vassar

[Anonymous]

Wow. PP is a moron.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The reputation is that it's for very artsy and dare I say, somewhat nerdy, girls and gay boys. It seems absolutely lovely for the right studens, but that isn't the vibe for everyone.

It's a fantastic school. If your, dare I say, unartsy, somewhat unlearned, girls and boys are looking for a less sophisticated vibe, that's fine.

My kid, a current Vassar student, initially didn't have it very high on his list because of the stereotypes mentioned above. He is a sporty, video-game playing, un-artsy, straight kid, who likes a weekend party. Not the right fit for Vassar it seemed, but conversations with students there revealed that there really is a wide range of kids on campus (2600 is a big number!). So he applied and is now a happy Brewer. No shortage of kids like him there. There is a very woke contingent, perhaps more so than at some other SLACs. He is delighted that he has made friends with kids from varied socio-economic and ethnic backgrounds.

It has traditionally been known for arts and humanities, but the most popular majors these days include STEM subjects. The three most popular majors are Econ, Poli Sci, and Psychology (based on data from 2018). It has strong offerings pretty much across the board.

The place is well run from what I can tell. And though Poughkeepsie is past its prime, the neighborhood immediately adjacent to campus (Arlington) is nice enough, with a range of eateries, including an all-night diner, a bar or two, and a variety of shops. The campus truly is gorgeous and the surrounding area (the Hudson Valley) is very scenic. It's an easy train ride to NYC or DC for that matter.

There are currently 97 students from the DMV at Vassar. I only know this because the DC Vassar alumni association organized an event recently to prepare holiday cookie parcels to be delivered to each of the 97 students--a very nice touch!

[Anonymous]

It was high on our DD's list until we visited the campus and the town that it is near. Fun bridge walk, though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It was high on our DD's list until we visited the campus and the town that it is near. Fun bridge walk, though.

What didn’t DC like about it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hi, OP again. I agree there is some inconsistency in her selections so far. I think she will refine things as she goes along. Between us, I don’t think Conn College is really her speed either. She is nerdy and a little artsy too, she knows she is a nerd and owns it. I could totally see her at Vassar, though who knows if that will emerge as her first choice. We have a lot more places to see.

Her college counselor wants her to at least visit some mid-sized schools to make sure she isn’t limiting herself in her search. She is going to do some online research this weekend and get back to her counselor with 3-4 she would like to talk about. She is definitely not a state school kind of kid or huge campus like NYU.

Obviously W&M if you're in VA (and maybe even if you're not).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The reputation is that it's for very artsy and dare I say, somewhat nerdy, girls and gay boys. It seems absolutely lovely for the right studens, but that isn't the vibe for everyone.

It's a fantastic school. If your, dare I say, unartsy, somewhat unlearned, girls and boys are looking for a less sophisticated vibe, that's fine.

My kid, a current Vassar student, initially didn't have it very high on his list because of the stereotypes mentioned above. He is a sporty, video-game playing, un-artsy, straight kid, who likes a weekend party. Not the right fit for Vassar it seemed, but conversations with students there revealed that there really is a wide range of kids on campus (2600 is a big number!). So he applied and is now a happy Brewer. No shortage of kids like him there. There is a very woke contingent, perhaps more so than at some other SLACs. He is delighted that he has made friends with kids from varied socio-economic and ethnic backgrounds.

It has traditionally been known for arts and humanities, but the most popular majors these days include STEM subjects. The three most popular majors are Econ, Poli Sci, and Psychology (based on data from 2018). It has strong offerings pretty much across the board.

The place is well run from what I can tell. And though Poughkeepsie is past its prime, the neighborhood immediately adjacent to campus (Arlington) is nice enough, with a range of eateries, including an all-night diner, a bar or two, and a variety of shops. The campus truly is gorgeous and the surrounding area (the Hudson Valley) is very scenic. It's an easy train ride to NYC or DC for that matter.

There are currently 97 students from the DMV at Vassar. I only know this because the DC Vassar alumni association organized an event recently to prepare holiday cookie parcels to be delivered to each of the 97 students--a very nice touch!

This is good to hear. Planning to visit with my DS, but wasn’t sure it would be a good fit for him as a heterosexual male. He’s serious, academic oriented and it seems to not be a party school, but he’s also rather mainstream (not at all granola).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The reputation is that it's for very artsy and dare I say, somewhat nerdy, girls and gay boys. It seems absolutely lovely for the right studens, but that isn't the vibe for everyone.

It's a fantastic school. If your, dare I say, unartsy, somewhat unlearned, girls and boys are looking for a less sophisticated vibe, that's fine.

My kid, a current Vassar student, initially didn't have it very high on his list because of the stereotypes mentioned above. He is a sporty, video-game playing, un-artsy, straight kid, who likes a weekend party. Not the right fit for Vassar it seemed, but conversations with students there revealed that there really is a wide range of kids on campus (2600 is a big number!). So he applied and is now a happy Brewer. No shortage of kids like him there. There is a very woke contingent, perhaps more so than at some other SLACs. He is delighted that he has made friends with kids from varied socio-economic and ethnic backgrounds.

