<p>S is deciding among Duke, Northwestern and Vanderbilt. The first two are considered stronger academically in various rankings, but he likes the total package of Vandy more than the other two. I am trying to get handle on how strong the academics are at Vandy and how engaged are the students from an academic perspective. Went to admitted student day and school played to the prep-professional mentality--getting into law school, business school and medical school--what I call a culture of achievement versus a culture of ideas. I couldn't get a handle whether a basic liberal arts kid (econ, history, philosophy, math, etc) would find an academic environment where kids are stretched intellectually for the sake of learning and the development of critical analytical skills. Thoughts?</p>
<p>If you had offered a different choice-set, I might have agreed that Vanderbilt was more pre-professional. However, both Duke and Northwestern are known as heavy pre-professional institutions. I don’t see the big difference here.</p>
<p>Obsessesparent, </p>
<p>Let your kid decide.</p>
<p>I’m not sure about Duke and Northwestern, but Vanderbilt does not participate in Co-Op programs. I liked this because it meant only 4 years of college versus 5. I do think Vanderbilt is somewhat geared toward a professional career but I think the other two schools are as well.</p>
<p>I think the OP asks an interesting question. My d is a 2009 Vandy graduate (classical languages/poli sci majors) who felt the academics were quite strong and certainly honed her analytical skills. A culture of achievement isn’t necessarily divorced from a culture of ideas. My d tells me she spent many hours discussing political ideas - but this is a kid who could not care less how many angels can dance on the head of a pin.</p>
<p>Many Vandy students are on a pre-professional track - nothing wrong with that - and I have often thought that what the Vandy students I know have in common is that they are doers. Midmo makes a great point in wondering how different Duke and NU would really be in this area.</p>
<p>obsessedparent, was your son specifically looking for an intensely intellectually environment? It’s interesting that his choices are schools with such pre-professional strengths. Had he considered schools like Swarthmore, Amherst, Wesleyan, etc., or was he looking for a larger environment?</p>
<p>Thanks. My son chose not to apply to U of Chicago where his oldest brother went because he wants more than a “life of the mind” college experience; he does not fancy himself as an intellectual. He is a smart kid who coasted through high school. He wants the kind of balance that the work hard/play hard schools provide with D 1 sporting events. At the same time, he goes to a smaller independent school and he loves to debate in class and wants to be with engaged, active learners who can help him stretch his mind with new ways of thinking. I think he can get that at Vanderbilt, but I couldn’t really tell.</p>
<p>if social life is a big concern, vanderbilt has by far the best social scene of any of the three schools you mentioned</p>
<p>I also feel that the three schools are somewhat similar in terms of intellectual engagement. We did not visit Duke, but we did spend time at Northwestern (and know several students who attend NU). I definitely think they attract similar students.</p>
<p>My D went to a smaller, very good LAC freshman year & prefers the academics at Vanderbilt. She has to write a LOT of papers … she enjoys the thinking, rather than just memorizing & spitting back out on a test. She doesn’t have philosophical discussions with her classmates or anything like that … but she finds her classmates to be intelligent. She has only had one bad experience in a group project, and the prof was very fair about the situation when grading time came.</p>
<p>What my D has been most pleased to find is that profs truly are interested in students & want to help them learn. She has stretched herself with AXLE requirements & has found that some of the classes she thought she’d dislike were actually very enjoyable.</p>