President Hill Announces Need-Blind Admissions Process
May 27, 2007
I am particularly pleased to make the announcement of a very significant accomplishment this year in the area of admissions and financial aid. With support from the entire Vassar community, and endorsed unanimously by the Board of Trustees at its meeting two weeks ago, we have made the decision to return to making admissions decisions without taking into account the financial need of applicants. In other words, we are returning to being "need blind" in the admissions process. Vassar's very founding was based on making a quality education available to those to whom it had been previously denied. Starting in 1861, young women, who couldn't go to Harvard or Yale or Princeton, could get a superb liberal arts education at Vassar! And, from the very beginning, resources were available to students from families who needed scholarship assistance. Matthew Vassar's original gift made this possible.
Going forward, we will make admissions decisions solely on the academic and other talents/characteristics of the applicants, and not on their ability to pay. We are very excited about this change, which is consistent with and a natural evolution of our past commitment of significant resources to financial aid spending. This change has been enthusiastically supported by everyone in the Vassar community. I want to give special recognition to the students, who early this year, through the VSA leadership, endorsed this policy change.
— Catharine Bond Hill, President
For more information, see the official press release.