<p>My D's choice is Vassar or Wesleyan. Any advice for me to pass along to her on the differences between the two schools?</p>
<p>Our visits to Vassar have always seemed to leave her with a better feeling, I think the Vassar campus is much nicer myself but I am not the one going, but naturally interaction with the students has been fairly limited so far.</p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>If possible she should check out Wesfest, the accepted students weekend at Wesleyan, April 19-21. From all I hear, it's the best way to see and understand what the school's all about. My son's certainly going. Good luck to her on her decision.</p>
<p>I agree with Froshdad...assuming finances aren't a problem, have her go to WesFest if at all possible. She should also go to the accepted student weekend at Vassar if they have one. If she can't make those, she should at least do an overnight at both schools...IMO, that's the best way to get a real sense of what the student body is like. Since they are both great schools, it all comes down to fit!</p>
<p>In terms of differences to look at:
--Location. IMO Middletown is MUCH better than Poughkeepsie (and I'm not just saying that becasue I go to Wes), but it's easier to get into New York City from Vassar.<br>
--Wesleyan is slightly bigger and does have some graduate programs
--You can also look into the realative quality of the kinds of programs she's interested in, though they are both really good schools, so I doubt there will be significant differences.
--Special programs: Wes has a couple of interdisplinary "colleges" (CSS and COL) and programs that aren't commenly offered that she may or may not be itnerested in. Vassar might have the same, I don't don't know. But that might be something to look into.</p>
<p>i am in the same dilemma. </p>
<p>I was accepted to both Vassar and Wesleyan. I recently went to Vassar and fell in love. I am visiting Wesleyan this Friday and hopefully will know after then which is for me.</p>
<p>Keep this topic alive! I too need advice/input/information!</p>
<p>From what I've heard, Wesleyan has more science. And the students are VERY liberal. My friend's sister goes there, and she had to have a portable fan to blow away the smell of pot wafting out of dorm windows. Oh, and that kids there get their clothes from the Salvation Army, "before the poor people get it." Yeah...that kind of scared me. Vassar has a reputation for being more artsy I think. But Wesleyan has an underground tunnel students can walk through to go to classes to avoid the bad weather; I don't know if Vassar has one.</p>
<p>I would just tweak the above a little bit: there are tunnels, but, not extensive enough to walk to classes through (I mean, they're utility tunnels, nothing more) and the vintage clothing thing is just one fashion choice among many and certainly does not include the whole college. Most Weskids veer between hip-hop and preppy, IMO.^^</p>
<p>which school has more hipsters???</p>
<p>i <3 hipsters</p>
<p>That would be Vassar. Hands down.</p>
<p>niiiiiiiiiiiice</p>
<p>Love,</p>
<p>Nightcrawler and Storm</p>
<p>I'm in this same position, but I think I'm going to end up at Vassar, as it is my dream school. It was the first school I saw and the only one I ever fully fell in love with. Until Wes.. Wes really, really did come close. And there are things about Wesleyan I love a lot and am worried about giving up. I feel sometimes like Vassar might not be as politically active? I like politically active schools. But I also love the notion of an artsy, hipster school. Both are very liberal, I know. I think I'd probably be happy at either. Ahh I'm so stuck!! But I'll be visiting both in two weeks and hopefully after that I will be able to make the decision. I think it will be Vassar..</p>
<p>@starbursting: i'm sure you'd have a great time @ whichever school you choose, but if you loved vassar the first time you visited, it'll only get better. I love the school and every day I feel grateful that I go here. </p>
<p>@OP: I'd definitely encourage your daughter to visit (again?) both schools. I think Vassar and Wes both have great academics, it is the environment that's gonna make a difference. I saw someone post somewhere else, saying that there are many little things at Vassar that make 'em in love with the school. It's especially true for me. I love the extremely supportive environment here, the gorgeous library, sweet swing dancing parties, jazz nights every Tuesday @ the Mug, beautiful art exhibitions every few weeks, high environmental awareness (sometimes it's so hard to find a trash can just because the recycle ones are so pervasive :) ), beautiful musicians, amazing free concerts @Skinner Hall, long breaks (1-week fall break, 2-week spring break.. trust me, you'll need 'em :) ), awesome open mic nights with so many talents surrounding you, creativity everywhere (class assignments, student performances, student events....),... I can go on and on, seriously. Come visit! She might or might not find Vassar a great fit, but she's gotta get the feel of the campus before making the decision. Best of luck!</p>
