<p>Maybe Vassar is the Heavy school for his kid-</p>
<p>Yes not a science school but they offer science- you want heavy science school you would go somewhere else</p>
<p>My heterosexual son is a senior. He has found the students at Vassar to be bright, diverse, supportive, artsy, socially liberal and intellectual. The campus is gorgeous, and he has taken advantage of its easy access to NYC. Vassar is the kind of school that has allowed him to play a varsity sport, sing and dance in various productions and, yes, major in science, and everyone thinks it is all cool. </p>
<p>On a typical weekend, there are so many theater/dance/music performances, it makes your head spin, and the students take full advantage and go to performances together to support their classmates.</p>
<p>Honestly, if you child decides to go to Vassar (and is accepted), the gay-straight question will be a total non-issue. No one cares. (unless, I support you are trying to figure out whether someone would be responsive to a hook up or not, but that doesn’t get shared with mom–and I suppose sorts itself out relatively quickly). Like all small schools, relationships (or hook ups) are complicated by the fact that everyone knows what everyone else is doing, so some students choose relationships outside of classmates, and use their classmates as “family” to come back to if they need support. My son has met some wonderful people who will likely be his friends for life and who have expanded his mind outside of his limited pre-college world.</p>
<p>The downsides:
(1) From a parental perspective, I think the lack of core classes and what I would describe as poor advising doesn’t encourage studnets enough to take classes out of their comfort zones (My son would disagree–he’s happy he doesn’t have to take classes out of his comfort zone!)
(2) It is a bubble. I’m afraid some students are due for a rude awakening when they find out the rest of the world isn’t nearly as open and tolerant and supportive as Vassar students are, but a bubble for four years isn’t the worst thing in the world.</p>
<p>But the whole heterosexual male on campus, which is an issue I see repeatedly raised, has been a non-issue for him.</p>
<p>I always wondered about the LACs and the bubble factor compared to Universities. LACs are supposed to be bubbles and look after their students. </p>
<p>But is it good? Do the kids who go to LACs “all” have a rude awakening at the end of the 4 years? </p>
<p>Is it better that one goes to a University so they are used to being one among the millions and have to fight their way through in life?</p>
<p>The big universities are bubbles too. The vast majority of the millions who have to fight their way through life, do so without college degrees.</p>
<p>Vassar 2012 Alum here researching grad school. I thought that I would answer a couple recent questions.</p>
<p>Some background: I am a 6’3, 225lb straight, former rugby player. I came from a very conservative, all male high school. I am about as far from the average Vassar student as possible. I majored in economics and classics.</p>
<p>I actually applied to Vassar as a joke, but it was the best thing that I have ever done in my life. The moment I stepped on the campus, I knew that was where I wanted to be. I turned down Northwestern and UPenn for it. You can not be ambivalent about the place and have to know in your bones that that is what you want.</p>
<p>The draw of being a straight, male athlete there is real but so marginal compared to what Vassar offers. The people, my God, the people are amazing, radiant, and inspiring. I can not stress that enough. Everyone is extremely intelligent and passionate about what they are studying. The professors are the best at actually teaching you will find in any undergraduate classroom. The universal acceptance and friendliness of everyone on campus defies all reason. I do not know a single person that does not fervently love their time at Vassar.</p>
<p>As for the applicability of the degree in the real world, I will list what my friends are doing a year after graduating. Two work at hedge funds, one is getting a phd in history at Berkeley, another a phd in English from UVirginia, another phd in cognitive science, two (science majors) are working as consultants, another is going to Oxford for neuroscience, one is a paralegal at the Attorney General’s office, and one is in a global management training program with Heineken. I work in mergers & acquisitions. These are all rugby players, probably the hardest partying group at Vassar (but also one of the most driven). </p>
<p>Downside: You are pretty limited on school rep outside of the northeast. </p>
<p>All of my friends and all alums (was close with many older rugby players) are very depressed post graduation for a couple years. Vassar is a special place, but it is so amazing that the real world is a serious let down. The people that matriculate are very self selecting. They love learning for the sake of learning and are the most creative group of people I have had the pleasure of knowing. Even though we have great jobs, they require very little creativity or actual critical thinking. Petty office ******** with uninspiring coworkers is hard to deal with. Even the ones that stayed in academia say it doesn’t compare to Vassar.</p>
