<p>I've been accepted at both Reed and Vassar. Initially I was attracted to Reed because of its reputation for rigorous academics, its permissive social atmosphere, its location in Portland, and for its progressive leanings. However, I have heard from some alums and others that there is an austere and unhealthy social atmosphere there. Some have also said that it is more suited to people who are extremely eccentric. Vassar on the other hand has a better reputation, a larger and more diverse student body, and would allow for easier transfers. My parents have been advised against Reed and now they stubbornly refuse to consider Reed a viable option despite their initial receptiveness to the school. I want to study History, English Literature, or Economics. I also plan to do a masters in the future. </p>
<p>Thoughts?</p>
<p>I would really appreciate help on this one.</p>
[quote]
. My parents have been advised against Reed and now they stubbornly refuse to consider Reed a viable option despite their initial receptiveness to the school.
<p>Reed vs. podunk, worth fighting about.
Reed vs. Vassar, go to Vassar if it's a big deal to your parents. They have roughly equal academic reputations, IMO, and a large overlap in the type of students they attract</p>
<p>As a parent, what jumps out at me is a 91% six year completion rate at Vassar vs. a 75% rate at Reed.
I've known some people who graduated from Reed and a couple of my kid's friends attend. That said, I can't with any assurance tell why Reed's completion rate is so low given such smart kids.
Intense studies? Intense students? Lack of fun? Substance abuse? I don't know.</p>
<p>you have to think about how you would fit into the very eccentric student body at reed. for me, i would definetly pick vassar because i know i wouldnt be comfortable at a place like reed.</p>
<p>and if you do decide that reed is the place for you.. show your parents CC so they can see how highly people think of reed. though, in my kind of unqualified opinion i would say vassar is the better academic school</p>
<p>wolfeb, my impression with Reed is that if it's the right school for you, you'll already have every argument one could need to defend the school. It's a school I admire for lots of reasons, and a school I think has its mission and its student body clear.</p>
<p>(Poster vossron is an incredible, kind, and thorough Reed enthusiast-- she's the mother of a Reed daughter, which is even more telling-- and I think she can help you find a way to articulate an argument that you might be looking to make with your parents).</p>
<p>If you're a little unsure about Reed at this point, perhaps Vassar would be a better option, as it has more of a blend of students. I think that I personally would like Reed more, but Vassar might be a better fit if you are unsure of how committed you are to academics.</p>
<p>(My advice comes from my collective impression of Reed-- from friends who attend, friends who have visited, and people like vossron, and from what I know about Vassar-- two good friends attend, other have visited, I've been there a few times when school was in session).</p>
<p>Again, I know nothing about Vassar other than what's publicly available. I do think the info shows Reed as more academic and more research oriented (e.g., see <a href="http://web.reed.edu/ir/phd.html)%5B/url%5D">http://web.reed.edu/ir/phd.html)</a>, with some students self-selecting for Reed's high future PhD numbers. Reedies are completely serious about their academics, but they are probably among the most eccentric, wide-open, anything-goes students, who also know how to have a lot of fun.</p>
<p>I do tend to agree with unalove. If you have doubts about Reed being right for you (especially if you did an overnight visit), maybe the less eccentric Vassar would be better. But if you feel deep down that Reed is your place, I think you will love it.</p>
<p>The "Questions?" link above was meant only to show how one student overcame his doubts about Reed; I have the highest respect for U Chicago. I tend to think of U Chicago, Swarthmore, Carleton, Oberlin and Reed as attracting somewhat similar students.</p>
<p>I don't have the data, but someone suggested that the east coast generally has higher graduation rates than the west coast; does USNWR data confirm that? I know Reed's rate is relatively low; our rising-senior Reed daughter just now gave these reasons (that she doesn't feel, but sometimes hears): academic intensity, lack of fit, social issues. This should be improving somewhat over the next few years, as the freshman retention rate has increased from 85% in 2004-5 to 91% this past year due to increased efforts at trying to insure a good fit.</p>
<p>I am happy to try to answer any other questions. :)</p>
<p>I love Portland so I was hoping to like Reed.</p>
<p>More than any school I visited, Reed to live up to it's stereotype. I found the students to be very quirky and eccentric. I encountered more students doing drugs over a weekend stay than I encountered anywhere else. People spoke of high stress.</p>
<p>I felt like there was no way I would fit in unless I bought some Birkenstock and flowing skirts and hung a picture of Gandhi in my dorm room.</p>
<p>One does have to consider the locations of the respective colleges. If you want a big city experience, Portland is much closer and cheaper to get to than NYC.</p>
<p>Also, you have to consider state and coast preferences. I think the West Coast is much nicer because it is, as a whole, less crowded than the East Coast. If you see differently, whatever. But it is something to consider. If I got accepted into Stanford and Harvard, both with a full-ride, I would choose Stanford without even thinking twice, because of the locations. You should evaluate your reactions to living in each setting, because you don't want to be going to college in a town, state, or geographic region you hate.</p>
<p>When my daughter was considering Reed, she read a lot of student blogs to get a feel for Reed. Ultimately she decided that these were students who liked to live under a lot of stress, and she wanted to go to a college where students were a bit more relaxed. On the other hand, when we drove by Vassar she refused to get out of the car.</p>
<p>My mom went to Vassar and I think its a bit more traditional academically, than Reed where a good friend of mine goes. Reed seems more like a Bennington or Sarah Lawrence, where creativity and self expression is as important as straight academics. Vassar is full of creative and open minded people, but the curriculum, from what my mom tells me( and shes a real active alum and I applied there) is more typical of other LACS. In terms of students, they are probably more alike than diff., although Im not sure.</p>