Reed College Top Questions

The best thing about Reed is the intellectual environment. You are never without a problem to solve or an argument to put together. I would change the tour guide mentality. They come across as morons. Reed is perfectly sized. 95{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of people have no idea what Reed is, and assume that it is a second-rate place for rich smart kids. The other 5{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} know that it is a first rate place for smart kids (many of whom are pretty well off) I spend most of my time in my room. Portland is a great city, but you won't get off campus much. The Reed administration is highly competent and pretty hard-nosed. Biggest recent controversy was grafiti that got put on an art exhibition. No school pride, except we all miss Reed when we arent here. Reed is so academically charged that it is extremely unusual for a college. Renn Fayre is quite memorable, though over-hyped. Our cafeteria dramatically overcharges for EVERYTHING.

Reed. It's a great collection of creative "quirky" amazing people who have a large drive to learn, and spend almost too much time studying. There is a ridiculous work load, but you'll learn to read faster and how to read affectively. I spend most of my time on campus split between the library, the scrounge and the sportscenter- mostly in the library. Sometimes it's hard to strike a balance between life and academics, as the academics at Reed can at times be overwhelming. It's a really good idea to take some time away from Reed when you're here, to gain a perspective and make sure you have the drive to come back and finish at Reed. Portland is an amazing and fun city, but when you're at Reed you don't always have time to appreciate everything it has to offer. Students often get trapped "in the bubble", especially those students who live on campus. Owning a bike is a necessity in Portland.

Personally Reed was a great match for me and despite the crushing workload and all, I still really love it. I don't think it is a school for everyone. I think a lot of people would hate coming here. It's hard. You will not have as much time as other college students you know to leave campus, even though Portland is great if you make it there. If you are a science major, you'll probably have days when you don't see the light of day, after 4 hour bio lab, you will get out and you will look at the dreary Portland sky and miss the sun. The sun does come out, and when it does it's great because everyone appreciates it and goes outside. But sometimes it rains all week. Sometimes you won't even notice because you'll spend all week in the library. On weekends though, and on days when you don't have to study like crazy, the campus is a great place to be and if you get tired of dancing here, or seeing movies here, Portland is everything you could ask for in a city, except that some things close kind of early. But there is a lot of stuff to do on campus. Everything really comes alive and there's a really exciting, fun culture in between the intense academics.

*the best thing about reed is its roster of unique events and traditions you won't find anywhere else, like noise parade (exactly what it sounds like); fetish ball (again, exactly what it sounds like); RKSK (Reed Kommunist Shit Kollective, a group responsible for various forms of mischievous fun, included but not limited to: supplying library with stuffed animals for late-night cuddling; kommunal borscht; giant skrabble (winners often receive spliffs); kommunal umbrellas for use during rain season; random couch/hammock placement; the sunny day vodka lemonade kart; and most importantly, kommie bikes--cheap kid's bikes spray painted red and left around campus to use at your convenience.); couches on the lawn; and above all Ren Fayre, the end of the year celebration of out and out craziness and bacchanalia involving lots of insane projects, many of which are burned/destroyed ceremonially, Thesis Parade (burning of seniors' thesis drafts), champagne showers, music, nudity, drug piñatas, fire, and sometimes a moon bounce! best time of the year. one thing i'd change: people's condescending, hipper-than-thou attitudes. size: a bit too small--i thought that's what i wanted, but a few hundred more people would be nice. reed reactions: a lot more people have actually heard of reed since it was dubiously dubbed one of the "new ivies" by newsweek. i get questions about the academic rigor, portland, and of course, the drugs. one kid i met at a party senior year asked me where i was going and when i told him i was headed to reed, he said, "awesome. i mean, they smoke a lot of weed there, people are crazy." then he paused and said, "but wait, don't you have to be, like, really smart?" i told him that on the rare occasions i am not partying, i actually read and stuff. place on campus i spend the most time: tie between the library and the student union, as grungy as the latter is (it's charming). town: yes a college town, but more accurately an urban lite city. the food here is great--more thai, vietnamese, and japanese than you can try--and there are some great quirky neighborhoods complete with vintage stores, record stores, bars, all sorts of cool crap. good music scene too--unless you're under 21. when your favorite band comes to town, you probably won't seem them until they come back after your 21st birthday.portland is not an all-ages friendly city, or even much of a 24-hour one even if you are. coming from a big city like chicago, portland sometimes doesn't feel like a real city at all--it's very new, unsettlingly clean in some parts, and doesn't have the same kind of diversity. reed administration: a mixed bag. there are some great folks intent on preserving reed's uniqueness and defending student interests...and some who aren't. but the administration does go out of its way to involve students in important decisions involving new policy, professor appointments, and more. school pride: yes and no. in many ways i am proud to call myself a reedie and share weird stores that my friends at university of illinois might not even believe. i am proud of the focus on learning rather than performing. but it's a love-hate relationship, and i think most students would say the same. somtimes you love reed, sometimes you fucking hate it. everything is unusual about reed. but we do have in-door plumbing. experience i'll always remember: my first renn fayre. just not the actual order in which my experiences occurred and some other hazy details about that weekend like how i ended up asleep on a bean bag in the basement laundry room.

