<p>Would you say that the environment at Vassar is competitive at all?</p>
<p>Thanks for answering all these questions, by the way.</p>
<p>No problem for answering all the questions! It’s good to know people will be informed and without as many worries when they arrive in the Fall</p>
<p>The financial aid for returning students is exactly the same as it is for entering freshmen ceteris paribus (assuming your income and assets have stayed the same). My financial aid went down this year, but that’s because my family’s income went up a good amount.</p>
<p>The surrounding area isn’t great, and I doubt anybody will tell you it is. The area directly off campus is very nice, it’s good many restaurants that students frequent when the dining options on campus get a bit repetitive (as they will virtually everywhere). Thing is, most people don’t wander off campus off that much, and some go whole semesters without doing so at all. It’s as safe as any campus as long as you use common sense; don’t wander alone outside at 3am in the dark or go into sketchy Poughkeepsie alleys, and you’ll be fine. Most of the stuff you’d want to go to in Poughkeepsie is a short work so you won’t have to go into sketchy areas anyway. Also, students tend to consider NYC as part of the “surrounding area” because it’s a little over an hour away by train (there’s a train station a short shuttle right from campus, and we’re constantly expanding the amount of free-for-students bus routes that make hourly stops on campus). Either way, you’re gonna be pretty busy so you’ll be stuck on our epic campus most of the time.</p>
<p>And as for academics, I would say they’re almost as un-competitive as is possible. You’re not so much judged by how your peers are doing in the sense that curving/scaling grades is almost unheard of (in the English dept, for example, you aren’t even assigned grades on essays. You receive a course grade after the final paper and that’s that. In the meantime you’re given EXTENSIVE comments on your papers on what you did well/what needs to be improved and it has definitely proven to be an effective method of improving student writing). You’ll see a few people max per class that are noticeably competitive, but even then it’s them competing with themselves for better grades, not per se with their classmates.</p>
<p>To the question from a while back for Greek and Roman Studies…that was my major at Vassar and I loved it to death. It’s a small and very close knit major with some wonderful profs. 2 Hellenists and 3 Romanists with one wild card spot for the Blegen fellow. Let me just say that all these profs have the best sense of humor ever! And they will kick your language skills into shape like no other. I’ve taken classes in so many departments, but I will say that if you take GRST courses, you will learn to analyze and critically attack a piece of prose or poetry like no other. Not so much in the courses in translation, but if you end of focusing on one or both of the languages, your classroom conversations are just insane and the students come to really know their sh**. I have so much respect for the people who were in my upper level Latin classes. The topics in those classes ranged from cannibalism, to love and sex, pastoral poetry, letters/epistles, fables, graffiti. Apparently now they have a class on ancient coinage too?! I was kinda jealous when I found that out a month before graduation.</p>
<p>And the culture classes were also really great. Prof. Lott makes Roman history so engaging and funny with his sarcastic wit, and Prof. Olsen is an amazing lecturer for Greek Archaeology (although she takes forever getting papers back!). And Prof. Dozier always picks quite unusual material and knows how to brew a great discussion. However, I will admit that the intro language classes can be dull since you are just plugging through a lot of grammar, but once you get into actual literature, the classes just go to a completely new level of awesome. </p>
<p>Also, I never expected I would major in GRST or Classics as it was then. But I was drawn by the challenge that it was to combine intense language study with very interdisciplinary analysis. Quite literally you will learn at least one of the languages, but probably both and then some, some linguistics, some history, lots of literature, some archaeology and some archival/museum studies. It was so worth it and I don’t regret a single class I took. It’s not a major for the light of heart, since your profs expect a lot, but it’s the most intellectually stimulating major you can pick. To anyone who doubts me, you try writing a 10-15 pg paper on two lines of poetry in a dead language! </p>
<p>And no it’s not useless. I believe there was a study done that said Classicists are among the top students when they go into law school. It isn’t a coincidence, since they come out of undergrad a mastery of language systems and some crazy analytical skills.</p>
<p>I have what may be seen as a silly question but how fast is the internet over at Vassar?</p>
