| You're right, it will be hard to get an unbiased opinion on this. I am a Barnard student, but I have visited Vassar and have friends there, so here is my point of view. I think academically, Vassar and Barnard both have strong reputations, although because of the Columbia connection, Barnard has more course offerings. Overall, though, they are both strong academically and differ more in terms of the social setting as well as the surrounding environment (unless, of course, you know what you want to study, which could change things).
First and most obviously, Barnard is in a city. This changes the opportunities (more internships, off-campus jobs available) and also changes the social scene somewhat. That might be positive or negative, depending on your perspective. Personally, of course, I like that we have an active campus life yet there is the option of a night out, seeing a concert in the village or a movie at the IFC, etc, when you get sick of campus. Going to a concert or a bar can also be a nice change from campus parties. That said, people at Vassar stay on campus more, which you may see as a positive if a strong /more unified community is important to you.
This is just my personal perception, but I also think Vassar students do a lot more drugs on average than Barnard students do. Of course there is a chunk of college students everywhere who smoke pot, and a smaller chunk that do harder things, but at Barnard drugs are relatively absent. At Vassar, however, I think it is more common to unwind with a blunt and in general, it's more common to see people smoking pot/ experimenting with other drugs than at Barnard. I may be totally off base here, but that's my perception. Also, at both schools, of course what matters most is your group of friends in terms of how they amuse themselves, and I'm sure you will find nice like-minded people wherever you go.
Best of luck deciding! |