<p>i'm a high school junior looking into vassar, and i was wondering about the overall atmosphere and type of people who go here. it seems to have what i'm looking for academically (i want to major in poly sci/IR and learn arabic) but i've heard from a few people that it's kind of a party school- so i was wondering, what kind of people go to vassar, in general? is there one main type of person, in general, or is there a lot of diversity personality-wise?
thanks for your feedback! :)</p>
<p>Coming from a high school where half the class goes to Penn State, Vassar is NOT a party school 
yes, people go out on the weekends, and yes, people drink and smoke weed. But if you’re not into that, there are a TON of other things to do.<br>
And for polisci/IR/arabic Vassar is fantastic.</p>
<p>ok, cool! 
i’m doing a tour of NY colleges in April with some friends, so i’ll be sure to check out Vassar and see what it’s like for myself.</p>
<p>Agree, NOT a party school. Take their academics seriously, but will also have fun. I would call it more of a social/community type of fun. So don’t view it as boring. Just not a party school.</p>
<p>it is. people party. a lot. not huge parties, but there is plenty to do. lots of drinking. lots of smoking. lots of dancing. it was a (welcomed) surprise when i got to vassar and realized how big of a party school it actually is. don’t let someone’s mom tell you vassar isn’t a party school because her son/daughter lies to them about what happens on the weekends.</p>
<p>There are plenty of parties at Vassar. Just like every other school. But it is not a party school. People do take their work seriously, and can have fun doing other things besides partying. Plus, almost no one drinks before Thursday. And there are no frats. So no, not a party school.</p>
<p>There is a huge diversity of personalities at Vassar, and though it may take longer if you don’t put yourself out there as much, most people find a niche without a problem.</p>
<p>im not a mom!
and i agree vassar is NOT a party school in comparison to others.
it is FANTASTIC.
its a very accepting diverse community</p>
<p>^^exactly. In comparison to others! Simply meant that it wasn’t an Ohio U. Of course there’s drinking, duh. There’s drinking at every school, but calling Vassar a “party school” would be a big stretch.</p>
<p>thanks for all your responses! i guess i’ll get the best feel by visiting campus, but in general, how would you generalize the student population (for example, hipster, hippie, preppy, artsy, etc…)? i get that it’s diverse, but what would you say is the overall feel at vassar? thanks! :)</p>
<p>i mean… you can’t really generalize a school but if you could i would say hipster</p>
<p>Diverse, artsy, hipster-ok to be queer-ok to smoke pot/cigarettes-wear whatever-dance all night-beautiful library-small dorms-food is just so-so-everyone is accepting of everyone else’s thing…</p>
<p>Vassar senior here, and yes, it is a party school. Not as much as say ASU or a school with frats, but I think Kenadie’s post is on mark there. The drinking, drugs and dancing are about with high frequency on the Thur-Sat. And it’s kind of funny, since there are tons of themed parties throughout the semester, yet they all end up feeling the same–a sweaty mess. </p>
<p>As for diversity…maybe this is because I came from a both ethnically and intellectually diverse high school, but IMHO Vassar is not as diverse as it advertises. There are some distinct groups on campus that perhaps overshadow the rest like hipsters, jocks, bros, theatre people…etc. Although if you put yourself out there, I think you’ll find some awesome and fascinating friends. But beware, I feel like it’s very easy to get locked in little social cliques at Vassar, which can also feel isolating. You might be happier and healthier if you try to always remember to try and meet new people, which can seem difficult after a while on a small campus. Remember though, it’s on you to be open to striking up that conversation with someone you kinda-sorta-know from class or that club.</p>
<p>Overall, I’m not the biggest fan of the social atmosphere at Vassar, but I will say, I’ve come out of it with a some amazing friends, despite it all. And the education is great, particularly in History, Classics, Poli Sci and English among many others. </p>
<p>However, I did see another post about the Arabic program, and I have to disagree with that one. If you want to REALLY study Arabic, don’t go to Vassar. I’m going to grad school for Middle Eastern Studies and I purposefully chose to study Turkish instead because I heard such bad reviews about Arabic from many students and professors. You also won’t get much support in Mid East cultural studies either, since there’s only one Islamic studies prof, and she’s not even tenured, with history and art history classes few and far between on the subject. I think one of the big reasons I got into a grad program was because I did study abroad every summer. </p>
<p>Oh but that reminds me of a HUGE plus about Vassar in this regard: Funding for almost anything is available and plenty. Summer travel, language study, research, you name it. In fact, I think most of the campus forgets it exists, so if you search for that fellowship and apply, there isn’t much competition, unless its a national one. I am so grateful and fortunate to say that I’ve never had to pay for my summer traveling, and there’s been a lot. </p>
<p>Whew, I know that’s a lot! Hope it helps.</p>
<p>that helps a lot- while i don’t want to completely base everything off of what one person said, you brought up some interesting points, and i see that vassar might not be right for me. thanks so much for your help! :)</p>
<p>Hey Chii C,</p>
<p>How hard is it to stay away from the drugs and alcohol and smoking? Not condemning it, but I want to stay as far away from it as possible. Would I become the odd one out?</p>
<p>How are the drug and alcohol free kids treated by their peers? Is this the major source of entertainment?</p>
