Reed College

Reed College and the decision to come here has been the best happening yet to occur in my life. This place of learning is so much an ideal for me; not only is the coursework really difficult (depending on your major, you WILL get more work than you can possibly do, which teaches you efficiency and priority), but it is the most useful and educative work I have ever received. In High School, I was used to getting assignments that were, by definition, busy work--teaching me little and taking up more time than they were worth--but here you receive a 150 page reading assignment wherein every page is worth reading, and typically carefully chosen by the professor for just that reason. People here abide by the honor principle very well (not perfectly) socially and academically. When a teacher gives a test, you can take it out of the room and do it in the library or your room or what-have-you, even if it were a closed-book test. People trust that you will be honorable in your treatment of your own learning and your own social life, and Reed works when people do just that--and it works beautifully. People here are of two major types: the best people you will ever meet in your life and some of the strangest (though the two are not necessarily separate). There is a social niche for just about any type of person, and though there may not be much racial diversity, there's an endless supply of social and mental diversity, which creates a beautiful environment for learning both in class and from your peers outside. If there is just one thing I can emphasize about Reed, it is that the great majority of learning and maturing occurs during late-night, long-lasting conversations with your fellow Reedies. I have learned far more from my friends and acquaintances than I have from my classes--and I have learned more in the classes I have taken at Reed than I learned in all of my High School classes combined. This school is ultimately what you make of it, and there are times when the weather or people can get you down, but all you have to do is look forward and around you. Slow down and appreciate the beauty of the situation! You're at college to learn in all areas of life, not just to get a degree. Learn from the difficult times how to handle with likewise-difficult future events, and learn from the wonderful times how to appreciate life and learning. Come to Reed. Smile.

1st Year Male -- Class 2014

Education Quality: A+, Campus Maintenance: B+

Reed College is a place I love and hate, but mostly love. There's so much about this school that is wonderful, and the academics here are bar none. While that may be the case, I'm not going to say there aren't certain negatives. The social scene here is odd, and the Reedie identity is not one that all fit or -want- to fit, and it can be more often what drives people away. Having said that, I don't exactly fit in, but there are so many people here I get along with fantastically--types of people you would be unlikely to find at other schools. The nerd level here is sky-high, but also adorably so, and for as many people who are socially inept, there are those who are socially competent. If you research at all about Reed, you'll hear about it being in the prettiest part of Portland (No, it doesn't rain as much as people say) and you'll hear about the Honor Principle. It's a thing of beauty, truly, and I've yet to hear of an institution with a principle quite like it.

Truly, Reed is a college that is far too unique to understand through words. I can throw statistics at you that you've already read, I can tell you about the drug scene (over-exaggerated by the media--refer to Honor Principle) or the suicides (Sad, and I'm not going to say it isn't, but it's stressful here and we tend to attract somewhat unstable sorts. We're trying to figure out how to help people more successfully); however I can also tell you about how, really, if you go up to anyone and talk to them, they will smile and gladly sit down and talk with you. I can even tell you about Renn Fayre, the best end-of-the-year bash ever, or the giant inflatable bouncy houses we have on the Quad, or the surprisingly awesome PE classes we're required to take six of. Take a hint from me: Be interested and visit--there's nothing like being at Reed and there's no better way to learn about this stressful utopia than to visit and stay a night. So do it! If it's the place for you, you'll know and you will love Reed to such an incredible extent.

1st Year Male -- Class 2014

Education Quality: A+, University Resource Use/ spending: B