Wuddup Poughkeepsie!

Colleges and Universities A-Z Vassar College
1

<p>Anyone can go for this question, but if there are any current Vassar..ites (?) out there who can answer this, that'd be most helpful!</p>

<p>There are tons of things I love about Vassar, tons of things that perfectly match my needs and intrigue me/entice me beyond belief, but I'm turned off by 3 things and I'm wondering if they're at all prevalent, or I'm overanalyzing their value in the college experience</p>

<p>a) The fact that Poughkeepsie is fairly isolated (I know it's 45 min. from NYC...but isn't this only prevalent for car owners?)
b) Boy/Girl ratio...I'm a girl, too many girls?
c) The smallness. My high school has 1800 kids and I'm worried about going to a college that has a similar feel, demographic wise, to high school</p>

<p>Bigups to the library, beautiful Hudson River Valley, and ILL courses/majors though! (HOLLAA NEUROSCIENCE!) </p>

<p>Anyways, any input is greatly appreciated. Plus, the Vassar page needs some life, it's all grey dots next to every single topic!</p>

2

<p>I'm a current freshman (female) at Vassar...</p>

<p>a) po-town. It can be a bit sketchy. Poughkeepsie isn't isolated so much as Vassar is isolated. I don't get out in Poughkeepsie much...sometimes I go to restaurants/stores near Vassar (there's a dollar store :-P) and for halloween we went to salvation army. We go to the mall occasionally, the college has shuttles pretty much everywhere(mall, grocery store, random locations in poughkeepsie). As for getting to NYC, the train is really convenient, there are college shuttles to the station or it's $6 for a taxi ride from Vassar to the train station.
It's what you make of it. It's a turn-off, but vassar is just so awesome by comparison :) But in terms of getting to other cities, states, etc., it's not isolated.</p>

<p>b) my view is probably skewed because I live in strong, the all-girl's dorm. There, I obviously see more girls than boys. Other than that I don't notice it too much...In most of my classes there was a pretty even spread, with the exception of my english class ( probably split about 70/30 girls/boys). I end up spending more time with girls, because I became really good friends with the girls on my hall. So yeah, sometimes it feels like too many girls in that way, but that's because of where I live. I'm on crew, the women's team is just a tad larger than the men's (by like, 3 people). Also, when I go to parties, it's just like a normal boy-girl mix. Not too noticable. (note: you can be placed in strong without asking for it.)</p>

<p>c)My high school was around 650, so Vassar feels big. However, it's small enough for a community feel, and for every student to experience the same things. It's also small enough for someone to become infamous (there are some names that everyone knows). However, I by no means know everyone, or even recognize everyone. Doing an overnight may give you a better idea of the size.</p>

<p>hope this was helpful :)</p>

3

<p>Yes! That was very helpful. I'm pretty focused on wanting to go to Yale, but it's really important to look at other options since Yale is in no way a given, ergo I'm kind of new to the ins and outs of other colleges. Anything else I should know about Vassar? Everything I've read I've liked (except the aforementioned 3 things), but I still feel like I don't know much about the school or the general feel...</p>

<p>I'm going to be partaking in that 10-day college visiting frenzy that is the quintessential junior's april vacation and Vassar is on our list, so while I may not have time for an overnight visit I will see it during the day...do you think that'll be an accurate depiction of a Vassar life?</p>

4

<p>I read a bunch of good things until I read this stuff: </p>

<p>students review .com/NY/VC_comments.html (without the spaces)</p>

<p>Those negative comments make it seem kinda bad. But, I still wanna visit it just to see for myself.</p>

5

<p>link didn't work, even without the spaces..but I'm intrigued to see what is there to be said! care to try and c/p it again?</p>

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<p>students review .com -- I wouldn't put too much faith in it as far as making a college decision. You get a lot of poeple on there with axes to grind sometimes. The negative ratings for schools on that site are usually much higher than those done by other college guides or other services that do random surveys of students. I think it is interesting to read, but I never put a lot of stock in it.</p>

7

<p>Hey there... JPan gives you a great response, however, I'll also include my thoughts as a sort of "second opinion." I'm a current sophomore at Vassar (female).</p>

<p>a) First of all, although Poughkeepsie may not be the best place in the world, it's certainly not all that bad. Within walking distance of the campus, for example, there are several restaurants worth a visit: The Beech Tree (a grill which is a good place for taking the family to when they visit), Babycakes (a bakery which also serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner), The Dutch Cabin (pretty good quality Tex-Mex), Baccio's (a pizza place), a Middle Eastern restaurant, a Chinese restaurant, the Krafted Cup (a coffeehouse), a Japanese restaurant, and a Thai restaurant. In addition, the streets accessible via walking distance also feature an independent bookstore, a dollar store (as JPan mentioned), and several independent botiques. </p>

