Vassar vs. Occidental vs. Pomona vs. George Washington U.

Colleges and Universities A-Z Occidental College
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<p>So my list is pretty much narrowed down to these schools: Vassar College, Occidental College, Pomona College and George Washington University. Vassar has been my top choice for a while now and I would love to attend in the fall. However, I have not received my FinAid package yet and I am nervous about it as Occidental was the only school that says that my family has financial need. Every other school has been expecting me to be full pay. However, if things do work out (fingers crossed) my choice will be between these four schools if I am successfully able to appeal Pomona’s FinAid decision. I’d like opinions based on </p>

<p>1.)Atmosphere and student body (preppy, hipster, laid-back, intellectual)
2.)International Relations Department
3.)Theatre Program
4.)Campus Style
5.)LGBTQ Community
6.)Anything else you might consider helpful</p>

<p>I am about a bit preppy/a bit hipster and I enjoy shopping. I love a big city but I do not like an urban campus and would prefer a school <em>near</em> a big city instead of directly a part of one. I’m bi so a strong gay community is important to me as I’ve never had the opportunity to date while in high school. Thanks so much!</p>

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<p>If you’re still debating Oxy vs. GW, they strike me as very different. As you know, GW is urban. Federal buildings, museums, and the Watergate hotel are all within walking distance. They really push the DC experience with internships and a lot of “locals” (e.g. Colin Powell) doing presentations on campus. It’s not far from the State dept and gives students a chance to be in touch with people working in international relations.</p>

<p>Oxy, by contrast, is a bubble, technically within LA but isn’t really part of the city. Some kids from LA who go to Oxy see it as “going away” to college. It doesn’t blend into the city. Of course, you can drive into LA. AtOxy you can interact closely with faculty in international relations. It used to have some very plugged in people (UN, State Dept, CIA) teaching there, but that was some time ago. The small theater scene allows students to be part of productions while also going into LA (much better theater scene than DC). It’s much easier to get into LA from Oxy than Pomona, but you still need access to a car.</p>