Vassar College Top Questions

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.

Most students are left of center here, or at least it seems that way. The conservative people I know tend to feel pretty uncomfortable expressing their opinions, because even the professors support the liberal viewpoint a lot of the time. I know a lot of people on financial aid - I really feel as though I'm in the minority for not being on aid or having a campus job. My friends and I are all broke-ass college students though, regardless of our financial aid status, so we tend to focus on doing cheap things, and that seems to be the norm with most people, although their are definitely a few people for whom going to Paris over spring break would not be much of a stretch. There are definitely student activists at Vassar, and they seem to like to pick pet issues - last year it was Killer Coke, this year it's getting the food service company Aramak off campus - and then really promote the hell out of it. It gets pretty annoying sometimes, even if they do have a point.

this is an open and accepting place. pretty diverse considering how expensive it is. there are a lot of people who have a lot of money, but there are also a lot who dont. It is a need-blind application, so your money isnt a factor in admissions. students spend time getting ready in the morning, i think it is a sign of respect for the teacher and a desire to be taken seriously. You show up in you PJ's and thats distracting from your comment in class...so kids make an effort, but dont show off wealth when getting dressed. Students are very politically aware and active. it is a hotbed for politically minded discussion...predominantly to the left. Students talk about what they will be doing, not how much they will make.

only really hardcore pro-lifers and gay-bashers would feel extremly out of place. Students wear anything from nice dresses to PJs to class (no one cares one way or the other). Lots of different kinds of students interact, although there could be more integration. Most Vassar students are from the East Coast or California. Most are upper middle class, but there's also a lot of international students. Most students are politically aware if not necessarily politically active. Alternative politics are popular here. Students rarely discuss their expected salaries. Rather, they discuss their expected fulfillment levels. We tend to say "I'll be poor but happy"

very open, preppy conservative, whatever, yes but could do more, all different, new york and california, comfortable to wealthy, yes, left, not really.

The majority of Vassar students are white, middle to upper class, and politically liberal. The racial tensions between Vassar and the larger Poughkeepsie community are mirrored on a smaller scale in the daily life of the college. Vassar outwardly embraces racial and sexual diversity, but many students feel that the spaces for minority students on campus are stigmatized and ignored by the larger administration -- those spaces are the ALANA Center for African-American, Latino-American, Asian-American,and Native-American Students and Blegen House, a safe space for LGBT students. In my personal experience, I've been in some classes and attended some social events where racial issues where present but never acknowledged. The white liberal students assume that they are always being inclusive, but often don't realize how divided the student body is. Religion is not a very big issue; there are Christian, Jewish, and Pagan organizations on campus but there are rarely conflicts over religious issues.

The absolutely largest problem I have with Vassar is its lack of diversity- racial diversity, Socio-economic diversity, political diversity. A too-large portion of the student body is composed of wealthy white kids, most of whom are liberal democrats, many of whom are from New Jersey and New York state. There has been, however, an effort in recent years to remedy this problem, and each new class is a little more diverse than the class before it. There is also a large LGBT community and a fairy prominent international community, which helps make the student body less homogenous. And all the different “groups” of students interact with each other- there are few cliques or exclusive groups. The only cliques I've seen are a few sports teams and some of the drama majors, otherwise everyone hangs out with everyone. Many students are very politically active, as evidenced by a wide variety of social/political activity organizations. Unfortunately, most students tend to agree with each other on political issues and, consequently, a Republican or conservative student might feel out of place here. It's also possible that a “preppy” student might feel a little weird because of how he or she will stand out on a campus composed of people who are anything but preppy.