<p>For students who don't bring a car to campus (most don't), there is also a town shuttle and a weekend shuttle to the mall. I haven't taken the town shuttle yet--the idea is that it makes stops throughout the city so students can get to jobs, internships, the grocery store, other restaurants, and so on--however, I have used the mall shuttle to the Poughkeepsie Galleria a couple of times. The Galleria is probably one of the places that Vassar students most often frequent on weekends: the mall is quite nice and there's also a rather sizable movie theatre in it. </p>

<p>In addition, there are plenty of other things to do in Poughkeepsie, aside from the mall. There city, for example, has a rather rich music scene... there are several places off-campus (the Chance is the one I'm best-acquainted with) which are frequented by local and regional performers. There's also the Bardavon Theatre, a historic opera house where more "formal" musical events are put on. Poughkeepsie is also quite the historic place... there are a variety of different sites you can tour and visit, including the Franklin Delano Roosevelt house and library. If you're more interested in outdoor activities, Poughkeepsie offers that as well... the Hudson Valley is quite picturesque (particularly in the fall), and there are a wealth of hiking trails. There's an outdoor club on-campus through which you can take hikes (and get rides to the parks). Of course, it helps to have a car if you're interested in activities that are further off-campus; however, it's still possible to visit them without one via either a taxi or, for some of the things I've mentioned, the campus shuttle. I have access to a car now, but my first semester of my freshman year I didn't, and I survived quite well. Oh, and also, Poughkeepsie also has quite the variety of restaurants further off-campus, including the Culinary Institute of America in nearby Hyde Park.</p>

<p>Although Poughkeepsie certainly isn't as "happening" as NYC, there are also local events that take place within the city such as farmers markets and ethnic and seasonal festivals. I've been to a couple of them, and they're definitely worth a visit... there's usually lots of food and vendors with all sorts of things for sale. </p>

<p>Also, keep in mind, that there's lots that goes on on-campus during the week and on weekends. The school does an excellent job at offering a wealth of different activities. During the week, for example, there are lectures, club meetings, and themed dinners put on by student clubs, while weekend offerings include movie nights, club activities, all-campus parties with themes such as "Seven Sins" and "Day-Glo Toga," sports games, and theatrical/musical/dance venues put on by both student groups and outside organizations.</p>

<p>Lastly, New York City actually does happen to be accessible for those who don't have a car on-campus. Poughkeepsie is the last stop on the Hudson Line from the city, meaning that you can catch a train at the Poughkeepsie station and find yourself in Grand Central Station in under two hours. Getting to the train station is also no big deal. There's the campus shuttle for one, as well as a taxi.</p>

<p>b) I really haven't found the boy/girl ratio at Vassar to be a big deal... it's something I rarely, if ever, notice. There are still plenty of guys around, and, contrary to what I often get asked, most of them are not gay. Heterosexual (as well as same-sex) hook-ups happen frequently and dating is entirely possible whether you're straight, gay, or anything in between. To use myself as an example... I've been in a relationship with a guy I met through one of my first semester classes for more than a year now. Vassar by no means feels like an all-girls, or even mostly-girls, school.</p>

<p>c) This last point is something I can't help you with quite as much, primarily because I arrived at Vassar from a small high school of under 250 students. I find the environment to be a good size for me, personally. As JPan mentions, it's small enough to still feel like a community, but large enough that it doesn't feel like a fishbowl where you know everyone and everything like the back of your hand. Even after a year and a half of being at Vassar, I still find myself not recognizing a lot of the people I see.</p>

8

<p>If you want to read the reviews on Students Review, go to Google and search for "Vassar College Review". I think the students review one is the first one. You click on it, and then click on the comments.</p>

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<p>Okay, I'm reading the students review site and it's crap. Here are a few things I'd like to counter: </p>

<p>If you pick a major that's actually difficult, it's NOT as easy to get A's as some of these people seem to think. I'm a history major and my professors don't give out A's just because you do your work. If you don't take crap classes, you'll learn a lot, and if you put in work, you'll learn a lot. There are people saying it's so easy and that you hardly have to do anything - yeah, that's the reason they didn't learn anything. You can pick easy classes and skate by, but why waste your money doing that? You have to be pretty self-motivating to succeed at Vassar. And when I say succeed, I mean learn and get your money's worth, not get A's. </p>

