<p>As a “straight” female Vassar student, I’ll offer my insight:</p>
<p>-Like most things at Vassar, you really only feel the gender imbalance if you’re looking for it. There is an all-female residential hall on campus – Strong – and no all-male dorm. This leaves the other living spaces about equal or male-heavy. If a girl wants to have many male friends there is absolutely no problem in achieving that. If she wants a predominantly female experience, she can have that just as easily.
-Yes, many Vassar boys are gay. But many Vassar girls are also gay. It’s awesome to go to a school where almost everyone is open about their sexuality. Unlike in other environments, no one will date you to cover up their sexuality.
-In response to floridadad55’s example from the University of North Carolina (For example, a boy would take a girl out for a slice of pizza, and then kind of take the attitude, after five minutes-----“well, I just bought you a slice of pizza, that’s more than most guys around here do, so what else do I have to do, time to sleep with me”.) that is very much not the attitude at Vassar. There will be the occasional jerk, but Vassar students are well aware that such behavior is not acceptable and that no circumstance leaves a woman OWING anyone sex. I don’t see Vassar boys as feeling entitled because of the gender-ratio.
-The hook-up scene is big at Vassar. This is the only real impediment to having a relationship or dating. However, my friends at other schools seem to be no better off than I am, despite their more balanced gender-ratios and more heteronormative campuses. This problem is generation-wide.
-If people put themselves out there, make new friends instead of only associating with the same few people all the time, and wait till they meet the “right” person, they can have a relationship at Vassar. If they don’t, they may still have a relationship!</p>