<p>I can’t say anything from observation about Vassar. The stats say it’s a good school but not in Reed’s class for intellectual rigor. Then again, few colleges are, at least as far as one can tell from things like the percentage of graduates who go on to earn doctorates.</p>
<p>That said, as a Reed graduate I concur that the work is incessant, but I can also tell you that there’s time for extracurriculars. My frame for that is partly based on a simple arithmetical fact: there are 168 hours in the week (24 x 7). Nobody consistently spends more than about 40% of that on their classwork, research, papers. And some spend considerably less. I found time for recreational music and dance, volunteering to tutor high school students in downtown Portland, and plenty of hanging with my friends (arguably a lot in serious discussions of things).</p>
<p>I don’t know a lot about Reed’s environmental studies but can say that their program in biology is among the very best in the country, and they have long given attention to the natural environment and not just to theoretical concerns. Now they have an interdisciplinary major that looks pretty exciting to me: [Reed</a> College | Environmental Studies | Home](<a href=“http://academic.reed.edu/es/]Reed”>Environmental Studies - Reed College). And Reed’s location not just in Portland but near the coast, the Cascade Range (with Reed having its own ski cabin on Mt. Hood), and the Columbia River Gorge makes for an exciting “field” in which to do your own research.</p>