Blacks at Vandy?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Vanderbilt University
1

Hi everyone so I just got accepted to Vanderbilt through MOSAIC (sadly, I won’t be able to go) and I am so so excited because it really was a reach and I’m super honored.

That being said, I don’t want to sound ignorant or anything but I do have a legitimate concern. I’m from San Diego, California and have never visited Vandy nor do I know anyone that attends there. My concern is how black people or other minorities are treated, overtly or subconsciously there. I know Vandy is in the south and I’m really not expecting it to be a liberal oasis like California (I, in fact, when to a pretty affluent, republican, white school and had no problems) but I just want to make sure that I won’t be feeling too uncomfortable in general by campus culture.

I really want to rid my thoughts of these concerns because if I had to put everything I loved into a school it would probably be Vanderbilt. Top academics, nice weather, located in a city but still with a traditional campus feel, not super-nerdy (love work hard, play hard), I’d love to go greek and support sports.

If anyone has any insight or personal experiences I’d love to know! Especially in comparison to other Top 20 schools because with a white majority there of course would be a certain expected vibe I just wan to make sure racism isn’t the norm. Thanks!

2

This question comes up a lot given Vandy’s southern location.

My youngest kid is now at Vandy. After seeing pretty much every top 20 school on tours and through the schools my kids and all their friends have attended, honestly the top 20 or so are more similar than different. The same smart kids from around the country pretty much apply to the same schools. The kids at Vandy look pretty much the same to me as the kids at Northwestern or Hopkins or Duke or wherever. Here’s a numbers comparison with Duke for example.

Duke 25% Asian, 13% AA, 14% Latino. Vandy 15% Asian, 12% AA, 11% Latino.

Top Duke states: NC, NY, FL, CA, TX, GA, VA, NJ. Top Vandy states: TN, IL, FL, NY, CA, TX, GA, NJ.

Duke greeks – 40% female, 30% male. Vandy greeks – 50% female, 35% male.

Duke median family income – $187k. Vandy $204k.

Doesn’t look very different to me.

The one thing you might want to drill into more specifically (since you’re interested in pledging) is the extent to which frats are realistically integrated (racially and also economically) at any of the schools (regardless of northern or southern location) you are considering. Since fraternities generally are not known for being in the vanguard of progressive values.

Like many schools, both Duke and Vandy have a good number of NPHC-type (historically black) frats in addition to the IFC-type frats.

3

Agree with above. VU has the same mix as all other top 20’s: overrepresented with Asian students and underrepresented with all other races including Caucasian students. All the top 20’s are also overrepresented with affluent students. I would add that most students at top 20’s come from the same top 5% of high schools which are privates, magnets, and top public high schools in the affluent suburbs of large metro areas (like your high school). In other words they all have similar students from similar backgrounds, similar STATs, similar EC’s but they look different so universities call themselves diverse. It seems odd that U’s seeking diversity accept so many students from the least diverse high schools year after year. It is probably fair to say VU loses some great students who are URM but have a fear of how they will be treated at VU and in Nashville because of old stereotypes and its location in TN. IMO URM are treated the same at VU and in Nashville as at any other peer university and city. Each year more and more URM are coming to VU and they are reporting they are the “happiest” students in the country and reporting a high quality of life while in college.
Northwesty brings up a great point in that the integration of URM is more important than the numbers. Spend a day watching students at USC and you will see very little integration of its diverse student body. VU does a great job with integration of students into campus life.

Nashville is not a typical southern city. It is very progressive, full of artists, musicians, and professionals who grew up elsewhere.

4

Where are you finding median family income? How can this be accurate since not everyone is submitting a FAFSA?

5

There is a close knit black community at Vandy, if that is what you are looking for. Being accepted into the main stream is more about your personality and confidence. So, I’m wondering if you have to ask. . .

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My calculations show that for domestic students who self-identify a race or ethnicity, non-Hispanic white kids are actually slightly overrepresented at Vanderbilt. 62%, compared to 60% of the college-age US population as a whole.

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"Where are you finding median family income? How can this be accurate since not everyone is submitting a FAFSA? "

Here you go. Very interesting reading.

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/01/18/upshot/some-colleges-have-more-students-from-the-top-1-percent-than-the-bottom-60.html

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Are you going to attend admitted student days?

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During her visit, my D (also from San Diego) perceived Vanderbilt as being much more segregated racially and socio-economically than other campuses; her perception was that Greek life was at the heart of this social stratification.