<p>Yes, there are a lot of irritating, pretentious people on campus... but once you figure out who they are (it generally takes about a semester), you know who to avoid. I primarily hang out with people from my dance companies and people that I've done theatre with, and a couple other random people that aren't obnoxious hipsters. Seriously, unless you're one of them, you don't have to worry about them. Best way to avoid those people is to get involved on campus... like I said, my friends are mostly from my activities. I like people who actually do things with their lives, so I found them. </p>

<p>Uh, back on the original topic, Poughkeepsie does suck. You'll have friends who have cars and trips to the mall will be the highlight of your existence. It's okay... Vassar keeps you busy. Some people go to the city all the time -- I don't have weekends because of dance, so I don't, but it's definitely an option. </p>

<p>The boy-girl ratio isn't as big an issue as people make it out to be. </p>

<p>I went to a high school with about 1500 people... I like being at a small school. Crowds kind of freak me out. It's worth it to have tiny classes... you learn more, and your professors actually know your name.</p>

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<p>Cool, thanks for all the info! The getting to NYC thing isn't a big deal for me since I'm not a huge fan of that particular city :P But it's still nice to know that it's no biggie getting there (I suppose if you wanted to use it to take Amtrak home or something)</p>

<p>What about the dorms? How are they, quality-wise, at Vassar? Like I said I haven't done much research yet on schools other than Yale so I'm mostly familiar with their residential colleges system and not much else..how does Vassar do their housing, by grade, by interest, by major? Etc, etc.</p>

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<p>Thanks dc89. I wanna go there more now.</p>

12

<p>Housing at Vassar for freshmen, sophomores, and juniors consists primarily of nine "traditional" dorms (which are generally called houses): Josselyn, Jewett, Davison, Raymond, Lathrop, Strong, Main, Noyes, and Cushing. All of the houses are co-ed, with the exception of Strong (all-girls), and vary a lot in terms of appearance. Davison, Raymond, Lathrop, and Strong are the four quad dorms, and are the four dorms that have had the least work done on them. That being said, Davison is currently under renovation and should be completed for next year. In addition, I've lived in Lathrop and would honestly say that it's really not that bad... the quad dorms may not be the newest ones on campus, but they have large rooms, wide hallways, and a real community feel. Noyes is the newest dorm on campus: it was built in the fifties and looks it. The main lounge in Noyes was recently refurbished and is really cool inside (it's call the Jetson lounge because it looks like something out of the Jetsons). Noyes is also known for having large rooms and its own lawn. Cushing is the house that I've most frequently heard called the prettiest one on-campus... it has a bit of a Hogwarts feel. Main is the largest dorm on campus and is also a national historic landmark. It has the added benefit of being the only dorm that's not just a dorm... on the first floor of Main is the student center, the Retreat (one of the on-campus dining options), the college bookstore (for now, it's going to be relocated next year, assuming that project is still on), and the Mug (the on-campus "club"). Jewett is the tallest dorm on campus with nine floors (and an elevator). Jewett and Josselyn are also the two most recently renovated dorms (since Davison isn't done yet)... Jewett was redone four or so years ago (it has smaller rooms) while Joss has new bathrooms and a new laundry rooms (as well as large rooms). </p>

<p>As you can hopefully gather from that rather long-winded paragraph, each dorm has it's own pluses and minuses, but they're all quite satisfactory. Each house also has it's own community. This is something I really appreciated as an newly-arrived freshman... my dorm was a comparatively small group of people in which I could get comfortable with my surroundings and then branch out. Freshmen are further split up into small groups called student fellow groups when they first arrive at Vassar. Student fellows are sophomores who watch over groups of six to sixteen freshmen that live in the same hall as them. These student fellow groups are another way in which freshmen are welcomed to Vassar: You start out by meeting your roommate(s) (freshmen live in doubles or triples), then meet the four to fourteen other people who live around you in your student fellow group (as well as your student fellow), then meet the other people who live in your dorm, and then are exposed to the rest of the campus.</p>

<p>House pride is something that each of the house teams (each dorm has it's own board of students who help plan events) really tries to encourage through weekly study breaks and occasional house breakfasts/dinners and trips (this year, for example, my dorm's had bowling and apple picking outings). At the same time, however, "house spirit" doesn't become so constricting that it cuts dorms off into individual units. Through all-campus events, clubs, and classes it's easy to meet people outside your dorm.</p>

<p>In addition to students, there is also a professor who lives in each dorm with his/her family. He/she is also involved in the house community... the professor (and family) who lives in my dorm has held a variety of different breakfasts and dinners for our house.</p>

<p>Although there are a few exceptions, most seniors choose to live in the senior housing on-campus (known as the Terrace Apartments, Terrace Houses, and South Commons). These different housing clusters are apartments, equipped with kitchens, in which groupings of seniors live. </p>

