Wesleyan vs. Vassar (please help!)

College Search & Selection
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Hi everyone! I have basically narrowed my options to Wesleyan and Vassar, and at the moment both are basically equal in my eyes. I’m hoping someone might be able to see something I don’t about these schools based on my background/interests that could help point me in one direction. Please feel free to provide your experiences if you went to either of these schools. Thank you!!!

About me/what I’m looking for:

-White man, LGBTQ, liberal
-Planning on majoring in English, economics, or political science (subject to change)
-Interested in participating in journalism/newspaper and debate/politics extracurricular-wise
-Looking for a vibrant social scene but also a hardworking, motivated student body
-Wants to go top business school or law school (Yale, Harvard, Columbia, etc) in the future
-Looking for access to professional opportunities (internships, jobs, etc) during undergrad (I know LACs are not extremely pre-professional and I really enjoy that but I do want to think about my future to an extent!)
-Prestige isn’t everything to me but since I like both of my options basically equally it is something to keep in mind at this point

Pros for both:

-Good proximity to major cities (Vassar to NYC, Wes to NYC and Boston)
-Creative, interesting students
-Open(ish) curriculum
-Collaborative culture
-Cost for both is similar
-Close knit community (I think?)
-Small classes, good relationship with professors
-Large LGBTQ population
-No greek life or limited greek life

Cons for both:

-Both Poughkeepsie and Middletown didn’t seem like the nicest areas

Wesleyan:

PROS:

-Seemed to have more things going on in the Middletown area
-I really like the housing system at Wes (gradually more independent housing over 4 years)
-Wes has a 5 year masters/bachelors program with the 5th year which is pretty cool (not sure if I will major in anything that a master is offered in though)
-Slightly bigger size (not an immense difference but I still want a community feel but without the everyone knowing everyone’s business thing that can sometimes happen w/ a smaller size)

CONS:

-Has been declining in rankings steadily over the last few years (rankings aren’t the basis for my decision but it’s something to consider)
-Have heard iffy things about the admin/president

Vassar:

PROS:

-Stunning campus (not a good reason to pick a school, I know, but it’s super nice!!)
-Lots of LGBTQ students (possibly more than Wes)
-Has media studies which I was considering minoring in

CONS:

-Less restaurants/activities in Poughkeepsie from what I saw
-Not great female-male ratio (would like more balance but it’s not a dealbreaker)

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I don’t know too much about either school, but as someone who’s also trying to decide between two relatively equal liberal arts schools, I can put in my two cents based on what you’ve said in your post.

It seems to me like Wesleyan is the better choice. The few cons for it aren’t very big (iffy admin/president isn’t great, but I feel like almost every college could be accused of the same). The 5-yr masters program also sounds like a good thing considering that pre-professional opportunities are something you’re looking for.
Best of luck!

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Random thoughts, off the top of my head . . .

For someone interested in Poli-Sci, Wesleyan is just 15+ miles away from the state capitol, which can be a resource for internships.

If your interest in English includes writing as well as literature, Wesleyan has been hosting an annual Writers Conference for the past 60 years and actually has a Writing major.

If you get serious about Econ, Wesleyan students have access to a year at the London School of Economics (must apply), Vassar students to the Toulouse School of Economics in France with classes taught in English. Take your pick.

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Looking at your list of pros and cons, Wesleyan seems to be a much better choice.

You like the housing, you like the academic opportunities, you like the social structure. You don’t like one think which is irrelevant (rankings), and one thing which is rumor.

For Vassar, you like how the campus looks, you think that there are more LGBTQ students, and and has a possible minor that you like, You dislike the area around the college, and the gender ratio. Neither are all that important either.

I think that neither set of cons is all that critical, but the pros that Wesleyan has seem to far outweigh those of Vassar.

However, on the up side - no wrong choices. You’ll do great in either.

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Funny - I disagree - I think the OP clearly likes Vassar better.

You likely won’t go often to town - and one school has 54% female and the other 58% - so the balance isn’t that different - especially considering the school size.

Because LACs don’t have engineering and football, it’s natural to skew female.

The rank isn’t relevant - they’re both huge names. Vassar, to me, while ranked lower is better known nationally.

Good luck.

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I agree Wesleyan seems the better fit: better access to the nearby town (in the case of Wesleyan not nearby but right there!); great programs and impressive alumni in the relevant areas; active student body and a nice (slightly larger) size and more equal gender balance. It seems to me that Wesleyan’s declining USNWR ranking is due to the fact it worries less about gaming the numbers and is focused on taking students for reasons beyond data-driven metrics–which makes for a more interesting student body but can also mean a hit to (solely data-driven) rankings!

