<p>Wow. I’m a current student at Reed, and I have to say: I barely recognize the school Prairie describes. Some elements are definitely recognizable (more in a bit), but Reed must have changed dramatically since the 70s.</p>
<p>Let me just run down a list of some things that were brought up.</p>
<p>Professors: It has been my experience that the professors are completely dedicated to teaching and helping students succeed. More often than not, when I need to speak with one, I’ve simply been able to walk into his or her office, even outside of posted office hours. When I do schedule something (for example, when I know it will be a longer discussion), they’ve been very accommodating. I remember asking my math prof when his office hours were, and he responded, “When do you need them to be?” All my professors know me (EVERYONE is on a first name basis at Reed), most students have at least a couple professors they talk with socially, and the overwhelming majority are superb teachers.</p>
<p>Academic support: In addition to your professors, you get an hour of private tutoring per class per week; also, the DoJo (tutoring center) is almost always well-stocked with free tutors and free food. Plus you have your friends. If you go it alone, it’s by your own choice.</p>
<p>Honor Principle: Prarie is absolutely right in that there are very few rules regulating students at Reed, and that hasn’t changed. When I was applying, I simply assumed the HP was college-brochure fluff, but it’s something the student body takes very seriously (I remember a freshman at the start of the year saying something about the HP being a joke, and every sophomore, junior, and senior within earshot jumped down the poor guy’s throat). What this means in practice is that you can politely ask those smokers outside the window to move, and they will; that professors can routinely assign take-home self-timed closed-book finals without worrying about cheaters (How many schools can say that?!); and that students are generally trustworthy and look out for each other. It’s more about community norms than anything else (IMO; some would disagree), and it definitely makes Reed a more enjoyable place to live.</p>
<p>Drugs: Reed still has a reputation for drug use. Whether or not this reputation is warranted is a matter of some debate among students. But the academics are tough enough that the real drug users either moderate or drop out, and a yearly psych department study invariably shows that students perceive the amount of drug use to be much higher than it actually is. Other than that, all I can say is that I have never used drugs and never felt pressured to do so at Reed (HP again). Prarie’s post was the first time I’d heard anything about the chem dept. concocting illicit substances; I doubt that still happens.</p>
<p>Reed’s Financial Situation: I remember reading about the problems Prarie described, but for the most part, they’re a thing of the past. Of course, the recession has certainly taken its toll: the NYT story about the 100 students is true, and believe me, the student body is Not Happy with this. See Reed’s home page for some links.</p>
<p>Health Center: The counseling services have a good reputation, the other medical services do not.</p>
<p>“Reed is Different”: I really do believe this to be true. I mentioned the well-founded academic trust between students and professors (not to mention between students and themselves). Also, there’s the whole “No Grades” thing – I haven’t seen a transcript or a letter grade since high school. And since you’re probably in the middle of the whole HS rat race, I doubt I need to elaborate on how liberating that de-emphasis can be. Common room discussion topics shift smoothly from debates over new movies to debates over the relative merits of Thucydides and Herodotus (the former pwns the latter, in case you’re curious). I came to Reed and it was like finding a treasure trove were someone had stashed all these awesome, interesting people with whom I could share my inner geek.</p>
<p>I’d recommend visiting the place, see if it clicks with you. If it does, I won’t need to tell you to attend; if it doesn’t, then you’d probably be happier somewhere less brutal (or equally brutal, but with a sort of culture you can connect to).</p>
<p>This post has gotten quite a bit longer than I’d intended. Hope it helps.</p>