<p>Also, Vassar kids party way harder than you would expect. Sex is casual to the utmost extreme.</p>
<p>I apologize for the writing. It is very late, and I worked through the weekend.</p>
<p>Just visited last weekend and to allay concerns about lack of science facilities a brand new state of the art science center is under construction, to be finished 2015-16. Library was one of the most impressive in the world and I studied in the Bodleian Library in Oxford UK and visited Princeton and Yale. Of similar caliber.</p>
<p>Wow, I did not thing that this thread and question would be so popular to view if not respond to. It IS an important question at Vassar, and so, despite the wanderings off into the fever swamps of “what constitutes a LAC” and “are there any LACs in the Midwest” and “what did the OP mean as a LAC” etc etc (file generally under “the fog of war”), it remains a critical question for male applicants who are not LGBT and for the institution of Vassar itself as it attempts to steer a more middle channel course, also shown by the long-overdue and extremely impressive new science center now being constructed. Hamilton got theirs a short while ago; Wesleyan boasts the most gov’t science grants - its about time Vassar broadened its appeal a bit - Prez Hill is, on this issue as on the ones she is better known as writing to the NYTimes about, namely financial aid and opportunity for the socioeconomically challenged, supernaturally right. But back to the down and dirty - can a straight male who is an athlete but a serious student as well find Vassar a good fit - at least as good a fit as at peers like Wes, Amherst, Middlebury, Bowdoin, etc. I think so, and apart from not having football (not necessarily a bad thing), athletics at Vassar seem strong and accepted. Is this so? It isn’t so traditionally rah-rah as, say, Colgate, but it isn’t Bard, Bennington or Sarah Lawrence either(although it likes to think that it is). And no frats - on some level good, but where do they go to party? You do understand that your offspring can’t wait to par-tay, don’t you? Anyway, I hope Vassar continues on its broadening course, and keeps its availability open for athletes and more boys to redress its current imbalance. And for those there, mazeltov for the imbalance in your favor - you’ll never have such happy hunting grounds again in your life! {what other metaphors do you prefer? punching above your weight (from boxing, but look out, double entendre); living above your pay grade? cheekily rising above your station (sorry, Rebecca Eaton, saw Downton Abbey recap last night)?} Right on, dude! Let slip the dogs of, a, well, you know…</p>
<p>um, you people realize there are such things as stereotypes, right? hate to tell you straight guys, but while we do have a very vocal LGBTQ population there’s not really a shortage of you. you’re treated as you would be in any other college. as for sports? people play them and enjoy it. we don’t go to a lot of the games. but that doesn’t affect the athletes at all. and attydad, a lot of LACs don’t have frats. we party in dorms, in the mug (our club), in the THs, etc. why do you need frats to party?</p>
<p>and as for our sciences, they’re very strong, same with almost all of our majors. there’s a reason we’re one of the top LACs in the country.</p>
<p>We’ve attended many sporting events at Vassar and there is alway a group of friends, parents, faculty, staff and even the Vassar president in attendance cheering on the Vassar athletes. In addtion, every time we visit, there are always people playing tennis and working out in the gym. Additionally, the athletics teams tend to play another sport ‘for fun’ in their off season. S2 played intramural scoccer in the spring and really enjoyed it!</p>
<p>The science building site prep is progressing nicely - just saw the site yesterday. There was a huge amount of site work involved (it traverses a small stream). Vassar science grads have gone on to top engineering master’s programs and top science PhD programs - and Vassar is respected among engineering companies also. Your son will get a strong science basis to proceed into any technical field he is interested in pursuing.</p>
<p>Thank you Smoke & Mirrors because you my mind at ease. My 11th grader said Vassar was tops on his list after visiting the coach and touring the campus. I feel hesitant; but it seems that Vassar students live and let live. So we’ll see how this good old boy from Appalachia gets along with the hipsters!</p>
<p>Which sport?</p>
