S1 and S2 also report that Vassar has an extremely collaborative atmosphere as DMelanogaster points out. ‘Collaborative’ was very important to them when choosing colleges and Vassar is just what they were looking for.
S1, during senior year, explored the Poughkeepsie area, attended local concerts, ate at the local restaurants and became a ‘regular’ at one pizza place. So Poughkeepsie has its pluses (yes it is not Atlanta but it is a small city) and New Paltz is just across the river with its eclectic shops/restaurants near SUNY New Paltz. The Hudson Valley has lots of great attractions and is a just beautiful. Oh and there’s the walking bridge across the Hudson with its great views…
I hope you can visit - let us know how you liked it!