Vassar College Top Questions

Vassar is a place very friendly to all minority groups, with the exception of people who aren't decidedly left of center politically. A conservative would feel out of place.

Visit us! We will take you into our homes, show you the Vassar deal. There is no thing I can write of short length that would adequately describe this student body, diverse of mind and face and walk and fashion and interest, united in sisterhood brotherhood damn it just plain hood that brought us here in the first place.

Kind of homogenous in some respects. Everyone's pretty liberal, pretty democratic, pretty pro-choice and pro-gay marriage. Not that there's anything wrong with those things, it's just that those who have dissenting opinions can feel somewhat estranged at times. But you learn to live with it. I, for one, have pretty strong dissenting opinions on many matters, and I have no problem making friends or fitting into the social scene.

If you're a straight girl, be prepared. There are slim-pickings. A lot of the guys, (and mind you that's only 40{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the population) are either gay, weird/unattractive, or taken. If you're a straight guy-- lucky you. If you're a gay guy, also lucky you. If you're a gay girl, also slim pickings. We have an incredibly accepting LGBTQ community, with lord knows how many support groups/orgs. Students are for the most part, pretty political. Rather, politically left. The conservative voice is VERY MUCH in the minority. It's a liberal-arts school. Don't come here if you're of the Westboro Baptist beliefs-- you will end up a complete social outcast. That being said, people of all political, religious, (whatever) backgrounds are highly respected. Just be aware that the environment very much leans to the agnostic/atheist politically left side of things. Don't be so surprised when you move in on the first day of freshman year to find that your roommate is gay, atheist, liberal/socialist, vegan, or enjoys a few elicit substances-- (or any combination of those).

Everyone at Vassar wants their voice to be heard, and for the most part, it is. the LGBTQ community is extremely prevalent on campus. There are numerous racial and religious organizations on campus, as well, and they sponsor a number of events throughout the school year. And if your race or religion or sexuality isn't represented in one of the organizations already established, the school is very willing and encouraging to have students create more groups. I would say, however, that Vassar is fairly homogeneous in both racial and socioeconomic terms, and this can often silence those that ARE racially or socioeconomically different. But, in true Vassar form, these groups of people are banding together to create more awareness on campus. Vassar students cannot be accused of not advocating for themselves. I would say that anyone, if they tried hard enough, could fit in at Vassar. I can tell you, though, who would have the hardest time: Conservative, fraternity/sorority-loving, Abercrombie & Fitch-wearing, straight laced types. That type is so different from the majority of Vassar students, and while we have the occasional Hollister shirt and pro-Bush bumper sticker, they are few and far between. Students at Vassar wear whatever they want. Seriously. No matter how ridiculous, or mismatched, or expensive, or bizarre, or comfortable. I've seen it all. And it's great--I never feel weird wearing things on this campus. What's also great about Vassar is that everyone is separated by about two degrees. I've often thought about creating a web to see how I'm connected to every student on this campus, because I'm pretty sure it's possible. I interact with students from all different areas: academics, athletics, drama, music, art, etc. There is certainly some hostility or judgment between groups, but when it comes down to individuals, people interact with most everyone.

The Vassar student body is overwhelmingly liberal, and more than half come from wealthy backgrounds. Still, there is a great deal of diveristy to be found here, and a great deal of school pride as well. Don't expect a great deal of activism on campus (the student body is surprisingly apathetic, at least politically), but most people you'll meet are extremely intelligent, friendly, and generally happy. Groups of friends are often spread out across the campus and encompass members of every standard college clique and beyond.

I wish there were more women who like women, we're surprisingly low on them even though there's a female majority.

Liberal. Liberal to the core. And for the most part, at least comfortably well off. We love to talk politics here, and we're a fairly hardcore "Barack Obama" institution. There's a student activist group for pretty much anything one can think of - yes, even anti-Coke and anti-Barnes & Noble groups exist. Sometimes it gets a little ridiculous, but for the most part, they mean well. Also, there's a large LGBT population; the Queer Coalition - as it is so named - holds a lot of power at this school. IF you find homosexuality even slightly unacceptable, you may want to look elsewhere. Everything here is gender-neutral, down to the bathrooms, so you'd best be comfortable with yourself, or you'll become so quite quickly.

We are ridiculous. We have our own language and even our professors speak it. The LGBTQ population is large and the Queer Coalition throws awesome parties. There is a Republican Party student organization (I think) and there are 6 members and five of them are only in it to be rebellious. Most of us (except for the philosophy majors) will probably end up making good money...or living in our friends' basements while we struggle through grad school; THEN we will make money. We aren't really that clique-y except for the sports teams. We do not have a football team but we do have a kickass women's rugby team. We party hard on the weekends and then hit the library HARD during the week. (We have an awesome library!!)

