Vassar College
Reviews

Only for the Best

Off-Campus Housing is only for the cream of the crop of Vassar Students. The Off-Campus community attracts independent, intelligent, good-looking, go-getters. I once went to a party at a big white house off-campus on the corner of College Ave and some other road. Let me tell you, these kids were AWESOME!!! They are the kind of people that would make a blog for their house.

VASSAR IS AMAZING

I have yet to meet someone who doesn't love this school. Unlike its NESCAC counterparts, Vassar embraces the individual, if there are bros they tend to be nicer bros who are less full of it and more compassionate and communicable to women. Everyone is very liberal which is so nice and accepting. The weekdays open my mind to things i would have never though possible and the weekends are a party haven that allow us to work hard/ play hard.

i never want to leave this place!

Scary Poughkeepsie?

Vassar kids hardly go into Poughkeepsie. We stay around the Arlington area, which is a nice suburb right outside Poughkeepsie. A lot of Poughkeepsie residents seem antagonistic towards the school and see us as rich brats (which is hardly true, nowadays). But for those that want to, Poughkeepsie is definitely available- either for field work, exploring, etc.

Not a Lot of Options

We are a small school, and this represents itself in the party scene. If you want big frat parties, this is not the school for you. Most parties are either in the suites or senior housing, and are either dance parties or beer pong parties. If you don't drink, you will get bored. You aren't judged for not drinking, the parties usually aren't as fun. The best parties are private parties with only your friends or sports teams, but I would probably think that wherever I attended. All parties are either on campus, or a couple blocks away, we don't really venture too far into Poughkeepsie.

Great Tech.

Vassar is definitely pretty tech savvy. The wifi is fantastic. I always have full signal and fast internet everywhere (and that includes sitting outside by the lake and on the very edge of campus). I've never even heard of people using the ethernet connections here, although we do have them. Vassar has set up a printing system and gives you about $35 worth of free printing for the year and there's a printer in every dorm for students-super easy to use. Most people have their own computers here, but I know a handful who don't and they never seem to have a problem. There's also a computer lab in each dorm and a couple in the library-one of the labs has all the best (and most expensive) programs for anything from music to film. They're pretty good about fixing problems quickly when they do occur.

You're Supposed to Have Fun

Security guards here know what's up, they know college is a place where drinking and smoking weed just happens, and they know how to deal with it without going crazy. Parties in dorm rooms get broken up when they get too big or loud, but the kids receive lenient and or understanding consequences. That said, the crazy stuff that happens at bigger colleges- window breaking, couch smashing, huge fights or other violence- just doesn't really happen that often. So maybe that's why the campus is more understanding of the little stuff.

The Best Part-- Teachers That Can Teach

Academics at Vassar are far and away the best part. I came from a large public high school where classes were big and teachers were unfocused, but being here, at Vassar, reminded me of why I used to care about school so much when I was younger. The teachers don't put pressure on you, but still find ways to challenge. They're personable, reasonable, and accessible, and they have a way of making you feel special. Taking 4 classes that seemingly have little to with each other can end up intertwined at the craziest moments. Workload is tough, but very managable, even for a student athlete, drama kid, etc.

Library

The library is beautifully designed and a great place to study. It offers a writing center for free, available feedback on papers and even has a coffee shop that is open for late night studying. There is also a meditation room and 24 hour work space.

Reefer

Amazing weed, amazing leniency towards marijuana use (professors admitting to blazing in the past and security guards that don't give a flying carp), and amazing people to do it with.

If you don't at least once, you're in the minority- most everyone I know does blaze regularly, or has at least tried it once or twice, but don't think anyone will care. Do as you wish, don't hurt anybody or burn a building down, and you're good to go.

Campus Strictness

Vassar Campus is probably the most lax campus in the entire country. If you get caught smoking marijuana in your room you only get 3 hours of community service. From serving on D.C. i will tell you that it is almost impossible to get kicked out and that creates a nice atmosphere of feeling safe and feeling like the university really is your home.

