vassar vs. boston college

cwmpenn09
Thu, 15 Apr 2010 13:06:51 +0000

While I did not attend either school (I recently graduated from Penn), I do have some insight into both institutions. I attended a Jesuit high school, and knew a number of people who went to BC. People in the Midwest are probably more familiar with BC because of its football team which plays on a national level- it has very little to do with academic quality. BC is very homogenous in terms of its students- white upper-middle class and Catholic. It’s a big enough school that I’m sure there is an artsy scene, but it is by no means known for it.

When applying to college I seriously considered Vassar. I was extremely impressed by the beautiful campus, and friendly students. I remember being really pleasantly surprised by the students I met. I had heard similar things about the “strange” people. I come from a white Catholic background, and I was afraid that the students would be too “out there.” On the contrary, I had two tour guides- a boy from NYC who played on the baseball team and a Southern girl clad in pearls and a preppy sundress. After the tour I talked to them and they introduced me to some of their friends who totally fit the Vassar stereotypes of artsy hipsters, but they were all extremely nice. There seemed to be a lot of fluidity in terms of social groups, which I really loved. It may have just been my own experience, but it’s definitely worth noting.