Hi. My son is interested in applying to Vassar. I wanted to make sure he can fit in as an athletic non-artsy straight male. Thoughts? He is definitely NOT a party/frat type boy, but kind and nice and studious. Tnx.
We are visiting this week and my S is a classical musician but otherwise the same. I am hoping that he will fit in, following this thread.
He will fit in. Kind and nice and studious is a great way to describe the Vassar student body. And the kids there are more athletic and less artsy than you might think. According to an infographic sent by the school, 21% of this yearās incoming class was captain of a varsity sport in high school and 19% participated in drama in high school.
If you have the chance to visit, I would recommend doing so. That is the best way to determine fit.
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He will fit in. Iād actually go out on a limb and say that Vassar will be eager to admit this type of student.
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Agree that kind and nice and studious is a good way to describe many Vassar students - and that he will fit in fine.
In fact, I think that many Liberal Arts Colleges would love such a student.
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I asked a similar question a year and a half ago. See the link below. My son is now at Vassar.
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So we were there yesterday, tons of guys with the typical sweatpants and sneakers look. Did not have an obvious female preponderance and my S definitely felt he fit in there. Had a wonderful tour and it remains high on the list.
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Our DS is a sophomore and Vassar has been the right school for him in many ways. Itās firstly a place where students value strong academics and having small classes. It also follows the Brown tradition of having very few gen-ed requirements. It is a liberal school but is not overtly activist. That may be due to the school itself and location. No school serves its students and the world perfectly, but the tension and strife found at other schools does not seems to be at Vassar. Browsing the college paper will help reveal any hot topics on campus.
Compared to other SLA colleges, Vassar is known to be less preppy and seems less Type A and more Type Bā¦and I think that sometimes being ālaid backā gets interpreted as āartsyā, which is not really the case. Do bring an instrument if he plays! Vassar has an orchestra, wind ensemble, and jazz band, and while there are auditions, they essentially take all comers. Our DS participates and has let him continue to explore and continue with music, which is great and it has inspired him to consider a music minor. On the flip side, he also does ultimate frisbee, which is a great club sport. They have multiple teams, practice often to stay fit, and participate in several tournaments during the school year which is a fun way to get off campus. I do believe there is a gaming club for those video game enthusiasts.
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Agree on all counts. My sophomore son has also noted that most students are not type A. They are serious about academics but also make time for other pursuits and want to enjoy the college experience. He is also active in a club sport, among other things.
It has been a very good experience all around, and Vassar has already afforded him nice opportunities, from an interesting unpaid summer internship to paid research with a professor.
The only complaint is about Poughkeepsieāit is no college town. But he makes it down to NYC once or twice a semester.
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My straight male son has Vassar as one of his top choices and has recently applied RD. Heās much more athletic than artsy, although he did play in the band all four years. I would also describe him as kind, and an extroverted introvert. He likes people, but prefers things more low-key. He enjoyed the campus on our visit.
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Another parents of a current Vassar son (also straight). He loves it. Doesnāt mind the gender ratio at all ā¦ has male and female friends in a mixed friend group that are close enough to meet up early in NYC before the end of vacations, then travel up to Vassar together. No issues with the dating culture - he is not a partier, but no shortage of weekend options for him, his girlfriend, and their friend group.
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My DS was accepted ED will attend. Two of his cousins attended (one male one female) so he knew a little about the vibe there. He is also kind and studious. He is liberal but not an activist. He likes social sciences and history as well as music and theater. I think your son will fit in just fine.
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