Greek life is very big at Vandy, which, in turn, as an effect on campus culture. One of the most disturbing aspects of Greek life at Vanderbilt is the socioeconomic gap between those participating in Greek life and those that do not. This article discusses the ramifications of this disparity:

http://vanderbiltpoliticalreview.com/vanderbilt-greek-lifes-money-problem/

Here is a thread from a couple of years ago about the AA experience at Vanderbilt:

http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/discussion/comment/18672934#Comment_18672934

That said, Vanderbilt has been working hard on issues of diversity and inclusion and is making a concerted effort to change this aspect of campus culture. Like many places, it’s got a long way to go…

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VU has come a very long way. For overall university diversity VU ranks # 17 out of 2475 universities. It is already more diverse than many universities that have a reputation for being diverse. The ethnic diversity is changing every year. Overall white students are at 54.8% and this year the freshman class is 45% minority and 42% white (8% international and 5% unknown).

By next year VU will likely be a top 10 most diverse university and in 4 years they may be one of the top 5. Check out the new VU. It’s not your mom and dads VU anymore.

.https://www.collegefactual.com/colleges/vanderbilt-university/student-life/diversity/

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Bard – very valid points. Since the OP talked about possibly being greek, some specific due diligence on the point is definitely in order. For example, is the OP looking for an NPHC-type (historically black) greek organization (which Vandy has in significant numbers)? Or is the OP looking to join the SAE house (which is going to be a retrograde organization at any school)?

I’m not sure I agree with you and your daughter on the extent of this problem at Vandy as compared to other top private schools the OP may be considering. While the greek percentage is high at Vandy, the influence (I think) is more muted imho than your comments suggest. The greek houses are non-residential and much more modest than you see elsewhere. The freshman Commons takes a bite out of the greek influence, as do the newly built residential colleges that Vandy has coming on line in the next few years.

You’ve got eating clubs at Princeton, secret societies at Yale, finals clubs at Harvard, and large greek populations at Dartmouth, Cornell, Duke, Northwestern, Vandy, etc. None of those organizations are going to be paragons of racial diversity and (I think more to the point) economic diversity.

At every school, there’s going to be a divide between the kids who take foreign travel for spring break vs. the fin aid kids who stay in the dorms because they can’t afford the plane ticket home. All the top private schools have quite high SES demographics.

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D is on the Mosaic executive board, having attended the same event last year (not URM though). She has enjoyed her experience at the school, and has bonded with more kids with different backgrounds than she did when she attended our primarily white HS.

Ad last year’s parents weekend, I heard Vandy’s Chancellor speak. He talked about diversity, and mentioned for one prominently white fraternity at Vandy, the president for that fraternity was black. And he talked about how that is the very definition of diversity and leadership. After hearing that, I remember feeling so uplifted and full of hope.

Race is what you make it out to be! If you like, you can PM to me and I can have my D put you in touch with some of her black cohorts on the Mosaic Executive Board. Best of luck!

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I know this isn’t the place for political debates. I don’t mean to start a debate. I’m just offering my opinion for the person who asked the question.

I think it’s harder to be a young person these days. I fear that the far left has misapplied the concept of diversity we have had in America since our founding. E pluribus unum, or, out of many, one, means what unites us is far more important than what makes us different.

My son took a visit to a top school in California where diversity is espoused as gospel. However, they have segregated dorms based on things a person cannot control. They have a WISE (Women in Science and Engineering Dorm) and a Cinematic arts major dorm and I think that’s superb. But they have a black dorm, Muslim dorm, Jewish dorm, and a LGBT dorm. Huh? I literally laughed out loud at the hypocrisy of spouting diversity mantra and then offering to separate students based on identity politics.

Anyway, Vandy doesn’t do that from what I gather. I thought this video was telling. https://youtu.be/ZEUeujtc4rY

College is about experiencing and learning. How can you learn if you dont embrace your diverse environment?

I grew up in an Amish community. When I graduated college and joined the USAF and lived all around the world I really benefited from new cultures. I learned to embrace my own, but to see it from the perspective of others. Don’t stereotype the South, Nashville, or Vanderbilt based upon preconceived notions. You wouldn’t want someone doing that to you. I don’t think you’ll have any problems with being black at Vanderbilt that you wouldn’t have anywhere else. That doesn’t mean I don’t see that there are justifiable concerns.

Congrats and best wishes wherever you end up.

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@LoveThe Bard: Please listen to this poster.

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My DD is a AA freshmen there. 2 out of 10 of her female AA friends are “traditional” AA (meaning multiple generations born and raised in America) and the other 8 are 1st or 2nd generation from African countries (parents born in Africa). They are a very close knit group but they are also very inclusive to other racial groups. She grew up in a predominantly
white area and race and diversity is a big deal at Vandy and she is embracing it.