New Students

Transfer / Exchange / Visiting Students

Checklist

Questions?

For answers to frequently asked questions, visit Transfer / Exchange / Visiting Student FAQ, or email Casey Trocino, Assistant Dean of Studies.

As soon as possible

In June, the Office of Admission emailed 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. Your Vassar username and activation code, as well as instructions on activating your Vassar Account, are available in your status portal. 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, you may contact the CIS Service Desk or call (845) 437-7224 during normal business hours.
  • Request a copy of your most-recent transcripts to be sent to the Vassar College Office of Admission. We need an official copy of your transcript, including the most recent semester’s grades, on file at Vassar to finalize registration for first-semester courses and to receive transfer credits. All final transcripts should be sent to Office of Admission.
  • If you have AP and/or IB credit, request that a copy of the transcript from the original testing service be sent to Vassar College, Office of the Dean of Studies, as soon as possible. See the section on “Pre-Matriculation Credits” for the addresses of the testing services and more information.
  • Schedule an appointment with your physician for a physical examination.

June

Starting June 1, 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.

In this form you will be able to:

  • Provide information that will help us to make a housing assignment
  • Request disability accommodations
  • Submit the photo for your Vassar ID Card
  • Share information about other special interests such as Religious and Spiritual Life, Technology, Campus Life and Diversity and more
    Deadline: June 15

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.

  • Complete your entry medical requirements as soon as possible by registering and logging into the Vassar College Health Service Patient Portal (available mid-May.) If you are unable to access the portal, please contact Health Services.
    Note: You will not be able to access the Health Service portal until you have your Vassar email address.
    Deadline: July 1.

July

  • Take Required Training: Vassar is committed to supporting a caring, supportive, and safe campus, so we’ve partnered with Get Inclusive, an online education provider, to educate College community members about issues that may impact each one of us. As an incoming student, you must complete an online training course: Get Inclusive: Voices for Change. You will receive a notification through your Vassar email address with detailed course instructions, including the due date for completion. Available in July. Deadline: August 1 at 5:00 p.m.

August

Pre-Matriculation Credit

Transfer Credit

The Office of the Dean of Studies oversees all aspects of the student academic experience and accordingly is responsible for evaluating students’ previous course work for transfer credit. To evaluate a transcript for transfer credit, the dean’s office must have an official transcript from all of the previous institutions the student has attended, including an official transcript of the most recent semester’s grades.

The maximum number of transfer units allowed is 16. Non-liberal arts, pre-professional, physical education, independent courses, field work courses, online courses, and courses done at unaccredited institutions do not transfer. Also, courses not of a sufficiently high level (e.g., math courses below calculus) will not transfer, nor will courses graded lower than a “C.”

AP and IB Credit

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. Scores of 5, 6, or 7 on Higher-Level International Baccalaureate exams are awarded 1 unit of credit. A maximum of 2 units of credit may be awarded for AP or IB credit.

If you wish to request a transcript, please contact Advanced Placement Services or IB Americas Global Centre.

Registration and Advising

We strongly recommend that you pre-register for courses before arriving at Vassar. The Assistant Dean of Studies will reach out via email during the summer months to begin your course registration. Your selections can be revised after you arrive at Vassar during the add/drop period starting on the first day of classes. 

Once the assistant dean has received your official transcript, including your spring grades, you will receive an assessment of your transfer credits/units. Please note that this may change if an official report of AP, IB, and/or A-Level transcripts is received. You do not need to know the total number of transfer units you will receive in order to pre-register. 

During Orientation, you will meet with a pre-major advisor in the Dean of Studies Office who will help you finalize your registration.