Vassar or Tufts for a nerdy, athletic, vegan hippie?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Vassar College
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<p>Hey everyone!</p>

<p>(Note: I've also published this in the Tufts forum)</p>

<p>I just finished my freshman year at Northeastern University (Honors Program, Behavioral Neuroscience, pre-med) and have been accepted to several schools as a transfer, including Vassar and Tufts. I really struggled at Northeastern because there was no sense of community whatsoever (coming from a very small high school, I felt completely lost and was never able to find my 'niche'), the general sense of apathy surrounding academics (it is definitely a career-oriented school), and the fact that most students seemed to leave campus on weekends to go crazy at MIT frats. I'm not a drinker at all, but I do enjoy being social, and this situation was very difficult to deal with. I had joined several clubs and student groups and tried to involve myself as much as possible to meet other students, but nothing worked.</p>

<p>Basically, I'm a science major with a passion for learning and a need to be in a more intimate academic and social environment. I want more academic freedom and an atmosphere where learning is celebrated, not simply seen as means to an end. I'm somewhat introverted, a little nerdy, not super artistic (I don't do music or theatre myself, but I do enjoy watching performances and such), and I'm very much into yoga, reading, running, and being outside. I am vegan and definitely could be described as a little 'new age,' and definitely 'hippie.' </p>

<p>I like Vassar for its small/contained environment, its (seemingly) strong sense of community, its lack of a core curriculum, and its freethinking, liberal atmosphere. I'm afraid, however, that I won't really find a niche on campus, since I'm not super into the arts. I've e-mailed the XC coach and would probably join the team, but I don't know if this would be enough. I'm also worried about the drinking culture at Vassar--I've heard that parties and alcohol tend to dominate social life on weekends, and that really isn't my thing.</p>

<p>I like Tufts for its greater diversity of courses and majors (I really like the Community Health concentration, and the Engineering--Environmental Health major), as well as wider range of extracurriculars. I'm a little worried that it would be too big for me, and I'm not entirely sure about its proximity to the city. I need to be somewhere contained, and I definitely would not want to be at a school where a good number of people venture into Boston on weekends. (I also have had some bad experiences with Boston, as I was present at the finish line of the recent marathon when the bombs went off. I admit, it would be nice to get away from Boston for a bit and attend school in NY).</p>

<p>I'm really torn over which school to choose. When I was applying for freshman admissions, both Tufts and Vassar were tied for my first choice, but I was waitlisted at both. As time went on, Tufts began to take precedence, but when I applied as a transfer, I felt a bit more comfortable on Vassar's campus (and less so on Tufts'). Now that I have the option to attend either school, I really don't know what to do! Any advice?</p>

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<p>Both are excellent schools. You’ve convinced me more with your reasons for Vassar.</p>

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<p>How important is the concentration or major? </p>

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<p>Tufts also doesn’t have a core curriculum within the School of Arts and Sciences.</p>

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<p>My daughter and the majority of her friends are life or computer science majors. They are not ‘super’ into the arts. Although, they like you enjoy attending artistic performances. Nor have they had a problem finding their niche. All the individuals I know who attend or attended Vassar love the college. That’s not to say that as with any college there aren’t problems. E.g., the food is not award winning…or even close!</p>

<p>N.B. My daughter and her friends don’t drink, or drink very little, or use drugs. They are by no means a small minority of students. There’s always something to do other than attend alcohol or other substances fueled parties.</p>

<p>Mythmom is an extremely intelligent and intuitive woman. Her opinion should not be taken lightly.</p>

<p>Having said that, Tufts is an outstanding university. You have two great choices. Good luck.</p>

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<p>This question of “Tufts vs Vassar” seems to come up a lot. My son had to choose between these 2 very fine schools. My sons choose Vassar and here is why - although both schools have "no core curriculum, Vassar has less requirements. Vassar has no greek life. Vassar has a more contained campus (which he fell in love with). He likes to run and walk and walk in the woods - Vassar is a great place for that (1,000 acres). He likes to go into NYC for music and the city scene and does that often. Vassar has a great sense of community and he came from a small high school and felt Tufts was just a bit too urban and large. All that being said…Tufts is a wonderful school and my daughter will be applying as her first choice. When you visit both, you will know where you feel most comfortable…not bad to have these 2 schools to choose from!</p>

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<p>Agree with Mythmom- Vassar. You are a wonderful writer by the way.</p>

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<p>Do you know about the Science, Technology and Society major at Vassar? [Home</a> - Science, Technology, and Society - Vassar College](<a href=“http://sciencetechnologyandsociety.vassar.edu/]Home”>http://sciencetechnologyandsociety.vassar.edu/)</p>

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<p>Thank you so, so much for all of your responses! I really appreciate the input, it’s very helpful to hear from people who have a good feel for both schools. </p>

<p>I just submitted my deposit to Vassar–I’m now a member of the Class of 2016! Throughout this entire process, I had a gut feeling that Vassar was the right place for me, but I struggled because I felt like the ‘logical’ choice was Tufts, or that I ‘should’ go to Tufts. In the end, though, I realized that personal comfort should be slightly more important than the range of majors and extracurriculars available. Both schools would do an excellent job of preparing me for medical school, and even though Vassar may not have the ‘perfect’ major for me, I really feel like I would do best in its smaller, more contained environment. I want to do more than simply attain a degree and impressive resume at college (I’m definitely not discounting their importance, however); I want to thrive, and I think Vassar is the place that will allow me to do so.</p>

<p>Thank you again so much for your opinions, they definitely affirmed my thinking regarding these schools. And glido, thank you so much for the compliment! :)</p>