Reed College

Responses from the Student Interview

From a student  who identifies as Major: Comparative Literature
Minor: None
Student Self Identifies as: White Unspecified Female

Summary

I am part of the film collective, I got a grant from the French Embassy to run an after-school arts program at a nearby elementary school, I work three jobs, volunteer at two art centers in Portland, and I used to teach English to immigrants.

Background

Gender Identity: Female
Race/Ethnicity: White
Sexual Orientation: Unspecified

High School Experience: Public school in Los Angeles County with a graduating class of about 850 students. The majority of people did not attend college.
First-Generation College Student: No
Major: Comparative Literature
Minor: None
Allied Field: Art History

Extracurricular Activities: I am part of the film collective, I got a grant from the French Embassy to run an after-school arts program at a nearby elementary school, I work three jobs, volunteer at two art centers in Portland, and I used to teach English to immigrants.
Have any of your extracurricular activities had a particularly big impact on your experience?
Yeah definitely. All of them relate to what I’m studying and what I want to do in the future.

Academic Experience

Can you describe your weekly coursework for your Comparative Literature major?
I don’t take tests at Reed. I read, I write, and sometimes I have presentations, or I make art.
Is there anything that you feel your major’s department does especially well or poorly?
I think we have a community in the sense that one of the department heads hosts gatherings at her home. This is a chance to talk outside of class together. Poorly, it’s a new department so standardizing the requirements for the major is in flux, but that’s the whole school right now. The graduation requirements are changing. I don’t feel that it’s a problem because there is close advising, so even though things are changing, I’m in constant conversation with my advisor. I’m not stressed out about it.
How would you describe the learning environment? Do you think it’s particularly competitive or collaborative?
It’s not competitive, but collaborative isn’t the first word I’d say either. People do their own thing and aren’t interested in what others are doing. It’s pretty chill.
What was your favorite class in your major?
While studying abroad, I got to take a French Literature class in France, which was amazing.
Why did you pick your major? Are you happy with your choice?
I chose the major because of the flexibility it gave me to take classes in the general humanities and the creative fields. Every semester I study things that aren’t traditionally literature courses. I take Anthropology, Political Science, Art History, Biology, etc. It let me study abroad, and film classes even count as literature. I’m happy with it. [See the Comparative Literature major requirements here.]

Reasons to Attend

1) If you have an eclectic series of interests that aren’t typical or in one discipline, Reed is a great place.
2) If you are down to take the initiative in creating your own experience and fostering your own social groove and niche, you can do that.
3) If you’re someone who takes the initiative to use your resources. They’re basically begging you to ask them for money to do something with.

Reasons Not to Attend

1) If you’re not serious about your academics, or if you’re not ready to work hard.
2) If you’re looking for a typical college experience with Greek life, school spirit, and big parties you won’t find that at Reed.

Around Campus

Where have you lived on and around campus?
Freshman: Bragdon Hall with one roommate. There’s a secret fifth floor where you can get on the roof.
Sophomore: Off-campus house with four other people.
How was transitioning from L.A. to Portland, OR?
The biggest thing was just the sun. The year I got to Portland was an especially harsh Winter, and biologically I wasn’t used to it. There are still a ton of students from California. The culture of Reed is very unique, so it’s going to be different compared to anywhere you move from. [24% of students in the 2018 entering class are from California.]
Can you describe the level of safety you’ve experienced on and around campus?
I’ve never felt like my safety is threatened. I feel super comfortable on campus, but I’m also a White woman, so other people might feel differently.

Social Opportunities

What kind of nightlife or weekend activities do you like to participate in?
I’m three years in and have my friends, and they happen to be really musical. They are always hosting house shows which are really fun. I also recently turned 21 so I’ve been checking out the funky bars. There are bars with different themed rooms such as an aquarium.
What nights of the week do you regularly do things? Are there regular places you go or things you do on certain nights?
The weekends. I don’t really go out during the week because I’m too busy with school.
What’s an alternative to going to a party or a bar that you like for a night out?
I used to host art nights. I’ve used Reed funds to buy art supplies, and people could come and collaborate. Portland has the writers convention that thousands of people come for from all over the country. There are open mic nights and poetry slams all over the city. There are lots of writing communities, music venues, and I volunteer at different art institutes.
How happy are you with the weekend options at Reed? Is there anything you would change if you could?
I would want things to stay open later.

Campus Culture

How did you meet your closest friends?
Through my classes and friends of friends. I went abroad with one of my best friends, so we spent a lot of time together. It’s a small school, so you kind of know of everyone. If you don’t know them personally, you have an idea of who they are. [Reed has about 1,400 students.]
How would you describe the social scene?
It’s a microcosm for sure, in terms of its norms and insular discussions. It’s kind of cliquey. It’s a distinct bubble because it’s a self-selected population of people who want to study intensely for four years, have money for the most part, but it also has a reputation of being weird or misfit. We don’t have sports or Greek life. That filters who comes in the first place, and it affects the social scene.
To what extent do people of different races and sexual orientations mix socially?
I’d say they mix, but the most predominant is White and not straight. I don’t think cliques are oriented around that. [57% of the Class of 2022 is White.]
How would you describe the student body?
The student body cares about the school and what’s going on. There was a lot of protesting my first year, and most everything on campus is student-run, such as the radio station. We don’t have set rules, it’s more so an honor code. If bad things happen, the punitive measures are decided by an elected body of students who vote and discuss different problems that arise. We also have the Judicial Board, and SAPR, which are people of contact for those who’ve been sexually assaulted. All of these are run by students who are invested in the community and care about the other students and what’s happening on campus. There are weekly meetings and I feel like people generally care about the community.
How do you like the size of Reed in terms of undergraduate enrollment? [There are about 1,400 students at Reed.]
It’s fantastic for my academics. The classes are small, so you get one-on-one relationships with professors. For my social life, it’s horrible. I don’t date because it just gets messy. You can’t meet anyone without five of your friends having a history with someone, or an opinion of them. [The average class size in 16.]
Do people generally seem happy with their choice of Reed by senior year? Do people leave loving your school?
I would say that I haven’t met many people who haven’t considered leaving at some point. It’s tough and is an intense environment socially. With that being said, I love it and I didn’t always love it. It takes a lot of dedication to be there. I think people come out of it with intense feelings, either intensely grateful, exhausted, or inspired. I don’t think people come out of it without feeling strongly one way or another. [The retention rate is 88%.]

Careers

Has the alumni network helped you find internships or jobs?
I’m a Peer Career Advisor, and I’m so grateful for what The Center for Life Beyond Reed (CLBR) has. They’re amazing and work with you one-on-one, they talk about what you want to do now and later, and help make it happen. I’ve gotten multiple grants from them. Every student has $500 allocated to them through the Career Advancement Fund. Anything related to something you might want to pursue as a career you can get money for. I’ve met with different alumni, and I love people, so networking is one of my skills. I know I want to work in a creative field in the art world, but I don’t know what type of position I want to inhabit because just being an artist doesn’t pay the bills. I went in and said that, and I was put in contact with the art director at the Portland Institute of Contemporary Art. The center funded a shadow experience for me, which meant I shadowed the curator of SFMOMA for a week during winter break. I interviewed her about her life and her job. I’m going to New York this summer for an internship, and I already have appointments with two Reed alumni in the art world.

Financial Aid

Have you used financial aid? If so, accommodating was the office to your needs?
I am on a lot of aid, and they’re pretty great. They email back, and they have chocolate in their office.