MADELINE: If I don’t improve my French grades, I can kiss Vassar goodbye.
Vassar College is a private, liberal arts college in the town of Poughkeepsie, New York. Founded as a women’s college in 1861 by philanthropist Matthew Vassar, it became co-educational in 1969. It is one of the Seven Sisters, seven elite liberal arts colleges in the northeast of the United States that were originally founded for women. Vassar offers B.A. Degrees in more than fifty subjects and a flexible curriculum, and is one of the the top liberal arts colleges in the United States. It has a reputation for being cool and hipster, which might be what attracts Madeline to the idea of going there.
Apparently Madeline never did improve her French grades, as she did not go on to attend Vassar College.
The Annotated Gilmore Girls 