Ask a Current Student a Question

Colleges and Universities A-Z Vassar College
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<p>Hi there! So I know several current Vassar students did this last year and it helped me out a lot when I was trying to figure out if VC was right for me. Basically, the idea is that those interested in or curious about Vassar College can post any and all questions that he/she might have about the school. Then, either myself or another current student/alum of Vassar College (if he/she is interested in answering) will give you our take on the question.</p>

<p>A bit about me as a background... I'm a current freshman from Connecticut and am particularly interested in the fields of History, Biology, and Neuroscience. I attended a private high school and got into Vassar Regular Decision last year. </p>

<p>I guess that's about it... except for three things to keep in mind: </p>

<p>[ul][<em>]I'm not an admissions officer so asking me really specific questions about admissions probably won't do much good. I can give you my take on your chances at getting in, of course, but it won't be much more helpful than the next person. That being said, feel free to ask any question that you'd like, but be aware that I'm more knowledgeable about "daily life" at Vassar than admissions statistics.
[</em>]My answers are based on my own opinions/experiences and that they're not the be all end all. As one would expect in a place of such immense diversity as Vassar, everyone has a unique take on the school, and the best I can do is to give you mine.
[li]I'm a freshman, so I'm still learning about the internal workings of Vassar as well. I can offer you a different perspective than someone who's been at the school longer--and a fresher one on what freshman year is really like--but there are certain things I'm not as well-versed in such as recruiting by companies and graduate school acceptance rates. That being said, if you have a question about those specific genres, ask anyway... there's several people on CC who are alums/older students and who might be able to help if I can't.[/ul]</p>[/li]
<p>Now.... any questions?</p>

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<p>I have some questions! ^_^</p>

<p>Tell me what your typical Friday or Satuday night is like at Vassar? What are you doing? What are other Vassar students doing? Is there a huge party scene (I tend to doubt it) or is it more laid back? Would you find Vassar students sitting around at coffee on Saturday morning discussing Descartes or passed out from partying the evening before?</p>

<p>How laid back is Vassar in terms of academics? Granted, Vassar is a premier liberal arts institution, so academics are bound to be challenging, but are students competitive in their academics? Or are they more chill about it?</p>

<p>Are you involved in any student organizations? What ones? How have those meeting worked out? </p>

<p>Lol, I have tons more, but I figure these will do for now. Thx!</p>

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<p>ok, so I do have a few questions and I really appreciate this thread.</p>

<p>First of, I plan to visit Vassar for a day in November. Where should I be sure to visit on campus? of course I will be visiting the library and standing under the amazing main window but what are some sights that must be seen in person?</p>

<p>How hard do you think it might be for a transfer to find a close group of friends. Sometimes it can seem that at a smaller school, close groups of friends are set in stone and it's harder to really meet people.</p>

<p>How hard can the classes get? what was your most difficult class like and how did the teacher handle it? I want hard work but I want to feel a connection with the teachers who give it.</p>

<p>how open is the school? are "weird" people, super-left thinkers, free thinkers, abstracts? I know it might sound strange to ask but can I really be myself (I've been told on a few occasions that I was the weirdest person someone has met...hmmm) and be comfortable? My main focus is the education and I'm already absolutely excited to wake up early, walk to class and study on the greens even though I have not been accepted yet but I do want to have fun too. Now be honest...does most everyone (real) get along?</p>

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<p>wow, close posts and a few similar questions.</p>

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<p>hey, thanks for doing this!</p>

<p>A few questions..</p>

<p>I'm sure students probably don't talk about their SAT scores, but I was just wondering if you knew if a lot of students with mediocre SATs but other good qualities were admitted</p>

<p>Also, every time I mention that my first choice is Vassar, someone brings up the uneven male:female ratio and tells me that a very large chunk of the guys there are gay. I don't have any problem with homosexuality, but I was just wondering if there are a lot of possibilities to date or hook up on campus, or if that area is pretty limited. </p>

