environment through team-taught multidisciplinary courses. In addition, they undertake
substantial work in at least one natural
1
fluent
respectful
science (biology, chemistry, or earth science)
and engage in field work at conservation and
preservation organizations in the area.
Environmental Studies benefits from the
wonderful resources in the Hudson Valley,
one of the world’s great watersheds.
The Catskill and Adirondack mountains,
the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, the
Daniel Smiley Research Center in the Mohonk Preserve, and Vassar’s own 416-acre
ecological preserve offer opportunities for
the study of the natural environment. The
City of Poughkeepsie and regional organizations such as the Vassar-founded Poughkeepsie Institute as well as New York City, an
hour and a half from campus, provide the
urban complement.
Double major in environmental studies and biology Sean Beckett
’10 saw a notice on the biology bulletin board about the Northern
Saw-whet Owl project and wandered out to the farm where
research associate Glen Proudfoot was building nesting boxes. “I’ve
been helping him out ever since—doing everything from video
surveillance of nesting boxes to trapping owls for migration studies. He invited me to be his research assistant on a trip to Mexico
over spring break to study the Pygmy Owl with a team from the
Arizona Fish and Game Department. I’ve been in the lab, too,
doing genetic analysis and getting my feet wet in the whole process
of being a wildlife biologist. I think that’s one of the things that
Vassar offers that other schools don’t—the chance to work with a
professor on extensive research one-on-one.”
8
9
introspective
tenacious
aware
astrophysics
Cognitive Science
fair
optimistic
intellectual
A highly selective, residential, coeducational
liberal arts college — these words describe key
elements of Vassar’s character as an institution,
but they don’t really define Vassar. What makes
Vassar Vassar are the amazingly talented, smart,
inquisitive, open-minded, and idealistic students
and faculty who together create one of the most
vibrant intellectual communities in the country.
GARRett BeLL-GReShAM
“When I started looking at colleges, I thought I wanted
that big college experience—something totally different
from my high school. But then I started thinking—maybe
you do want to actually be able to talk to your teachers. I
think I made a great choice.”
www.Admissions.Vassar.edu/Gresham
CAItLIN LY
“I think that playing sports makes me a better person and
a better student. It’s not like D-I schools where your life
revolves around sports 24-7, but the athletes I know here
have a determination to succeed that carries over into
everything they do —sports and academics.”
www.Admissions.Vassar.edu/Ly
ANthONY LUCeRO
“I’m a runner, so I know the Vassar Farm like the back of
my hand. I’ve been down every single trail, every nook
and cranny — and it’s just so beautiful. I almost have to
stop in the middle of the forest and just take a moment
to appreciate it.”
www.Admissions.Vassar.edu/Lucero
ALLYSON WON
“Last year, I was a member of the Daisy Chain, which is
one of Vassar’s oldest traditions. this year, I’m chairing
Founder’s Day, which is a huge outdoor event celebrating
the birthday of the college’s founder. I love being part of
these unique traditions.”
www.Admissions.Vassar.edu/Won
rational
LUke PARkeR
“I spent the summer on an archeological dig in kenchreai,
the eastern port of Corinth in southern Greece, excavating a Roman cemetery. At one point I found myself holding a mostly intact lower jaw, 2000 years old—that was
a pretty strange feeling.”
www.Admissions.Vassar.edu/Parker
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America lands on the moon.
First Earth Day is announced.
Woodstock rocks the planet.
The World Wide Web is born.
Vassar goes coed.
but not limitless time
january 1 is sooner than you think
Last minute questions?
For last minute answers, check out our live web chat
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see www.Admissions.Vassar.edu/Chat
Vassar
Vassar College made history in 1969. We invite
you to make your own history at Vassar.
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Vassar College Office of Admission
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Last minute application?
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for admission to Vassar College.
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No matter how you say it, POUGHKEEPSIE (actually pronounced pe kiṕ sē) is the home of Vassar
College. A community of 75,000 located in the heart
of historic Dutchess County in the beautiful Hudson
River Valley, Poughkeepsie and the surrounding
area offer Vassar students a rich social and cultural
experience. And if you need a big city fix every now
and then, New York City is only an hour and a half
away via the commuter train.
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