<p>I'm planning on applying to both, but I wanted to know which one might suit me better. </p>
<p>I want to major in international relations and minor in Middle Eastern studies. I know that Hamilton has a world politics major, but is that close to IR? I know that neither one has an MES major, but I think I could design one. </p>
<p>I like the location of Vassar more than Hamilton. It's closer to NYC. :) I think both campuses are beautiful, so that isn't an issue. I love that both schools have an open curriculum. I think Hamilton's financial aid might be a little bit better, but I'm not sure. Does anyone have any views on this? </p>
<p>I really don't care too much about this, but which student body out of the two tends to be more conservative. I know that they're both very liberal, but I don't want to feel like an outsider...</p>
<p>Vassar is very, VERY liberal. And yes, it is also closer to NYC. Both schools are first rate and have beautiful campuses.
But neither school is known as having among the top undergrad IR programs. Just curious: if that’s what you want to study, why are you focusing on these two?</p>
<p>WCASParent: To be honest, I’m trying to add more schools to my list. Tufts, Brown, Georgetown and my state school (University of Missouri - Columbia) are the ones that I’m definitely applying to, but I would like to (hopefully) have some choices, even though Hamilton and Vassar, especially, are so competitive. Right now, I favor Vassar over Hamilton, but I would be thrilled to attend either.</p>
<p>Also, if I were admitted to Hamilton, I would probably major in World Politics. :)</p>
<p>Because both curricula seem so flexible, I figured that I could design my own major. Would that be possible?</p>
<p>I think I could handle the liberal views. I have a friend who loves to put down my conservative beliefs, even though he’s one of the very, very few who are liberal minded that go to my school. It’ll be a learning experience too. </p>
<p>Thanks for the help! I wasn’t sure anyone would reply!</p>
<p>I visited Vassar briefly during my college visits, but that was awhile ago so I don’t feel particularly qualified to compare the two, but hopefully I can give you a little insight into Hamilton. The Government department (which World Politics falls under) is great. I think with a World Politics major, you could choose to do it with a focus on the Middle East, which would involve taking Arabic (its a small department, but my friends who are in it love it) and also courses related to the region. From what I’ve seen, there are always a bunch of great classes being offered about the ME, this semester I know people taking Politics of Oil. I attended a lecture a couple of years ago by Ambassador Walker, he is a Hamilton grad who is now a professor here, and if I remember correctly he was Ambassador to Egypt and Israel, and was the Deputy Secretary of State in the State Department for the ME.</p>
<p>No idea about financial aid, but we’re need-blind for domestic applicants so that must be helpful. In terms of location, we are absolutely in the middle of nowhere, but in all honesty, when you get to your college campus you will most likely be lazy and never want to leave. New York is easy enough to get to for Fall Break and Thanksgiving. I’d be curious about how much Vassar students actually take advantage of their proximity. </p>
<p>Vassar is probably a lot more liberal than Ham, at least from what I’ve heard. We do have liberals here, but I’ve actually been surprised by how conservative the campus is (I’m also from San Francisco). I’d say overall its a healthy mix, and if you want to seek out people who are really passionate about one side or the other, you can. Check out the Alexander Hamilton Institute. Its right in town and a lot of interesting stuff happens there that politically-minded students are involved with. </p>
<p>Vassar is ridiculously liberal. I got in there, but I decided to come to Hamilton, which was a great choice. Hamilton is awesome. Sure, its in the middle of nowhere, but its not far from any of the necessities, and Clinton is a charming little town, unlike the ****tiness that is Poughkeepsie. Vasasr is clsoe to NY, but generally, speaking, most people are usually on campus. Its not actually close enough for the real benefits (internships), and Hamilton is close enough for a weekend visit, which i believe clubs organize a few times a year.</p>
<p>on Vassar’s liberalness. It is beyond liberal. We’re talking the Michele Bachman of liberals. The school newspaper once accused the school store of sexism/gender stereotypes because the leg razors it sold were pink. THAT liberal. Overrall, Vassar is also a lot more artsy. Theater and art are absolutely huge there. I know many people who do both of those at Hamilton, but at Vassar, it seemed like it was practically most the campus. They had like 9 theater groups or something like that.</p>
<p>andrewszatkowski: Thanks so much for your input! Currently, I’m leaning more towards Hamilton. Based on what you’ve said, Vassar wouldn’t be a good choice for me. </p>
<p>What, specifically, do/did you like about Hamilton?</p>
<p>Well, I first need to defend Vassar, it is a fabulous school and yes it leans very left. My S goes there and in the 2 years my husband was out of work, they were very generous with financial aid.</p>
<p>That being said my D loves Hamilton and although we are not as liberal as my son, we are liberal Democrats who support gay rights, right to choose etc. My Daughter is not very active politically but wants to be at a left leaning school. My question is Will she feel comfortable at Hamilton, it probably just needs to be left of center.</p>
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