It has traditionally been known for arts and humanities, but the most popular majors these days include STEM subjects. The three most popular majors are Econ, Poli Sci, and Psychology (based on data from 2018). It has strong offerings pretty much across the board.

The place is well run from what I can tell. And though Poughkeepsie is past its prime, the neighborhood immediately adjacent to campus (Arlington) is nice enough, with a range of eateries, including an all-night diner, a bar or two, and a variety of shops. The campus truly is gorgeous and the surrounding area (the Hudson Valley) is very scenic. It's an easy train ride to NYC or DC for that matter.

There are currently 97 students from the DMV at Vassar. I only know this because the DC Vassar alumni association organized an event recently to prepare holiday cookie parcels to be delivered to each of the 97 students--a very nice touch!

Hi, fellow Vassar parent. I'm the one who posted on the first page of the thread.

OP, this parent above nails it. Great post.

My kid is one of the arts contingent but has friends in all sorts of majors including STEM. DD seems to know a lot of kids who are neuroscience or biology majors and she says both seem to be popular majors. One thing about Vassar that's interesting is that a lot of students have minors (called "correlates" there) and many do double majors. DD knows, ffor instance, a neuroscience and drama double major and a bio major with a music minor. Lots of others. The curriculum is flexible enough that getting correlates is doable--not easy, but doable. It's attractive to kids who have varied interests.

One thing I would add is that almost all students live on campus. There just isn't a culture of off-campus living. There seems to be no real off-campus housing stock that I've seen, and there is enough space in the dorms, apartments and townhouses that are all Vassar-owned and on campus. Quite a few professors and their families live on campus or very close to it, and each of the dorms has a "house fellow" who is a faculty member who lives in the dorm full-time (and several have young kids who live in their dorm apartments, so it's common to see kids' toys outside the dorms etc.). I think it creates a good atmosphere and the students feel connected to the campus and each other, at least, DD and her friends do.

Regarding the location, the Arlington area immediately next to one end of campus is fine though small, as PP notes. Poughkeepsie itself is frankly pretty run down. There are the usual strip malls with chains (Barnes and Noble, etc.) and a large mall with a multiplex movie theater; they're not close to campus but the campus runs a shuttle to them (or did pre-Covid, not sure if that's back). Few students seem to have cars on campus. A student who craves a bustling party-ready "college town" with plenty of bars, clubs, restaurants and friends living off-campus won't find that in Poughkeepsie but I think the students tend to make their own life on campus. As for proximity to NYC, my DD says nobody even pre-Covid dashed down to NYC like people assume Vassar students do. She knew a lot of seniors and juniors when she was a freshman and said those upperclassmen just didn't go into NYC because they were too busy on campus on weekends.

The professors really do know their students. The classes are small all four years. Professors end up asking students to do special projects etc. DD got the opportunity as a sophomore to do a semester-long project with a professor, organizing an event with him, and she got academic credit for it though it was not part of a class. I think smaller colleges can allow for those kinds of individualized opportunities.

Anyway, OP, I recommend your kid visit. I strongly recommend that your student contact departments of interest and ask to visit them and talk to someone. Before we visited, DD contacted two departments and both invited her to come see them when she was on campus, and set up times. One department head invited her to take two classes that day! She took one class and the dept. head, who was teaching, ended it a little early just to take her around the department and talk to her, which blew her away. The other meeting, with an administrator, was supposed to be a 20-minute chat and turned into a 90-minute tour of the building. DD did not have Vassar on the radar at all and was just a random HS junior with no connection or commitment to apply but they were so responsive and welcoming. Definitely visit and do more than the tour and info session if you can.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Didn't the feminists do away with single-sex higher education?

It's co-ed.

+1 since 1969 no less

Still something like 60% female though with a large population of gay males. I’ve heard this makes for a rather depressed dating scene.

For whom? Oh you mean just the hetero-females.

OK so for roughly 50% of the population. 🙄

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The reputation is that it's for very artsy and dare I say, somewhat nerdy, girls and gay boys.

This is good to hear. Planning to visit with my DS, but wasn’t sure it would be a good fit for him as a heterosexual male. He’s serious, academic oriented and it seems to not be a party school, but he’s also rather mainstream (not at all granola).

PP here. My kid is rather mainstream too, and there are many mainstream kids on campus. It is by no means a party school; the parties are small and typically on campus, but can be found if one so desires. And students are serious but it's not a pressure-cooker environment. It has the usual advantages of a SLAC--small classes, approachable, engaged faculty, and the ability to be flexible and accommodating.

There are some informative College Confidential threads about Vassar that are worth checking out, if you haven't done so already, including tips on what to see in the surrounding area when you visit. Enjoy your visit!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Hi, fellow Vassar parent. I'm the one who posted on the first page of the thread.

OP, this parent above nails it. Great post.