<p>Other housing options for underclassmen include living off-campus and Ferry Haus. Living off-campus is an option for students beginning they're sophomore year; however, from my experience, most students choose to remain on-campus all four years. Meanwhile, Ferry Haus is an approximately 20 person vegan co-op whose residents cook their own food and take turns doing different house chores. Moving into the house is an option beginning in the second semester of one's freshman year and is done on an application basis.</p>

<p>Hope this helps!</p>

13

<p>So a house team is for the whole building? (Like Main is a house team? Or would they some smaller faction within Main..?)<br>
And do freshman all live together, sophomores, and juniors, etc.? Or is each building mixed grades? (a little confused about that)</p>

<p>What are your favorite things about Vassar? Like what do you feel you've gained from choosing to be at Vassar that you wouldn't have gained had you gone somewhere else?</p>

14

<p>So a house team is for the whole building? (Like Main is a house team? Or would they some smaller faction within Main..?)<br>
And do freshman all live together, sophomores, and juniors, etc.? Or is each building mixed grades? (a little confused about that)</p>

<p>What are your favorite things about Vassar? Like what do you feel you've gained from choosing to be at Vassar that you wouldn't have gained had you gone somewhere else?</p>

15

<p>Each dorm has its own house team. The house teams consist of president, VP, secretary, treasurer, fresh/soph/junior representative, house fellow interns (they bake cookies and set up events with the house fellows, who are the professors that live in the dorms), house student advisor (head of the student fellows, it's a paid student employment position), and student fellows (herders of freshmen). They plan events for their dorm and whatnot. Does that make any more sense? </p>

<p>Each building is mixed grades, mixed gender (except Strong, which is all girls), mixed everything. There are quiet and wellness halls, but there aren't any all-quiet/all-wellness dorms. </p>

<p>My favorite thing about Vassar is the fact that it manages to balance amazing academics with GREAT opportunities to participate in the arts (I'm super involved in dance and theatre, but didn't want to go to a conservatory because I thought I would be bored without interesting classes, so Vassar is kind of perfect for me in that sense). I get the feeling that it's the same with athletics. I also LOVE how small the classes are. Every class that you take at Vassar develops its own "personality" and you really get to know the people you're taking the class with. Professors are accessible and they really pay personal attention to you. It's not the kind of environment you experience at a big state school (or at least that's what I hear from my friends at said schools). </p>

<p>And I love my friends. I'm bored out of my tree without them over this break (hence the reason I'm on this website?). They're fantastic people. Kind, funny, smart, creative people who actually have life goals and have a sense of humor when things don't go their way. I loved my high school friends, but the people at Vassar (most of them, at least) are a whole new level of awesome.</p>

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<p>Thanks for clarifying dc89. </p>

<p>To add on... basically, the house team is made up of a mix of students elected to their positions (president, VP, secretary, treasure, freshmen rep., sophomore rep., junior rep.) and students who've applied for their positions and been selected through some sort of review process (house fellow interns, house student advisors, and student fellows). There are nine house teams on campus... one for each of the nine dorms (all team members live in their dorms). As dc89 explained, each house team member has his/her own specific obligations. The whole team together plans events both for the dorms (dorm dinners, study breaks during the week) and the campus (all-campus parties).</p>

<p>As for your question about my favorite things about Vassar... well, one would certainly be the open curriculum. The only requirements Vassar imposes upon its students is that they take one foreign language class (or prove competency through SAT IIs, APs, IBs, or a test given at Vassar), one freshman writing seminar (offered in a variety of different departments), and one quantitative course (also offered in a variety of different departments). This means that, with the exception of your major requirements, the rest of your coursework is decided upon entirely by you. You can concentrate on taking courses you'd like to take, rather than on having your academic path chosen for you by requirements.</p>

<p>In addition, like dc89, I find the overall size of Vassar to be ideal. A student body of 2500 is just about perfect for me: it's not small enough to make me feel claustrophobic but not big enough to make me feel lost. The size of the school also translates to the classroom: classes are, generally speaking, small and personal. Because classes are rarely over 40 in size, professors are able to get to know their students and make the effort to.</p>

<p>The students at Vassar are also a big plus to me. Although you'll certainly find people who fit the descriptors of "snooty," "self-absorbed," and "pretentious," most do not (and the ones who do tend to be self-segregating). Instead, I would describe the "average" Vassar student as bright, creative, thoughtful, friendly, comfortable in his/her skin, and non-judgmental. Most students are very driven, but not to the extent that they can't put their work down and take a break. The environment is a truly fun, enjoyable one to be a part of... I've met some great people in my year and a half at the school.</p>

17

<p>OMG!!!!!!
reading over the comments has helped me see that Vassar is great for me!... thanks u guys!</p>