Vassar College Top Questions

The small size is the best thing about Vassar. If I could change one thing, I would give the dining center better hours, they kind of suck. Most people ask if Vassar is an all girls school even though it hasn't been for like forty years. I spend a lot of time in my room and my friends' rooms... the library and the drama and film building... oh and most of my classes are in Rockefeller Hall on quad. I guess "what college town?"... there's a bunch of little restaurants around the campus (but it's mainly because Vassar controls the surrounding property)... but if you can snag a shuttle, a cab, or you have your own car there is lots of fun stuff to do on Route 9 and in the Hudson Valley in general - the city is also only a train ride away (we're the last stop on the Metro North line), though the price for the round trip ticket has been steadily increasing since I've arrived here. I find the administration very accommodating to student's needs, and while some people don't think we get coddled enough, I think they're a lot more flexible and willing to work and talk with you than a lot of other college administrations. We recently had a noose controversy involving the cord on a window shade... that sounds really bad, but my personal theory on that was someone was trying to get a controversy going (or didn't think they were doing something hateful when they tied the knot)... Vassar has always seemed to me to be a really inclusive place (of course, I'm white, so members of the minority community might tell me that I just don' have any idea what's going on), I have a lot of friends who are not white and who have never complained to me about not feeling included on campus... we are predominantly white, but I think for the most part people are open and accepting of all kinds of people, and a relatively isolated incident such as this should not be condemning of the Vassar community as a whole - the majority of us are acceptant of everyone. There's school pride, but not an overwhelming pep-rally type atmosphere. There's nothing more unusual about it than any other liberal, eco-friendly, hyperindividual place. There's lots of experiences, I've just been enjoying my friends and my classes and the opportunities I have to experience different things through Vassar. I spent 5 weeks of the summer after my freshman year in Italy with the Italian Department, I get to be involved in the production of drama department shows, and I'm currently applying to various summer opportunities for research and community service work that are available through different offices/departments of the college. Student complaints - the food: it's repetitive, it's mediocre, and it's over-priced. We might be switching providers (currently Aramark) but it could stay the same, this decision is being made this year. But there are always sandwiches and you can always cook your own meal at the Vegan stir fry station (there is a pasta area where you can bring in your animal items too.

I personally love Vassar. I couldn't picture myself anywhere else for college. I am a Theater and Political Science double major, and find it Vassar a fantastic blend of academics and arts! One of my favorite things about Vassar is that the students are so supportive of eachother. Being involved in both numerous theater and dance productions I am very familair with the Vassar audience. It is not uncommon to have two theater productions a dance show and an acappella concert all in the same weekend, and have every single one have a packed house! Its Amazing!!

I think the best thing about Vassar are the people. I've made lifelong friends here. And people love the school--people wear their Vassar gear around the campus all the time.

Vassar students are, for the most part, extremely friendly. There's little to no sense of competition when it comes to grades - in fact, students are very supportive of one another and will work together to ensure that they have a full intellectual experience.

Vassar is very isolated, but also very self sufficient. You could go an entire semester without ever leaving campus. Partially because all of your needs (entertainment, food, school supplies etc.) are provided on campus, and partially because Poughkeepsie does not offer anything better as an alternative. Campus itself is also very big. You can walk for over a kilometer and never set foot in the city proper. If you do come here, get used to needing to answer the following question to your relatives: "Vassar? Isn’t that an all girls school."

Perfect size, though it gets smaller sophomore year--which isn't always a bad thing. Some people sadly haven't heard of Vassar or still think it's a women's school, but then they're probably not worth talking to anyway, right? Vassar is an excellent education and great friends. Occassionally ridiculous discussions will masquerade as good insight, though, and are often taken seriously by professors as long as you use words that sound academic and profound. That's my one academic complaint, and I think it comes from a sense of pluralism and the value in everyone's opinion that tends to be the default around here. The administration is growing increasingly conservative though they'll often deny it, and so it's important that the student body keeps a check on administrators, which it successfully does most of the time through constant organized critique. Not much school pride floats around here because athletics are so relatively unimportant, but I personally like it that way. There are lots of big universities for athletes, but Vassar is (or at least should be, I think) a place for students who want a different scene (without Greek life or mascots).

Vassar's administration has many good points, although it can be headache inducing. The good things: you can see a dean or someone else pretty high up very easily, and they do a good job of noticing students so no one falls through the cracks. However, they have driven me up the wall at points with all their forms and committees and stuff like that, but I suspect that any college would be like that. Reslife (the org in charge of dorms, etc.) is just ridiculous, though. One of my personal favorites of their screw-ups was during room draw when they didn't notice that the number of people they were allowing to transfer into the dorm (ahead of people who already lived there, WTF?) exceeded the number of people the dorm could actually hold, until one of my friends e-mailed them about it. To rectify this, they didn't let anyone transfer into the dorm at all.

Professor-student relationships are the pillar of the school. You are not just a face in a lecture, the professors know you as a student and person. They care deeply about their work and believe that they are molding us into aware productive adults. Location is the one thing I would change, but only in terms of flying. The Hudson Valley is beautiful and has great accessibility to the city, but you cant just hop off the plane and be back in your dorm. The size is just right. It is bigger than most other liberal arts schools, which I was unsure about when applying. Im really glad its bigger now. Most people know about Vassar and react positively when I tell them that I go there. It takes a lot of work to get in here and do well, people know that and usually are impressed. Most time spent is in the library. then the gym and my dorm. vassar's administration doesnt effect my day-to-day, which means they are doing a good job. There is a lot of school pride. I just got back from visiting a friend at another college and everyone was wearing sweatshirts from other schools, but at Vassar everyone is proud and represents us. People go to games, plays, etc. with enthusiasm. EVERYTHING IS UNUSUAL about Vassar. I dont think there is another place quite like it. A place that is so academic, but also supportive. It has balance, which is a hard thing to do when you are 20 and want to do everything. Most common complaint is that the library isnt open 24hours a day.

Best: the community spirit. Vassar's very welcoming of freshmen and very interested in keeping people involved all 4 years. You keep making new friends the whole way through because everyone kind of assumes that Vassar people are by default good people. You have to actively work to get people to dislike you. One thing I'd change: Less liberal echo-chamber. It's not as bad as the stereotype, but still not as diverse as one would hope. Lots of moderates are on campus, but very few people who fundamentally disagree with looking at everything from a social perspective or using government as a problem-solver. Vassar is the perfect size. When I tell people I go to Vassar they've either a) never heard of it b) think I go to a girls' school or c) old people think I must be a society girl. I spend most of my time on campus in my dorm with friends or at meetings or campus-wide parties. Well, that and the library for most of the second half of each semester. Poughkeepsie only really has one bad neighborhood, it just happens to be the major street in town. There's some great finds a bit farther away, like an amazing old-fashioned diner, and the Culinary Institute of America makes for amazing dinners with the fam. Vassar's administration has lately been trying to make Vassar more marketable and mainstream. They don't seem to realize that what makes Vassar so awesome and fun is the quirkiness and the freedom to be whoever you want without judgment.

Academics, drinking, a little too small but ok, think its great and that I must be very smart, dorm or library, "what college town", great administration, too much drinking, school pride?, nothing too unusual, everything, vassar bubble.