<p>How often do students study? Obviously academics will be rigorous, but is the workload manageable? What about if you want to do a double major?</p>

<p>Thanks a lot!</p>

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<p>Question:Tell me what your typical Friday or Satuday night is like at Vassar? What are you doing? What are other Vassar students doing? Is there a huge party scene (I tend to doubt it) or is it more laid back? Would you find Vassar students sitting around at coffee on Saturday morning discussing Descartes or passed out from partying the evening before?</p>

<p>Response: Well, I’m probably one of the more “studious” students on the Vassar Campus and I don’t really drink, so bear that it mind as you read the personal part of my response about what I do over the weekends. Over the Friday and Saturday nights that I’ve been here thus far, I’ve done a variety of things: movie night in a friend’s room or the multi-purpose room with several other people from my hall/dorm, shopping and dinner off at the mall, game nights with friends, dances in one of the dorms, music concerts, contra-dancing, or—if I’m feeling productive—work. There are also PLENTY of parties on the Vassar Campus of both the school and non-school sponsored varieties. From what I’ve seen and heard, the school sponsored parties provide students with a climate in which drinking doesn’t happen (usually, they’re dances), while the privately hosted ones have alcohol. The private ones take place in either the Dorms or the Senior Housing. Overall, the party scene at Vassar is what you make of it. If you’d like to party a lot, you can definitely find people that do. At the same time, however, there’s definitely plenty for those who don’t enjoy the party scene as much and/or choose not to drink.</p>

<p>QuestionHow laid back is Vassar in terms of academics? Granted, Vassar is a premier liberal arts institution, so academics are bound to be challenging, but are students competitive in their academics? Or are they more chill about it?</p>

<p>Response Thus far, I’ve found that people are pretty relaxed about academics. They study, care, and try their utmost to do well, but they don’t really seem to compete with one another. The idea is, that if you’re at Vassar, you’re there to do your best rather than to show up other people and prove how brilliant you are. Also, the school is more focused on collaborative learning rather than learning of the competitive kind as the existence of formally set up study sessions, the writing center, and group assignments show. </p>

<p>Question: Are you involved in any student organizations? What ones? How have those meeting worked out? </p>

<p>Response: Right now, I’m signed up for two different clubs: the Outdoor Club and Habitat for Humanity. I’m also planning on becoming a tour guide for the Admissions Office, but I don’t think they’ve started recruiting freshman yet, so I’m not entirely sure how that works. Habitat for Humanity hasn’t officially started up yet, but from my understanding, it’s a Saturday afternoon commitment in which you meet and go to a construction site to work. The Outdoor Club has… it’s a very informal one which goes on a number of outdoor activities (hikes, white water rafting, nature walks, etc) each weekend and sometimes during the week. Most clubs contact their members by email with announcements and offerings of activities to do. You sign up to be on their mailing list at the club fair which takes place in the beginning of the year; however, you can join most of them later as well if you’re interested then.</p>

<p>Question: First of, I plan to visit Vassar for a day in November. Where should I be sure to visit on campus? of course I will be visiting the library and standing under the amazing main window but what are some sights that must be seen in person?</p>

<p>Response: Well, my suggestion is to take a campus tour if you really want to see the sights and get a glimpse of life on campus. Unlike some other institutions I visited when I was looking at colleges, the Vassar tour is pretty all-encompassing. It takes you into a lot of buildings—including a dorm room and a classroom—and shows you all of the campus except for the Athletic Facilities and the Farm. If you’re interested in Athletics, I believe you can arrange to have a tour of the gym and facilities as well. That being said, if you really can’t take the tour, I do have suggestions on where to visit: Sunset Lake (very peaceful and pretty), the Chapel (where major lectures are held), the Library of course, and the first floor of Main (it has the students center, the bookstore which is awesome, and the Retreat which is one of the on-campus dining options).</p>

<p>Question: How hard do you think it might be for a transfer to find a close group of friends. Sometimes it can seem that at a smaller school, close groups of friends are set in stone and it's harder to really meet people.</p>

