<p>Current student here. I thought these two videos would be helpful in providing some context for "Olde Reed" lore. Parents, don't worry, Reed isn't much like this anymore. (In fact, Reed isn't anything like it's 2006 self, not to mention its 1969 self) There's a reason we call Reed's current governmentality "Nü Reed." The thesis process depicted in "Give Up Steam," however, is dead on. </p>
<p>As an aside, all they tell you about "fit" has some merit to it. I visited 12 colleges during my search on two coasts. The only place that felt remotely like "home" was Reed. It still feels that way. I turned down Tufts to come here -- it was the best decision, bar none, of my high school career. </p>
<p>Can you elaborate on “Reed isn’t anything like it’s 2006 self?”
I was personally drawn to Reed’s individuality and insanity, and the fact that it draws students who would be crazy to go there (and I guess the community that that creates).
Do you think Reed has lost something important to itself? Or is this just another stage in Reed’s constantly evolving identity? </p>
<p>Edit: Also, do you think that it would even be possible for Reed to keep some of the insanity it had? That is to say, is it still the ‘Reed’ of the college system, in relation to other colleges? Or has it lost it’s individuality?</p>
<p>I’m not sure the place you’re talking about ever actually existed. “Olde Reed” has been mythologized ad nauseum, it’s hard to know what was real and what wasn’t. I do believe, however, that Reed has changed pretty dramatically over the past 10 years. Reed has made a conscious choice to become more selective, and that has meant reforming the less PR friendly aspects of the school (the drug culture, specifically). Reed no longer trusts its students in the same way that it used to, the administration is more authoritative now than at any point since the 1960s. </p>
<p>In some ways, this is good. Nu Reed is a more welcoming place than Olde Reed, particularly for those who don’t fit the typical Reed stereotype. There is a sense, however, that something has been lost–specifically with regards to the honor principle. Like I said above though, I wouldn’t go anywhere else. I’ve enough spent time on other college campuses to make a decent comparison; if Reed is right for you, nowhere else comes close. </p>