<p>I’m going to stick my neck out here, at the risk of starting another brou-ha-ha (please, no) and say that I am reading this post with great interest, also. I am helping a student here in the West come up with a list of schools that would suit him well. He is straight but will not be a recruited athlete. He has decent stats (3.6 UW with mostly honors/AP/IB, 32+ ACT, good ECs, some state awards), and has interests and a personality that I think would be a good fit for Vassar. He’s also a male from the opposite side of the country (two points!) However, last week, he evidently mentioned Vassar to some of his guy friends (most of whom are applying to top schools) and their response was, basically, “No. Just no.” “Man, that’s a girl’s school.” “No, I think guys go there, but not straight guys.” Etc. He has decided to apply to some other schools EA now, but he liked everything he has seen about Vassar online and probably would have applied to Vassar ED were it not for the reaction he got from friends. It’s still on his RD list, but I can tell that he is confused about how good of a fit it might be for him socially, now. For those who want to believe that this is not an issue among “normal, non-homophobic” people looking at colleges, all I have to say is, “You’re living in a bubble.”</p>
<p>I know that straight guys go to Vassar. Clearly, there is a vibrant community for straight athletes. However, I know how closed the various athletic communities can be socially. Not saying they are at Vassar. Just speaking in generalities. So, here is my question. And, please, no snark. Is there a vibrant community at Vassar for straight, non-athlete guys and girls? Here is the thing: Outside of the East Coast, Vassar really does not seem to have a reputation for attracting straight guys who aren’t recruited athletes. I have talked to several friends in the South and West about it, and they are even more confused about the social aspects of life at Vassar for straight guys than I am (one of my friends, a GC, was surprised to learn that it was no longer an all-girl’s school. When I told her it had gone co-ed in the 60’s, she was embarrassed. She said that none of her students had applied to Vassar–male or female–in her 10+ years as a GC, and she just thought it was still a “Women’s college”.)</p>
<p>There are no Greek organizations, which I don’t see as a negative. However, I do wonder how easy it is for straight, non-athlete guys to find their niche socially since athletic teams and Greek organizations have generally been two of the main ways guys like the student I am assisting would have “found their people”. Vassar is a fairly small place (smaller than this kids’ high school), so I can understand how he would be concerned that the eligible dating pool (of girls) and the pool of straight guys with whom he could be friends would be limited. And, yes, he is open to being friends with all sorts of people. It’s just that, sometimes, guys need a “bro night” or friends who share their interests. That’s all. A description of what life is like at Vassar for a non-athlete straight guy would probably go a long way in dispelling some of the misunderstandings people have about Vassar. Thanks!</p>
<p>I am told that unlike other LACs the recruited athletes are not all rooming together in one dorm. Plus there is one all women’s dorm. Therefore, at least for residential life there is a good chance that your mentee would have dorm mates who are not all of one type. Plus, as you note, there are no fraternities. This can be viewed as a positive so that he would not be excluded from male social groups. My only concern about RD is that the admission rate plummets compared with ED, especially if he doesn’t have stellar scores (33+).</p>
<p>Very helpful, ND. He does have stellar scores–considerably more impressive than his GPA would suggest. I just didn’t want to give out too much identifying information. I have never been to Vassar, and I know it isn’t right for every guy, but this particular guy seems like such a great fit. Unfortunately, he probably wouldn’t have a chance to visit until admitted students weekends, which I think is why he backed away from choosing any school ED. I want to gather a bit more information like this to pass along to him, and make sure he isn’t a victim of ignorance. There is a lot of misinformation (and lack of good information) “out there” about Vassar regarding its’ attractiveness as an option for straight guys. It’s especially hard for students for whom travel to campus is very difficult to figure out what their student experience might be like. Thank goodness for CC!</p>
<p>In general, I stick by the comments I made on this topic in my original post. Vassar is a great school. Period, full stop. Kids who get the chance to attend the school are a very lucky bunch. I think mature male students with a broad worldview and an appreciation for diversity will love the school (athletes or not). I think students who really want to participate in “bro culture” and maybe even feel uncomfortable with people who do not want to be part of that culture can probably find a better fit at other schools, although I think even people in this category find a niche at Vassar. Let me make another point on this topic, however. I have a son at another prominent LAC, one that was originally a men’s college. When he was making his decision about where to go to school, a lot of his male friends (and their parents) were perplexed as to why he would want to go to a LAC as opposed to a school with a big time sports program and frats, for example. He obviously overcame the questions and perplexed stares from friends and parents and ultimately decided to enroll in his LAC, eschewing the easy path which would have been to attend a big Division 1 school. I share this anecdote merely to point out that the issue being discussed on this thread is beyond “males at Vassar.” There is a part of this thread that is about “males at LACs,” of which Vassar is an example. There is a part of our society today that thinks being male in college means going to schools that have top football programs and frat parties. Sad and short sighted!</p>
