<p>O.K. I am considering making Vanderbilt my third serious reach school. I have a few concerns however. First of all Princeton Review had a really negative review of the university. It pretty much went along the lines of how shallow and conservative the student body is. I am a pretty strong liberal but I don't mind being surrounded by conservatives as long as they don't try to make me change my beliefs. So are students pushy and rude? Also is the Princeton Review completely wrong? Secondly it seems like the Greek system is huge there. I am not interested in that aspect at all and was wondering if you would be looked at as an outsider if you didn't join? Thirdly there is no way that I could afford it if I get in so is financial aid generally pretty good? And finally I am from Alaska and it does not seem like it is a very well represented state at Vanderbilt. So is it hard for people coming from the north and west to adapt to the southern way of life? Thanks so much for helping me.</p>
<p>We lived at Vandy as grad students twenty years ago and I found the undergrad school to be unattractively regional and debutante-ish although the grad schools were diverse. This is changing and selectivity is rising..I took my S there last October and found two good opposing political rags on campus and good discourse in the school paper..the students split 50/50 Bush/Kerry. My son stayed with a really great guy from Atlanta who had turned down Stanford and Duke for Vandy scholarship in engineering. While there, he met guys from Boston, Chicago and Birmingham. You are right, Alaska is not going to be there..but don't let that stop you. Weather is great. Standards for merit money are very high but there is merit money. The political scene makes Vandy more conservative than many of our top Universities re student attitudes but is a heck of a lot better than the over 90% vote the undergrads gave Reagan back in the dark ages. Frats and Sororities are big, but their impact has diminished--they do have a Frat Row near the Children's Hospital where there are parties. The girl I know there now says sorority membership is higher than frat membership. There is so much fun around Nashville that you don't have to join a frat because they dont' "own" Saturday nights, unlike the pressure to do frat life at colleges in rural locations. There are many alternative social groups now. Vandy has a very rich array of cultural offerings and speakers because so many artists and politicians and celebs do pass through town. I really like the fact that the grad schools and hospital add a "real world" aspect to life around campus because the student body is quite affluent and this helps the place be less sheltered. When I was there I was also able to work in Meharry Medical College and in many social service agencies and hospital settings. My husband was able to intern in legislative settings. Capitol cities tend to be lively. Nashville's economy is lively. We were basically from the Middle Atlantic states but were very embraced and enjoyed the warm atmosphere in Nashville. I lived there twice, and think it is sort of a St. Louis meets Young Atlanta atmosphere. Pretty down to earth and friendly town. We are classical fans and there is a huge support for classical, dance and visual arts in Nashville as well as the more commercial country music business.<br>
The Southern way of life is not something to worry about believe me..did you see the demographics..southern kids dominate but the effort to get a national base of students is making big progress. I don't think you would feel out of place now although there are a lot of Atlantans, Alabamans and Texans there. good luck and happy outcomes!</p>
<p>Check out the recent postings on "Other Aspects Besides Academics" for some campus insights. My son seems to really like it there and he is not preppy or "into Greek" at all. I think I heard that only 1/3 of the guys are in fraternities and 1/2 of the girls are in sororities. Nashville is a great town--very friendly we have found. Good luck.</p>
<p>Visit and decide for yourself. The advice you get here is worth what you've paid.</p>
<ul>
<li>Greek row is nowhere close to Vanderbilt Children's Hospital.</li>
<li>Greek life is an integral part of campus life at Vanderbilt. Last year 34% of the men and 55% of women were Greek. The biggest plus at Vanderbilt is that rush is second semester, so you have time to figure your place.</li>
<li>Greek life is not evil. When people use only this or that percentage the implication is almost a whew moment. You should take away that its possible to be happy in either population. Thats a plus.</li>
<li>Independent life is also an integral part of student life.</li>
<li>St. Louis meets young Atlanta probably means nothing to someone in Seward's Folly, unless you have spent time down here and can scratch your head about it. Don't worry, the comment doesn't mean much to most of the rest of us either.</li>
<li>Nashville, the city, should have little bearing on your college selection. Cities like Boston or NYC etc. can be decision tiebreakers, but trust me when I say most undergraduates stay on the island Vanderbilt. Going out downtown or just slightly off campus for the bars is the major off campus activity. All that said, the nice part is that Nashville is a pretty cool town.</li>
<li>There are about the same number of students from NY as TX. About the same number from IL as AL. So comments about how a graduate student viewed the student body 20 years ago should be heavily discounted. If there is a bias, it is that east of Kansas City is better represented than the other direction. TN is most represented, but context that with 40%+ of Stanford undergraduates call CA home.</li>
<li>The campus is more conservative than liberal. This is true. But that only changes when more liberal students matriculate. No right-leaning students will force you to drink any Kool-Aid.</li>