For a prestigious liberal arts college, Vassar does a great job at maintaining a diverse student body. There are lots of kids from all over the country and all over the globe. The Vassar Student Organization is full of groups that discuss racial, religious and LGBT issues on campus. There's an athletics program here, but it isn't the main focus of the campus, so there is not a jock "hierarchy" so much as a relatively visible presence. Most people are pretty liberal and aware of social issues.

-if you're the frat or sorority type, you're shit out of luck. -no one is too weird. like i said, nothing shocks a vassar student. -every group is fluid. no concrete cliques. -sometimes people are a little socially awkward, but they're the minority. -very diverse student body -very liberal, with a few bitter dissidents

As I've said, the hipster and LGBT populations predominate (and overlap) but you can pretty much find whatever crowd you're looking for, and the good news is that pretty much everyone is intelligent and interesting. People here have a way of revealing talents months after you get to know them that will give you a whole new perspective on their personality.

People are nice and they care about the environment.

We are ALWAYS busy. Join as many activities, groups, and sports as possible, or get prepared to feel left behind. As a student body we are ridiculously stylish and caffeinated. Lots of type A's masquerading as hippies.

It's pretty whiteywhitey here, but there's a decent international community. Everyone's painfuly liberal that I wish that sometimes there were more Conservatives around to make classes a little but more interesting.

As I said before, the Vassar student body is changing very rapidly.Ten years ago Vassar was considered a very politically active, progressively minded school. I would say that is changing. The study body is getting much more culturally heterogeneous. More much moderate, like-minded, politically apathetic, and socially straight-edge kids are being admitted. The older Vassar generation tries continuously to "Keep Vassar Weird" but that truth is, Vassar is getting more and more "normal" every year. Vassar is defined by its cliques. People establish these small groups early on in their freshman year and then never stray too far. People are always nice and accepting (especially when it comes to the LGBT community) but it is difficult to make good friends with people once you move on past your freshman year. Vassar students are very conscious about trying to be P.C. but I often feel like that leads to a whole lot of boring and dishonest conversations. What I find most disturbing about Vassar, however, is this new "popular" group of hipsters that seems to be emerging. Vassar never had a "popular" group until very recently but it is starting to develop one and, frankly, I've never met a more self-obsessed group of kids.

People for the most part are very open-minded and the diversity is pretty good. An out of place student at Vassar would be one who wants the media-portrayed college life i.e. Greek system, football games, and business students. For most people though, everyone will find their niche. Different groups of people interact well and most groups of friends have diverse interests. Students are definitely more left-oriented politically, although there are a few conservatives on campus. Most students are from the east coast, but a large group come from California as well. For the most part, people are well off financially, although the school's cost is always a concern.

While most represented States at Vassar are New York, California, New Jersey, and Connecticut, there are students representing over 150 different nations around the world. Even though we have less than 3000 students at Vassar any given year, the student body is extremely diverse and worldly. Most students are from upper-middle class families, and most of the campus is very liberal, but any other classification is hard to describe. There are a variety of racial, religious, and LGBT groups at Vassar.

-Conservatives usually do not feel comfortable at Vassar, simply because our curriculum and social scene is completely liberally minded.

Open, fairly accepting Full of crazies and hipsters Boys wear skinnier jeans than girls Wear things that look like they came from the dumpster, but complete the outfit with one ridiculously expensive item Liberal

Students at Vassar are a lot more varied than people think. You can find at least one of everyone here. It's also a lot more cliquey than some people would like, but it isn't hard to find friends you are comfortable with. There are a lot of really rich kids here, who can be somewhat obnoxious about their financial background, but there are also totally normal people and people here on a ton of financial aid, like me.

Everyone is very tolerant of "minority" groups. There is a lot of LGBT love here. Many students are from the northeast. There seems to be an alliance against trendy clothes.

Vassar was recently ranked as one of the most accepting communities of the LGBT population. Not only are there clubs and organizations geared towards every kind of sexuality and/or sexual preference, everyone here is very welcoming of different kinds of people. I think a very preppy, homophobic student would feel out of place here: Vassar is not a place where people pop their collars. Even though there are the typical sports' teams cliques, there are not really cliques in general. I have friends on every sports team, from volleyball to squash, and I play a club sport with a slew of different people. In general, most people come from New York, California, and Connecticut/Massachusetts, although I think every state is represented here by at least one student; there is also a big international community with students hailing from Denmark, Ghana, Colombia, and Australia (to name a few). Because Vassar is a highly selective (and expensive) college, the general population comes from upper middle class families, although I personally am on a lot of financial aid. I have some friends who are on complete scholarships and come from very poor backgrounds, but I also know some people who are heirs to fortunes. There is a Republican group on campus, but we never hear about them really: Vassar Democrats are awesome.

