Vassar vs. Haverford

Colleges and Universities A-Z Vassar College
1

<p>Hey guys, I'm sort of at a crossroads right now, so I was hoping you'd help me out! :) Well, I was recently accepted to both Vassar and Haverford (hurrah!) and am attempting to decide between the two.
Well, firstly, I guess I should tell you a bit about myself:
I am a Korean-American female, most-likely going to be a psychology major, and from Atl, Georgia.</p>

<p>Pros to Vassar:
-beautiful campus (& library! <3)
-larger population
-awesome financial aid (nearly full-ride!)
-artsy vibe (although some say it's a bit much)
-community-vibe
-somewhat easy access to NYC
-seems like people can dabble in anything they want (a lot of double majors)</p>

<p>Cons to Vassar:
-In the middle of nowhere
-60/40 gender difference (as a straight female, this is a bit concerning!)
-Vassar "bubble" (I don't know how limiting this is)</p>

<p>Pros to Haverford:
-beautiful campus
-Honor Code (no $500-deposit required!)
-(Idk about the financial aid yet because I haven't gotten it yet)
-community-vibe
-proximity to Philly
-consortium with Bryn M, Swarthmore, and UPenn</p>

<p>Cons to Haverford:
-population size is smaller than my high school! and half of Vassar's
-over-emphasis on Honor Code (according to some?)</p>

<p>Overall:
So it's basically at a tie right now...when my financial award comes from Haverford, I think I will be more sure? However, I am still at a loss..</p>

<p>Some Questions and Concerns:</p>

<ol>
<li>How are the psychology departments at these schools?</li>
</ol>

<p>I know that Haverford is stronger in the sciences, and Vassar in the humanities, but I can't find much in the psychology area..</p>

<ol>
<li>Size concerns</li>
</ol>

<p>Okay, so Vassar is twice the size of Haverford, but Haverford is off-set by the tri-consortium... Is the Vassar bubble so limiting, and is the small Haverford size balanced by access to other schools and Philly?</p>

<ol>
<li>Diversity</li>
</ol>

<p>Okay, so I know that LACs are mostly made up of Caucasians, so I was wondering the possible limits to that regarding these two colleges. How would an Asian girl from Georgia fit in? Is there mixing of races, or are there just cliques?</p>

<p>Hm, I think I had some other concerns, but I don't remember....but please answer! May 1st is arriving in a jiffy! Thank you! :)</p>

2

<p>Hey! So I am currently I junior in high school and am on spring break touring colleges on the east coast. Yesterday I was at Haverford, and earlier today I visited Vassar. I made a similar pros and cons list after visiting both schools. However, in my opinion, Vassar is the right pick. Although both are great schools academically, Haverford struck me as a little too small (only 1,200 kids!) and also lacked in diversity. Vassar on the other hand has nearly double the students along with anywhere from 25-33% of students that are minorities. During my visit this morning, I saw an astonishingly large amount of Asians for a LAC, something that definitely impressed me. Also, to address your concern about the gender ratio, vassar is 55% female while Haverford is 53% female. These are both around the national average for a liberal arts college. I also felt that the Vassar students seemed to be really relaxed and seemed to mesh well together, significantly more than their counterparts at Haverford. I agree that Vassar is in the middle of no where, but talking to a bunch of students there, they didnt seem to mind it much. Apparently there is so much going on on campus that there really is no need to leave. According to the admissions officer that spoke during the information session, vassar does a great job at attracting bands and other forms of entertainment to the campus. For example, the officer said that in the past bands such as lupe fiasco, M.I.A, and Of Montreal have visited the campus. It also only took my family about 1:30 to drive to Poughkeepsie from Manhattan, so it is relatively close! My tour guide told me that some classes even go into the city weekly for classes at museums and the such. Furthermore, I definitely noticed an over-emphasis on the honor code. Although the code is a great idea, I feel that its kind of weird how the students live by the code and have to attend meeting to amend it (this is all according to the haverford tour guide). Lastly, in talking to students at Haverford, they really dont visit downtown philly all that much. Apparently it takes around 30 minutes by train and really isnt that close to Haverford. Sorry for such a long and muddled response, but i hope my response helps you :slight_smile: good luck in picking!</p>

