After a February visit to Vassar, my son was nearly certain he was going to apply ED. He had an amazing day then, but it was just a tour and info session, and we knew that some luck was involved (a chance encounter with a prof, for example). So, to make 100% sure, he wanted to spend a full day there. attend a class, etc.
We were there today, and the place seemed quiet and empty. The campus felt enormous and the students dispersed. The “vibe” was … no vibe. No student groups were tabling in the student center, which struck us as strange. Students were walking around, but mostly alone or with one other people, very little interaction.
We’ve read all about the “100s of clubs and activities,” but didn’t feel that energy today even a little bit.
One student my son spoke with said “Fridays are quiet.” That may be true … but now we’re now scrambling to try to figure out what the vibe is like on other days. Is campus ever buzzing with activity? Is it just too spread out for that?
I’ve visited several times over the years with 3 out of 4 daughters. Visited twice with D20 (she’s applying regular decision) in the last year and it was lively both times. The student center and dining hall were noisy and busy and it seemed like kids were having fun and socializing. You really may have just hit it on a quiet day.
Do not fear! It’s a lively campus and there’s much to do there. Also it’s gorgeous so if you want to find a place to chill in the quiet, you can do that too. There’s plenty to do! Very lively, very creative, fun campus. But no Greek life. It’s not wild and crazy that way. More active and creative and generative.
Hi Macha2012! I’m a current senior who is also applying ED1! Based on my research as well as my day there, I would agree with the previous posters. It seems to be buzzing with energy, filled with students enthusiastically greeting each other and having riveting intellectual conversations! As Dustyfeathers said, it’s known for not having an intense party life, but I think is very lively nonetheless. I think you must have just came on an “off” day! Best of luck to your son with the application process!!
Friday daytime on many college campuses can seem relatively quiet, b/c the number of classes that meet on Fridays is a tiny fraction of the other days (not just at Vassar). As a result, the ebb and flow of students is less. First time I noticed this phenomenon was at UPenn, of all places- big, urban, and yet it felt deserted at 11 am on a Friday morning. Funnily enough by late afternoon, people had surfaced
I attended a wedding for a recent grad, attended by many friends from his Vassar days- from his activities and from his dorm. He absolutely loved his experience, socially and in every other way.
My 51 year old alumni spouse is still friends with fellow Vassar grads as well. Two weekends ago, we visited one at his house on our way back from visiting our son at college. Last year, we enjoyed a group visit at someone else’s house with three other Vassar friends of my spouse and their spouses who also were Vassar grads— my spouse was the only one not to marry a fellow Vassar grad!
It was a happy place then, and it is a happy place now. It is also a beautiful and not-crowded campus, filled with studious students, who often may be in class or in the library. My mother-in-law said the same sort of comment when we were driving her around when she visited my son at another college (Williams), “This campus is empty!” Yet he has never lacked for things to do at Williams, and I am sure your kid would never lack for things to do at Vassar, whether attending one of their stellar theatre productions, listening to a lecture by a famous alumna/us in the arts, walking through the Shakespeare Garden or near the lake, attending a sporting event, having afternoon tea in the parlor in Main, going to a party, participating in a club event, talking with your friends over dinner in ACDC, protesting something, relaxing in your beautiful dorm room, or just studying in the gorgeous library.
The first time one of my kids visited was on a weekday morning, and I think we saw more womp-womps (the highly scientific name for campus groundhogs) and deer than students. But, there was just something about the campus and the students he did meet that made it the only stop on a 6-day, 12-college tour where he wanted to turn around and have a second look. The vibe during an accepted-students weekend two years later led him to pick it over more selective/higher ranked colleges. During his 4 years, he never complained about being bored (the pre-remodeled Deece was another matter). It’s a very big campus for its enrollment and as @Dustyfeathers and @TheGreyKing mentioned, even at the busiest of times there are large swaths of chill spaces, but there are also lots of nooks and crannies where students are doing cool creative stuff and their friends are there to appreciate and support them.
Yes S1 also insisted on going back a second time while we were touring colleges in the general area. He got the vibe the second time and had a fantastic 4 years at Vassar and so did his younger brother. Next time you visit, schedule it around a rehearsal, concert or other event of interest. S1 knew Vassar was right for him after 5 minutes of listening to the orchestra rehearse. Addtionally, the support of friends, whether it be at sports events, music concerts, or impromptu gatherings, is so true. We noticed friends at every event we attended as parents. Actually, at the music concerts, the professors, local Poughkeepsie people, friends from nearby colleges and even the president of the college were in attendance. It is truly a community celebration at a music event at Vassar.