Most students are pretty wealthy, but Vassar's student body and administration are at the forefront of liberal arts colleges that are finally dealing with classism as a major issue. LGBT and racial groups are well represented, though there is a small stigma for Christians.

People wear what they want here, and everybody talks to everybody. If there's four tables of students in the dining hall, one of them is probably the ultimate team, two of them are probably just random groups of friends, and the fourth is most likely myself and another atheist league member in a debate with the Christian Fellowship. Students come from all backgrounds, though until this year we had a relatively high concentration of wealthy caucasians. I suspect that by next year we'll be about 30{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} minority groups and 70{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of our student body will be on financial aid.

Students at Vassar are very accepting of all types of diversity, however there is not much diversity on campus. This is a very white school. Most students are from the East, but there is a large California population as well.

I don't have much experience with this issue, although from the experience I do have (in class and outside) I think that students are moderately intolerant towards other students that express Moderate and Conservative viewpoints.

A lot of rich white kids that think the school is diverse. Very clique-y, which can be okay depending what clique you happen to get in.

There are big LGBTQ groups on campus that are quite prominent, clubs for minorities, etc. You can meet so many different kinds of people and the experience is wonderful. A significant portion of students are from NY, a LOT of them from Long Island, liberal, white, and from well-off families. But that doesn't mean to say there aren't people from different backgrounds.

there's a lot of left-winged people here

In general, Vassar has a very open environment. As with nearly all selective liberal arts schools, our student body is disproportionately from the top economic quartile. However, Vassar is very active in always trying to promote greater economic, racial, ethnic and social diversity on campus. More important, however, is that Vassar is very open to all kinds of people and we have a great deal of diversity in terms of students from all over the country and the world, cultural diversity, and diversity of background and experience. For instance, every year, our Exploring Transfer program brings in accomplished, older students as transfers from community colleges around the country after a vigorous selection process. Vassar is also need-blind in admissions and guarantees to cover full need. Therefore, one should in no way feel discouraged from applying due to the high official price tag. One note of caution: Vassar is politically and socially a very liberal environment. We have co-ed bathrooms, we read all sorts of literature, from the Satanic Verses to Thomas Acquinas, and we love to debate about social problems and politics. More importantly, since we were once a women's institution, women's rights are a very important issue here. If you are of a very conservative religious background and feel that the woman's place is in the home, that pornography should be illegal (like many other campuses, we have a student-run porn mag), or that sacrilegious texts should not be read in the classroom, you will be unlikely to find like-minded people. However, we'd love to have you here and to discuss ideas with you!

It's not a terribly racially diverse campus, although it doesn't feel like a sea of WASPs/JAPs either. Vassar seems rather godless at first glance, but really there are many religious students on campus - many of us are just rather quiet with our personal faiths, and/or keep quiet due to the spectre of the rather vocal contingent of militant atheists. LGBT diversity/acceptance is widespread. Socioeconomically, we get accused of being all yuppie rich kids but I feel that's an exaggeration. Most of us are probably middle class, with some upper middle class, and a wee sprinkling of working class. Wear whatever you want! In class, most people are on the range between comfy/funky/cozy and well-put-together. Not too many people in just flat-out sweats or in business-casual, but you wouldn't look unusual dressed either of those ways, either. Lots of student interaction! I don't think there are any exclusive social groups. Sure, there are vague clumpings - anime lovers or hipsters or tree-huggers or what have you - but they are not mutually exclusive. It's more like a way of describing people than of describing who they hang out with, since all the groups are fluid and most people feel comfortable in multiple social circles. We don't segregate ourselves into social groups in the dining hall or anywhere else. Mostly left-leaning. Not much talk about what we'll earn one day - more about what we're passionate about, the issues we'd like to work with or environments we feel happy in.

Vassar is overwhelmingly liberal, but moderates and conservatives seem to have carved out a nice notch for themselves. There is not too much conflict between them, except for a few years ago when the conservative magazine on campus published a controversial article that resulted in the VSA (Vassar Student Association) taking away their funding. Since then, however, they seem to have reached a nice equilibrium without conflict. Many students are non-religious, or perhaps are religious but non-practicing. The majority of kids I know have Christian or Jewish upbringings, although I am sure there are students with other religious backgrounds, and many are open to new experiences. Some kids make time to visit buddhist monasteries every once in a while.

