How to Write the Vassar College Admissions Essays (Sarah ONeill)

 Vassar College Excerpt

According to Vassar College admissions (via their website):  Vassar is known for taking a bold approach to academic inquiry and offers hands-on courses and interdisciplinary majors.   

Independent thought is one of Vassar’s core values! The mission of Vassar College is to make accessible “the means of a thorough, well-proportioned and liberal education”* that inspires each individual to lead a purposeful life. The College offers an education that promotes analytical, informed, independent thinking and sound judgment; encourages articulate expression; and nurtures intellectual curiosity, creativity, respectful debate, and engaged citizenship. Vassar supports a high standard of engagement in teaching and learning, scholarship and artistic endeavor; a broad and deep curriculum; and a residential campus that fosters a learning community.

READ: Becoming a Competitive Applicant

Collaborating across such differences, a concept at the very core of Vassar’s values is necessary for social transformation and critical for the well-being of any community and its members. Through programs such as the Engaged Pluralism and the Office of Student Growth and Engagement, the College affirms the necessity of creating a diverse campus that reflects our lives as members of multiple local and global communities.

In history, the types of students admitted consisted of the following: They used rich details and brought the reader into their world- the more specific, the better. They demonstrated HOW they’d contribute to Vassar’s community and HOW Vassar would benefit them. They shared their vision and showed how their growth led to newfound skills and life-long learning.   They researched and proved why they were a good fit for Vassar and vice versa.  

Supplemental Essay Example: At Vassar, we aim to foster an inclusive community through our philosophy of engaged pluralism. Engaged pluralism is rooted in “the conviction that collaborating across differences is necessary for social transformation and critical for the well-being of any community and its members.” In short, we believe it's our differences that make us stronger. Tell us a little bit about what makes you unique and what you hope to add to our community. (Limit 300 words)

As a light-skinned, soft-spoken, empathetic, and analytical Black woman, a lot of times I have felt that I am not a part of my own community. Many of my family members ask me why I relate so much to the East Asian community and culture. This, of course, has led me to question whether or not community is only skin-deep.

I became engrossed in the East Asian community at a young age. My dad, an international pilot, often brought movies home from China. One day he brought home Spirited Away by Hayao Miyazaki. He described it as something similar to Alice in Wonderland. I could truly see myself in the Miyazaki’s heroines: from how they transcended their roles in life to how they met obstacles with resilience and bravery, these heroines helped me feel less alone.

I evolved from watching Miyazaki movies to joining anime clubs, to reading East Asian philosophy, and eventually studying the works of Japanese author Haruki Murakami. This culminated in a trip to Japan last summer as a People to People: Student Ambassador. Immersed in the culture, I visited a Japanese high school, hiked Mt. Fuji, soaked in an onsen, and experienced a deep connection with my homestay family, the Mishimas.  

Through being a part of the East Asian community, I have explored answers to metaphysical questions, prayed at a Shinto shrine, and realized that community is a state of mind, much more than skin deep.

Sarah ONeill Supreme Editing