Vassar vs. W&L

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op - How did you find these two schools? Did friends suggest them to you? neither one of the schools are defaults for DCUMs to apply to: UVA, VT, WM, JMU, GMU or HYPSM.

The schools you mentioned have something particular that appeals to you. Curious what they are?

Wait. People can research and find schools outside of DCUM?!?!? That's nuts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know a kid who is now at Vassar. A bit "quirky" but fairly mainstream - boy who is into sports, dresses pretty normally, etc. But definitely not your mainstream frat boy type either.

That being said, most Vassar kids are like Lena Dunham's character in Girls (I hated that show). Artsy St. Ann's alums who think they are edgy but can be that way because they have daddy's bankroll behind them. Mixed in with lots of diversity which makes them feel good about themselves.

How exactly do you know all of these Vassar kids?

[Anonymous]

DCUM Mainstream:
DCUM "edgy, scary alternative students":

[Anonymous]

A greater than usual proportion of students at each college own horses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DCUM Mainstream:
DCUM "edgy, scary alternative students":

Well, at least you make your bias clear. 3 pics from Vassar v 1 from W&L?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op - How did you find these two schools? Did friends suggest them to you? neither one of the schools are defaults for DCUMs to apply to: UVA, VT, WM, JMU, GMU or HYPSM.

The schools you mentioned have something particular that appeals to you. Curious what they are?

Wait. People can research and find schools outside of DCUM?!?!? That's nuts.

Ok. how did they research and find these two schools? The schools seem like a motley set. So - I'm asking the Op what the commonality they found. Please don't reply with Admissions stats - a lot schools have the same stats.

[Anonymous]

Like saying Kamala Harris or Donald Trump.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Another difference: The NY Times recently reported that W&L is one of 38 colleges that have more students from the top 1% income bracked than the bottom 60% bracket.

In the same article, Vassar was listed as one of the elite schools that enrolled the highest percentage of low and middle income students.

W&L has a very generous financial aid policy, so if you lower income you will probably go there for free. I'm not sure about Vassar's financial aid.

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/01/18/upshot/some-colleges-have-more-students-from-the-top-1-percent-than-the-bottom-60.html

Why is W&L so bad at socioeconomic diversity?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Another difference: The NY Times recently reported that W&L is one of 38 colleges that have more students from the top 1% income bracked than the bottom 60% bracket.

In the same article, Vassar was listed as one of the elite schools that enrolled the highest percentage of low and middle income students.

W&L has a very generous financial aid policy, so if you lower income you will probably go there for free. I'm not sure about Vassar's financial aid.

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/01/18/upshot/some-colleges-have-more-students-from-the-top-1-percent-than-the-bottom-60.html

Why is W&L so bad at socioeconomic diversity?

Another way of looking at it is that W&L attracts disproportionate number of very wealthy applicants. Historically W&L was known as the school of the southern elite, so I think that is probably the more accurate way to view the issue.

In the past 25 years or so it has tried to attract a more diverse applicant pool through generous scholarships and no loan financial aid packages. I received a flyer from the other day that indicated that some families with incomes over $350k got financial aid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Another difference: The NY Times recently reported that W&L is one of 38 colleges that have more students from the top 1% income bracked than the bottom 60% bracket.

In the same article, Vassar was listed as one of the elite schools that enrolled the highest percentage of low and middle income students.

W&L has a very generous financial aid policy, so if you lower income you will probably go there for free. I'm not sure about Vassar's financial aid.

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/01/18/upshot/some-colleges-have-more-students-from-the-top-1-percent-than-the-bottom-60.html

Why is W&L so bad at socioeconomic diversity?

Another way of looking at it is that W&L attracts disproportionate number of very wealthy applicants. Historically W&L was known as the school of the southern elite, so I think that is probably the more accurate way to view the issue.

In the past 25 years or so it has tried to attract a more diverse applicant pool through generous scholarships and no loan financial aid packages. I received a flyer from the other day that indicated that some families with incomes over $350k got financial aid.

How did they develop this reputation and why didn’t they do more to help the poor much sooner?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Vassar is non-binary, blue-haired students who major in Comparative Literature with a concentration in Queer Theory. After graduation, they move en masse to Brooklyn to take up the avant garde poetry scene.

W&L is fratty bros and broettes who play sports and binge drink like crazy (especially with their frat/sorority friends during their infamous Spring Term). After graduation, they'll ask their sorority/frat "Big" for a job in finance/consulting where they'll live in up in Manhattan's Murray Hill with all of their bro-y coworkers.

Kidding. Kind of.

I think you were spot on.

+1000

It's funny because it's true

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op - How did you find these two schools? Did friends suggest them to you? neither one of the schools are defaults for DCUMs to apply to: UVA, VT, WM, JMU, GMU or HYPSM.

The schools you mentioned have something particular that appeals to you. Curious what they are?

Wait. People can research and find schools outside of DCUM?!?!? That's nuts.

Ok. how did they research and find these two schools? The schools seem like a motley set. So - I'm asking the Op what the commonality they found. Please don't reply with Admissions stats - a lot schools have the same stats.

It’s really not that hard to figure out.

Such an odd question.