Vassar Vassar College

How to Apply

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Applying to Vassar

Whether you’re a first-year or transfer applicant, find everything you need to know here about how to apply and what we look for in an applicant.

First-Year Applicants

First-year applicants may submit in any one of the following ways:

Learn more about First-Year Applications

Transfer Applicants

Transfer applicants can apply using the Common Application.

Learn more about Transfer Applications

Submitting Application Materials

Electronic submission is preferred. Application materials may also be submitted via email, fax, or mail.

Supplemental materials can be uploaded through the application status portal, which is available after an application has been submitted and processed.

To submit documents:
Email: admappmaterials@vassar.edu
Fax: (845) 437-7063

Financial Aid documents should be submitted to Student Financial Services through Institutional Documentation Service (IDOC).

Selection Criteria

Vassar weighs a number of factors in the admission decision, including:

Vassar recommends that prospective applicants applying from high school take four years of:

Applicants should take a substantial portion of their work in Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, or the highest level of coursework available in their school.

Special attention is given to the academic breadth, depth, and rigor of candidates’ junior and senior year programs.

Optional SAT/ACT Scores

Students applying to Vassar may choose whether or not to submit SAT/ACT scores.

Know the Vassar codes
  • College Board: 2956
  • ACT: 2982
  • TOEFL: 2956

After You’ve Applied

Within 5 days of receiving your application, we will send you an email with your Applicant ID and directions on how to access an online checklist for your application.

Adding all supporting documents to our system may take a few weeks. If there are items missing from your application, you will be notified before decision release for your specified application round.

Students will be able to check their admission decision online on the same website you used to check the status of your application. Vassar does not release admission decisions via telephone.

Additional Information

If the application fee poses a financial hardship, a fee waiver can be requested on the Common Application or the Coalition Application. Fee waivers are automatically offered to applicants who are QuestBridge Finalists and U.S. Military Veterans.

  • If you apply via the Common Application, under the Vassar College Member-Specific section you will be asked “Do you intend to use one of these school-specific fee waivers?” Please select “Yes, I will be using a Vassar fee waiver.”
  • If you apply via the Coalition Application, use the fee waiver code: Vassar Fee Waiver.

Vassar College considers applications submitted by undocumented or DACA-mented students for the first-year class with the same consideration given to any other applicants when reviewing their application. Although funding is limited, the College is committed to meeting the full, demonstrated financial need of undocumented or DACA students admitted to Vassar following the same procedures Vassar uses to grant aid to accepted international students.

Vassar awards credit for scores of 4 or 5 on select AP exams and for scores of 5, 6, or 7 on select IB Higher Level exams. A maximum of 2 units of pre-matriculation examination-based credits can be awarded.

Students who are taking a gap year must confirm their intent to enroll at Vassar by submitting the Candidate’s Reply Card and the required enrollment deposit by May 1, and must complete the Deferral Request Form by the deadline listed on the Admitted Students website. If deferred status is approved, a formal letter stating the conditions under which the deferral has been granted will be sent to the student. Transfer students and students offered admission to Vassar from the wait list are ineligible to request a deferral of admission.

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