Vassar College Top Questions

Classes are challenging yet rewarding. Aside from some science courses you can find almost any class you want.

The academics here are outstanding. My department (Cognitive Science) is full of amazing professors who know their stuff, and that can be said for pretty much all departments here. The classes are small so you build a real relationship with professors, which opens the door to research opportunities later on. There are no grad students to compete with, so the professors are really here to teach. Additionally, there is no core curriculum, so you have the freedom to explore your academic interests without filling distribution requirements.

The academics at Vassar are truly its selling point. The professors are simultaneously respected researchers, as well as exceptional teachers. Unlike larger universities, the professors are primarily there to teach, and their accessibility pays testament to their commitment to teaching. Given the small nature of the student population (2,450), the classes are generally small and intimate. However these are not like small high school classes, in that the professors are of an incredibly high caliber. They challenge, argue, lead, and educate in such a fashion that students want to study and do well because they are interested by the matieral and impressed by the the faculty. Generally there is a lot of reading and lab work. There are no distribution requirements, so students take classes they want to take from the very beginning. Classes are not very difficult to get into, yet are still very small. Both of these attributes add to a healthy relationship between students, professors, and academic interest/achievement.

The Vassar education is more in depth than what is offered at most schools, in part because students aren't forced to waste time on a core curriculum. What I've found is that, by and large, Vassar graduates know a great deal about a few subjects, rather than not much about a lot. (It is always a few subjects, and not just one, because Vassar encourages interdisciplinary studies.) The class sizes are small. The professors are a regular part of your life. If a class isn't readily available, independent studies are easy to come by. The faculty and administration do everything they can to encourage and nurture a spirit of creative intellectualism.

Academics at Vassar are great. Intro classes leave a lot to be desired, but once you hit 200-level and above, it's a very satisfying learning environment. Classes are small - one of mine this semester was huge at 40 members - and professors usually know your name by the third week, if not sooner. It's frustrating that you have to pick just one or two majors; I want to take every class in every department because they all sound incredible. The interdisciplinary majors offered at Vassar (American Culture; Media Studies; Latin American/Latino Studies; Science, Technology, and Society; etc) are phenomenal, and really give great, well-rounded approaches to their subjects. Students are not competitive at all - everyone wants to do well, but that does not come at the expense of others' success. Very few (if any) students would refuse to help on an assignment or deliberately misguide a classmate.

Classes were pretty much the same size as my high school classes (generally 25 students, which I found to be a good thing). However, classes do vary in size from small seminars of 11 students to intro to art history, a 200 person lecture hall class. Most professors will get to know your name, and most of my classes involved discussion and student participation. Every professor has office hours, and most reply quickly through email. Some professors even give out there cell phone numbers or are available on IM. But every class / professor is different. One of my favorite classes was an Art History class on European painting from 1850-1900. The professor didn't know anyone (straight lecturer), but he was such a great lecturer (very funny with interesting side stories about Monet, Van Gogh, etc personal lives) that I loved it. Sometimes a no-discussion class can be a nice change from other, more student participation focused classes.

Vassar is not a good school if you are more science oriented. There aren't enough options in the biology department. Everything is either about plants and/or animals. If you want to learn about human anatomy and physiology, Vassar is not the place for you.

Be careful. Check www.ratemyprofessors.com I have philosophical conversations all the time outside of class.

Most professors will know your name by midterms, but it all depends on what kind of class you are taking. In Art History 105 and 106, which are lecture classes with small conferences, most professors didn't know all of their students names. People definitely have intellectual conversations outside of class. Professors are really good about encouraging students to meet outside of class to discuss ideas. I've had multiple group sessions outside of class in philosophy to discuss the material. I absolutely love the requirements at Vassar. I am completely hopeless with math and science, so the one QA requirement that studends have is wonderful. It allows students to focus on things that they KNOW they want to do, without taking so many gen eds.

Professors range anywhere from divinely brilliant golden gods to downright incompetent. Usually you're lucky to hit a happy medium--only a few are insufferable to be around, most are actually ridiculously nice and interesting people once you get them outside of a classroom.

The classes are great. The small classes really help you to get to know the professor well. The professors are really interested in what you have to say. They are always there to help and are really dedicated so take advantage!! The students for the most part are focused on their academics. It really is a very intellectually stimulating environment.

