<p>My daughter was accepted to both Vassar and Kenyon and wait-listed at Northwestern. She attended the same private school in Chicago JK-12. The supportive community of students and faculty provided an education that was not dominated by academics and conformity. She is interested in psychology (cognitive science).</p>
<p>Hi bzipp, I’d be happy to give you my (rather biased) advice. I’m a Vassar student and my closest HS friend goes to Northwestern, so have a decent sense of that school as well. I’m less connected to Kenyon; however, one of my Vassar friend’s friends goes there, so I’ve heard some stories about the school. </p>
<p>In your description of your daughter’s school, it really sounds like Northwestern might not be the best fit for her, unless she’s really interested in going somewhere that’s going to be a huge change for her. One of the reasons I feel this way is because of the school’s sheer size: it’s massive compared to Vassar and Kenyon. At the same time, one of the things my friend has told me about NU is that classes can feel impersonal because they’ll sometimes consist of a professor lecturing to a room of hundreds. Of course, discussion sections help with this somewhat, but I’d imagine that Introduction to Psychology lectures with 500 other people could be a bit intimidating for someone coming from a tight knit community (your daughter’s school actually sounds a lot like mine).</p>
<p>In terms of Vassar and Kenyon… well, one difference I can think of off the bat is location. Kenyon, according to my friend’s friend, can feel quite remote at times. On the other hand, Vassar, while not exactly located in downtown Chicago, does offer students some off-campus involvements through Poughkeepsie. In addition, students can take the train directly from the Poughkeepsie train station to New York City. </p>
<p>Another thing your daughter should think about is whether or not she wants to attend a school with Greek life. Kenyon has a moderate amount of it, while Vassar has none. In addition, I believe that the Kenyon student body might be a bit more sports-oriented than the comparatively artsy/musical Vassar student body. </p>
<p>So, in a nutshell… based on your description of your daughter’s school, my gut reaction is to say that she should go with Vassar. I should also add that the psychology department is excellent… I’ve taken several courses in it and have enjoyed them all.</p>
<p>Thank you littleathiest. Awaiting feedback from the overnights (Kenyon this week, Vassar last week). I attended NW business school and share your observations about the drastic change a school of this size would represent. I will post any developments as they occur. I sincerely appreciate your thoughtful and valuable insights.</p>
<p>I’m didn’t post the question but the information has been extremely helpful for me as well. Thank you!</p>
<p>I was accepted at Vassar and NU, and I ended up choosing Vassar–to my parents’ disappointment. For me, college was all about getting outside of my bubble and experiencing a completely different world. I grew up traveling back and forth between Phoenix and LA and went to a super conservative, all-male, Jesuit prep school.</p>
<p>While there are a lot of artsy students, the social scene is largely directed by sports teams in the absence of frats. I played lacrosse through out junior high and high school and walked on to both the rugby and lacrosse teams.</p>
<p>Vassar is unique and shocked me a little when I first got here, but I would never change my decision. It really is a great place. Hope your daughter enjoyed her stay!</p>
<p>The visit went well and I think she will accept the offer of admission at Vassar but NU waitlist is still a wildcard–the comfort of the familiar (location) and bf goes to DePaul. I can’t imagine a university with 9k+ students would be a good fit for someone used to a small private k-12 school and she is not that sports oriented…</p>
<p>What were the biggest surprises when you arrived? How long were you at Vassar before you saw the advantages of getting outside the bubble. I grew up in Chappaqua, NY and love the Hudson River Valley and NYC, but my daughter said that the students rarely leave campus–have you gotten a chance to explore the surrounding areas? </p>
<p>Biggest concern from the visit was dining options–how is the campus food service and are there in-dorm cooking facilities? Any suggestions regarding dorm selection?</p>
<p>Thanks for the thoughtful reply Smoke&Mirrors–I placed a similar post on both Kenyon and NU message boards and got one responsive reply from an ex-kenyon grad (kenyons broke, go to vassar) and 0 (250 page views) from NU students.</p>
<p>^ Food isn’t great, but it’s edible and I have the eating habits of a five-year-old, so you can trust me on that one! I eat a lot of grilled cheese sandwiches and salads and smoothies. I’ve actually lost weight here. (Although that might be due to the 20ish hours a week I spend at dance.) There are very basic cooking facilities in the dorms. You don’t get to pick your dorm. The only things you can choose are all-female housing, wellness (no drugs/alc) or quiet. </p>
<p>I’m from a city myself (albeit in the Southwest) and the Vassar bubble was less of a culture shock than the East Coast itself. I don’t get out of the bubble much - to be honest, I don’t have time; I’m in a few performing groups that take up all my time - but I’m interning in Catskill all summer this year so I’m looking forward to exploring the area a bit more. You do make friends with people who have cars, and I’ve gone on a few expeditions (I now have my own car as well)… </p>
<p>Also I’d like to counter the opinion that the social scene is directed by sports… I “go out” most weekends and I’ve never been to a single sports party in my two years at Vassar. It really depends who you hang out with/what your activities are. If I go to a party, it’s generally a dance, theatre, or occasionally music party.</p>
<p>Thanks dc89. Any advice on the East Coast transition? I get the feeling that it is a prominent element of the student body/social scene. What were your most essential freshman dorm room accessories?</p>
<p>Highly recommend a road trip to Ithaca if you have time this summer. The gorges at Buttermilk Falls, Treman (CCC project in 1930’s built a stone staircase from lower to upper parks) and Toughanic are unbelievable and the Ithaca commons and surrounding area is hoppin’ in the summer. Saratoga Springs/Lake Placid is also worth a visit.</p>