Vassar College

Date: Jun 06 2005
Major: Math (This Major's Salary over time)
I've had an incredible experience during my first year at Vassar. Even to this day, it blows my mind that this school exists - top education quality, friendly and passionate professors as well as students, beautiful campus, total academic freedom, tons of clubs and things to do, and most importantly very happy students. It all seems too good to be true!

Although I haven't declared my major(s) yet, I'm currently planning on being a math major, and the department is surprisingly excellent despite (or perhaps because of) its small size. I'm also considering a double major with voice, and the music department is phenomenal. It was a little overwhelming in the beginning to see what I was up against-don't expect a lot your freshman year, but be patient and if you're really driven as a musician, you'll work your way up.

I was particularly amazed by how well Vassar honored my requests in the paperwork regarding what kind of roommate/advisor/dorm I wanted. I got to live in Raymond, a quad dorm (which I requested), had a perfect-match roommate who became my best friend, and had an advisor in the math department, John McCleary, who also sings! I've heard occasional horror stories of people not getting what they hoped for, but this is rarely the case. Vassar really makes an effort to suit your needs, so just be honest and you shouldn't have any major problems (hopefully your future roommate will do the same!).

As far as workload goes, it's pretty much what you make of it due to the academic freedom. Last semester I took five classes, sang in the Mixed Choir and Madrigal Singers Ensemble, and wrote a newspaper column every other week and I managed to get all my work done on time. Most people won't do this much, but math and music are relatively easy in terms of workload, and the sciences and humanities will usually take up more time - I imagine it's the same at most other schools. The academic freedom is a major plus because it allows you to take what you're really passionate about and try so many new things while avoiding everything you hated in high school. In addition to math and music, I've taken courses in English, political science, psychology, education, and phys. ed., and they were all great. A double major (or even triple major - it's been done!) isn't nearly as difficult to pull off here than at a school where you'll be burdened w/ core classes. Vassar is known for allowing students to discover hidden talents and passions they never knew they had - make sure you take advantage of this and really explore!

While the school is infallible academically, some people may find the social atmosphere less than thrilling, as I've noticed on this site. People have commented that Vassar is claustrophobic due to its small size, which I agree with at times - you get this strange feeling that you know everyone on campus, even though you really don't. People can become cliquey and cling only to those in their dorm - really make an effort to branch out to a variety of people. I was shocked by some of the posts on this site from people who were unhappy that Vassar was so liberal and didn't have winning sports teams - what the hell did they expect from a division III liberal arts college? It just goes to show that you shouldn't choose your school based solely on its prestige - do the research!
Here are a few things I've experienced to give you an idea of how liberal Vassar really is:

Our President, Fran Fergusson, went into a political rant bashing the Bush administration during her speech to the student body at Fall Convocation.

A recruiter from the CIA gave a presentation to attract upperclassmen for jobs, in which she was harassed with all kinds of questions about the CIA's disregard for human rights. Any conservative or military-affiliated speakers on campus will usually be met with some sort of protest.

There are frequent campus demonstrations in order to raise awareness about various issues, even though they're not a problem on campus. I found this particularly irritating because it's NOT activism - it's just self-righteous bitching and preaching to the already converted!

You don't have to be ultraliberal in order to love Vassar, as I know plenty of people who are apathetic about politics. The school does have a conservative club and several religious groups, so you can still find people who share your values. I considered myself ultraliberal upon entering Vassar, but ironically I actually became more moderate when I saw how reckless and extreme some people were.
Even with Vassar's shortcomings, I can honestly say that I've never been happier than during my first year there. Vassar has given me far more than anything I could ever have asked for, and it really teaches you to take control of your own life and to reach your highest potential. Even without the stunning campus, the great campus speakers and endless amount of film screenings/ a capella concerts/plays/comedy shows to see, what matters most is the drive and passion of every single student and professor you will ever meet there. I know it sounds cliche, but your experience at Vassar can literally last a lifetime.