<p>one side, both sides, compare, contrast.... :)
just help me choose!</p>
<p>Son at Midd-son’s GF at Vassar:</p>
<p>Midd “runs like butter” according to Princeton Review and that has been his experience: got all his classes, loves them, great room, beautiful setting, all new buildings, food is “good” according to him “too much healthy/vegetarian stuff” and better than Vassar’s. He skis-loves the Snowbowl-and finds that people “pretty much work all the time, but take time off to ski or hang out or go to an activity” He feels the social/work balance is healthier there. </p>
<p>Vassar in beautiful downtown Poughkeepsie, she loves it, but didn’t get all her classes and already has some course requirement issues, tiny tiny double, food not great and there is a lot of cigarette and pot smoking , much more openly than at Midd. Cigarette smoking at Midd is pretty much unseen, and about 1/3 of Vassar students smoke, according to the Vassar board. Kids also party more to excess and have more of a “party night, work night” thing going.</p>
<p>Of course, both schools have their strong adherents, and both are excellent schools. Vassar’s rep is as the most gay-friendly campus in the US, and while Midd isn’t homophobic, there aren’t as many people in “costume” on a day-to-day basis. </p>
<p>Just what I hear from the “kids”</p>
<p>WOW. that REALLY helped. thanks sooooo much!!</p>
<p>hah there is plenty of pot smoking at midd thats for sure</p>
<p>
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<p>Vassar isn’t even listed by The Advocate as one of the top 20 gay friendly colleges, much less ‘the most gay friendly’.</p>
<p><a href=“http://collegeuniversity.suite101.com/article.cfm/gay_friendly_college_campuses[/url]”>http://collegeuniversity.suite101.com/article.cfm/gay_friendly_college_campuses</a></p>
<p>Princeton Review lists Vassar at number 20.</p>
<p>Notice NYU, Stanford and Swarthmore are 1,2 and 3 ;)</p>
<p>NYU
Stanford University
New College of Florida
Swarthmore College
Emerson College
Simon’s Rock College of Bard
Prescott College
Wellesley College
Marlboro College
Mount Holyoke College
Bennington College
Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering
Macalester College
Hampshire College
Grinnell College
Warren Wilson College
Reed College
Smith College
Pitzer College
Vassar College.</p>
<p>Vassar has an amazing music department so if you are into music vocal or instrumental - it would be a great choice. Vassar is in a nice suburban area of Poughkeepsie with easy access to NYC. The weather will be warmer in NY than in Vermont at Midd but the views of the mountains from Midd are wonderful.</p>
<p>It depends where you want to be for the next 4 years.</p>
<p>Visit if you can. Both are great schools.</p>
<p>I beg to differ with OldbatesieDoc. First of all, there is NO WAY that 1/3 of Vassar students smoke. Whatever the percentage is, it is on par with the current smoking rate for late adolescents. Smoking is not the norm on campus, and is no where near 1/3. In terms of pot, I would also venture to guess that it is similar to Middlebury, and any other college campus. In general, getting classes is easy, and since there is no core curriculum, it is nearly unheard of time have trouble fulfilling any sort of requirement. In terms of gay life on campus… vassar is a very accepting place, even for the most conservative straight students. Everyone makes friends with everyone. Vassar students don’t discriminate against you just because you are “fill in the blank.” And any notion that students are in “costume” is mildly offensive. I would also mention, that any wardrobe is “costume” and that A&F is just as much as statement as anything else one might wear.</p>
<p>I forgot to mention… forget everyones opinion. Visit them both. Go to the one you fall in love with.</p>
<p>And whether students smoke should not be why you do or don’t go to a school over another school… every school has its smokers.</p>
<p>hey guys! thanks so much :)</p>
<p>i’m NOT an outdoorsy person, and i LOVE the idea of being close to NYC, which makes this really tough. and i’m also a wimp in the cold. but at the same time, i wanna study foreign languages and international relations. so that and the only other reason why on some days i lean towards Midd is cuz i want to push my boundaries a little? cuz i’ve lived in the city my whole life</p>
<p>i’m not gay, so that whole gay-friendly debate doesn’t matter as much to me. though i am a huge gay supporter, and i wouldnt like to go to a school that wasn’t gay friendly. but as long as Midd students tend not to be against gays, i’m fine with that</p>
<p>i personally don’t smoke, but having grown up around smokers, it doesn’t really matter to me</p>
<p>if any of you guys are Midd/Vassar students, could you guys tell me about the student body? are they cliquey? friendly? any major stereotypes that seem to dominate the campus?</p>
<p>also, how are the dorms/food?</p>
<p>and lastly, the teachers and courses?</p>
<p>thanks SOOO much for everything guys!!</p>
<p>IMHO, it would be foolish to turn down an offer from Middlebury if your intended major has anything to do with international studies or languages.</p>
<p>Midd grad here. You will certainly find the students at midd to be very open and friendly. I wouldn’t worry at all about that. But if you want to study foreign languages and international relations it’s hard to find ANY place better. Check out the Princeton Review’s quality of teaching rankings. Middlebury is always at the top if not THE top. Honestly, don’t let the weather be the determining factor. It’s not like you’ll have January classes out on the quad. Seriously though, the weather in Middlebury and Poughkeepsie is to close to be a deciding factor. It would be like comparing the weather between NYC and Philadelphia.</p>
<p>Yes, I know, toO. On an iPhone.</p>
<p>Son says “even the kids I don’t want to be friends with are friendly”, not cliquey-“everyone is super-nice” which is a common comment.His dorm and cafeteria are connected, so he doesn’t even have to go outside much if he doesn’t want to-goes to breakfast in his jammies…
He says the food is better than vassar’s-more choice and higher quality.
He is a not rich public school kid, not a jock, from upstate NY</p>