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Note that plenty of LACs, including Wesleyan, have been playing football since the 19th Century.

Since Vassar appears higher in U.S. News, it’s not clear what you meant here.

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Wesleyan is so close to Main Street that its campus bookstore is integrated into a popular Connecticut book seller with cafe on Main Street. Middletown’s Main Street was recently featured on the cover of Connecticut Magazine as the model for small cities across the state to follow to rehabilitate their declining downtowns. See this link:

https://www.connecticutmag.com/the-connecticut-story/whats-next-for-cts-struggling-downtowns-middletowns-main-street-may-show-the-path-forward/article_9182211a-77c9-11eb-bf04-db4c794cd936.html

Main Street is a mile long, and dozens of restaurants offer a smorgasbord of culinary delights from all over the world, including Connecticut’s best vegetarian restaurant. It’s an eclectic mix of historic buildings and 20th century brick downtown store fronts. It includes a live music venue (“The Buttonwood Tree”), featuring all genres of music, a soup kitchen for students to volunteer, a multiplex movie theater, a children’s museum where Wesleyan psych students have done child development research, a modern hotel, a bike shop, a natural foods store, a court house, a classic 1940s diner that attracts aficionados from all ove the country, etc.

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It’s true in US News (which is subjective based on their formula, like anyone elses) it’s a bit higher but I use other sources for LACs because it integrates them into all. So if you use the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, or even Niche - Wesleyan is higher in all. This goes to show you - don’t worry about the rank, worry about the fit. Sure, use the rank as a starting point to begin a list - but a rank isn’t going to get you an enjoyable four years, a job, or anything else. Way too much weight on it.

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Since you expressed concern about “everyone knowing everyone’s business”, Wesleyan–as the larger school–is the better option for one seeking a bit of privacy / anonymity.

Additionally, you do not like the gender imbalance at the smaller school.

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Well done - you have two great choices.

I am a Vassar alum with an MBA so I might be able to help with some information about VC. You get a huge amount of attention from excellent professors at Vassar and that was instrumental for me to get through econometrics. Several of my classmates went to some of the top business schools and even more hold impressive roles (Mitchell Truitt, co-CEO of Apax Partners; Elizabeth Murdoch, global media executive; and Lisa Wardell, the only Black female CEO in the S&P 400). Even Sociology majors from Vassar can be at the forefront of business change (Olaf Carlson-Wee - first employee at Coinbase). Unlike many fantastic LACs, Vassar has a truly global reputation and that name recognition, along with a strong alumnae/i network, has benefited me when I lived and worked in the UK, Europe and Asia.

Poughkeepsie has a burgeoning food truck scene, and if you want amazing food on a budget, nothing beats The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) on the banks of the Hudson River and only 13 minutes away from Vassar’s stunning campus. Note that Anthony Bourdain attended Vassar but graduated from CIA…

The Hudson River Valley has been designated by Congress as a National Heritage Area and it’s a wonderful place to explore. However, getting to NYC is also straight-forward, so when the world opens up again, an internship or a night out in the City is possible.

Best of luck.

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The “Main Street” area around the Vassar campus has never been that big. Basically Collegeview Avenue and a few blocks on Raymond Avenue towards Main Street. There has been much more redevelopment in Poughkeepsie down by the river and the train station. Lots of newer restaurants in that area. As @collegemom3717 knows, unfortunately the days of Squires East, Frivilous Sal’s, the Little Brauhaus and the Dutch Cabin right by campus are gone.

The Arts scene is decent with the Mid-Husdon Civic Center and The Chance drawing good acts. Also good proximity to the DIA in Beacon and Storm King Arts Center. Manhattan less than two hours away via Metro North.

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Anyone going into Beacon should also check out The Town Crier folk music club & restaurant. Oldest continuously operating music venue in the Hudson Valley, now going on 50 years with the same owner!

Thank you for recommending Storm King art Center. It’s amazing! It includes a 500 acre outdoor sculpture park with the largest collection of outdoor sculptures in the US. Nearby is Brotherhood Winery, the oldest continuous operating winery in the US. They made “church wine” during prohibition to keep going. LOL.

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A recent addition to Beacon. It was in Pawling off Rt. 22 for years. Saw some great acts there and at the Chance back in the day.

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Wow, this is a very tough one. My thought is that the town doesn’t matter that much. There will be enough places in Poughkeepsie that students can get off campus and eat out, take a walk etc… Middletown is not exactly the epitome of a charming NE town. I don’t think either gets bonus points for location, and I’ve been to both places many times.