<p>The internet speed kinda depends on where you are on campus. Some of the dorms can have slow internet, especially during the busier hours at night. I was able to stream shows on my computer, but the buffering period was longer and more frequent at night when a lot of students were using the internet. Definitely not as fast as home connections, but it’s not terrible in my opinion. More public places like the dc (cafeteria) and library do have faster internet connections, of course.</p>
<p>Can anybody tell me what size sheets to buy?? I got a mailing to buy sheets that will fit “perfectly” but they’re very expensive. Are twin sheets too deep for the Vassar beds? thank you. Also, in a double room in Jewett, what’s there? bed, desk, dresser? does each student have his/her own closet in the room? Would three guitars and an amp fit in a Jewett double? thank you. oh also – should my student bring his own lamp?</p>
<p>S1 barely had room for 1 guitar in a Jewett freshman double. We had to buy S1 a mini amp. Jewett is nice and renovated - every double has a bed, desk chair and dresser for each person (works well if at least one person lofts the bed high and puts the desk under it.) Also, the dressers will fit under the bed if you use the extenders and raise the beds up about 2 feet higher (not a full loft). There are two small closets. </p>
<p>Sophomore year doubles are roomier. Much more went to Vassar sophomore year. They had 3 windows in their double corner room - nice.</p>
<p>Thanks so much. Any info about the sheets and need for a little lamp?</p>
<p>Overall, how difficult is it to get a 4.0, or at least above a 3.5? Is it near impossible?</p>
<p>It all depends on your major. I would say a 4.0 is monstrously more difficult to get in say, the math or econ department, than it is in the film department or poli sci or english. I know a bunch of people that graduated from these latter majors with quite high gpas. Like 3.8-4.0 range. That doesn’t mean that the other majors are any easier or less intellectually stimulating, it just means that some of the professors are laxer graders. Or perhaps this just attests to the rampant grade inflation of our school haha. </p>
<p>I’d say a 3.5 is totally doable as long as you don’t ignore your work. This is just my experience, but I found that if I tried moderately hard in a class I would get at least a B+ or an A- depending on the professor. But of course, the amount of effort needed varies person to person and on their familiarity with the subject.</p>
<p>Also once you get comfortable in your major, or get hit with a dose of passion and enthusiasm, you really start to know what profs are looking for in papers and assignments. So your grades will probably go up as you go forward. Let me put it to you this way: my first semester gpa at Vassar was 3.46, my last semester gpa was 4.0. By the end, I graduated with a 3.85. It takes some getting used to. And no, I did not graduate in what I would consider to be an “easy” majors. My advice, just don’t worry about it your first semester or even year there. Yes, put in the effort, but explore and find what you want to do, then work your bum off to be the best at it.</p>
<p>XL twin sheets work the best. You could bring a regular twin sheet sheet set for a spare. We bought S1 one of those foam pads which go on top of the mattress and he liked that a lot.</p>
<p>Yes, bring a small lamp, the rooms have a large overhead light but you probably would not want to use it all of the time.</p>
<p>Also to clarify, S1 had a small modular shelving unit for food and stuff so if he did not have that in the room , there would have been room for more guitars!</p>
<p>Thank you! One more thing: is it common to have a little 'frige in the room and, if so, do you rent that or buy it?</p>
<p>Many people have ‘little friges’ in the room. I think you can rent them also. another thought, one of those ottomans with the removable top works well to store items and provides seating for ‘visitors’.</p>
<p>And yet another: where can a student go to exercise on machines/lift weights etc.? Is that Kenyon, or is that in the new Fitness Center? (thank you)</p>
<p>The varsity weight room is in Kenyon, but you can only use it if you’re on a varsity sport. The AFC is the only option otherwise, but has much more in the way of cardio and machines.</p>
<p>thanks! much appreciated</p>
<p>I was wondering is there any type of business program at vassar or is the closest thing economics?</p>
<p>I don’t think there’s any business program. Business really isn’t a liberal arts subject! (some may disagree)</p>
<p>Economics is the closest we have, but the majors tend to be business-oriented and there’s even a pretty active business club (of which I am a member haha). You’ll have little trouble getting into a top business school with a Vassar econ degree.</p>
<p>What do you think is the best thing about Vassar (aside from the type kids who go there)?</p>