Reed is a wonderland for quirky and intellectual people who want to be learning and growing every day. The classes are small and individualized, providing an environment where you are encouraged to explore your own ideas and push others to do the same. With constant support from the faculty, you always know where you are and how you can be improving, and you are given constant kindness throughout the academic rigor.
Do you have any tips for prospective students?
Reed is a place to come if you love learning, if you want to be pushed out of your comfort zone, if you want teachers to be watching you and challenging you with every assignment, if you want to be around unique individuals who also love to learn, and if you are willing to work hard to have all this.
Do you find there’s enough academic rigor at your school?
Reed is not easy. But it is completely manageable with the knowledge that all students are facing their own challenges and that your teachers are always there to help.
Describe the dorm life at your college.
There are a few dorms that are uglier and older than others (avoid Foster, Scholz, MacNaughton, if possible), but the dorms generally have a strong sense of community. Tir Na Nog, the sci-fi/fantasy dorm, has an amazing community of lower- and upper- classmen who thrive in a nerdy, social environment.
Go to: Noise Parade, Stop Making Sense, Fetish Ball, Drag Ball, and of course, RENN FAYRE. But take warning: these parties/dances can get a little rowdy.
Do you feel you’re getting value for the money you’re spending on college?
Reed is expensive. Personally too expensive for me. But I think it is worth every penny. I will gladly be paying off student loans in years to come knowing that I received such a great education and so many opportunities
Share any unusual traditions or locations on campus
Everything at Reed is unusual, and there are too many traditions to count. Some of the best:
*The Doyle Owl: every year, dorms compete for ownership of the Doyle Owl (a giant, concrete owl stolen by Reedies many, many years ago). The fight gets pretty crazy, but everyone is so excited. The winner hides the owl, and it is constantly threatened to be stolen. Some day, they decide to bring it out, and the fight starts all over.
*Renn Fayre: Originally a Renaissance festival, Renn Fayre is a three-day party on campus for exclusively Reedies. It involves naked blue people, champagne showers, and endless amounts of glitter. You will hear about Renn Fayre for the whole year until it happens. It's that amazing.
Which types of students will excel at your college?
How would you describe campus safety? Do you feel safe on campus?
Reed operates differently from most schools. Rather than being super strict about drugs and alcohol, Reed Campus Safety recognizes that the stricter you are, the more you drive these activities underground. Instead, they work with safety in mind first. We have medical amnesty meaning you won't get in trouble if your health's in trouble and you contact the CSOs. They want to make sure no one gets hurt or does anything stupid, but they do this with respect. We have something called the Honor Principle, which means you act with integrity recognizing that your actions have consequences and that you should always act as responsibly as possible. The Honor Principle provides a great environment for safety if respected.
Reed is a wonderland for quirky and intellectual people who want to be learning and growing every day. The classes are small and individualized, providing an environment where you are encouraged to explore your own ideas and push others to do the same. With constant support from the faculty, you always know where you are and how you can be improving, and you are given constant kindness throughout the academic rigor.
Reed is a place to come if you love learning, if you want to be pushed out of your comfort zone, if you want teachers to be watching you and challenging you with every assignment, if you want to be around unique individuals who also love to learn, and if you are willing to work hard to have all this.
Reed is not easy. But it is completely manageable with the knowledge that all students are facing their own challenges and that your teachers are always there to help.
There are a few dorms that are uglier and older than others (avoid Foster, Scholz, MacNaughton, if possible), but the dorms generally have a strong sense of community. Tir Na Nog, the sci-fi/fantasy dorm, has an amazing community of lower- and upper- classmen who thrive in a nerdy, social environment.
I have been told by many transfer students that Reed has some of the best college food. But like all dorm food, the meals get old and bland. One amazing thing about Bon Appétit, Reed's food service, is that they use all local, organic foods. The meals are always balanced and healthy and there are always options for vegetarians and vegans.
Go to: Noise Parade, Stop Making Sense, Fetish Ball, Drag Ball, and of course, RENN FAYRE. But take warning: these parties/dances can get a little rowdy.
Reed is expensive. Personally too expensive for me. But I think it is worth every penny. I will gladly be paying off student loans in years to come knowing that I received such a great education and so many opportunities
Everything at Reed is unusual, and there are too many traditions to count. Some of the best: *The Doyle Owl: every year, dorms compete for ownership of the Doyle Owl (a giant, concrete owl stolen by Reedies many, many years ago). The fight gets pretty crazy, but everyone is so excited. The winner hides the owl, and it is constantly threatened to be stolen. Some day, they decide to bring it out, and the fight starts all over. *Renn Fayre: Originally a Renaissance festival, Renn Fayre is a three-day party on campus for exclusively Reedies. It involves naked blue people, champagne showers, and endless amounts of glitter. You will hear about Renn Fayre for the whole year until it happens. It's that amazing.
Nerdy, introverted, social, intellectual, smart, hard-working.
There is no Greek Life on campus.
Reed operates differently from most schools. Rather than being super strict about drugs and alcohol, Reed Campus Safety recognizes that the stricter you are, the more you drive these activities underground. Instead, they work with safety in mind first. We have medical amnesty meaning you won't get in trouble if your health's in trouble and you contact the CSOs. They want to make sure no one gets hurt or does anything stupid, but they do this with respect. We have something called the Honor Principle, which means you act with integrity recognizing that your actions have consequences and that you should always act as responsibly as possible. The Honor Principle provides a great environment for safety if respected.