<p>I have weighed in on this issue, but want to again reiterate my sons experience…straight, liberal, very interested in girls, musical, artsy and intellectually curious. He is a junior, had been accepted at some awesome LACs, chose Vassar. Loves it!!! Has TONS of male friends (who have visited our home) and they are all exceptional kids. What a community of interesting, accepting young adults. We also get the comments…“is your son gay, isn’t it a girls school”? Could not care less. Yes there are gay students (male and female) )-LIBERAL arts college. I concur whole heartedly with the post from ReallyOk…my sons friends range from Rugby players (male and female) to musicians. What you’ll find at Vassar is…acceptance, diversity and an intellectually stimulating environment.</p>
<p>I must not have been very clear in communicating what I am hoping to glean from a student or parent. I don’t need to be convinced of how great Vassar is. I was the one who recommended it to this student in the first place. 
My questions are solely pertaining to “Males at Vassar”. </p>
<p>First, I am wondering if there is, indeed, a decent sized population of straight guys who aren’t recruited athletes. The student is NOT homophobic, at all, and has friends who are athletes, too. Very open minded and socially successful. That is NOT a concern. The concern, though, is that all of the straight guys we hear about are athletes who, by virtue of being on a team, have a built-in social group. This guy has played a sport in hs, but will not do so in college. He is not a “bro culture” kind of guy, either–I can’t really see him sitting around in a bar getting wasted off pitchers of cheap beer. Yet, anyway. He’s just a nice, great guy interested in studying science and music who wants to know that there will be other guys like him at school. I don’t believe the fact that he is looking to meet other friends who are similar to him, in addition to those of other persuasions, makes him close-minded. Continued suggestions that it does make me a bit wary, all of a sudden. </p>
<p>Second, he was asking me what students do for fun. I don’t know the answer. He has visited other LACs, so he isn’t expecting a big sport, D1 school experience. What he’s wondering is, how do students meet? What do they do on the weekends? Though he has great leadership abilities, I don’t see him being a huge student activist. Most of what he reads about Vassar makes it seem like, if you aren’t out protesting something or fighting for something or walking around with myriad chips on your shoulder (like a couple of posters here have reiterated), you’re not going to fit in. Can’t say he’ll never protest anything, but he’s just a nice, normal kid looking to get a high quality education. After reading some things that some Vassar students wrote, he said, “I may just not be angry enough to go to Vassar.”</p>
<p>I don’t know that this student will even apply to Vassar. However, I am positive that he is not the only guy of his ilk who is seeing all of the amazing opportunities available at Vassar, but is confused about where he will fit in socially on campus. Judging from the many threads that address these issues at Vassar (that aren’t as prevalent on other LACs CC sites), it seems that Vassar could do a better job helping straight male students understand where they fit into the social fabric of the school. It’s obviously not clear, nor are those few of us who are brave enough to try to get the answers representative of the large number of potential applicants who are wondering the same things.</p>
<p>MandMom, I just read your post #15 on another thread, and that kind of helps answer my first question. Thanks! Now to find out what students do for fun, where they hang out, what they do on weekends, etc.</p>
<p>S1 co-founded a campus rock band and played at least once weekly(usually twice) at various campus events. He played at parties in dorms and at more prominent events. He attended concerts at venues in Poughkeepsie with friends. He swam for fitness, played ultimate Frisbee and tennis and golf on Vassar’s golf course. He participated in events to raise money for good causes. He taught his lab partner how to play video games. These are the things I know about. S1 studied science and music also - Vassar is a great place to double major. Feel free to PM me for more information.</p>