One of Vassar's greatest assets is its diversity. There is kind of an idea that you are secular until proven otherwise, but religious groups get together amongst themselves. There is a tendency toward being affluent, but you'll stop feeling inferior eventually. Since there is so much diversity, Vassar is the land of the politically correct, so those who don't have much of a filter in that regard will offend someone, and they will hear about it. Different types of students generally interact--my group of friends on my hall include a Kashmiri Muslim, an Arab Muslim, a white Catholic boy, a Jew, a Serb, a Buddhist from the Midwest, a Bulgarian, and a WASP from Massachusetts, and we're a pretty typical group of friends at Vassar.

The majority of students at Vassar are white, upper-middle class, rich-hippie type kids. The racial and economic imbalance is probably not so much Vassar's fault as the general (unfortunate) trend in northeastern liberal arts colleges. A lot of Vassar students are from the New England area, but we get people from all over. Most students are politically aware and generally left, as most of the faculty seem to be as well. Intellectual conversations are frequent outside of the classroom. At four cafeteria tables at ACDC (the all-campus dining center), you would find a handful of well-dressed bohemian-looking girls with lots of jewelry and stylish bags, one or two nerdy guys with Zelda t-shirts, a few swimmers or lacrosse players carbo-loading, maybe an international student from Italy or Japan, and a lots of kids talking passionately about politics or their most recent psychology lecture. Vassar students of all "types" are all definitely interested and engaged in their studies. Since Vassar used to be an all-girls' school, a lot of people seem to think that there aren't enough boys here and that the ones that are here are gay, because of Vassar's artsy, open-minded vibe. While we do have our fair share of gay guys, there are also plenty of straight ones to go around, so don't worry-- no matter what your romantic persuasion may be, you'll be fine at Vassar.

There are a lot of LGBT people, and they are often well known on campus. No one cares a bout money here, probably cause everyones rich.

frat types would feel out of place at vassar. the school is pretty laid back. conservatives or preps might feel slightly out of place but most vassar students are very accepting.

Vassar is very liberal, typically Northeastern school. There are plenty of openly gay people on campus, as well as trans-gendered or questioning people. This makes the atmosphere very open and comfortable in many respects, and I like that. But there isn't a lot of religious diversity— in fact, Vassar is non-denominational, so really there isn't a lot of religious observation other than the fairly large Jewish contingent. Most people just don't talk about their religion, or don't think about it much. That's fine by me, though— I'd rather be at a school where religion is a minor thing than at a school where the religious aspect is overwhelming or intrusive.

not a lot of different racial groups, and most students are not very religious. the vju is the most prevelent religious organization, however there is some focus on spirituality in a larger sense. there aren't a lot of students from lower and lower-middle classes, however there is a strong LGBT presence which makes Vassar diverse and accepting in at least one sphere of life. i think a lot of lower class and minority students feel out of place. a lot of students wear casual clothes to class, however there is definately a group of students who wear trendy hipster-y clothes. if there are four tables of students in the dining hall, one table would be full of hipster kids discussing indie films and watching videos on their macbooks, one table would be nso/barefoot monkeys kids wearing interesting black clothing and talking about anime, one group would be of "jocks" in the vassar sense, meaning they're not super athletic but think they are, and think it's an excuse to act like a frat, and then one table of a mix of students. most vassar students are from ny state, la and california in general, and the boston area. most students are middle-upper class, and definately mostly liberal and far left. a lot of them have never had to worry about money and don't really have a sense of being financially independent.

The student body is diverse, but at the same time it's not... I don't feel like people bring their cultures and perspectives to the table but rather they become Vassar-ized. I feel no hate or prejudice but I could be blind, I don't think I'm really the best judge. Straight-edge conservative people would probably feel out of place but it would be great to get some different points of view on this campus. Different types of students interact with the exception of ESL students... people stick with those who speak their first language generally. Students wear anything from pajamas to dresses to class... there is a weird fashion scene here. Jeans generally look like they've been painted on.

I kinda felt out of place at vassar im not really into music and theater so there wasnt much to do for me when everyone was going to the drama/music shows. students wear whatever to class lots get dressed up. i wore sweatpants no one cared. lost of students form california and long island but there are majority arsty-"hipsters" im not into that. majority are all poilitically active and aware. very liberal. Students dont make much money at all. students hang out with mostly who they meet in there hall their first time they get to vassar.