People are typically impressed when they find out I go to Reed, that is, if they've ever heard about Reed before. There is a lot of school pride, but I think that it's often the sort of pride that one feels towards a child that's doing much better than can be expected, but is still falling short of its full potential.

There are three distinct reactions when people find out I go to Reed. Many people have never heard of it, and those who have are either familiar with it as an elitist intellectual haven or a place filled with sex, drugs, and indie rock.

I like how seriously academic study is taken at Reed. Sometimes it is even taken too seriously. In my opinion, however, if one is going to go to college to study you might as well go to a place that specializes in valuing academics above all else. However, this is sometimes taken to extremes, and people should know this before coming to Reed. Therefore, I would change how reed advertises itself. I would want them to say that it is less of a normal liberal arts education and more akin to an an undergraduate technical training school for those who want to or could see themselves going to graduate school. Of those who don't go on to graduate school and/or stay in academics, however, there are also many reedies who simply use the strong work ethic they've acquired at reed to succeed in other job sectors.

The school is really small, around 1300 and the campus is very small as well. There's a definite Reed bubble that's hard to escape. It takes a real effort to spend time off campus, especially when you have a lot of work. Moreover, the students are socially awkward, which makes the Reed bubble something a lot of students (unsuccessfully) try to escape. There's a big stress culture at Reed, which many students dislike. During exams we have a stim table where you can basically get pills, caffeinated beverages, and food for free. While there is a lot of work, people like to be really dramatic about it. Despite its liberal leanings, there's a lot of sexism and racism at Reed. The student body isn't particularly active on these issues. One unusual thing about Reed is Renn Fayre, which is a weekend long celebration for graduating seniors. It's a giant, school-sponsored party with bug-eating contests, a thesis parade, a drug pinata, and lube wrestling. It's supposed to be a way to let off steam for graduating seniors and for those about to take their final exams.

Best thing: smart people who are there to learn, you can talk about the most academic things anywhere, any time and it's all good. Change: More time for fun, it would be cool if people didn't take themselves so seriously. Reactions: A lot of people have never heard of Reed. If they have they either think you're really smart, a hippy drug addict, or a rich pretentious snob. Most time on campus is spent in the library, or walking from the library to get a coffee. Sometimes you forget you are in a city, but Portland is really cool. Administration is always crap, but some years marginally better than others. There is alt-school pride, it's not like many people wear the sweatshirt, but there's a kind of combat veteran pride with each stage you survive (Hum 110, Junior Qual, and of course Thesis).

The best thing about Reed is the intense atmosphere, it pushes you to your limit and makes you a stronger person from it. Paradoxically this is also one of the works things about Reed, it can become really overwhelming. Most people think Reed students are smart... There is a lot of school pride. Reed students seem to have the perception, that they are working the hardest and are some of the smartest students anywhere in the Us.

The best thing about Reed is the sense of freedom and individuality that the student body are allowed to express on campus. It is such a special and unique environment. However to this end, it does seem very detached from the wider community. Students talk about the "bubble" effect at Reed with a lot of pride, which I think maybe a little misplaced. While I agree that is does make for a very intense and idiosyncratic experience it create a bit of tunnel vision. The campus is really homely, loads of places to hang out. There is a lot of pride amongst the Reed community. My Renn Fayre was possibly the most hectic, eventful, terrifying and wonderful three days of my life. I made out with way more people than I would care to mention. Danced till I was sick. Drank too much . It is impossible to put it into words. It completely warrants all those lame turns of phrase like "impossible to put into words" and "you have to experience it for yourself".

Certainly one of my favorite things about Reed is how much Reedies love it. I have not often had the privilege of being a part of a community that is so proud of what is it capable of, that so deeply wants to be a community, and that cares so much about what being a part of that community means. Reedies have by no means universally agreed upon what our community means, and that's part of what's so wonderful about it: we take the time and spend the energy to get together and talk about what being a community means to us, and about what our responsibility is to that community, to ourselves and each other.

In my first month at Reed, I lived the unofficial motto: "atheism, communism, and free love". I had my brush with polyamory, hallucinogens, and the posting of pornography in the social room of my dorm. Four weeks was about how long it took to get me to realize that these things don't work particularly well as a lifestyle. Sure, it was fun at the time, but I paid for it in mental well-being and embarrassment. These moments allow a sort of chronicle of what we are capable of, which is useful. They make me realize that I can be truly crazy, but that I can't be crazy all the time; I must balance my weirdness with my achievements, and my sketchy run-ins with stable friends that I can trust.

