Next up on my recent East Coast college tours: Vassar College (and yet another appearance of my black puffer jacket)
A few takeaways from my visit:
- Vassar is a private liberal arts college in Poughkeepsie, NY. It was originally founded as a women’s college, and became coeducational in 1969. On the day we visited, they offered tours for both prospective students and recently admitted students. I loved this tailored approach to introducing students to the school. As I learned more about Vassar, this seemed representative of a campus culture that values each of their students and their unique backgrounds.
- I would describe the campus as homey and peaceful. As we checked into the Admissions Office, I was reminded of a summer camp. The green, wooded open spaces make you feel like you should be dropping off your sleeping bag in your bunk house and heading down to splash in the lake (though it poured rain the entire time we were there, so maybe not exactly that sunny feeling).
- A key feature of residential life at Vassar is their house system. Each house is self-governing and self-directing, with faculty members serving as house fellows and living alongside students. To place students with a roommate, only three questions are asked: 1) Are you clean? 2) What time do you go to bed? and 3) Do you believe in magic? You can find all kinds of house swag for sale in the campus bookstore.
- Our tour guide raved about Vassar’s flexible curriculum, encouraging students to take risks and dive into subjects they may not ordinarily try. He was also a fan of dorm trips to NYC to see Broadway shows (under 2 hours away by train) and the encouraging, non-competitive nature of his classmates.
Go Brewers! (The nickname originates from the college's founder Matthew Vassar who ran a brewery)
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