Exploring the Hudson Valley

When prospective students consider colleges, countless factors weigh on their minds. Average class size? Depth and breadth of the curriculum? Employment/professional/graduate school prospects? Vassar has all these areas covered pretty well. Our student:faculty ration is 8:1, one of the best ratios of any of our peer schools. Our curriculum is broad and diverse; students choose among 29 departments, 6 interdisciplinary programs, 12 multidisciplinary programs, 51 majors, and 1,000 courses. And our employment prospects are excellent as well, as are our admission statistics to top law and medical schools.

But another topic lingers on the minds of prospective students: Location, location, location. Poughkeepsie? What’s that? Where’s that? Is it close to the city? Some prospectives that I’ve spoken to fear that it’s not enough of a “college town” and that there’s not enough to do in the area surrounding Vassar.

Current Vassar students can quickly dispel these rumors. They know that 1) there is more to do on campus than anyone can possibly imagine, and 2) the local area is teeming with activity. Walking right outside Vassar’s gates takes one to the center of the Arlington Business District—a quaint and artsy area with colorful boutiques, amazing restaurants, and all sorts of services (HSBC, Bank of America, a large post office, etc). Venturing beyond walking distance, students have the entire Hudson Valley at their disposal. Unbelievable historic, cultural, and natural attractions await visitors. Best of all: most museums and sites have major discounts for students.

To help students navigate the outstanding resources in the area, the Vassar Student Association launched Exploring the Hudson Valley. It’s a wonderful resource for prospectives as well, since it will disprove many of the myths that nothing goes on “upstate.”

Is Poughkeepsie like New York City? Take it from a native New Yorker; it’s certainly not. Will I be a life-ling Manhattanite? Naturally. But that definitely does not mean that the area around Vassar is boring. The Town of Poughkeepsie, along with the wider Hudson Valley, is a thriving community with all sorts of businesses and cultural sites just waiting to be explored.

Fall Convocation, take four

(image courtesy of The Miscellany News)

The sense of community at Vassar is rarely stronger than Fall and Spring Convocation. Twice each year, the community gathers to mark the official beginning and end of the academic year. Faculty, alumni, and students come together to listen to beautiful choral music, see long academic processionals, and hear from the President of the College and the President of the Student Association.

Usually, the event is geared toward seniors and freshmen—two classes at opposite ends of their Vassar experience. But I'll admit it; I'm a dork. I've gone to every Convocation since my first year. I usually am successful in dragging my friends along, but truth be told, I'd be there anyway. I just love the sense of tradition and community.

This year, though, was unique. For the first time, my own class marched through the Chapel in our academic dress. Hard to believe. I've seen three other classes do it, and somehow never quite imagined that black gown on myself. But alongside my friends, we processed around campus in anticipation of Commencement.

The Miscellany News, our student newspaper since 1866, produced a wonderful video slideshow of Fall Convocation. If you're curious to see some images and hear segments of the speeches, check this out:

Audio slideshow!

What's on campus?

Vassar has a constant buzz. With 2450 students and nearly 130 student organizations, plus 40+ academic departments and programs, a world-class museum, and 27 varsity sports, there is always an incredible amount to do on campus. Every day of the week, there are dozens of activities to choose from. The hard part is deciding what to do.

Well, this year, that choice has become a little bit easier. Vassar's new InfoSite puts all of the information in one synthesized place. Though it's only been running for a week or so, everyone at the College is thrilled to have their news and calendars coordinated. If you're curious about Vassar events, make the InfoSite your homepage -- maybe something will catch your eye.