The presence of academically underprepared students at Vassar College from 1865 to 1890 and at Cornell University from 1868 to 1890 was a source of controversy in both institutions. Vassar took on the burden of providing for comprehensive preparatory education for academically-deficient students within the context of the college. Cornell, although…

The efforts of Vassar College and Cornell University in their early years (1865-1890) to manage problems presented by underprepared students are described. Based on archival materials, registers, institutional publications, and histories, attention is directed to the perceptions of administrators, faculty, students, and alumni concerning academic…