Got a Question for a Current Student? (Ask it here!) - Page 12

poetrygirl · 10-05-2009, 12:36 AM

Brie62--
I can't answer all of your questions that well, since I've only been here for about six weeks, but I'll take a stab at it.

--I don't think it's at all hard to fit in at Vassar if you don't like parties. I don't drink at all and I've had no problems with it. You make a lot of your friends through your fellow group, orientation, classes, and activities.
I do think it depends a little bit on housing though. There are some houses/halls that do more partying than others, but in general I think it's easy to avoid. Everyone that I've met so far has been completely respectful about my decision not to drink.
There's also wellness housing, if you want to think about that.

--I'd say the vibe is laid back. Everyone is busy, but it's not really intense, which is nice. I'm still at the "getting to know you" stage of things, but everyone seems friendly and pretty open to getting to know new people.

--It depends on the student. There are some people that never leave or only travel around the local Poughkeepsie area, except for breaks. On the other hand, I have a friend who has already been away from campus for three out of the six weekends we've been here. I think he's a bit of an anomaly though. In general, people stick around campus or occasionally go down to NYC. I know several people from New Jersey who have not been home yet and two who have been home once. I think it depends on how much traveling you want to do. One nice thing about Vassar is that we have October break. Most schools don't have it, but we get a full week off in mid-to-late October, so after about two months of being away, you get to go home instead of waiting until Thanksgiving or a long weekend.

--I don't know much about the sciences, I'm sorry. From what I've heard, they're pretty good, but I can't tell you much more than that.

If you've got any other questions, feel free to ask!

Atomspatz · 10-05-2009, 08:46 PM

An alternative perspective for Brie62—

- On the weekend, parties can be a pretty big part of campus life, but they aren't your typical Animal House frat keggers. In fact, most parties with alcohol are held by seniors in off-campus housing, so you're not honestly going to be bothered by that culture unless you go out of your way to be so. Instead, the majority of students hang around campus for planned events (last weekend, for example, there was a musical, a lecture by Angela Davis, and a screening of Adventureland all within an hour of each other) and find other things to do late at night, including (and this happens at least twice every weekend) heading to the Acrop, a 24-hour diner just down the road.

- People tend to be pretty friendly here, and as a result, people get to making a lot of friends. I've been here as long as poetrygirl, and I've had conversations with a few hundred people already, all of whom are genuinely interesting and interested. As far as the "vibe" goes, only one adjective suffices: open. There truly is noplace more accepting than Vassar. It's practically impossible to stand out in a negative way, because there's at least half the student body waiting to applaud your individuality for it. People are unafraid to express themselves by any means. That said, things are pretty heavily liberal (socially and politically), which really speaks for itself.

- Among my friends, those who live closest tend to head home pretty frequently. A buddy from North Jersey has spent three weekends out of the year so far at home, and it hasn't seemed much of a hassle for him at all. Trips to New York City are fairly common as well. Upper classmen will tend to spend many a weekend in the city, and as a freshman I've already spent a weekend there for a concert. It's deceptively easy to get around, and shuttles run through Poughkeepsie every day for shorter trips.

- The science programs are, like most everything else at Vassar, fairly rigorous. The professors are brilliant (for the most part), and even the ones that aren't make up for it by being entertaining, at the very least. That said, grading is tough and lab time can be a real pain in the neck when it comes after a full day of classes. Everybody seems fine with devoting themselves to the program despite the commitment involved, though, which says something. If there's one complaint about the sciences, it's that they (again, like most everything else at Vassar) are intensely theoretical, with little in the way of practical or pre-professional bases. Regardless, the admission rate to medical school remains fairly high (80-90%, depending on the year).

Phew. Hope that helps.

writer25 · 10-07-2009, 04:49 PM

I was just wondering how the creative writing and english program were doing. I saw that there have been cuts to the Creative writing program and even a save the creative writing program group.

Brie62 · 10-07-2009, 09:50 PM

Poetrygirl and Atomspatz, thank you so much

It's great that everyone on this thread is willing to answer questions we have, and your information is very helpful! I'll definitely post again if I think of anything else, which I most likely will. Thanks again.

duytringuyen07 · 10-19-2009, 10:24 AM

This post is really awesome!! Thanks to all for your very detailed answers! It really confirms my belief of applying to Vassar this year!

Good luck to all Vassar applicants this year!

duytringuyen07 · 10-20-2009, 05:22 AM

This is just a trivial question, but I might as well just ask.

Is there a place on campus to get food at odd hours? Like after midnight? I normally sleep quite late and find myself hungry after midnight quite often, so it'd be great to be able to get something to fill the empty stomach before going to sleep

BLT12345 · 11-05-2009, 12:40 PM

Hey Atomspatz, I really liked your last post I found it quite helpful as I am considering applying to Vassar Early Decision. I was wondering if you could help me answer some more questions?

I'm a singer (bass) and I hear there are a lot of acapella groups on campus and that they are pretty competitive. Do you know anything about the acapella scene on campus? I would love to join an all guys group while at college but I'm worried I may be pressured into drinking. Do most of the acapella groups drink together?

I also read about this thing called serenading where the seniors throw ketchup and stuff at all the freshman and you have to stand and sing songs while they do this. As a freshman can you say if this true?? Were you forced to attend?

What concert did you go see in the city? jw

THANKS!!!!

dc89 · 11-07-2009, 03:21 PM

There is SO MUCH a cappella. The all-male group does kind of have an emphasis on drinking, but honestly, NOBODY at Vassar is going to pressure you into drinking. That's one of the really nice things about the school - even in a group where lots of people do drink, nobody will judge you or try to get you to do something you're not comfortable with in terms of substances. Also, a cappella is not THAT competitive because there are so many groups. (There are also like three choirs run by the music department if you're interested in that.)

Serenading is also totally optional. Not being a fan of food substances being thrown on me, I have never done this... they changed it to water this year, but I still think it's stupid. Some people enjoy it, though. It's totally easy to avoid, no worries.