<p>we are poilts: If you really like hipsters, you should keep in mind that Wes has an entire co-ed society filled with them! (Eclectic). (PS. Don't shoot me for steryotyping, other Wes students! I'm only half serious). </p>
<p>Once again, I'll state that I agree with Hakuna Matata: Vist, visit, visit! It's the little things that make me love Wes, too: Sitting out on the hill when it's warm, the (also) gorgeous library, the eclectic arcetecture, intense conversations about God at 3 in the morning, going to the Neon Deli, our great gym, the Film Series and the incredable movie thearter it's held in, people sitting outside playing the guitar (or in a blugrass band!), being hable to hear band rehurse from the Nic lounge at all times, the unique music we get to hear as a result of the ethnomusicallogy department, getting to see films by students in one of the best Film departments in the country, the number of really cool people people with diverse interests (I know a suprisngly high number of people majoring in things like math/thearter, Bio/dance, etc)...etc. etc. etc. </p>
<p>Point being: When it comes to Vassar and Wes, they are very simular in many ways, and it IS the little things that will decide the fit...the kind of things she can only get with a visit (hopefully overnight).</p>
<p>wes sounds great. I'd love to visit your school some time.
your conversations about god at 3am reminds me of so many random conversations I've had with friends at virtually any time of day too :) Basically everything is debatable here :) so much fun and mighty educational lol</p>
<p>Hakuna Matata: And I agree that Vassar sounds great :) (It was certianly on my list of colleges last year, and certianly somewhere I would have been happy to go if I hadn't gotten into Wes -- which had the edge mainly because of its size and its film department).</p>
<p>To the OP: Basically, when chosing between Vassar and Wes, it's hard to go wrong either way!</p>
<p>... unless you don't chose Vassar.</p>
<p>Just kidding! </p>
<p>Or am I?</p>
<p>I too am deciding between Vassar and Wesleyan (and Tufts and Northwestern). I was wondering: which school do you think has the best philosophy department and pre-med program?</p>
<p>Ellen: Tufts' philosophy dept is known world-wide for its undergraduate and MA programs. Do you know Daniel Dennett at all? He's a professor here and he teaches two undergrad classes each semester. What a genius! Pre-med is also very good here; great med school placement and tons of money for undergrad research.</p>
<p>A lot of kids at Vassar are doing premed (I know 4 on my floor). I heard the chem dept is pretty great. but that's about all I know.</p>
<p>Okay brother graduating from Wes in May and I'm a recent vassar grad.
Students at both places will resist the generalizations I'm about to make and that's part of what makes both schools great.</p>
<p>1) Both schools have hipsters. Vassar has more hippie-hipsters (VT) wes has more Williamsburg-Brooklyn hipsters.</p>
<p>2) Wes is more intense. Now, Vassar kids are serious about their academcis and passionate but are also more likely to put down the books on a weekday night to go to Jazz night or see a friend's performance. (perhaps the party school of the Liberal arts comes in here?) You're more likely to hear a Vassar kid say " I've got a *<strong><em>-ton of work to do, but . . . ." and a wes kid say "I've got a *</em></strong>-ton of work to do. Sorry."</p>
<p>3) I can only speak for Vassar's Depts. English and Drama are (of course!) great. I was poli sci and religion and loved both. Had friends in Film that loved it and I think the Philosophy department is fantastic . . . though I think a few of the greats might be retiring (but if Giovanna Boradorri, Michael Murry, Mitch Miller et al. are still there . . . its still good). </p>
<p>4) Your major difference is the campus experience. Vassar is the gated bubble: you can choose to engage with poughkeepsie or not, and in this sense it can be insular. Wes is very much IN middletown, which is good and bad (i.e. you are more likely to encounter real police instead of campus security, there is also just LESS campus security because, unlike Vassar, Wes doesn't have a wall running around it) Now, I doubt any Wes students would ever say they feel "unsafe" but the experience is very different. I think if your looking for a more pastoral, traditionally campus-y feel, go to vassar. If you want a more sub/urban thing, then Wes.</p>
<p>But others may feel differently . . .</p>
<p>JV, thanks so much for your detailed comparison. It's really helpful. What do you mean by Williamsburg-Brooklyn hipsters?</p>