Am familiar with both Vassar and Emory. Both are great, but Emory wont have quite as intimate a feel. There are great opportunities right by campus (Emory hospital, the CDC, etc) and there are cute little shops just off campus (though the best pizzaplace, Everybody’s pizza, is sadly gone). The traffic is a bit of a challenge and there is frequently construction going on in the area, but its a beautiful campus, with its red-roofed buildings. In contrast, Vassar’s campus is gorgeous, with its striking library, some gothic style buildings and the gorgeous olmsted gardens. With only about 2400 undergrads, compared to Emory’s almost 8K, you will feel like a family, faculty may have you call them by their first name, and invite you to dinner. The former Juliet theater just off campus is now home to the college store. Both will offer great academics, but some programs at Emory will require an application (eg the business school) but then again there is no business school at Vassar.
Atlanta is definitely more fun than Poughkeepsie, but you really wont be spending that much time off campus at Vassar (unless you hop the train to NYC or go to Boston which are about 2-3 hrs away, respectively). So both have ttheir benefits. Weather is nicer in Atlanta, but it may start to get hot/humid in May. If you prefer snow, Vassar is your choice. I love both!