First-Year Students

Pre-Arrival Checklist

May

Complete the New Student Information Form

Starting May 15, you will be able to begin the New Student Information form online or from the New Student screen on the Student Profile in the Vassar Mobile App.

Important note: You must complete this form using your Vassar credentials so if you have not claimed your account as outlined above, please do so before proceeding.

In this form you will be able to:

  • Provide information that will help us to make a housing assignment
  • Request disability accommodations
  • Share information about other special interests such as Religious and Spiritual Life, Technology, Campus Life and Diversity and more

In mid-May, the Office of Admission will email instructions for activating your Vassar account. You will need your login credentials to complete many of the tasks listed below.

Set up your Vassar email (mid-May)

Your Vassar username and activation code, as well as instructions on activating your Vassar account, will be available in your status portal in mid-May.

Students who deferred their entry from last year will not have access to the status portal. Your Vassar username, activation code, and instructions for activating your account are being emailed to you.

Your Vassar email account can be accessed at mail.google.com or from any Google login prompt; log in with your full email address and password. Your email address will be your username followed by @vassar.edu (i.e, jodoe@vassar.edu). For more information, please visit the Computing, IDs & Phones FAQ.

If you have questions or require assistance:

Get a physical

Schedule an appointment with your physician for a physical examination.

June

Due: July 1 Complete your Statement of Academic Interest

The Dean of First-Year Students will use your responses on the Statement of Academic Interest to assign you a pre-major advisor. These forms are processed in the order received, so it is to your advantage to submit your responses as soon as possible. Your responses will be shared with your pre-major advisor before your first meeting.

Look for Pre-Reg Communication

The Office of the Dean of First-Year Students will provide information about the pre-registration process, pre-major advisors, etc. Information about tuition payments and student finances will also be communicated in June.

Due: July 1 Submit your ID Card Photo:

Important note: You must submit your ID photo using your Vassar credentials so if you have not claimed your account as outlined above, please do so before proceeding.

To upload your photo, login to eAccounts with your Vassar username and password or download the eAccounts mobile app and login to add your photo.

Learn more about online photo submission.

Deadline: July 1 Submit Final High School Transcripts

Important note: You will need your transcript on file at Vassar to finalize registration for first-semester courses.

Transcripts must be sent directly from the high school to the Office of Admission. You can:

You must confirm with your high school that the guidance office/registrar’s office has forwarded your final transcript to us.

Deadline: July 1 Submit Medical Information

Note: You will not be able to access the Health Service portal until you have your Vassar email address.

Complete your entry medical requirements as soon as possible by registering and logging into the Vassar College Health Service Patient Portal (available early June). If you are unable to access the portal, please email Health Services.

July

July 1 to August 1 Pre-register for classes

You will receive more information soon regarding this process.

Due: August 1 Take Required Training

At Vassar, we are committed to creating a campus where everyone feels safe, supported, and included. As part of this commitment, all incoming students must complete two online courses through Catharsis to help you navigate important topics as you start college.

  • The first course, You Got This! includes three short modules (15–20 minutes each) covering consent, healthy relationships, bystander intervention, community building, and looking out for yourself and others when it comes to sexual assault, harassment, stalking, and alcohol use.
  • The second course, Binge Thinking (45 minutes), explores the social and academic pressures that can lead to alcohol abuse. It examines alcohol’s impact on decision-making, relationships, and well-being while encouraging critical thinking and healthier choices.
  • You’ll receive an email at your Vassar address with instructions on how to access the courses. The deadline to complete both courses is August 1 at 5:00 p.m. They will be available starting in July, giving you plenty of time to complete them before arriving on campus.

This training is an important step in preparing for life at Vassar, and we appreciate your participation in making our community safe and welcoming for everyone.

First Year Housing Assignments

Made by July 31. You will receive a notification through your Vassar email address with detailed information about house, room, and if applicable, your roommates information.

VCash

Deposit funds to your VCash Account.

August

Submit Common Reading Response

Post your response, along with comments on two other student responses on the First-Year Common Reading Assignment (details provided in June).

Campus Arrival

Arrive on campus August 25, 2025. Begin New Student Orientation on August 25, 2025.

Pre-Matriculation Credit

Vassar may award a maximum of 6 units of pre-matriculation credit of any type.

Students may not apply for these credits until after they matriculate and are active students at Vassar.

Credit for Pre-Vassar College Work

To apply for credit for a course or courses you completed at another institution, you must present an official transcript sent from the registrar of the institution to the Dean of Studies, Vassar College.

Not all courses are eligible for transfer credit. See the First-Year Handbook section on Pre-Matriculation Credit for eligibility requirements.

AP and IB Credit

You may not apply for AP or IB credit until after you matriculate and are an active student at Vassar. AP and IB credit will be issued only upon receipt of the original testing service transcript. Scores of 4 or 5 on AP exams are eligible for 1 unit of credit, and scores of 5, 6, or 7 on higher-level International Baccalaureate exams are awarded 1 unit of credit, subject to the maximum of 2.0 units of exam-based, pre-matriculation credit.

If you wish to request a transcript, please write to:

Advanced Placement Services
Box 6671
Princeton, NJ 08541-6671
(609) 771-7300 or (888) 225-5427
apexams@info.collegeboard.org
CEEB code: 2956

IB Americas Global Centre
7501 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 200 West
Bethesda, MD 20814
(301) 202-3000
ibid@ibo.org

For more information on pre-matriculation credits, see the First-Year Handbook section on Pre-Matriculation Credit.

Registration and Advising

Before arriving at Vassar, you will begin to plan your course of study by exploring the Vassar College Catalogue, reading the Academic Information section of the First-Year Handbook, pre-registering for the fall semester, and filling out and returning your Statement of Academic Interests (due July 1).

Statement of Academic Interests

Once you declare your major (usually at the end of sophomore year), you will choose an advisor from the program or department in which you are majoring. Until that time, you will be assigned a pre-major advisor by the dean of first-year students. The only tool the dean has to match you with an appropriate advisor is your Statement of Academic Interests (due July 1). During New Student Orientation, you will meet with your pre-major advisor to finalize your fall schedule.

Pre-registration

Preregistration will begin on July 1 and end on August 1. You will be able to access the registration program beginning July 1 using your Vassar One account login.