Bennington College Top Questions

The only stereotype that doesn't fit is the "hippy" one. There are few hippy types at Bennington, especially compared to hipsters and artsy, out of the box people.

As with all stereotypes, all of these hit the mark on some people, but the campus is made up of people from all walks of life, not just the hippie-yuppie-rich-kid crowd.

50{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the stereotypes you will here will be true. No, we are not all "Hippies", in fact you will find very few "Hippies" (depending on how you define "Hippie"). You will very rarely see someone topless, and it is an extremely rare occasion when someone is fully nude. The college used to allow students to be nude on campus if it was not disrupting anyone else, however they have recently changed the rule, and nudity is no longer allowed on campus (after a conflict with an orientation leader who wanted to be nude while introducing freshman to the school in the Fall). Bennington is a very expensive school and so most of the people who attend are "well-off" and you will run into some snobs however once you get to know the right people you find out that they know, just like you, that there is and will always be more to life than money, and everyone will agree that its 50 grand being well spent. At Bennington, you can choose to be labeled a "Burn out" or pot smoker or you can not, people are not going to judge you if you aren't and you will not be ostracized either way.

Nope!

There's a nice air at Bennington where anything can happen. It's interesting because there can be a lot of negative attitudes and skepticism but at the same time, I would feel perfectly comfortable wearing a feather boa to go eat dinner. Bennington is a place that stresses a lot of people because it can be very intense. There's a constant drive to do something cool, for your work to be out of the box. This leads to some general silliness and an upper crust of people. Some people compare it to high school but it's only that way if you actually let yourself care about it. I only know one person that has peed out of a window and interpretative dances are not accepted as a plan essay anymore. And there is a feeling that art can change the world that what we are doing, what our work is, is important. As far as the Bennington girl is, I have seen a lot of drama happen, but really, Bennington girls are great, at least the ones I've known. While the social climate can be trying, at the same time you are surrounded by passionate, driven people that go a small country college in the middle of the Vermont wilderness often away from homes, families, boyfriends, plunged into a curriculum of hardcore difficult things that expect crazy things from you, and you either deal or wilt under the pressure. Bennington girls are definitely dynamic, and when blowing off the pressures of the day, do sometimes get a little wild. And don't wear shirts. Not all Bennington boys are sluts but there is a definite advantage to being male in going to Bennington. They are just as great as the girls.

To some extent the stereotypes about Bennington and its students are true. But despite the lack of tests, grades, and structure Bennington is more work than anyone outside of "the bubble" can ever understand.

mostly

Partially. Hippies care more about the environment than anyone seems to at Bennington (as we've been even having trouble getting recycling off the ground.) The college is beautiful, the students are artsy...the girls can be desperate...the ratio isn't in their favor...it is small...and then there are those days when it feels like this big family, and it's wonderful.

Not really. Bennington students tend to be driven and self-motivated, but we don't all make art; many Bennies are interested in Math, Computer-science, Law, and other less traditionally "creative" fields. There traditionally has been a group of students who flaunt the lack of nudity restrictions, but they are far from the majority. Many of us eat meat, and we even have a few republicans. There are probably more lesbians, gay men, transpeople, and anyone who falls into the "alternative lifestyle" category at Bennington because the campus community is pretty accepting. But guys seeking girls still have better luck than girls seeking girls.

Not at all. Yes, there are very many crunch, hippyish type people, but I have not experienced any crazy drugs. Everyone I know is very much their own person and very excited about their studies. I love the energy of Bennington. Everyone is very immersed in their work, but also immersed in other's work... people are always sharing their work/studies/projects. It makes it a very innovative and exciting place.