Vassar College

Founded in 1861, Vassar College is a liberal arts institution with a main campus in Poughkeepsie, a town in the southeastern region of New York state that is 85 miles from New York city. The college is named for brewer and merchant Matthew Vassar. At first a women’s college, the institute has been co-educational since 1969.

Vassar is a college with an array of facilities. Those studying Biology or environmental studies will benefit from Vassar Farm, a 416 acre ecological facility, and the sprawling campus of over 1,000 acres contains more than 200 species of trees. Chemistry students have access to a Bruker Nuclear magnetic resonance machine, and computer scientists to an extensive array of equipment and a computer library.

Artistic study is also an important part of the work undertaken at Vassar. The Frances Lehman Loeb Art Centre has incorporated an art museum since its construction in 1864. The modern day facility covers 36,000 square feet, and contains over 19,000 artistic works.

Drama majors offered The Vogelstein Centre for Drama and Film will feature an interdisciplinary element incorporating study from fields such as Roman Study and Dance, as well as focus on acting theory and production design. Attached to the Music department, the Fox Martel Recital Hall hosts over 70 performances a year.

Varsity teams are known as the Brewers, and compete in the NCAA Division III. Also at Vassar are intramural and club sports, including figure skating, polo, and Quidditch.

Computer pioneer Grace Hopper, First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, musician Mark Ronson, chef Anthony Bourdain and Oscar winning actresses Meryl Streep, Jane Fonda, and Anne Hathaway all attended Vassar.