My kid is one of the arts contingent but has friends in all sorts of majors including STEM. DD seems to know a lot of kids who are neuroscience or biology majors and she says both seem to be popular majors. One thing about Vassar that's interesting is that a lot of students have minors (called "correlates" there) and many do double majors. DD knows, ffor instance, a neuroscience and drama double major and a bio major with a music minor. Lots of others. The curriculum is flexible enough that getting correlates is doable--not easy, but doable. It's attractive to kids who have varied interests.

.....


Anyway, OP, I recommend your kid visit. I strongly recommend that your student contact departments of interest and ask to visit them and talk to someone. Before we visited, DD contacted two departments and both invited her to come see them when she was on campus, and set up times. One department head invited her to take two classes that day! She took one class and the dept. head, who was teaching, ended it a little early just to take her around the department and talk to her, which blew her away. The other meeting, with an administrator, was supposed to be a 20-minute chat and turned into a 90-minute tour of the building. DD did not have Vassar on the radar at all and was just a random HS junior with no connection or commitment to apply but they were so responsive and welcoming. Definitely visit and do more than the tour and info session if you can.

Second the advice from the fellow Vassar parent (whose past posts here about Vassar were helpful to us--thanks!); try to talk to current students too.

FWIW, I went to a small NESCAC and feel that Vassar's location beats that of many of the NESCACs. In my kid's experience, a number of students have cars and they do get to occasionally visit places nearby, including NYC.

[Anonymous]

Mindy Kaling’s current show on HBO Max was filmed at Vassar so if you want to see the campus without going to Poughkeepsie, check it out.

[Anonymous]

Really? Not Middlebury or Dartmouth?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The reputation is that it's for very artsy and dare I say, somewhat nerdy, girls and gay boys. It seems absolutely lovely for the right studens, but that isn't the vibe for everyone.

It's a fantastic school. If your, dare I say, unartsy, somewhat unlearned, girls and boys are looking for a less sophisticated vibe, that's fine.

My kid, a current Vassar student, initially didn't have it very high on his list because of the stereotypes mentioned above. He is a sporty, video-game playing, un-artsy, straight kid, who likes a weekend party. Not the right fit for Vassar it seemed, but conversations with students there revealed that there really is a wide range of kids on campus (2600 is a big number!). So he applied and is now a happy Brewer. No shortage of kids like him there. There is a very woke contingent, perhaps more so than at some other SLACs. He is delighted that he has made friends with kids from varied socio-economic and ethnic backgrounds.

It has traditionally been known for arts and humanities, but the most popular majors these days include STEM subjects. The three most popular majors are Econ, Poli Sci, and Psychology (based on data from 2018). It has strong offerings pretty much across the board.

The place is well run from what I can tell. And though Poughkeepsie is past its prime, the neighborhood immediately adjacent to campus (Arlington) is nice enough, with a range of eateries, including an all-night diner, a bar or two, and a variety of shops. The campus truly is gorgeous and the surrounding area (the Hudson Valley) is very scenic. It's an easy train ride to NYC or DC for that matter.

There are currently 97 students from the DMV at Vassar. I only know this because the DC Vassar alumni association organized an event recently to prepare holiday cookie parcels to be delivered to each of the 97 students--a very nice touch!

Love that alumni event!! It bodes well for the spirit of the place.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hi, OP again. I agree there is some inconsistency in her selections so far. I think she will refine things as she goes along. Between us, I don’t think Conn College is really her speed either. She is nerdy and a little artsy too, she knows she is a nerd and owns it. I could totally see her at Vassar, though who knows if that will emerge as her first choice. We have a lot more places to see.

Her college counselor wants her to at least visit some mid-sized schools to make sure she isn’t limiting herself in her search. She is going to do some online research this weekend and get back to her counselor with 3-4 she would like to talk about. She is definitely not a state school kind of kid or huge campus like NYU.

Obviously W&M if you're in VA (and maybe even if you're not).

My DD just got in to WM ED1. Her ED2 school would have been Vassar. Their programs in her area of interest are of similar caliber. If price were not object, I would have pushed Vassar for ED1. I loved the school. But, we have a prepaid 529 for 8 semesters. So, we are paying about $18k tuition and fees a year. Vs $61k for Vassar. We are donut hole, so you’d better believe I’m glad to spend $120,000 less. That will fund study abroad, grad school, a down payment on a house, travel…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The reputation is that it's for very artsy and dare I say, somewhat nerdy, girls and gay boys. It seems absolutely lovely for the right studens, but that isn't the vibe for everyone.

It's a fantastic school. If your, dare I say, unartsy, somewhat unlearned, girls and boys are looking for a less sophisticated vibe, that's fine.

Do you know someone who goes there, PP?

Know several. Strong students. Smart and confident.

DP And you’re leading with Vassar students are sophisticated? Lol……no.

Where are college students sophisticated? You could find a lot lower brow than Vassar.

Vassar prides itself on its number of pell grant students which is great but not at all sophisticated. Way to misread a school.

Wow, talk about ignorant.