Vassar College Top Questions

I love the creativity here. I love that everyone is getting a totally different education, but that we can all still relate. I loved how small it was when I first got here - now that I'm a senior, I feel a bit like a big fish, and kind of confined, but I still really appreciate the sense of community, and how many people I've gotten to know over the years. It's funny, because most people know of Vassar, but they don't know anything about it. "That's in Massachusetts, right?" "It's been coed for, what, five years?" "Do you think you'd stay there for graduate school?" People don't know enough about Poughkeepsie - including me. There are a couple great music venues, there are nightclubs, there are cool coffee shops, there are some really great bars, there are art centers - but people just don't bother to find that out. Part of the problem, I think, is that it isn't really a walking city, and to get to a lot of these places, it's necessary to go through neighborhoods where you wouldn't want to be alone late at night. I wish there was some sort of map, with places of note marked on it, so it wouldn't take until senior year to realize that you're living in an admittedly run down, but pretty cool place. An advantage of not leaving campus, though, is that you can come up with really creative ways to have fun right here. One time, my freshman year, a bunch of friends and I put on ridiculous outfits and played hockey in the college center, using brooms, crutches etc as sticks and an empty soda bottle as a puck.

The best things about Vassar is that many people here really do want to change the world. It's refreshing, to think that some people really do care about others, and really do want to make a difference. If I could change one thing about Vassar, I'd make the administration more responsive to students. At other universities I've visited, the admins seem to want to help the students, but at Vassar the bureaucracy just doesn't seem to care as much. My apartment had lots of problems with it when we moved in this year, but Vassar housing was unconcerned. My class was cut halfway through the semester, but no one from the Registrar or the Dean of Studies seemed to want to help me find a new class. I just wish the admins were as concerned with making current students content as they were with recruiting prospective students or with courting alumni for donations. Vassar is the perfect size for a school. It's small enough that you know plenty of people and you never feel lost, but big enough that you're always meeting new folks. When I tell people at home (Struthers, OH) that I go to Vassar, I get different reactions from different generations. If the person is older, they'll act very impressed; if the person is younger, they'll say, "Oh. Where's that?"

best thing about vassar - students i would change the make-up of the student body - more guys and students of color just right in terms of class size, too small in terms of socializing reactions: "Wow, that's a good school." mostly impressed, or have never heard of it I spend most of my time in my house or at work not a college town vassar administration has a stick up their ass biggest controversy - cost of tuition/lack of financial aid -> lack of diversity not a lot of school pride in the typical sense of campus events and sports games, but most people respect vassar lots of unusual things about vassar, mostly the students and their level of social awkwardness experience i'll always remember - founder's day complaints - food is awful, too expensive, no social life/party scene, the mug is skanky, no good musical guests

The best thing about Vassar is definitely the feeling of community. The fact that the professors live with us and their kids park their tricycles next to student's bikes makes for a very unique college experience. It's a good size for making sure you feel like you know people but very difficult to remain anonymous. The town-college relationship sucks, not because Poughkeepsie is so awful but because Vassar tries very hard to keep the students on campus all the time, which gets very smothering. The reaction I get when I tell people I go to Vassar is either "where?", "ooh, a smarty", or "good luck finding a husband", which is kind of representative of the experience here, strangely enough.

The best thing about vassar was the beautiful campus and helfful biology teachers. I would change the fact that they need to better accomaodate students- i seemed to get a little "lost in the system" When i tell people i go there i either get a "wow you're really smoart" or "where's that?" Most of my time on campus was in the dorms or at volleyball practice- theres not much to do unless you like theater and music a lot. There is no college town really just a few useless stores- people don't really go off campus. Sometimes people go visit new paltz or marist. Vassar's administration was annoying and not very helful. But the individual professors i dealt with were very helpful. The biggest controversy on campus? there isnt much controversy- everyone knows everyone and is very chill and relaxed-no real fights- and security really doesnt bother anyone. We are trying to get co-ed dorm rooms now though. Theres always a new thing to try and protest or save.. after all, we are supposed to be liberal hippies. There is a descent amount of school pride- nothing like penn state football games though, we dont even have a football team. The unusual thing about vassar is that the entire place is unusual, wierd things happen and people are very often naked:) its pretty fun/funny. One experience i'll always remember was the first party with my volleyball team- man were we wasted .. oh yeah and theres always the wierdo roomate that lived in the closet.. should have go out of there earlier. M