<p>Response: I personally found most of the people here at Vassar to be incredibly welcoming. Of course, with the freshmen it helped a lot that everyone was new… but the upperclassmen in my hall are all really friendly as well. I’d say as long as you are comfortable with making the initial effort to sit down at a table with someone you don’t know and say “hi,” you’ll make friends relatively easily. If there’s an alum or upperclassman on here, he/she could give you a better idea…</p>

<p>Question: How hard can the classes get? what was your most difficult class like and how did the teacher handle it? I want hard work but I want to feel a connection with the teachers who give it.</p>

<p>Response: I’m just beginning to get back the results of my first few graded assignments now, so my answer is based primarily on my initial reactions to what I’ve gotten back. The hardest class for me is Calculus, mainly because of the subject. Because it’s a traditionally challenging course, there are special study groups set up for it to provide support. There’s also interns (usually a junior or senior) in each department who is there for you to ask questions if you have any. And lastly, all of the professors have office hours in which you can see them to go over any and all concerns you might have. Basically, the school is designed to help you succeed even in the courses that you currently struggle in.</p>

<p>Question: How open is the school? are "weird" people, super-left thinkers, free thinkers, abstracts? I know it might sound strange to ask but can I really be myself (I've been told on a few occasions that I was the weirdest person someone has met...hmmm) and be comfortable? My main focus is the education and I'm already absolutely excited to wake up early, walk to class and study on the greens even though I have not been accepted yet but I do want to have fun too. Now be honest...does most everyone (real) get along?</p>

<p>Response: I find Vassar to be pretty darn open about just about everything. The one type of person who wouldn’t fit in so well, from what I’ve seen thus far, is a Bible-thumping, highly conservative creationist. And even then if he/she went to Vassar, most people would still respect his/her beliefs, even if they didn’t necessarily agree with them. It really is a place where you can be yourself. Or at least, from what I’ve experienced thus far, it is.</p>

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<p>man, I can't wait to send in my applications. thanks for the response</p>

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<p>You mentioned biology as one of your interests, my D has Vassar on her list, could you elaborate or give any more info as to this, thank you. p.s., We can't visit, but is it as lovely as it looks on virtual tours, etc.?</p>

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<p>Question: I'm sure students probably don't talk about their SAT scores, but I was just wondering if you knew if a lot of students with mediocre SATs but other good qualities were admitted</p>

<p>Response: Frankly, SATs haven’t come up AT ALL among any of my friends. It’s a subject I usually try to avoid talking about because I don’t believe that they’re the best way to measure one’s intelligence. I can tell you my own (I got a 2100… M:680/V:710/W:710), but other than that, I don’t know a single person’s score. Sorry.</p>

<p>Question: Also, every time I mention that my first choice is Vassar, someone brings up the uneven male:female ratio and tells me that a very large chunk of the guys there are gay. I don't have any problem with homosexuality, but I was just wondering if there are a lot of possibilities to date or hook up on campus, or if that area is pretty limited. </p>

<p>Response: First, let me just point out that most liberal arts schools have a traditional 60:40 split, so Vassar isn’t that bad compared to some (my ex-boyfriend goes to a school with a 70:30 one). Now, on to your question. Are there more girls than guys on campus? Yes. Is that noticeable? At times… it really depends on what classes you sign up for, what activities you decide to do, where you hang out, and so on and so forth. There are DEFINITELY possibilities for dating and hook-ups on campus… I myself haven’t partaken in that particular activity yet (I’m a bit of a romantic from that perspective XD), but I most certainly know of girls who have hooked up with one or more guys as well as several couples that have already formed in the freshman class. If you’re looking for it, you’ll find it. As for the gay guys question… well, they’re definitely there. But I don’t actually think there’s that many more than on other college campuses. The LGBT community might be more out in the open than on other campuses because of the accepting environment that Vassar wants to promote, but the “all Vassar guys are gay” stereotype is most certainly not true.</p>

