Vassar College supplemental essays

The prompts, one by one

1. Identity or community essay (choose one)up to 300 words · Community

   “Please select and respond to one of the following prompts in 300 words or less. Option A: 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 an important part of your identity and how it has shaped your life and/or interactions with others. Option B: Vassar is a diverse community that inspires positive change through open inquiry, deep dives into society's most difficult challenges, and collaborative problem solving. We care deeply about one another, the communities that have forged us, and the community we build together on campus. Tell us more about the community (or communities) you come from and how it has shaped your lived experiences and identity.”

   What it's really asking

   Two things at once: which community actually shaped how you think, and what you will bring to Vassar College because of it. The second half is where most drafts stop short.

   Where drafts go wrong

   Describing the community instead of your role in it, or choosing the one that sounds impressive rather than the one that changed you. "Diversity" as an abstraction, with no scene.

   The shape of a strong answer

   Pick a community you can describe with a scene, not a label. Show one moment where it taught you something or asked something of you. Spend the last third on what that means you'll do at Vassar College: a specific contribution, not "bring my perspective."

2. Your Space upload (optional)no stated word limit · Open prompt

   “Your Space is your opportunity to allow the Committee on Admission to learn something about you that you have not addressed in another section of the application. For example, in the past, applicants have shared poetry, short stories, cartoons, digital images of art projects, photography, collages, and/or links to videos, and short films. It is your space, so if you choose to complete it, send something that is a reflection of you!”

   What it's really asking

   Whatever matters to you that the rest of the application hasn't shown. Vassar College is giving you the floor; the question is what you choose to put on it.

   Where drafts go wrong

   Using the space to summarise achievements, apologise for a weakness, or restate the personal statement. Choosing a topic because it sounds like what colleges want.

   The shape of a strong answer

   One subject the reader couldn't guess from your file, told through a specific scene. Keep it in your own voice; if it sounds like a brochure, cut it. End on something still unresolved.

Every US applicant also writes the Common App personal statement: 650 words, seven prompts. Don't repeat it here; the supplements are for what the statement didn't show.

A self-check before you submit

Cover the school name and read the essay. Then cover your name and read it again. It should fail the first test (it only makes sense for Vassar College) and pass the second (only you could have written it). If it passes the first test, it's a brochure. If it fails the second, it's a template.