One of the best things about Reed is that it presents so many opportunities. It's very expensive, and if I could change it, I'd change the tuition. But if you take advantage of all the things Reed has to offer, it's worth it. Gray Fund sponsors trips around downtown Portland, outdoor camping/activities of all sorts, and cultural trips. There are sponsored talks and subsidized concert tickets available. There's always something going on around campus and usually, it's free or next to nothing to get in. In all, I think the size of Reed is just right. Before I found Reed, I though I wanted to go to a large school. Now, I'm exceptionally glad I didn't. Reed is big enough not to feel like you're trapped, but small enough to create a tight community. With everyone bound by the Honor Principle, there's a sense of trust and good vibes around campus. I've talked to friends who went to UC Berkeley and UCLA, and they've had trouble making new friends around campus because the place is just too big. That wouldn't happen at Reed. From the very beginning, it's easy to meet new people and Reed can feel very comfortable. Incidentally, don't go to Reed if you're bothered by people asking "Where is that?" whenever you tell them where you're attending college. Reed has an extremely good reputation for the quality of students it puts out, so even if the general public doesn't know, the academic world does. I'm sure more conventional college guide books could tell you all about Reed's distinctions. I spend a lot of time in my dorm, actually. Most freshmans have divided doubles, which are basically two rooms connected to each other. The outer room connects to the hallway, and the inner room connects to the outer room, but there's a full wall and door in between. The rooms are pretty spacious and rather comfortable. When I really need to work, I'm in the library which I fondly think of as a well-lit catacomb. It is extremely conducive to productivity. Portland isn't really what I'd think of as a college town, though there are a good number of colleges and universities in the area. Nonetheless, Portland is an awesome city. It has a great (and relatively easy to learn) public transit system , and there's a lot to do downtown. Also, many things are in walking distance of Reed (e.g., Safeway, Hollywood Video, restaurants, bars, cafes, etc.). Though, to be honest, my idea of 'walking distance' has changed somewhat since I moved from California to Portland. I don't know much about the administration, really. There are controversies happening now about the Drug and Alcohol policies, but I doubt there are many 'wars' between the students and administration. I think part of the problem now is that many long-time administrators left Reed and a lot of institutional memory disappeared with them. So it is a bit of a rough time, but I don't expect drastic changes. There are mixed feelings about Reed with Reedies. Some people love the place, some people feel miserable. Really, just like any other school. However, because we don't really have sports teams, I'd suppose we're not particularly prideful in the traditional way. Reed has required PEs of all different sorts meant to encourage life-long fitness, but we don't have a football team or anything like that. Our basketball, rugby, and ultimate frisbee teams do compete, though. Just not on such an organized level. A word about CSOs: Community Safety Officers are your friends. As far as I can tell, this is an anomaly among campuses. They're just what their name implies, safety officers. They care more about the health and security of the students than about busting them for policy violations. That said, it's very rare for students to die from drug or alcohol use because their friends were too afraid to get help. CSOs are extremely friendly and capable. Also, no discussion about Reed would be complete without talking about the Honor Principle. Instead of having a long series of penal codes and regulations, we have the Honor Principle. Basically, it asks that students be considerate. Reedies are to consider their actions and not do anything which may bother or harm another. The campus is pretty free of litter. People rarely cheat on tests, even when professors allow us to take them home and do them on our own. Reedies will follow the time limit, not use notes, etc. Reedies will trust other Reedies to drive long distances with each other to get home for break, even if they don't really know each other. It's part of the community here. There's so much more to it. Things around campus are mostly in danger of getting stolen not by other Reedies, but by people who just walk on. Reedies often complain that Reed isn't quite what they thought it would be. They thought that Reedies would be happier and smile more. That they'd be more insightful and less petty and apathetic. I think this is a recent development, really. I've been feeling somewhat the same way. Really, I bet it's just like any other campus. We were just wishing that Reed would be different.

The best thing about Reed is the academics. I love my close and informal relationships with my professors. It really helps me learn in a relaxed manner. I also like how fortunate everybody feels in being here. It's really beautiful. My school is just the right size, but I like the small school environment and I was used to a small school in high school. Most people don't know what Reed is when I tell them I go there, but the ones that do know what it is are impressed. Portland is a great college town. It's easy to get around without a car. There are cheap concerts and lots of other colleges, which makes for a lot of young people in the town. I spend most of my time in my dorm or in the library, but I try to get off campus at least once a week. The school provides everything so people end up getting trapped here. There is a lot of school pride, but it's more nerd pride. We don't have active sports teams. We're just proud of how hard we work. EVERYTHING about Reed is unusual. It might not prepare me for the real world very well because it's so easy and relaxed here. The honor principle doesn't hold in the rest of the world, which is sad. I prefer it.

