Vassar College
Reviews

Poughkeepsie

Poughkeepsie is a tad bit hostile to Vassar students if you get out of the Arlington neighborhood. Students hardly go anywhere else in Poughkeepsie besides Arlington and Poughkeepsie train station anyways. Vassar has been recently trying to establish better relations with the city, but alas, it has not really succeeded thus far.

White's Dominate Campus, Very Accepting Campus

There are a lot of whites!! and minorities seem to connect and befriend those of the same culture and ethnicity of themselves, however, everyone is very accepting each other here. It's difficult to tell sometimes who are the very rich, and who are the students on full financial aid. Vassar is so open when it comes to sexuality. I've found that a lot of "closeted" student feel comfortable to "come out" here because its a very accepting student body. Conservative beliefs are not strong on campus and are not well supported by the student body.

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!

Interesting Dynamic

So the thing about Vassar is that it's so accepting of everyone that there is a pretty large, open gay community. Which is absolutely wonderful, but as a girl many guys you might have crushes on may be into guys. There are definitely plenty of straight men though (they just tend to be a little cocky because they are in high demand). In general people at Vassar are brilliant and attractive so you can't really go wrong.

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.

Lax for the Most Part

Vassar treats its students with respect. They expect us to be responsible. Other than the girl (who dealt drugs) that lived next to me, I don't know anyone got in trouble for anything. If you get caught you get educated, its a good system.

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.