Hello!
We are thining of heading up to Reed for a visit later this month from CA, but we see a lot of posts and reviews about how academically stressful it is. We see that students rate their professors very highly, but are concerned that a student who tends to be a perfectionist may be overwhelmed with the demands academically. She is a very strong student who enjoys interacting 1:1 with teachers, so it otherwise sounds wonderful!!! She is also wondering if students use drugs to control their stress. Thanks for your help!
Being a perfectionist and going to Reed would be hard. I have had to refine how I do things; honestly, I realized that if I wanted to make it through, I’d have to do as much as I could and that’s it. Getting an A in classes usually means doing everything and doing everything well. Sometimes this is just … not … possible. Sometimes you get tired and stop. This is probably true for almost all majors. But that’s ok, because even I don’t see the kind of grades I’d like, I know I have learned in the most useful way possible. It would have been stupid for me to go to an easier school or something.
@International95 I don’t know. My son, a freshman, is quite an academic perfectionist, but I think that he longed for a situation, like Reed, where they purposely don’t focus on grades. Midterms are coming up and he is studying for them like always, and I have a list of days that I am not allowed to text him, but when I asked him things like, how much is participation in your seminar worth, or how much is a specific paper worth, he answers “I don’t know” and he is seems really fine with that. This is a kid who once talked a high school teacher into changing his whole grading scheme so that everyone in the entire program would get a higher percent increase for extra credit.
Drugs and parties are there and obvious, he says. He always ends up in groups that play cards, or watching really bad movies. He is not much of a party person and always avoided them at home. He seems really comfortable with staying out of the drug and party scene. But honestly, I wish he would let loose a little at times 
@shoot4moon You may also want to really take a look at Whitman, if you heading to the PacNorthWest. That was his second choice and it is less stressful yet academically rigorous. They have ducks wandering the campus!!!
We are also from CA and my son is a current freshman. He chose Reed over UCB and UCLA and is very happy with his choice. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions.
Current Reed freshman here- I would say classes here have quite a lot of work, but they are definitely manageable if you don’t expect to do perfectly in every class.
I am not taking seminar-based classes, and in those classes it’s easy to forget about grades. But math and science… god help us lol.
My son is a possible math/econ math/physics major. He just has to decide which. He loves both. So I guess we shall see. He is doing physics now, and says it is pretty easy but he assumes that might be because it is also for non majors filling their science requirements. He is hoping the level rises a bit next year. He told me he wishes he had added a second class because after AP physics 1&2 it is a lot of review, just a bit harder.
Not sure how accurate but that was what he told me.
For him, it is the humanities courses that would be more difficult. He is not one to easily participate in discussions. So I guys it really depends on the personality of the student as to what is stressful.
Ok, but my comments were based on yours about: papers, seminar participation, etc. Anyway, intro physics is not a popular choice for students fulfilling to finish the group C requirement – most students run to biology. Also, it’s freshman year, and to be honest, there is nothing to do freshman year. For physics, it is the first semester of sophomore year that hits people hard. Economics is easy, aside from a few math/workload-heavy courses. But perfectionism will become less and less possible as your son goes through Reed.
Thus the apparent 70 student waiting list for bio this year.
My DD is a freshman at Reed majoring in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. It is demanding, but definitely not killer. The profs are very supportive and the system takes pressure off the kids by de-emphasizing grades entirely. Honestly, she is much less stressed than she was in high school at Andover. My DD chose a sub-free dorm, and regrets it; she says the druggie reputation of the school is way overblown. She has never felt even a tiny bit of pressure to smoke, drink or do other drugs. Great school, great city, and great education!
I completely agree, the drugs/party thing is way overblown. Mine is a sophomore, very liberal and open minded but conservative in behavior. Has amazing Reed friends: healthy, engaged, kind, compassionate, smart and dedicated. Academically and intellectually demanding, but my kid figured via rigorous and difficult HS years how to achieve balance in life. The school has wonderful profs, who have been accessible and care deeply about teaching and their students’ wellbeing. Lots of support available to manage academic/life balance.
Mine comes home for break today!!!