I like that Wes feels a little less pretentious than Vassar. And I DON’T think Vassar is pretentious, but there’s no denying that its stunning campus conveys prestige and money. Wes is just a bit rough around the edges, and students don’t care. I think overall, Wes students are more hip, cool, media-creative and Vassar students are more classically “we love to do all kinds of different things and we are young and idealistic”-creative. Lol, if that makes any sense.

I honestly can’t say one is preferable to the other, but if I’d ever known about it, Wes would have been my dream school back in the day. But what do I know? I went to Cal State Long Beach😆.

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Our D21 was trying to figure out the differences between Vassar and Wes. She got a tour at Vassar (outdoors only) and toured herself outside at Wes. She did virtual sessions at both. She looked at the curriculum at both. I attended a couple of virtual sessions at both as well. While not scientific, we found some distinguishing factors:

Wes:

Not as aesthetically pleasing campus (to each his own though)
Kids on campus seemed to be cliquey to her (people dressed one way hanging out together)
More interdisciplinary programs (COL, COS)
Not as well put together zoom sessions
Had a more overt must be activist feel
D21 felt the kids were “trying to be cool”
Dorm set-up for increasing independence
Wes/Covid ?

Vassar:

Not as many true interdisciplinary programs (though multimedia studies sounded great)
Zoom sessions very well done and accessible
D felt the kids were more genuinely just themselves, not forcing their activism on others
Kids dressed differently were hanging out together
Better access to NYC (some kids went in early in their college career almost weekly)
Beautiful campus
Vassar did great with Covid

Vassar ended up in her top 3. I haven’t researched Econ outcomes, though I’d imagine that either of these schools will get you where you want to go.

Something that turned me off of Wes was a poster on here affiliated with the school (an alum) who, rather than answering the questions about the differences between these 2 schools, latched onto my D’s sexuality (lgbtq+) and said something offensive about her coming back in the am after presumably a casual hook-up with glitter (in her hair?). If he is representative of attitudes toward the lgbtq+ community at Wes, Vassar gets a big thumbs up in that area.

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@Cairochr and @HazeGrey beat me to it. Maybe you didn’t explore Poughkeepsie enough? It’s been a few years since I toured both campuses but my impression of Poughkeepsie is that the area immediately adjacent to Vassar was nothing extra but the downtown was revitalizing, there was lots to do near the river, and as mentioned above the Culinary Institute’s presence contributes to a lively and interesting food scene. Marist College is also located in Poughkeepsie and Manhattan is reasonably accessible.

The walk from Wesleyan to downtown Middletown felt a bit dreary although the Main Street had nice restaurants, coffee shops, etc.

@havenoidea 's impressions pair up almost exactly with what I remember, except that we weren’t subjected to rude commentary about our child from a Wes alum on this site. I hope that was an anomaly.

These schools are more similar than different so I think you’ll be happy wherever you choose.

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Vassar definitely has options for more independent living as you move toward junior and senior year (town houses and apartment style housing). My D is an English major and has loved her classes and interactions with professors. She enjoys going into Arlington (pre covid) which is adjacent to campus, but there is so much to do on campus that she is mostly happy to stay there. Some students like to be able to take a day trip into NYC.

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"D21 might major in English, gov, maybe also dabble in film; is undecided. She is progressive and somewhat of an activist. She has mentioned the possibility of law school, but is not sure.

She wants a liberal, interesting group of students who are accepting. She hates cliques. D is not the most outgoing, though has been very active at her HS despite that, but wants a place where it is easy to make friends. She is LGBTQ+ but doesn’t want to be somewhere where her sexuality defines her. Wants to be able to go to a party (non-frat related) now and then.

All will be around the same price as we are full pay.

On paper, it’s hard to tell the difference between Vassar and Wesleyan. Can anyone weigh in on that?

Also, how is Barnard compared to those 2? I know it has more required classes. Do students get the same prof-student connection they seem to get at the other 2? And, what is the social life like?

Regarding ILR, she knows this choice has the most required classes. Does anyone know if some portion of the kids might be like I described her?

She got to tour Smith and wasn’t sure how she felt. It does have the most open curriculum.

Any information on whether any of these have better postgrad employment than others would be very helpful.

Thanks. Without regular tours, or even getting to look at some of these schools, this is difficult."

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Perhaps, in order to “get” the joke, one needs to know/watch 30Rock, episode “The Funcooker”.
(She can be who she is without worrying about gossip. She can be whatever she feels is her “normal” or she could try out being what she feels is “crazy” or “scandalous” or “unusual”, she can be/do anything, no one in NYC will bat an eye because nothing is “crazy” or “unusual” there. All welcome even if they’d be judged elsewhere. Well, that’s the reputation or stereotype at least.)

Barnard does have a close-knit community but it doesn’t have the “community space” the other colleges have. To me, that’s one of the big differences.

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