Pretty great

There's a free shuttle that runs at convenient times to the train station and other places in Poughkeepsie that is really useful. Unfortunately, it doesn't really run when I often need to get to and from the train station because I usually leave early and arrive late. But taxis are cheap and easy! And friends often have cars.

Perfect

They're reasonable. You can expect to have a good time without being constantly interrupted by security, but you can also be sure that life here is safe. It's a great balance.

Drinking and Weed

Alcohol and weed are really big here. Some other drugs are used but people generally aren't out of control. I'm not really sure if I'm grading how good the drug scene is or how good the drug scene isn't though. I think that it's perfect personally.

Ferry Haus - Vegan/Vegetarian Coop

Ferry Haus, the dormitory that houses 20 people and functions as a vegetarian co-op with vegan options, is an opportunity for people to learn about communal living, organic food, and environmental choices. It is a beautiful building designed by Marcel Breuer, right in the center of campus.

Off-Campus Housing Rare

Most students stay on campus all four years, due to availability and popularity of on-campus housing. Those who do choose to move off-campus often have to deal with year-round leases, relative distance from campus, etc.

Library Is Beautiful

The library is one of the major attractions at Vassar College - besides the beautiful architecture and majestic stained glass windows, the collection is diverse and in-depth. There is a Media Cloister with computers with programs like Photoshop, Final Cut, and other editing software, and a coffee place in the basement for easy access.

Reefer Madness

Alcohol is a visible part of campus life, as with most American colleges. If you don't drink or do drugs, that is totally fine and you will find people that would like to remember their four years along with you. But make no mistake, people do drugs here. Mostly weed, but you do get the occasional shrooms, acid, x, molly, coke, 2ci, aderol, etc. Big parties tend to have a couple kegs and a forty rack of Natural Ice.

Liberal

There is a relatively small community of students of color, but it is by no means impossible to have an ethnically diverse group of friends. Politically, Vassar tends towards the left so if you're more to the right, I would either get ready for four years of spirited debate or apply for transfer. Along that same note, we are one of the most accepting colleges in terms of sexual orientation.

Not Bad

Poughkeepsie is not a metropolitan area, yet we have a sushi, Thai, Indian, Mediterranean, and a host of other fast food joints. Of course, there is the college staple readily available: pizza. Lots and lots of pizza places.

Be Smart

The campus is by and large pretty safe but, like anywhere, you shouldn't leave your valuables unattended.

If You Drink or Do Drugs...

Vassar's nightlife outside of drinking and doing drugs on campus, is almost non-existent. Those who choose not to engage in drinking usually just stay in as a result of the poor accessibility of off-campus activities. However, sometimes Vassar does host dance parties where most of the school's students can be found.

Drugs Are Around, but Only If You Want Them to Be.

Never felt pressure to do anything I didn't want to do. Some friends smoked pot, no one did anything harder. There's a group of kids into coke, but it's easy to stay away from it. The only exception is Founder's Day, our college holiday in May.

Always Felt Safe on Campus.

Always felt safe on the Vassar campus. Occasionally there was some petty theft. Only one instance of violence in my whole four years, despite the surrounding city of Poughkeepsie having some bleak areas. Most of my friends and I didn't feel the need to lock our doors in dorms.

It's All Pretty Chill

I honestly don't know anyone who's gotten into real trouble for just being caught drinking; you have to try to get written up, either by doing drugs in the dorms or being a jerk to Security. They don't make rounds very frequently and even if you do get caught drinking, you usually just have to take AlcoholEdu or write a two-page paper or something.

Not Too Wonderful

The immediate area surrounding Vassar is fairly nice- there are cute little houses and some great restaurants for surprisingly cheap. However, once you go more than two or three streets deep into Poughkeepsie, all bets are off. It's a pretty sketchy place, and the locals do not like Vassar students (and, it must be said, vice versa). My friends and I mostly only go into town in order to catch the train to New York City.