Vassar College Reviews

There is thankfully no Greek life...

There is thankfully no Greek life at Vassar. All the dorm parties are pretty much open to everyone, and there is a very inclusive feeling at the other parties. I am so glad there is no social status dictated by Greek life, but yet there are still great parties that everyone can attend.

There is a college regulation that...

There is a college regulation that prohibits off-campus housing until junior year. Having lived off campus my junior year, I can say that it was a lot of fun and not too hard to find a house. I even saved some money not living in the dorms. However, most Vassar students choose to live on campus all four years.

There is absolutely no Greek...

There is absolutely no Greek life—no frats, no sororities. Parties are still good at Vassar.

There are many people who do not...

There are many people who do not do drugs here and a good number who don't drink either, but the impression on this site is the opposite. Parties are a mix of everyone. Trust me, no one forces you to do anything you don't want to do, and no one cares about it either, but if you want drugs, I am sure there is always someone who could help you find them.

Some people seem to believe that...

Some people seem to believe that Vassar is a druggy school, but compared to larger universities and even other liberal arts colleges, the drug use here is trivial. Cigarettes seem to rule, however.

Drugs are definitely on campus if...

Drugs are definitely on campus if you want them.

It’s present, though many of us...

It’s present, though many of us wish it wasn’t as present. I work in the Office of Health Education on campus and we try to educate and give information about the effects of drugs, alcohol, and stress. Though we know that we won’t abolish the drug scene on campus, we just try to spread awareness so that it can be a bit safer.

I love Vassar. There’s something...

I love Vassar. There’s something about it that breeds cynicism toward it, but it’s rooted in affection. There’s no school in the U.S. where I’d rather be, but there are things about Vassar that could stand to improve. Academics are fulfilling, though after a while, its small size and the consequently limited number of courses can get frustrating. It’s pretty great socially, as long as you fit a certain archetype.

Despite the rumors, the vast...

Despite the rumors, the vast majority of Vassar men are straight. However, most lack stereotypical chauvinist macho qualities, perhaps because Vassar students are self-secure. Both men and women are ridiculously attractive and are more concerned with social and political issues than the average college student.

There is a wide variety of guys...

There is a wide variety of guys and girls in different social groups. The girls are pretty attractive overall, and it’s really not very difficult to find casual sex; there are lots of ‘sexually liberated’ people on campus. Social groups are pretty fluid.

There are lots of annoyingly...

There are lots of annoyingly attractive hipster-types, but they’ll promptly let you know they’re out of your league. Heterosexual women are often frustrated by the male-female ratio; many are driven to lesbian hookups. Don’t come here looking for a husband. If you come looking for casual sex, you’ll probably be more satisfied.

You’ll find everything from the...

You’ll find everything from the hot heiress to the folks you wouldn’t touch with a 10-foot pole. Because Vassar is small, there isn’t a lot of everything. Cute, straight, nice guys are hard to come by!

I’m content. If you have a car,...

I’m content. If you have a car, you have more choice. There are a lot of restaurants run by CIA graduates around, each a tasty delight. And of course, the pizza and Chinese delivery until all hours at night is wonderful. Make sure you try a slice of Napoli’s pizza and a plate of stuffed french toast at Babycakes.

I love that we don’t have freshman...

I love that we don’t have freshman dorms. Mixing up freshmen, sophomores, and juniors is really great. The coed bathrooms contribute to the comfortable atmosphere of Vassar.

It has been my experience that the...

It has been my experience that the dorm a student lives in has a great effect on perception of Vassar life. It is rare that lack of space is an issue, and the dorms end up feeling very much like home. The number of students in each dorm varies, but it is rare that one doesn’t recognize his or her fellow dormmates. Call it a cosmic force or a good Resident Life Committee, but most of the time, wherever one ends up living compliments his or her personality. The variety in dorms is impressive, and the rooms are very comfortable and unique.

Vassar makes a big deal in...

Vassar makes a big deal in attempting to recruit ‘diverse students.’ It sometimes borders on racism for me. I believe there’s a ‘students of color’ population of 20 percent, and we are treated with a bunch of pomp. I received an ‘older sister’ and got invitations to events only minorities were invited to. Although it’s nice to have a network for ‘minorities,’ there shouldn’t be so much attention paid to it so that it’s a self-conscious and paranoid thing. I’m still scratching my head over what qualifies as diverse if we’re all different human beings.

Vassar has all kinds—jocks, preps,...

Vassar has all kinds—jocks, preps, goths, indie rockers—you name it, Vassar has it. Guys have a pretty easy time finding women. Girls will have a more difficult time. Being gay, I find about 50 percent of the male population to be somewhat ‘attractive,’ although thescale slides.

It has been said that the hardest...

It has been said that the hardest thing to be at Vassar is a heterosexual female. Not only is the female to male ratio 60:40 (also standard for a liberal arts school), but there is a large homosexual population among the students. With statistics like that, it is hard for (straight) girls to get dates. But, of course, we are all just here for an education, right?

The guys tend to think they’re...

The guys tend to think they’re hotter than they are because they all get attention since there are more ladies on campus than guys. The girls tend to be pretty cool, though I’ve noticed a weird trend of many more girly girls on campus in the past few years.

There are hot straight guys on...

There are hot straight guys on campus, but a good portion of the male population is gay. It lends to an exciting, open atmosphere at Vassar, and I enjoy the diversity of guy folk—enough with the meatheads! In general, you will find all sorts of guys and girls, but many are not what you would call the conventional playboys and Abercrombie & Fitch girls.

Teachers are very approachable,...

Teachers are very approachable, very willing to spend extra time with you or talk to you about anything else you might want to talk about.

The teachers are definitely a...

The teachers are definitely a strong point. All the teachers that I have had have been extremely accessible and love to get to know the students. I can’t think of a class where I didn’t meet with my professor at least once outside of class if I had a problem with a paper or just wanted to talk. I find almost all of my classes very interesting. With no core curriculum, I am taking classes because I want to take them.

Professors range from astoundingly...

Professors range from astoundingly good to totally boring, but most fall somewhere in between.

Most professors are great, caring,...

Most professors are great, caring, and considerate, while some couldn’t care less about the students and are just doing their job. You need to make the effort to get them to know you.

The teachers and their classes...

The teachers and their classes range from incredibly engaging to mediocre. Yet a large percentage of my classes at Vassar have been of the engaging variety, and I always try hard to ensure this by wearing out the pages of my course catalog when it comes time to pick classes and being highly annoying to the registrar’s office during the first few weeks by doing the notorious shopping around for classes. I’ve had several teachers who I have really connected with, and they weren’t necessarily teachers I’ve had in really small classes (although most classes I’ve had at Vassar have been around 10 people).