Sometimes I feel as though the school is too small. Because we spend so much time on campus, it can feel as though one is seeing the same people over and over again. Sometimes I wish that were different.

Reed is phenomenal because it's not afraid to be itself. It may be a little awkward, seem somewhat kooky, act overly intellectual, and need to shower a little more often, but it does it with pride. When I'm on campus I'm either in my dorm living room or dining room, in the Paradox coffee shop, or in the student union. The campus is small and easily accessible, but if you're feeling trapped downtown Portland is only a bus ride away. The biggest controversy is the Humanities program, and it's required freshman course featuring only dead, white men. While important, students are crying out for a little more of a cultural sweep of the time periods we study. I will always remember the naked streaking through the library, the afternoons spent on the lawn in the sun, and the arguments about Lucretius in my dorm's dining room.

The best thing about Reed are the classes without a doubt. My professors are ridiculously intelligent and funny and caring and strange. Reedies love to share anecdotes about our favorite professors. The conference style of classes (10-15 students discussing readings with a professor) is really helpful, because the format forces you to learn how to articulate your ideas. Plus it's a lot of fun. It's because of Reed's small size that the conference style of class is possible, but sometimes it does feel a little small. People I barely know know weird things about me. I spend most of my time on campus, but only because I am pretty familiar with the Portland area. It's one easy bus ride to get downtown, and Portland has a really great vibe. There are a lot of really good independent coffee shops, and the city is very bike friendly. I personally don't care too much for the Reed administration. I think, while well meaning, they end up disrupting the teaching and learning of professors and students. I don't think they take our self-governance as a student body seriously. I think they are quick to write off professors and students as out of touch with the real world. Given that we are in the business of education, they come off as a little silly to me. There isn't a lot of traditional school pride, but I think that people who go to Reed think of themselves as Reedies for the rest of their lives. My dad went to Reed, and I think he would still consider himself a Reedie. In that sense I think there is a lot of school pride. While we don't have days that we all wear Reed colors, we all appreciate the education and experience we are getting. We also have the Doyle Owl, a 300 pound cement owl that serves as our unofficial mascot. One of the highlights of my freshman year was being able to touch the Doyle Owl. Everyone covets it.

I love the small size of Reed, and the heavy focus on academics. I'd offer another place to eat besides Commons. Reed is the right size. People are impressed when I tell them I go to Reed (because of the academics), or they're never heard of it. I spend most of my time on campus in classes or in my dorm room. Portland is not a college town, though it does have a few colleges. It is just a medium sized city that happens to have colleges in it. A recent big controversy was whether or not to get rid of the soda machines around campus, but not many people participated in it. I think there is a lot of school pride. Reed is unusual in that we don't have frats/sororities, large professional sports teams. I'll always remember how excited and happy the first time I arrived here in O Week and just wandered around the campus with a huge smile on my face. Most students complain about the poor quality of food and too much work and not enough sleep.

Best thing about Reed? I would say the support and closeness you can obtain from friends, faculty, and alumni. Reedies really like to help other Reedies. One thing I'd change is having more options for science courses, some of us aren't science majors and its really really difficult! It would be great if there were a "dumbed down" intro science, or something like astronomy or geology. Rocks for Jocks! (I just like that saying). I think Reed is just the right size, one of the reasons I decided to come here was because of the size. It's great for class because everyone has a voice, and discussion is more interesting for everyone. You also have a better chance with getting to know your professors. When I tell people I go to Reed, if they know about Reed, they either say "oh that's a great school!" or they ask me if I've smoked pot in the thesis tower...or something along those lines. It's interesting. I spend most of my time in the library, in class, or in my room...but that's just me. A lot of people seem to live in the library, especially seniors. Oh goodness, the biggest recent controversy on campus was that someone hung up some fake people (stuffed clothes) from the trees in eliot circle for halloween. Everyone was very upset because it simulated lynching, and people thought it was racist. The person who made them explained he just meant it as a scary halloween thing, and meant no harm. I think people freaked out about it just a little too much. Not to say that racism isn't a serious subject, but when I saw them I didn't think "racism!" I thought, "oh, someone put up halloween decorations...spooky." Oh man is there school pride, Reedies love to be Reedies. Atheism, Communism, Free Love! Doyle Owl! Renn Fayre! Is there anything unusual about Reed? Yes, lots...especially the students in general. We are weakling nerds but we fight like rabid dogs over a piece of cement shaped like an owl, seriously, people get hurt. Renn Fayre, what an odd tradition...and also something I'll always remember, sort of.