3

<p>Thank you for your enlightening response! I also got the feeling that Vassar students were more relaxed over the net. But I was not aware that they had that much of a minority presence, especially that of Asians. I guess that is a bit reassuring. How do you find their academics to be different? Are you gonna apply next year, just out of curiosity?</p>

4

<p>Academically both Haverford and Vassar are quite strong. I noticed that Haverford seemed to be more focused in the sciences as the campus was equipped with electron microscopes and the such. But Vassar seemed to have a wider array of class offerings, especially in the language department. Vassar’s Mudd Chemistry seemed to be an extremely high-tech building and my tour guide–a double chemistry and French major–spoke fondly of it. I honestly don’t know much about Haverford’s pyschology department, but I have heard only good things about that of Vassar. Apparently Vassar was one of the first colleges to offer pyschology as a major and continues to excel in that department. And yes, I will definitely apply to Vassar next year and most likely apply to Haverford. I really liked Vassar and think that I will take advantage of Vassar’s early decision 2 next year. Which school are you leaning towards? Hope this helps :slight_smile:
-Saahil</p>

5

<p>To touch on the Vassar Bubble. It’s very real, my parents(both alumni) said that Poughkeepsie is a pretty dull place, and the “townies” don’t get along well with the Vassar kids. There are places near campus which are pretty good for basic amenities, but I wouldn’t expect leaving campus to go to the city very frequently. </p>

<p>Psychology, my aunt(also a Vassar grad) was a psychology major and she found Vassar absolutely perfect for her means. She went on to study at Yale, and she felt the vibe was fairly similar.</p>

6

<p>Do you think the small size and Poughkeepsie can get suffocating? I am actually now leaning towards Vassar. I also got into Emory, but I’m more suited to an LAC, I think.</p>

7

<p>I grew up in a big city. There is nothing about Poughkeepsie that is “suffocating.” The Vassar “bubble” exists because of how much there is to do on campus. You are never at a loss for an activity. Movies, plays, concerts, parties, lectures… To get out into Poughkeepsie is a bonus. It’s not a tiny college town, it’s a small city. Most Vassar students have no idea how much there is to do off campus because there are so completely consumed with what is going on on campus. But Poughkeepsie has plenty to offer, especially in the context of a campus-centric college experience. And it’s soooo easy to get into NYC, that I wouldn’t worry about feeling isolated. Vassar is in no way the small college in the middle of nowhere experience.</p>

8

<p>Ah, thank you for the enlightening information ! :slight_smile: My worries are melting away</p>

9

<p>This is very relevant to my interests. Accepted to Vassar and waitlisted at Haverford with the potential of playing soccer. Can anyone compare economics at these schools?</p>

<p>The Honor Code of Haverford doesn’t thrill me and there is a really small size. That being said the proximity of other colleges is nice. Haverford is close to home which would have benefits. But Vassar has a lot of aspects I love.</p>

10

<p>Two great choices. </p>

<p>On size…</p>

<p>I must say the only question I asked on my 25 college tours, across two kids, was at Haverford. As I carefully stood apart from my daughter<g> I asked how it was there for a straight female as adding Haverford and Bryn Mawr together resulted in a very female environment. The female tour guide made a joke of it and said things work out…as I am sure they do…my daughter still does tease me about that question every so often.</g></p>

<p>I mention this just to point out that 60/40 at Vassar is likely to be “better” than the two school combination in Philly…Swarthmore is really a bit farther away from the other two “Tri” schools. My Senior daughter has loved Vassar and has not found “the ratio” to be an issue.</p>

