<p>I did this a couple months ago and it seemed to be pretty popular, so thought I'd create another thread now that decisions have been sent out (and current juniors are starting to show up more frequently on the forum).</p>
<p>The purpose of this thread is for prospective students and upcoming VC freshmen to ask any and all questions they have about Vassar and then receive answers from current students (and alums, if any are interested in replying). Feel free to ask any question you want, but be aware that I (and others currently here or who have graduated) are not all-knowing and may potentially be biased. Also, keep in mind that seeing as I and others who post are not admissions officers, we won't know everything there is to know about how good your chances are or what exactly you need to do to get in.</p>
<p>So I'm from the Midwest, and I know that Vassar supposedly has a real NYC, edgy, artsy feel to it--which is great, but I just wonder if people at Vassar won't look down on someone from a place that's not considered very cultured or sophisticated. Contrary to popular opinion, people from the Midwest are not all hicks, and I don't want to be automatically dismissed just because I happen to hail from there.</p>
<p>Do you have any recommendations for how to get to campus for a student who is not driving distance from campus? My S will be visiting on his own in the next week or so. I looked on the visitors part of the admissions website, and it looks like he can fly into Newburgh/Stewart airport or one of the NYC ones. You'd have to take a train from NYC up to Poughkeepsie then, but it also looks like N/S airport isn't all that close. Neither seems very convenient, so I was wondering what people who live far away from campus find most convenient.</p>
<p>Question: So I'm from the Midwest, and I know that Vassar supposedly has a real NYC, edgy, artsy feel to it--which is great, but I just wonder if people at Vassar won't look down on someone from a place that's not considered very cultured or sophisticated. Contrary to popular opinion, people from the Midwest are not all hicks, and I don't want to be automatically dismissed just because I happen to hail from there. Any thoughts?</p>
<p>Response: I don't think you have anything to worry about. Based on what I've experienced this year, the vast majority of the Vassar population could care less about where you're from and what your state's/country's/region's stereotype may be. I've met people from a variety of countries, states, and regions--including the midwest--who've had very little trouble fitting in and feeling at home at Vassar, even though it might have a different feel from their home state/region/country. Besides, seeing as the school draws students from all over the world, the "snobby" NYC attitude that you're concerned about really doesn't exist, at least in my opinion. From a geographic perspective, the vast majority of Vassar students are very open-minded: there's a focus on who you are as a person rather than where you've come from and what you "should" stereotypically be like.</p>
<p>Question: Do you have any recommendations for how to get to campus for a student who is not driving distance from campus? My S will be visiting on his own in the next week or so. I looked on the visitors part of the admissions website, and it looks like he can fly into Newburgh/Stewart airport or one of the NYC ones. You'd have to take a train from NYC up to Poughkeepsie then, but it also looks like N/S airport isn't all that close. Neither seems very convenient, so I was wondering what people who live far away from campus find most convenient.</p>
<p>Answer: Most of the people that I know who aren't within driving distance of Vassar use either Newburgh/Stewart or one of the airports around NYC, depending on where they're flying to and how convinient the flights are with direct connections and all. Assuming your son plans on going home only during the scheduled school breaks (October Break, Thanksgiving Break, Christmas Break, Spring Break, the end of the year) and comes back the weekend before school starts (when the vast majority of Vassar students typically return), he can take a shuttle service provided by the school. All he'd have to do is reserve a spot on the shuttle by requesting one when the email regarding transportation during breaks is sent out.</p>
<p>Izzy, there are definitely snobs here at Vassar. Luckily, they all gravitate toward each other and tend to hang out in antisocial snob cliques... so the rest of us don't have to deal with them! I wouldn't worry at all. </p>
<p>Nceph, I live in Nevada and to get to campus, I fly into Stewart and take a $63 (aaaagh) cab to get to campus. It's a pain, but it's better than having to schlep my enormous suitcase around NYC. I think that NYC would be easy if you don't have a lot of luggage, though. </p>
<p>And a word on the shuttles - they're not always so convenient. For instance, this past break they didn't even bother to send out an email regarding the return shuttle, and didn't reply to my email asking about it, so when I got to Stewart (having already reserved and paid for my overpriced cab) and saw that there was a campus shuttle there, you can bet I was mad. haha. But it IS helpful if it's anywhere near your departure time (and if they tell you that there IS a shuttle).</p>
<p>Wow, you're quick! That's very helpful, but I'm not looking ahead to breaks from school just yet. He was just admitted and is trying to decide if Vassar is the school for him. He won't be able to attend either of the two admitted student days, so we're trying to make arrangements for him to go at a different time, so I think he'll be on his own for getting from the airport to campus. So I'm trying to figure out if people see it as equally easy (or difficult) to get to campus from NYC airports or Newburgh/Stewart, or if one is generally considered more convenient. Thanks so much for taking the time to answer our questions!</p>
<p>edit: Thanks dc89. That's what I was wondering. So you think just going for an overnight with minimal luggage that LaGuardia or other NYC airport would be cheaper and simpler?</p>
<p>Thanks, littleathiest and dc89--that's very reassuring to hear! Vassar is a serious contender for me, and I was originally drawn to it because of the NYC vibe I believed it had; recently, though, I've been worrying that maybe said vibe would work against little old Midwestern me. So it's great to hear that whatever atmosphere Vassar absorbs from NYC (if any at all), it isn't a snobby, exclusive one. </p>
<p>Thanks for getting back to me so quickly, and maybe I'll see you next year!</p>
<p>i'm so glad there's a thread i can post my question...