<li>AK is not well represented anywhere in top liberal arts colleges.</li>
</ul>
<p>VUALum-I'm not sure if you meant your tone to come out as it did but Faline2s comments have been very helpful to many who have sought information about Vanderbilt--</p>
<p>My S is a freshman and from NY and he has been very comfortable and happy at Vandy from the get-go. He spends time both with his hall-mates and with friends in Frats. One of the good things about the frats is that they are non-residential so probably have less of an impact on the student's overall college life. My S has gone off campus several times-for titans and predator games, for concerts etc. He really seems to like Nashville and all it offers.</p>
<p>I would just like to say thanks to everyone that replied to my questions. Alaska will not be well represented at any of the schools I am applying to but actually that is a good thing. Maybe it will increase my chances of getting in (gotta love that diversity). I am still not sure if Vanderbilt is a fit for me though. Overall my chances are decent my ACT scores are very low but I have quite a few other things going for me so standardized tests should not break my application. Mainly what I am looking for is a school that provides serious academics. I want to spend the majority of my time studying and working really hard. Does Vanderbilt provide this? And also I have not heard a lot about financial aid yet so how good is that?</p>
<p>financial aid is excellent at vanderbilt</p>
<p>From the experiences I've had and heard of, if you <em>do</em> get any, it's usually a very good amount. However, Vanderbilt (and I'm sure many other schools do this too) yank the money around your junior year substantially and at that point most students just put up with taking out huge loans because they don't want to transfer to another university when they're already halfway through.</p>
<p>Do apply.</p>
<p>Low test scores are harder to overcome than other blemishes, but AK will help some. </p>
<p>FinAid is need based and separate from the admission decision - as it is just about everywhere comparable. </p>
<p>There are plenty of courses that can kick your butt all four years so you need not worry about Vandy being academically rigorous enough. And it will be professors giving you the hard time in this department, not some TA.</p>
<p>I think you will see the greek scene diminish quite substantially in the next few years as the college housing system changes the way vanderbilt students live. Already I see many kids just opting to either decline participating first year or deactivating second year and beyond. My kid just found no time for handling the greek time demands and gave it up. It wasn't that it was obnoxious-- just no time. Nashville has something to do just about any day. The kids are from all over and smart. If you get in and attend you will have a terrific time judging from all the students I have met.</p>
<p>Quite substantially is wishful thinking.</p>
<p>Parental and independent viewpoints will always be different than current and past Greek students because parents are never proximate to the system and independents never know what the system actually entails besides the public activities.</p>
<p>I'd bet female participation stays around 50%. Male numbers will, and have, fluctuated around dutiful keeping the noses clean with the administration.</p>
<p>College Halls impact will be interesting. My opinion is the system is a positive development for Vanderbilt and a bold move by the administration.</p>
<p>If you are smart and liberal you will feel like an outsider. Financial aid is decent or I wouldn't have attended.</p>
<p>Somehow, I think "being smart" shouldn't have anything to do with feeling like an outsider. I am sure there are lots of smart kids who are happy there and fit in just fine.</p>
<p>Yes listen to the Princeton Review.
Bandmom: There are smart students but I have met considerably fewer than I expected. And the females - well it feels like you have stepped into Pleasantville. Sets the woman's movement back a few decades. That's my experience but again I suggest going to visit Vanderbilt during normal operating hours and definitely over a weekend. You don't even have to stay on campus - just walk around from 10PM on -- especially during football season.</p>
<p>Hm - my smart (hs val), liberal (Vandy Democrats member), sorta feminist daughter is very happy at Vanderbilt - and what she's happiest about is the quality of her profs and the student body. She feels that almost everyone she's met is very bright, certainly more so than she expected. She often says "everyone's smart here!" And she doesn't suffer fools gladly, believe me.</p>
<p>tothebank, you seem to regret having chosen Vandy. I can't tell from this thread if you're an alum or a current student. You apparently chose to attend the school based on its generous financial aid, but can't you find something else to appreciate about it? If you were accepted at Vanderbilt, you must have had other good options. Did you truly make your decision based solely on financial considerations?</p>
<p>I think I have said a number of times the professors are awesome and so is the financial aid. I do have friends and I'm never stuck in my dorm on weekends. I have a few friends w/Blair but again there is isolation within the different groups - even Blair friend says the group tends to be stuck up. The reason I am posting (as a student and not an alum or parent - why dont your students post if its all that great??) is because as someone from the NE I felt that this board doesn't really give the full picture. This is definitely a regional and southern feeling campus - not ivy feeling, not princeton of the south or any PR that is being thrown around.</p>
<p>woah, fin aid could stop around junior year? (need based)</p>
<p>im currently a junior and get all my financial aid</p>
<p>what part of NE are you from tothebank, im from Long Island and I love Vandy.</p>