It really depends on your major... some classes are big, most are medium/smallish, some are very small. you can really decide how you want to structure your academic life. there aren't a lot of requirements, both in general and for majors, so you can for the most part choose your own path.

Classes at Vassar are pretty small, usually between 10 and 30 students. Professors are easy to contact and meet with and usually know your name. Class participation is a huge part of class here because professors truly care what you have to say, and tend to base a part of your grade on it. Students are not, in my opinion, competitive, but they still enjoy intellectual conversations and learning. At the same time, they know how to have fun!

Most of my classes have been really great. The academic atmosphere is serious but not humorless, and definitely not competitive. Students study and participate at various rates, but in my experience most classes are pretty lively and interesting, though of course there are always some lame discussions where people haven't done the readings and otheres where people make pretentious comments. I can't speak for other students, but my homework generally ends up happening from after dinner to 12 - 2ish on Monday through Wednesday or Thursday, and all day and most of the night Sunday. Finals, midterms and big projects are of course a different story. And sometimes I slack off... I've had mostly really great professors, I've had some less great professors, but they all seemed to take a genuine interest in me and my understanding of the material. I have felt very well supported by my professors, even the ones I wasn't that crazy about in other ways. I have good relationships with the professors in both the department where I work and in my major.

Classes at Vassar are always engaging. We have amazing professors, but even if you got a less amazing prof. (which, let's face it, is bound to happen eventually), our class sizes are so small that the sheer force of the ideas coming from the other students always makes it worthwhile. Your professor will almost always know your name, and we have an unusually close relationship between the deans of the college and students. Most of the student body has had at least one conversation with Cappy (President Cathy Hill). The Drama department in particular is a really close knit place. Every senior drama major does a significant senior project in some aspect of drama, and everyone (faculty, majors, the whole student body really) gets excited for the shows that we put on. Our facilities are fantastic. The Martel Theater is as well equipped as just about any stage on broadway, and we put all that potential to some really good use.

I loved the academics at Vassar. I thought the classes were the perfect size and for the most part, the professors were more than qualified and personable. It is wonderful to be in a classroom setting where the professor knows every student's name.

Students here are definitely more cooperative than competitive. Most of the professors are good, some are fantastic, and some are a waste of time. Almost all of them are approachable, though, and most of them want to know your name. Students absolutely have intellectual conversations outside of class, with and without professors. In fact, one of the best poli-sci professors was at my house last semester at a semi-social, semi-intellectual get-together. Some people complain that the Vassar education is too geared towards learning for its own sake, and not enough towards getting a job.

Fantastic if you thouroughly look through the course catalog and find the professors and classes that actually interest you instead of taking the easy route and following generic routes through the education process. There seems to be a breakdown between students where studying is concerned: a) not at all b) study a lot and upset because they can't study more because of all their awesome extracurriculars. I highly recommend the Earth Science and Geography department, for potential majors and not. It is the one truly unique department at Vassar where the teachers are actually your extended family, and so are their dogs, and kids. There are fantastic classes, hard but worth it, great teachers, good people who work together and lots of field trips. Best ever. There certainly are intellectual conversations outside of class, but honestly many of them can become pretty pretentious and meaningless bandying back and forth of terms that have lost all meaning. I would definitely focus of taking classes with teachers you like, over looking for class that distinctly grab you (though i guess that's how you find teachers you like...)

I honestly can say I like Vassar. It's a great place. Because classes are small professors give you the time of day and they even know your name! :) Some professors even gave office hours on a weekend. Classes aren't really competitive. Sure you'll have the one or two students who always strive for the perfect grade, but from my experience, everyone is so enthusiastic about learning that the grade isn't the only thing people worry about. The most unique class I've take at Vassar is the Political Landscapes of 21st Century Chile. The class was geared toward different aspects of Chilean Society via primary sources (we went to Chile!) and secondary sources. Going to Chile and meeting the people that I had read about was an incredible experience. It showed that the books read in class are not the only thing I should base my knowledge on.

The classes are small and the professors always know your name, where you're from and what you're interested in. They love to talk to students outside of class and are readily available. Many of them spend time with their students outside of classes, throwing dinner parties or just meeting at one of the dining halls. The academic requirements are few and fair - you can really take anything you want to fulfill them. Students can be competitive, but if you don't want to compete you don't have to and no one will look down on you for it. Everyone here is an intellectual. Everyone wants to talk, both in and out of class. It's fantastic.