What do you think about Reed College?

[Anonymous]

Everyone says Reed attracts an intellectual student, but I have known about 20 Reed graduates and I wouldn’t describe any of them as intellectual. They are all smart (but not extraordinarily so), very liberal, and uniformly came from wealthy families. Some are quirky, others not except to the extent that very far left kids with trust funds can afford to be non mainstream.

[Anonymous]

It has a very good record in terms of students going on to get Ph.D.'s.

[Anonymous]

Hunter Scangarelo’s uncle got her in. Early acceptance. But that meant she could only apply to one college. Your sister, on the other hand, gave herself a lot of options, such as Bowdoin, Holy Cross, Georgetown…

[Anonymous]

I have a good friend who went to Reed and loved it. He said it was very hard. I think it’s known for grade deflation. He described it as sort of a cross between a really nerdy school where people studied hard but also mixed with kind of a bacchanalia. Lots of weird themed parties. Ren Faire after exams are over. There were drugs, but it seemed like more hallucinogenics than coke or heroin or anything. I don’t think he ever felt pressured. As someone pointed out, Reed dropped in rankings because they opted out of US News and were punished for it. They don’t offer any merit aid, so because of that and being across the country, we crossed it off the list. I saw it being compared to Sarah Lawrence, and while I think the kind of student it attracts could be similar, I think it’s more rigorous. I believe my friend said a fair number of people he knew dropped out. But he still loves the school. He did go back recently and mentioned that Portland had gotten a lot grittier since he’d been there (and he’s in his 30s so not as long as a lot of parents here) and even he was kind of uncomfortable with how many homeless people there were and he’s a bleeding heart liberal who has lived in DC proper for many years.

[Anonymous]

I know someone whose child got involved with some seriously troubled kids there (between mental health and drug issues).

I strongly recommend you read the survey results on UNIGO, regarding drug culture. Is that where you want your kid learning how to adult? Just go in with your eyes open.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a Reed grad as well. While I agree with everything the other Reedie said, I want to point out that Reed is a Great School for the Right Student. I wasn't the right student, and college felt like the longest, darkest haul of my life.

Reed provides a great environment and rich network for many students, but it can also be disorienting and alienating for other students. I sincerely believe that Reed's academic education is superior to nearly anything else available, and it might be an ideal school for someone who with a strong sense of self who wants a classical education or to go on in academia. However, it's also intense and quirky in ways that absolutely wore me down, and I personally wish I had had the self awareness to transfer elsewhere after a couple of years rather than feel compelled to push through to graduation. I know that Reed is working to improve its support for students, so maybe it's a better environment now - I sure hope so!

Please tell me you made this up and that this is not a thing like "Schools that Change lives"? What a racket. And, yes, I went to some of their 25 colleges in a room presentations.

Yes the scam of kids getting good educations at places they might like.

What’s next, fulfilling and enjoyable careers?

+1

[Anonymous]

It's a great school for a questioning kid who loves learning for it's own sake. It is not a practical school that will land you a job, although social media has expanded its alumni network considerably. It will get you into graduate school--great graduate schools. I know more peers with phds than without , and most are ivy, Chicago, Stanford, etc.

They do give grades. They don't tell you your grades unless you ask, or are failing. This can create issues. As an example, in my junior year when I finally checked my grades, I learned I had a 2.9 gpa. This was the Reed average gpa at the time (it's a little higher now), and "just fine," according to my advisor. I agree in sentiment, but I might have worked harder, had I known it was that low.

I am continually impressed by my fellow Reedies and what they've accomplished. But Reed, like a lot of other liberal SLAC has met some fairly regressive identity politics in the last decade. I suspect the tide is turning, but I'm not sure how fast it will. I wouldn't recommend it as a place for any student who is insecure about their identity, as I've observed a fair amount of . . . well, ideological bullying, in some of the alumni circles with the younger crowd. It's worth looking at what happened to their core humanities requirement, and what has replaced it, and why.

Despite my criticisms of the school, I have a lot of fond memories. It was a great college experience.