Deciding between the two! If you have any insights… I would love some advice. My heart’s saying Vassar but my brain’s saying Rice (I had a better over-night stay experience at Vassar, but Rice seems to have more opportunities for me in the long-run).
I’m trying to convince myself Rice but when I visited, the main things that I was concerned about were 1) the huge drinking culture and 2) the weather. My main concerns about Vassar were 1) everyone seemed to be into theatre and a cappella (which was cool but very abundant) 2) the Vassar bubble and 3) no graduate school, which seems to mean less big research going on.
Other things that I’m considering:
Prospective economics major
Hate the heat/humidity.. and mosquitos. Love the cold (Vassar!)
Always wanted to experience the east coast (Vassar)
Things to do off campus (Rice, but Vassar kind of has NYC)
Preferably good food (Rice)
Accessible opportunities for research, internships, etc. (Rice, not sure about Vassar)
Small size (both)
Engaging and approachable professors (both, I think)
Diversity in locations people come from
I'm trying to avoid alcohol and drugs; easy to socialize in other ways and no judgement for not participating. No huge segregation between people who party and people who don't (not sure if I could find this anywhere)
Recognition when job-hunting
Accessibility of volunteer work with education/children
I like the idea of a liberal arts education (even though Rice is a research school, its education seems liberal arts-like)
Cost is not a deciding factor (both are similar)
Ranking is important, but I’m trying to decide not just based on prestige, so that I choose the school where I will thrive best and grow the most. Thank you for your help!!
My son is a student at Vassar. One thing that I will point out is that Vassar has a wellness floor. He moved there his freshman year but you can request as an incoming freshman. The wellness floor is a floor where everyone has committed to a drug and alcohol free life style. My daughter is now deciding between Rice and Smith. Vassar life has a lot of dorm pride that does not seen so far removed from the residential college system. Also remember that Vassar is part of the 12 college consortium that allows you to take a semester or 2 at another college like Amherst or Wellesley if your female. You can look up list. Your art history class requires you to go into NY. About 90 minute train ride that rates as on of the most scenic in the world
You don’t need “big” research as an undergrad. What you need are professors who are research-active and who are willing and able to mentor you in your chosen area. You will find that at Vassar. (Ironically, a friend of mine is a Vassar alum and he is into both theater and a cappella, lol.) Vassar also has opportunities for internships, if you mean summer internships. Obviously large cities will have more immediate term-time opportunities nearby.
You seem to be leaning towards Vassar, and Vassar will provide you with pretty much everything on your list. You just have to decide if you are ok with being in a small city (NYC is nearby - not close enough for midday jaunts, but definitely close enough for a weekend or Saturday trip every now and then).
The new science building may indicate that the theatre culture you perceive may be changing. You can take the train to New York City, a fantastic city, to say the least. You will have terrific options to see some natural areas as well. You can study or do research in an exclusively undergraduate-focused environment. One possible drawback for Vassar is the gender imbalance, though it’s worth noting that it doesn’t differ significantly from the national average.
Rice:
Of course a great school, but I don’t think of RU as being “above” Vassar academically. You yourself did not make a stong case for the University.
I would personally say that there is a bigger drinking and drug culture at Vassar ( small town versus big city means kids get bored). It’s not a party school by any means, and not everyone is involved, but there is a fair bit of alcohol and pot on campus. I think Vassar’s website actually acknowledges this in their FAQ section. You will realistically only have time to get to NYC once or twice a semester- it’s a bit of a hike. However, if your heart says Vassar…well, your heart is usually right
You want Vassar, and it’s a great school, so go to Vassar.
Re a capella: My daughter and I found it humorous that at almost every school we visited (and these were not LACs) the tour guides talked about a cappella.
Just a note, I think I gave the wrong message when I said “I’m trying to convince myself Rice”–it’s more that I really like the school but am trying to get over the drinking and weather there
You can’t really escape the drinking culture; it’s everywhere. Just stay away from that crowd (you can find people who want to have fun without partying.) Vassar is a fine institution where you can receive a solid education.
@iiriii: That was a useful clarification. These are two nationally competitive colleges. That makes your decision a tough one. Even though I only wrote briefly in my first post about Rice, I don’t think anything about the school would make it a “mistake” for you. (One of these colleges might be better for you than the other, neither would be a mistake.) As said above by another poster, you can avoid any drinking (referring to Rice now) you think may be a problem. Houston’s weather, though consistently warm to quite hot and humid during the summer, is temperate for most of the rest of the year. Heat waves in Houston are not necessarily hotter than in more northerly cities such as Chicago.
Wrt to weather: it’s really awful from roughly April through September. October and March are actually nice.
Heat waves may not be hotter in Houston than in Chicago, but they are very frequent and last longer (sometimes, it feels like they just last weeks on end, so that it’s not a heat wave but more like “summer” - but OP won’t be there in the summer.)
You have done a good job of articulating the core issue; top-tier research university in sub-optimal climate vs. good liberal arts college with a vibe you like in a climate that suits you better. Both schools have a drinking/drugs sub-culture, but you can easily live outside that culture and find many who share your interests. I would be very surprised if, once you got to know Vassar better, the drinking/drugs there weren’t as ubiquitous as at Rice.
My son went to Duke which is reputed to be a big frat/drinking school. He has no interest in frats/inebriation and has been able to expand his horizons academically and through extracurriculars, found many groups of people who share his interests, and has a wonderful group of friends. My sense is that you would find ways to make the most of Rice and would tie into those that share your interests. Unfortunately, the weather at Rice will never resemble the Northeast, but the quality of the academics and student body at Rice, and the outstanding future opportunities that will come from attending Rice should more than offset that.
This really comes down to whether you want to attend an excellent research university or an excellent liberal arts college. While you can’t go wrong with either, I would always pick the LAC for undergrad as research universities have larger classes and the professors are inevitably more focused on their graduate students. This is one of the reasons so many academics send their own children to LACs for undergrad. But some students prefer the larger social scope of a university setting. From everything you’ve said, plus your preferences about climate (which I share), Vassar seems the best choice.