I think conservative students would feel a little out of place here but doesn't mean that you won't have a great experience. I am a conservative (in fact, I am a christian and still hold to that belief) and it can be hard sometimes to express your beliefs but that has not tainted my time here at all. I am a strong member of the BSU here and love it so I make sure to keep in touch with people of color on campus. Most students wear what's comfortable for them to class I guess. Diff. students do interact though there are definite cliques but like everywhere. Predominantly left but ALOT in the center-some students talk about future money plans but not overwhelmingly so but if you hear it its from upperclassmen who are close to leaving and HAVE to think about money issues haha. Financial backgrounds: alot of kids here come from some privilege or money in their families but if they do most DON't show it or reveal it which is real chill. its a good mix though I think cause there are a good amount of kids who are also on LOADS of financial aid (i.e. ME no shame). Students seriously come from all over the world but States-wise (in no particular order): New york, California, New jersey, DC metro area, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania mainly from Philly suburbs.

We respect each other. Period. We don't always agree, but our dissent is logical, thought-out, and respectful. While not as racially diverse as many would like, we are certainly moving in a positive direction and making Vassar accessible to more people each year. Certainly college is expensive and a lot of people come from money, but socio-economic diversity is strengthening. And yes, it's a great place to be gay.

Oh its very left here. Not much else is tolerated. Not enough inter-sphere friendships but I feel it is getting better with time. Yet sometimes the blacks sit at one table, the asians, at another, and the jocks somewhere else and it feels like an archipelago. poop.

The Vassar campus is mostly white, non-religious, and very liberal. There is a very diverse socio-economic background for all students. Politically conservative students would feel very out of place here. Vassar students wear anything from jeans to sweatpants to skirts to classes. We wear t-shirts, sweaters, and everything in between. Different types of students definitely interact and Vassar stresses taking advantage of the diversity in our student body. The four tables in the dining hall will have one with a sports team all sitting together, one with a hallway all eating together, one with a student sitting along studying while they eat, and the other will have students eating with a professor discussing the class material. Most Vassar students are from New York, California, New Jersey, and the Northeast of the United States. Most financial backgrounds are middle to high class. Most students are politically aware and active. There are many activist clubs on campus. Most students are left. Students do not talk about how much they want to earn in the future.

I think everyone can be included at Vassar for the most part. We're not overwhelmingly diverse - we are predominantly white and trendy - but no one looks down their nose at those who want to walk to the beat of their own drum or practice whatever lifestyle they choose. We are very much about promoting and accepting alternative lifestyles. Most students wear jeans and stuff - a lot of people are trendy, but not ridiculous about it. You'll feel comfortable in anything from sweatpants and a t-shirt to a casual dress and high heels. Different types of students do interact, but there are a lot of places where groups with similar interests/cultures/experiences interact with each other. Four tables in the dining hall: There's always a sports team eating en masse after a practice or before a practice. Um... other than that I think we all kind of eat with our friends and whoever else we meet up with at the DC - it's not like high school where there's like a goth table and a punk table - I think we're much more inclusive than that. I think upper middle class is the most prevalent financial background, but there's people of all types of means here, and some people will flaunt their money, but most people are more modest about it. I'm from a lower economic tier and never feel inadequate or any kind of bias towards me because my parents aren't super power executives or stock brokers or whatever. Students are politically aware, certain groups are very active, and we are predominantly and inexcusably left. Which can get old - bring in your various viewpoints and spark some debate! Some students talk about future earnings, a lot of people I know (and this just may be my friends circle) are more concerned with enjoying what they do after Vassar rather than how much money they're going to put in the bank.

Some people complain about the Vassar student body not being diverse enough as far as race, I have just for my own observation looked in every class I have been in and often find the class to be very diverse. One of my classes is about 20 people of which only 8 are caucasian. Though this not always the case I have found it a fair representation of the school as a whole. I don't know how it compares to other schools but Vassar does have a large gay population especially gay men. It is not like a certain sect of vassar just kind of part of the society.

The sense of GLBT community is uneven. Plenty of people participate in the Blegen House (GLBTQ resource center) events or in the Vassar Student Association's Queer Coalition, but GLBT people (perhaps a little less on the T side of things) are so well accepted here that it's hard to build community between GLB people. This is changing little by little thanks to strong efforts by Blegen House, but I think people are generally so comfortable here that the perceived need for solidarity is less than at other colleges.

A very conservative person (politically, religiously) might feel out of place at Vassar, but we're a generally accepting community. I think you'll only feel out of place if you're intolerant of people with lifestyles that might differ from yours.

Pick it, you will find it here.