<p>I do think that Vassar’s size does increase the number of various offerings in all areas over those schools that are 1,800 or smaller. My college years ago was around 2000 and I do notice the extra course offerings, which naturally do not matter if you are not into those arease, compared to my college or to Bard where my son went. I could mention the ration was closer to 60/40 male/female when I was in college and naturally all us guys complained about that…</p>

<p>Haverford is in a much nicer area and getting to downtown Philly is much easier than the long train ride into NYC.</p>

<p>Vassar is slighly “artier” and Haverford slightly “preppier” but I think those reputations are a bit overblown and you will likely find great people to hang out with at both.</p>

<p>You really cannot go wrong with either college.</p>

<p>Good luck.</p>

11

<p>VassarGrad,</p>

<p>There are a number of people who absolutely despise Poughkeepsie. There are those places near campus, but it’s, in reality, a fairly sketchy city. Many don’t leave campus due to the available opportunities on campus, but Vassar students do not typically get along well with the indigenous populants, unfortunate as it may be.</p>

12

<p>You’re entitled to your own views on Poughkeepsie, but to say that students and residents don’t get along is just preposterous. If you have ever been in a college town with true town/gown tensions, then you would understand that Vassar and Poughkeepsie actually have a very strong relationship.</p>

<p>My impression of Vassar students is that those who get out into Poughkeepsie understand how many opportunities there are. Those who hate it tend to be those naive to what it has to offer.</p>

<p>Regardless, the Vassar experience is about what is happening on campus. If you chose to leave campus and experience the local area, then you can do that.</p>

13

<p>Preposterous? Honestly, that’s quite misleading. Your belief is that of a minority. To call those who don’t venture out naive, is simply fallacious, and it’s depressing to see these notions passed on to prospective students. Vassar’s relationship with the townies is quite strained, the Princeton review goes as far as to say it’s the 10th worst. Maybe you truly feel that the Princeton review is incorrect, but recognize that this ranking was formed based on student surveys. I cannot speak for everyone, nor will I try, but the majority do feel that relations are strained.</p>

14

<p>I’m not going to fight with a 18 year old, but your use of the term “townie” just demonstrates how completely off base you are.</p>

15

<p>The area near Vassar is very nice. There are several small eateries and shops adjacent to campus. The residential area is upscale surburban for several blocks. The golf course and Vassar Farm are right next to campus.</p>

<p>Vassar will have more musicians and artists than Haverford. Both are great schools.</p>

16

<p>Erm…sorry Vassar2015, I think I have to back VassarGrad on this one. I’m in my senior year here and I have gotten out into Po-town a fair bit and there’s no real animosity towards Vassar kids–it’s just that most Vassar students don’t go into town much. No one has ever treated me badly because I say I’m from Vassar. When I talk to people we usually get along just fine. </p>

<p>To me, it’s not a tension or strain so much as a disconnect, which a lot of students in the past few years have been trying to bridge. For instance, the Meet-Me-In-Poughkeepsie events that started two years ago is one of these endeavors, where Vassar students just take an afternoon to do something beyond campus, whether that be going to the walkway, apple picking, roller-skating, bowling, eating out (beyond Raymond Ave) and etc. I think the main issue is where Vassar is located since it’s a little farther from the center of town than desired. But if you are willing to hitch a ride with a friend or even just grab the shuttle to Mahoney’s for a drink during the weekend, you may find that Po-town is not that bad. It just takes a certain amount of effort, which most Vassar students don’t put forth, since there’s always a bunch to do on campus. </p>

<p>And I would be wary of how much stock you put into Princeton review rankings…remember that usually a large number of students who actually do those surveys feel VERY strongly about certain subjects one way or another. If people don’t feel compelled to do surveys like that for whatever reason, you’re not getting a decent sample of the Vassar population’s opinion. And considering that many people, including most of my friends, just ignore survey invites or would not bother to seek them out, the stats may be a bit skewed.</p>