Vassar College

Personal statement required (250-650 words), plus three supplements:

1. Required (choose 1 of 2) · 300 words or less

   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.

   Introduced by the instruction line “Please select and respond to one of the following prompts in 300 words or less.”

   Review my draft

2. Required (choose 1 of 2) · 300 words or less

   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.

   Same 300-word instruction line as the other option. CollegeVine's 2025-2026 guide renders this sentence as “Tell us about the community (or communities)…” (without “more”); the 2026/2027 College Essay Guy text used here says “Tell us more about…”.

   Review my draft

3. Optional · No length stated

   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, and 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! Your Space is entirely optional.

   Verbatim from Vassar's own requirements page. Not necessarily an essay: applicants may upload creative work, images, or video links.

4. Optional · No length stated (file upload)

   If you wish to provide details of circumstances not reflected in the application, please upload a file here. Similarly, if you wish to upload your resume, include it here.

   Optional upload slot, third-party sourced only (College Essay Guy and CollegeVine both list it); Vassar's own site does not describe it.