Vassar College Top Questions

Very much so. They only stereotype that is not accurate is that "there are no men on campus" because Vassar was founded as a women's college back in the mid-19th century. That couldn't be further from the truth. Vassar is about 45{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} men, 55{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} women, which is average for liberal arts colleges (look at Swarthmore, Middlebury, etc). More women then men are applying to colleges and universities nationally, so that slightly uneven split is quickly becoming commonplace. But at Vassar, it really feels even between men and women.

The student body at Vassar is small, but full of variety: so sure, you're likely to find at least one kid who will fit, in some way, whatever stereotype you've got about Vassar kids, whether that's girls in pearls or Birkenstock wearing vegan. Don't be too surprised, though, when no one kid fits any one stereotype.

Absolutely. Vassar students are very driven. I know a guy who is a double major in Economics and Chinese, sits on the Executive Board of two campus organizations, AND is on a House Team. People here like to get things accomplished, and this work ethic definitely helps on the job/graduate school market.

Not entirely. While there is a hipster presence on campus and many people are "wannabe hipsters" (i.e. wear the skinny jeans and fanny packs but don't talk the talk), most people are very chill. And as for the guys... well. Obviously not every one of the guys on campus fits this mold and different people have different experiences, but the term "Vassar Male Syndrome" was coined for a reason.

Vassar is a very liberal school, but we encourage and accept diversity (perhaps to a lesser extent politically, but certainly in other categories, like sexual orientation and religion). Vassar is also very co-ed (bathrooms are unisex within the dorms). In general, Vassar is a very accepting place.

By and large, Vassar students and faculty are very liberal, and someone who was conservative would feel uncomfortable at Vassar. There are also many rich students from influential families, yet despite the students wealth, this is not a snobby place. People are extremely accepting and supportive of diversity, and there are many openly gay/lesbian students on campus (although there are many straight people as well!). Vassar students are idealistic and well-rounded. All of the departments are great, including the science departments which are not as well known. The science faculty gives undergraduates real opportunities to explore in labs as opposed to larger universities where students are dish-washers. It's not an all women's school anymore, and not everyone is into drugs.

For the most part

Yes

No, people definitely aren't all gay or lesbian. No, we have all types of people and styles at Vassar. The diversity is one of the greatest aspects of the college.

Scarily so.

somewhat.

These stereotypes can be somewhat accurate, but not to the extremes that some people believe them to be.

Vassar students tend to be liberal, but not every single one is. The atmosphere on campus is certainly socially liberal. Vassar students are not all hipsters, though we probably have a higher percentage than a random population sample. The vast majority of students are pretty normal until you get to know them, and are then usually quirky in a good way, from my experience. And the "isn't that a girl's school?" thing drives us insane. The college has been co-ed since '69, (yeah...) The campus does retain the well-manicured, WASPy, fancy feel of a white-gloves women's college in many of the physical surroundings, but those adjectives don't really describe the students, and haven't for many years.

Yes. Of course, they're only true to the extent that any stereotype is true and we have kids of all kinds at Vassar.

While there are a few more females than males, the ratio is evening itself out. There are also a large amount of gay students but by no means a majority of the campus, nor does it contribute to any sort of negative atmosphere. The student population consists of a wide range of kids, including but not limited to hipsters and hippies.

mostly

No, Vassar is co-ed. Sadly, Vassar hasn't been accepting as many quirky kids in the past two years, it's starting to be kind of preppy and alcohol soaked. No, not all kids at Vassar are gay, though many are hetero-flexible and are more interested in a person for who they are than what sex/gender they are.

Somewhat.

No.

To some degree, all of them are accurate. Though through these stereotypes, the degree to which each of true is generally exaggerated. There are indeed many queer students on campus, most students are liberal, and the male/female ration is about 40:60.