<p>Question: How often do students study? Obviously academics will be rigorous, but is the workload manageable? What about if you want to do a double major?</p>

<p>Response: During the week, the evenings are pretty much focused on studying and homework. Or at least, mine are. That’s probably in part because I take four “hard academic” classes (a history, a biology, a math, and a literature) as opposed to more creative ones (dance, film, drama, media studies, etc.). Although it really depends on the courses you decide to take, I’d say it’s manageable. There’s lots of reading, but much less actual writing required than what I had to do in high school. As for double majoring… I’m planning on doing that myself; however, I don’t know much about how challenging it is to do. Any thoughts from other Vassar students/alums?</p>

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<p>Question: You mentioned biology as one of your interests, my D has Vassar on her list, could you elaborate or give any more info as to this? </p>

<p>Response: As a first semester freshman, I’m currently taking Biology 106: Introduction to Biological Investigation. As the name suggests, it’s a lab-based course which focuses on teaching students how to write up lab reports and perform common laboratory techniques that will be used in later courses. As a student who successfully completely AP Biology in high school—a score of 4 or 5 suffices for credit—I don’t have to take the companion introductory course, Biology 105, which focuses on a specific topic in biology with the purpose of teaching one to think like a biologist. Biology 105 (or AP Credit) and 106 are the two introductory courses required for one to take intermediate, 200-level courses. I’m personally very excited about the offerings that Vassar has at the intermediate and advanced level: if your daughter wants more information about what specific Biology courses are offered at Vassar, she can check the online course catalog, I believe. To major in Biology 13 or 14 units are required. A minimum of 4 must be from the Intermediate level and must be spread throughout the three different subject areas offered: A. Ecology, Evolution, and Diversity, B. Biochemistry, Cellular, and Molecular Biology, and C. Developmental Biology and Physiology. Then, a minimum of 3 units must be taken at the Advanced Level. To take courses at the Advanced Level, one must have taken 2 units at the 200 level. Lastly, two Chemistry classes are required as well as 2 additional approved courses which can be in the following departments: Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, Geology, Psychology, Neuroscience and Behavior, and Environmental Studies. </p>

<p>Question: We can't visit, but is it as lovely as it looks on virtual tours, etc.?</p>

<p>Response: According to a list I’ve seen somewhere on CC, Vassar made it onto the list of the top twenty prettiest schools in the United States. I’d say that this rank is very well-deserved indeed: it’s an absolutely beautiful campus. So yes, the virtual tours speak the truth.</p>

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<p>You mentioned that classes were collaborative...I know Vassar is a small LAC, but how many people do you typically encounter in your classes? And are they CONFERENCE/DISCUSSION based, or do the teachers just lecture? For example, lets say a student is taking a British Literature course and the class is currently studying Chaucer (sorry, but I just love Chaucer ^_^; )...Will the class discuss the work of Chaucer, or will the teacher just lecture on? Basically, how discussion driven are classes at Vassar, and how intimate (small) can they be?</p>

<p>P.S. Are you studying Chaucer at all in your lit class? hehehehe</p>

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<p>Thank you for your responses to all questions, very kind of you.</p>

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<p>Question: You mentioned that classes were collaborative...I know Vassar is a small LAC, but how many people do you typically encounter in your classes? And are they CONFERENCE/DISCUSSION based, or do the teachers just lecture? For example, lets say a student is taking a British Literature course and the class is currently studying Chaucer (sorry, but I just love Chaucer ^_^; )...Will the class discuss the work of Chaucer, or will the teacher just lecture on? Basically, how discussion driven are classes at Vassar, and how intimate (small) can they be?</p>