<p>Hi MyPencilCase,</p>
<p>It’s really not difficult to stay away from it and people certainly do with no problem. You definitely would not be the odd one out. I promise you can find other people in the same boat. You can even choose to live on a a quiet/wellness hall, where everyone living there signs a no drugs/alcohol contract at the beginning of the year. You know, it’s funny, freshman year a surprising number of people that I met during the first month or so chose not to drink or smoke. Some people change their minds later on, and that’s fine too. You might be surprised at who does. </p>
<p>I have a couple friends who are straight edge and they have no problem hanging out with friends who do and are drinking at the time. They have just as much fun from what I can tell! And as a person who sometimes partakes in the the drugs and alcohol, it is by no means something I do everyday of the weekend or even every weekend. And I think many people will agree that you should be able to have fun with your friends when you’re sober too :). And there’s a bunch to do on campus besides partying. There’s always some sort of play, concert, improv show, coffeehouses, screenings, playing Ouija board in the graveyard, just plain hanging out, whatever, etc. The options are there. Do what you enjoy, and it won’t be hard to find someone else who wouldn’t mind joining in. If you have a car or have a friend who does, then that opens up a much wider range of possibilities too. </p>
<p>And it’s really great that you’re not condemning of drugs/alcohol. I still remember during my first months there another freshman girl considered it gross when I decided to smoke hookah out on the lawn on a beautiful sunny day while reading. Hmph. Thankfully, it was a one-time occurrence and not at all representative of the campus. Reality: The vast majority of campus really does not care if anyone smokes outside or judge harshly you if you do or don’t, but it brings up an important point for anyone going to college. A general motto: I don’t judge you for not doing it, so please don’t judge me for choosing to. Unless of course someone decides to throw a raging party next door on Tuesday of Midterms week. This is a whole different story. Then I judge. Then I get all sorts of angry and peeved. However, if this happens, just politely knock on their door and tell them you have a test tomorrow and usually parties migrate relatively soon. If on the rare occasion they don’t (and please only do this if they are ridiculously insensitive), you can call security and they will call off the party.</p>
<p>All that said, you’ll be fine. We’re an accepting bunch and I doubt you’ll feel incredibly pressured into anything. Partying is not a forced social event! And people will understand if you don’t feel like doing it. And no one is keeping a tally of your appearances at dorm parties. It’s your free time, so spend it in a way that makes YOU happy.</p>
<p>^ Hahahaa I own a hookah :x</p>
<p>Just not a big fan of the drinking, drugs, and sex.</p>
<p>I heard about the wellness dorms, but I feel that might mean living in another bubble inside the Vassar bubble and I don’t want to isolate myself from the “real world” as possible.</p>
<p>What do you think about the Strong dorms? Also, how are the people there like?</p>
<p>If you chose to live in a wellness hall you would not be isolating yourself at all. People living there are just as sociable as any other hall on campus. In fact, I had a friend who drank and partied harder than a lot of people I know, yet he chose to live in a wellness hall because he wanted to be able to get away from it all when he needed to study and sleep. Yet, he also became really close friends with a lot of people on that hall. Also, you meet people in class and in clubs. And honestly, everyone goes to the same dining hall (or the Retreat) to eat during the week, so no hall or dorm really isolates you from the Vassar society. </p>
<p>Ah Strong…well, it’s cleaner than most dorms that’s for sure! It’s generally a bit quieter than the rest and big parties generally don’t happen there. However, that doesn’t mean it hasn’t seen its fair share of drugs, sex and alcohol! Yet it seemed like a nice place to live, particularly when I really needed to buckle down junior year with work. I didn’t live there myself (Josselyn!), and I kinda liked having a mix of genders living around me. And Strong is a lot of menstrual cycles in one place. 
But if you find the prospect of sharing a bathroom with guys absolutely horrifying, then Strong would work well for you. It’s also easier to get a single room in Strong, which wouldn’t happen Freshman year, but it’s something to keep in mind for later. As for the people living there…you get all sorts who either were put in there randomly or chose to go in for personal, familial or religious reasons. A lot of people loved it, some were not huge fans. </p>
<p>However, you can always move to another dorm at the end of the school year or (more uncommonly) after first semester. Nothing is set in stone and you can find where you want to be. Considering your interests, you’d be fine in most dorms except Lathrop (gross and generally filled with drunkards on the weekends).</p>
<p>“Just not a big fan of the drinking, drugs, and sex.”</p>
<p>So you hate all the fun things? jking
The Vassar party scene is what you make it. I’m right in the middle of the rugby team, which is a pretty party heavy group. Without frats, the sports teams are going to be the big party throwers, along with the hipster enclave. On the otherside, I don’t know too much about this, some people don’t party. Do what you want (@ Vassar, more likely who you want) when ever you want without any fear of judgment. There is 0 judgment on this campus for being straight edge or a hardcore druggy.</p>
<p>Unless you’re a hipster. They have a crazy ****ed up hierarchy built on judgment.</p>