could someone please introduce Vassar's science department, math department and/or economics major? thanks</p>
<p>From what I understand, to take any classes in the art department, you have to take the year-long drawing course (which is kind of a pain but whatever). However, you don't have to plan to major... that's the beautiful thing about Vassar; you can take classes in any department without planning to major in it because of the lack of a core curriculum.</p>
<p>If you plan on flying ot NYC airports, then pick Newark. There is a monorail that goes to the Newark train station where you can get AMTRAK to Poughkeepsie and the $7 cab ride. If you fly to LaGuardia its a $25 cab ride to Penn Station plus contending with possible traffic.</p>
<p>Today I told my friend that I'm liking Vassar more and more each day. He told me that it's full of "rich prep school girls" and that most students are "very pretentious." </p>
<p>This isn't the first time I've heard that students can be somewhat pretentious, so I'd like someone to assess how accurate this claim is.</p>
<p>Question: Are there any classes in photography that i might take, without planning to major in this field? </p>
<p>Answer: As dc89 pointed out, to take intermediate classes in the art department, you have to take the year-long introductory drawing course. Of course, just because you take this class doesn't mean you're an Art major, so if you feel like going through with this class and then doing some 200-level (or even 300-level) work, you can most definitely move on into photography classes with no problem. Vassar offers several photography classes at the intermediate level: Photography, Photography II, and Color Digital Photography. If you're interested in the course descriptions of these classes, check out the course catalogue section on them: Art</a> Department - 2008/09 Catalogue - Vassar College. </p>
<p>Question: Today I told my friend that I'm liking Vassar more and more each day. He told me that it's full of "rich prep school girls" and that most students are "very pretentious." This isn't the first time I've heard that students can be somewhat pretentious, so I'd like someone to assess how accurate this claim is.</p>
<p>Answer: Well, I most certainly won't deny that there's a population of students at Vassar who fit the bill that your friend is describing. There definitely are people on campus who come across as pretentious as well as a collection of "rich prep school girls" (although, frankly, as someone from an affluent area who attended what is classified as a "prep" school, I personally find this comment a bit trying... after all, not all girls from affluent areas who happen to attend prep schools are alike or fit the stereotype of "catty"). At the same time, however, there are also a ton of students at Vassar who aren't like this at all. Others might disagree with me, but I'd say the vast majority of the students at Vassar are nothing like how your friend described them.</p>
<p>Question: On a scale of 1-10 (decimals permitted), how cool does it feel knowing that Mike D supposedly got kicked out of your school for throwing a keg off a roof?</p>
<p>Answer: Hm... can't say I know anything about that, so I'm afraid I have to abstain :).</p>
<p>Question: Is the 40/60 male/female ratio ever a bothersome imbalance?</p>
<p>Answer: This is one of those questions whose answer is going to vary immensely, depending on who you ask. That being said, my own opinion is as follows: most of the time, I barely notice the 40/60 male/female ratio. It's most apparent to me at large gatherings (ie, school sponsered parties and events), but from a day-to-day standpoint, it's not something that stands out. Maybe I've grown used to it, or maybe it helps that the majority of my classes have more or less equal male-female ratios, but the inbalance isn't very prevalent most of the time. </p>
<p>Question: Of the 40% guys at the school, could you ballpark an estimate as to how many are gay?</p>
<p>Answer: An interesting perception which seems to exist about Vassar is that the vast majority of the male population is gay (or at least, that's how the school was perceived by some of the people at my high school). In reality, although there are definitely plenty of gay guys on campus, they are most considerably outnumbered by the amount straight males. I personally don't feel comfortable trying to put a percentage number on this, but trust me in saying that there is definitely a significant straight male presence on campus, alongside a strong gay/queer one.</p>
<p>Question: Does the sex magazine Squirm still exist?</p>
<p>Answer: Indeed. It published at least one magazine (that I'm aware of) this year and has helped sponser several school events.</p>
<p>thanks, i also have another question: is it true that this year someone came and gave a lecture on how to give good blow jobs?? hahaha if this is true, are there many such...offbeat lectures given?</p>
<p>i know there are a lot of schools near vassar like marist college and others. do you know people from these other schools as well? like are their visits made to these other schools? (mingling?)lol</p>