<p>I'm really closely considering applying EDII to Reed, but I can't get my mind over all the comments on the "intense workload," "rigorous academics," and "too much studying, little play."</p>
<p>I am absolutely in love with Reed's academic and intellectual atmosphere. But I still want my college experience to be a balanced one, where I do engage in social activity, perhaps party a bit, be able to actually go into Portland, etc.</p>
<p>Is Reed so academically intense to the point that I cannot do the above?</p>
<p>Along with a few other schools, Reed is indeed at the far end of intense and rigorous. But there is social activity and partying, and students do take excursions off campus. I don't think Reed would admit anyone who hasn't already proven that they can handle the load, so your concern is if you want that kind of load. I think the fact that you have doubts is significant. The heavy work load is part of the Reed atmosphere, and I'd guess that students would not describe Reed as balanced between work and play.</p>
<p>I understand that Reedier do not describe the Reed environment as a balanced one with work and play. That is, after all, why I'm asking this question in the first place. I merely want some insight on how great that imbalance is. I'm sure it is a great one, but I'm merely curious.</p>
<p>It's not that I cannot handle the Reed workload, nor derive a certain pleasure from academic rigor, but I want to make sure I'm not going to spend the majority of my next four years locked away in a library.</p>
<p>but it is in the library that they have cookies and it rains all the time in Portland anyway.</p>
<p>However depending on your major- my D for instance didn't even take reading material besides what was needed for her studies back and forth on the train from Seattle to Portland ( about a 3-4 hour trip) I didn't see her read a novel ( she was a bio major) until after she graduated. She did go off campus though & some students went off regularly- of course that was probably to Trader Joes not to Trader Vics
;)</p>
<p>Says my Reedie of social things: "Pick one. You can go into Portland every week, or party, or have a girlfriend, or have a big extra curricular. You can't do all of those things and study. It's not that you can't have a social life, but you have to limit your social life some." </p>
<p>On the other hand, attending Reed does mean devoting the majority of your time to academics and school work -- majority meaning more than 50% -- at least for many people. You can spend less than 50% of your time doing academic related things, if you choose not to do all of the academic work. That is, you can not do all the readings, or not do all the problem sets. "Once again, the amount of work you spend on your classes, you get to choose that. There is not enough time to do all the work and all the social things. You have to make those choices for yourself each day." So, <em>you</em> can balance it, but you should know that if you want to evenly split your time, you will probably need to forego some academic work.</p>