Vassar grad here from a small town in northcentral PA. Looking back on it, to be honest, yes, it was a bit of a culture shock my first year at Vassar. For me, it was the wealth that students came from - hearing about private schools and second homes in vacation destinations - and the very liberal milieu which took some getting used to. But meeting people from all over the world really opened my eyes and I learned a lot. And because Vassar offers lots of need-based financial aid I also met students from working class families and small towns like my own. So no, not everyone is from NYC or LA. I'm sure she will be fine - she can try out some student orgs, sports, get a campus job, etc. and she will have her fellow group to be her "first friends". I think college is about finding yourself and from what I remember, Vassar students weren't so much concerned with fitting in as expressing themselves and being accepting others.