<p>Response: It really depends on the nature of the class and the material being covered. My literature is completely discussion based, my history is part lecture and part discussion (it's my freshman seminar), and my biology (when it's not a lab) and math are lecture based. My history class has fifteen people in it, so it's very intimate. That's usually what freshman seminar classes are like in size. The literature is a bit larger, with twenty to twenty-five students (probably because its in the Russian department rather than the English one and open to those with no credit in the Russian department). I believe biology and math are around 25 as well, but that's mainly because they're introductory courses. Once you get past the introductory courses (100 level), I believe the classes get to be more uniformly around the size of 10-17. That being said, you run a good chance of having at least a couple of introductory courses with no more than 20 people in your class... it all depends on how popular a course is, really.</p>

<p>Question: Are you studying Chaucer at all in your lit class?</p>

<p>Response: My literature class is specifically on Russian Literature, so no. There are, however, two 200-level courses on Chaucer, I believe. The first one is for those wishing to read him in modern English while the second can only be taken after a semster of Old English because it involves reading his works in the original language. Pretty cool, huh? :)</p>

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<p>Gah...Chaucer classes at Vassar sound amazing...I hope I'm accepted!!!</p>

<p>Thanks for answering all my questions thus far!</p>

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<p>Do you know international students at Vassar? :D Are they well seen?</p>

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<p>Question: Do you know international students at Vassar? Are they well seen?</p>

<p>Response: I've met a lot of international students in my first month at Vassar from around the world: Tanzania, India, Singapore, India, Pakistan, China, Romania, Bulgaria, and Russia are the different ones I currently remember. The international community definitely feels like a pretty active, highly visable. Vassar also puts in a special effort with international students to make them feel well-acquainted with the campus: they are invited to come to Vassar several days earlier than the rest of the freshman class and are also invited to several dinners throughout the year which give them a forum to get together.</p>

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<p>Does it snow at Vassar in the winter time? :)
(I'm just curious...Coming from AZ, where it never snows...)</p>

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<p>Question: Does it snow at Vassar in the winter time?</p>

<p>Response: Well, I haven't been at Vassar for the winter yet, but I live about an hour away from the school in a climate which is just about the same as Vassar's so can give you an idea based on that. Yes, it snows. It's not like Syracuse where you'll get feet upon feet of snow, but there will definitely be snow on the ground for at least a couple of weeks during the winter. Usually there's not a ton--between about two and eight major snows (more than 4 inches in one storm) is the usual--but it varies year by year.</p>

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<p>Hi! I am also a current freshman at Vassar. I'm from the southwestern United States and looking to major in something... something. I like languages, English, theatre, history... </p>

<p>So here's a little different perspective! </p>

<p>I am the work hard/play hard type, so my weekends involve a little (read: a lot) more drinking/partying, etc. Sometimes we start our weekends on Thursday... or, um, Wednesday. A lot of people "pregame" in their rooms and then go onto school-sponsored parties (which aren't fun unless you're drunk, generally) or to parties at senior housing (which aren't like frats or anything; you don't have to "wait to get in," everyone just hangs out on the lawn -- don't ask me how this works in the winter). I don't really know if people sit around drinking coffee on Saturday nights, but I definitely don't. (That's what weekdays are for!) </p>

<p>Academic-wise, people tend to be very smart and noncompetitive, which is nice. I have a pretty light load this semester, but I still find myself working VERY hard to understand some classes (logic, anyone?). I like the academic vibe, especially after working really, really hard in high school. I'm still working hard, but I don't feel pressure to be "the best."</p>

<p>Organizations... I'm in FlyPeople, the student-run dance group. It's awesome. I also recently went to Washington, D.C. with students from a few different activist groups to lobby for the Farm Bill, which was an INCREDIBLE experience. </p>

<p>The gay thing is no big deal at all. I've found PLENTY of straight men. It's a nonissue. </p>

<p>People are definitely weird at Vassar, but I love it. It's a great vibe. I also came from a performing arts high school, so I was kind of used to the super-liberal thing...</p>

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<p>After much deliberation, my son has decided that Vassar is the place for him and will be applying ED. My question has to do with the optional interview-- how important is it in the application process? Interviewing is a strength for him, so am I correct in assuming that he should therefore request one?</p>