Perfect size, though it gets smaller sophomore year--which isn't always a bad thing. Some people sadly haven't heard of Vassar or still think it's a women's school, but then they're probably not worth talking to anyway, right? Vassar is an excellent education and great friends. Occassionally ridiculous discussions will masquerade as good insight, though, and are often taken seriously by professors as long as you use words that sound academic and profound. That's my one academic complaint, and I think it comes from a sense of pluralism and the value in everyone's opinion that tends to be the default around here. The administration is growing increasingly conservative though they'll often deny it, and so it's important that the student body keeps a check on administrators, which it successfully does most of the time through constant organized critique. Not much school pride floats around here because athletics are so relatively unimportant, but I personally like it that way. There are lots of big universities for athletes, but Vassar is (or at least should be, I think) a place for students who want a different scene (without Greek life or mascots).

Academics probably can't be beat. Professors are experts in their fields and excited to teach. They know your name and are often available for consultation at any point in the semester. Often informal, personal, laid-back relationships with faculty members abound and make the learning process that much more engaging. Mostly everyone tends to work hard. Vassar is a place filled with ambititous people who want to get as far ahead in their field of study as possible. Cooperation is common and competition doesn't seem so prevalent. There are always those annoying freshman who attempt to put their intellectual prowess on stage by raising their hands every seven seconds in intro courses (which is why I've learned to avoid them), but that's before they realize it won't get them anywhere. The English department is popular and extensive and filled with a great faculty. Course offerings cover the whole breadth of subject matter, and many non-majors take courses up through the intermediate levels (for better or worse). In my opinion, the best professors are the ones who remain open to discussion, share their own wealth of knowledge, but are willing to put their foot down when someone offers some comment that isn't helpful or illuminating or is just inaccurate. Vassar is mostly a place for learning for learning's sake. Then again, you'll ultimately have to figure out what the hell you're going to do with that Philosophy and Religious Studies double major once you're out of here. But for four years, you're invited to pretend it won't matter! Yay!

This is a big topic. I can't possibly tackle it, but I'll give it a shot. A good deal of political correctness dictates interactions on campus. That's not to say there isn't a wonderful and surprising degree of interaction across identifications. But part of the problem, I think, is the high level of emphasis placed on respect and dialogue that only serve to draw distinctions between groups, making casual conversations somewhat difficult. If everything is such a serious subject, it's easier for these concerns to offend people or become instantly personal. For instance, a worthwhile conversation could have emerged over an article published on campus a few years ago in a right-leaning political publication regarding the potential drawbacks of the ALANA Center, a resource for students of color. But the outrage sparked on campus by the demeaning approach the article took to the issue ultimately precluded and profitable discussion from ever occurring. This is all not to say that there isn't a good deal of diversity interchange that happens freely on campus, but none can ignore the loose cliques that form among students of a similar race, some gay students, and some of the same religion. I'd mitigate this by also mentioning the hegemeny fostered by members of a sports team. In any case, this grouping that naturally occurs to a certain degree is not always a bad thing, I think, particularly when students can relate to one another personally by shared experience and form relationships as a result. Most important, no sense of segregation emerges from these tendencies, and we all seem to interact pretty freely and genuinely with one another. Despite the high sensitivies that often characterize debate and discussion, the student body is by and large an intermingling of very different people, which creates a good dynamic for living and learning on campus.

Everyone's in a club. Join one, you'll like it. And if you don't, join another and you probably will. Dorms are a laid-back, fun place. Most doors are unlocked, and there's a nice sense of community and dorm pride. Guest speakers are ubiquitous and often quite good, a great supplement to what you learn in class and an important aspect of your education. Athletic events are somewhat popular but often not a cause for school spirit. Theater at Vassar is mostly great. Some productions are shoddy, but for every bad one, there's two that are excellent. Plus, they abound--there are more things to do here than you can possibly fit into your schedule, and that's always a plus. Dating is weird. Small campus means people know who you're with or on or under. That's not so horrifying as it sounds as long as you're comfortable with how you lead your personal life. College is a community and there's little privacy, but mostly that's totally okay. You'll probably be lucky to find someone really special, though some do, and there's always a contingent of hook-up's on the circuit if you're into it. Then again, many straight girls will often joke that all the best guys are gay or taken. (Then again, they're not entirely joking.) Let's not misconstrue that one either, though; for gay students, the dating scene is hardly a haven either. Bottom line is that this is a small college so the pickings are slim on most sides. Partying is prevalent and frequent, but there's little pressure to leave your comfort zone and often not what you saw on 'Animal House.' You can keep it to a small group of friends or go nuts like the freshman and cruise campus looking for dorm parties and outdoor soirees at senior housing. Off campus, there are more cheap restaurants than you think exist, and if you've got a car, multiply that by 10. If you're like most of us in college, though, and you haven't got the money, well...there's that to consider too.

You name a stereotype, you can probably apply it to somebody here: Gay, Indie Hipster, Hippie, Activist, Feminist, Artist, Country Club Set, etc. Vassar's also known to be a place for the cynical, the self-righteous, the self-absorbed, the radical, and the overachiever who didn't get into his Ivies.

To some degree, each one is accurate, but none are really helpful for determining who any given person truly is. Sure, there are all sorts of people at Vassar and, like anywhere else, some you'll like and some you won't. But by and large, everyone does his/her own thing and we more or less seem to get along anyway. There's a good deal of diversity on campus, despite continual lamentation that there's not enough. Vassar's full of smart, engaged people who are mostly considerably friendly if you'll get past first impressions, which can certainly tend toward the stereotypes listed above.

Vassar is a great place, and it's mostly what you make of it. It can provide you some of the best experiences of your life and some of the people you'll ever want to find. The education is unsurpassed, the architecture is beautiful, the social scene is personal and relaxing, and the college experience is neither monotonous nor suffocating. Especially if you're a bit weird, creative, off-beat, yet unpretentious or just intelligent and mild-mannered but you want some oddball friends, this is the place for you. Frat boys and Daughters of the Confederacy need not apply.