Bennington College | Student Reviews | Best College

Student Profile

Jessa

Class: Alum
Major: Art/Art History
Gender: F

High School: Springfield North High
Transfer Student: N

Big Picture

Nice small size, very close knit community. Everyone knows everyone else. People either don't know about Bennington, think it's a good school, or say "Hey, isn't that the school where everyone is naked all the time?" I spent most of my time in my house Booth, VAPA, or ***enson. Not really much of a college-town relationship but everyone I met in the town was really nice, I had a few townie friends. The administration was ok, didn't really bother me much, kind of suck-ups. The new student center was a big controversy. Too modern, not like Bennington at all. No school pride of any sports sort of sense, no teams. But I believe we are proud of our community, as much as we **** about it. EVERYTHING is unusual about Benn. I'll always remember nights spend in ***enson. People most often complain about the food (which isn't all that bad just gets old after four years), the student center, and having too much work (but we'd all be bored and sad if we didn't have our work).

Academic Life

All student and profs are on first name basis. You will often find students baby-sitting teachers kids or pet and having lunch together. My favorite classes are with Betsy Sherman, an amazing woman, even if you don't like science. My least favorite class? None really, I loved everything I took, for the most part and it was all my choice taking it. Students never study, but they are almost always working on class/their focus stuff. Class participation is HUGE. No competition. Chemistry of color. Arts department has some problems with plan stuff but science and music are just amazing. No academic requirement, you design your education, it's great but harder then it sounds. Learning for your own sake is always the most important, process over product.

Student Body

The only student that would feel out of place at Benn is the one who wants to just follow a curriculum blindly and get a degree. Students wear whatever they want, or don't want for that matter. All types of students at Benn exist and they all interact. Most students are from parts of the US but we have an ok out of country pop. Most students are at least middle class but, anyone who want to pay off student loans for the rest of their life can go to Benn. Some people are politically active most just let the "Bennington bubble" consume then and have no idea what is going on in the outside world. Basically everyone is left.