The best thing about Vassar is undoubtledly the students. While my close circle of friends does not include all two thousand-something students I get along well with virtually everyone I meet. The other students are insightful, kind, and intellectually challenging. One thing I would change is the diversity in the menu of the dinning hall, but as our food provider's contract is up for renewal this year things might change. The school is just right. Reactions I get when I tell people I go to Vassar range from "what the hell is that" to "oh yeah...I got rejected so now I go to Brown". Though the enrollment is small, the campus never feels cramped. Ivoften find myself exploring everyday sometimes hanging out in other dorms with friends, sometimes appreciating the wonderful natural landscape of the campus, and sometimes sitting with friends and drinking coffee. Poughkeepsie and Vassar seem to have a tenuous relationship which the administration has been attempting to rectify by holding events which are open to the public as well as to the students. There is so much to do on campus that students don't very often venture outside the "Vassar Bubble", that is of course unless a trip to NYC is planned.

I love how much of a sense of community there seems to be here that I think so many other institutions of higher learning lack. This is a college in the true sense that classes are small where professors (on the whole) truly care about what they teach. Academics here are top notch love love love. About every semester that I've been at Vass there has been at least ONE class that has challenged and moved me. I would change the pretentiousness of this school sometimes however; being in what is called the "vassar bubble" can really make you feel like you're cut off from the rest of the world sometimes and isolated which can lend to the argument of it being too small at times. And petty gossip can threaten to rule your life but however not if you don't chose that. Its really up to you. Sometimes, you can feel like YOUR business is not your own but overall the good outweighs the bad and the school is just right for me. Many times people are impressed when I say I go to vassar cause it does have a GREAT reputation. I probably spend most of my time in the dining halls on campus lol! No college town unfortunately. I think the administration really does try to engage students and be "there" but sometimes not responsive enough at times. Controversies: we just had a rash of racially-overtoned signs inscribed on some parts of campus (noose, some swastikas) which obviously caused quite a stir (proof: school not as liberal as you think at times). There is GREAT school pride in particular though dorm pride and class year pride are also huge-most people love it here though. Student complaints: about administration, housing, and the food quality. One experience: so many hard to pin down one but when wyclef jean came here for a concert two years ago. FUNN!!unusual: we have a juggling and troupe act here called barefoot monkeys (who also throw fire) and a group here totally devoted to video games and dress up in leather and such called NONCON. Interesting...

Vassar is the perfect place to be yourself and to find out who you are. An incredibly supportive community we respect each other and always have a kind word for those around us. While Poughkeepsie isn't the perfect college town, it provides plenty to get involved in and help to improve it. We spend most of our social life on campus, which makes for a tight-knit social community revolved around having fun with each other.

People are like "...oh" but in a good way. They don't expect it. It's like a cat out of a bag---bam! Vassar and then "mrow!" Vassar's administration is awesome...when we get a chance to see them The largest controversy is veiled racism and lack of motivation to do anything about it. We had a noose found in a dorm and instead of doing things about it we talked about it, being more vague than politicians in debate. Most students complain about the food but it isn't really that bad, people are just far too picky. Our womens rugby team could demolish the men and the mens volleyball team could wallop the women

The best thing about Vassar is how they encourage you to explore what you're into. You can take classes in anything before you have to choose your major. And they want you to have half the classes you take be not associated with your major. I would change the meal plan because it's expensive. The school is just right. Most people have either never heard of Vassar or if they have, they are impressed. I spend most of my time in the music building and in my room. This is not a very good college town but there are some nice places within walking distance of the college. Poughkeepsie is a good size and exciting city. Vassar's administration is very sensitive to its students. The biggest controversy is the want of students to kick Coca-Cola products off campus because of how the company treats its workers. There is a lot of school pride despite the lack of athletic pride. The Vassar campus is an arboretum. There are tons of types of trees and the entire campus is a state park. It's beautiful! I will always remember the first fireworks at the beginning of my first semester. It was a celebration of new friends, a new school, and a realm of endless possibilities and opportunities.