I visited both schools, and felt SLU was a much better fit for me. However, Vassar is academically superior and the prestige bodes well with my aspirations for med school. This being said, I’m from Palm Springs, CA, outdoorsy, athletic (will play tennis in college), and love music and partying (even though I’m slightly nerdy). I am most definitely not an ultraliberal hippie social activist which seems to be the standard at Vassar.
Is the college experience and good fit at SLU worth the academic inferiority as compared to Vassar? Opinions on both schools?
I’m a Mom of a First Year. I met a few Moms who were visiting NY schools like Vassar, Williams, Colgate but their student enjoyed the vibe at SLU. One Mom told me they walked out of the Vassar tour!
SLU kids are active. You need to like --or learn to live with – the cold and celebrate it. On campus there are canoes and the river, running trail, a golf course and excellent sporting opportunities. Wonderful exercise facilities. Our daughter has traveled , by RR, to Montreal twice!
She is also studying her brains out!! You may have already decided. Mine is happy. SLU kids get into med school. The new science building is great.
Mom of an incoming freshman here–also a pre-med major and tennis player. Academic credentials at SLU are outstanding (certainly equal to Vassar) and they have an excellent placement rate for medical school. Best bet is probably to try to visit during accepted student days (may be tough from CA) and see where the better fit is. Fit is really important and it doesn’t sound like its Vassar.
I really don’t know how you can say the academics at Vassar are superior to those at SLU. You are buying into a load of “je ne sais quoi” if you make such blanket statements. You need to consider the academic area of interest to you and then make your comparisons. No doubt that SLU’s environmental science program is superior to what Vassar has to offer.