Student Profile
Chris
- Class: Freshman
- Major: Other Interdisciplinary
- Gender: M
- High School: Roslyn High School
- Transfer Student: N
Big Picture
Vassar is definitely a unique school. You get a VERY high quality education (and yes, that means a lot of work) but without the overwhelming size, preppiness, and pushiness/competitiveness of larger schools. It is true, Poughkeepsie is a dump, but no one actually goes into Po-town anyway, so it's like it doesn't even exist. You get a lot of personal attention from your professors, small classes, and a lot of freedom to study and do what you want. Nevertheless, Vassar can get to be a little homogenous in some respects, particularly in regards to political views. Add to it the fact that it is a very small school, and what you have is an environment that some will love and others will hate. Personally, I love it. Pretty much everyone I know who still goes here loves it, too. Still, there are always a few people each year you absolutely hate it.
Academic Life
Classes tend to be small, professors tend to be nice, and students tend to be supportive and cooperative, never competitive and certainly never cutthroat. Since many professors live in the dormitories, you can get to know them really well as your neighbors. They're very approachable (for the most part). My only real qualm is that the religion department is almost indistinguishable from the anthropology department. In other words, you don't really study different traditions as much as you study the sociopolitical aspects of religion.
Student Body
Kind of homogenous in some respects. Everyone's pretty liberal, pretty democratic, pretty pro-choice and pro-gay marriage. Not that there's anything wrong with those things, it's just that those who have dissenting opinions can feel somewhat estranged at times. But you learn to live with it. I, for one, have pretty strong dissenting opinions on many matters, and I have no problem making friends or fitting into the social scene.
The Best Things
Amazing, mind-changing classes, most beautiful campus I've ever seen, great facilities.
The Worst Things
Too much drinking, a lot of work
