Carnegie Mellon vs Vanderbilt

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Hello! I'm an Asian who grew up in Central New Jersey. I was admitted into Carnegie Mellon's Dietrich College and Vanderbilt's College of Arts, and am having a hard time deciding between the two.</p>

<p>I intend to study math/economics (possibly a double major) and intend to go to grad school to study actuarial science, although I'm not set and it's very possible I'll end up changing my mind. However, I do feel like I want to do something math related.</p>

<p>I'm not inclined to be part of a party scene so I don't want to feel excluded because I don't drink or party. I know Vanderbilt is big on Greek life and I'm not sure if I'd fit in at Vandy. I prefer smaller group gatherings over larger social events. I also know there is a smaller Asian / higher white population at Vandy but from what I've heard it's not an issue. What would the social scene be like for someone like me?</p>

<p>On the other hand CMU seems to have better math/economics programs but I'm unsure of how big the difference is.</p>

<p>I get the impression that I'd fit in more easily at CMU but at the same time I hear a lot about how everyone at Vandy is so happy and how nice Nashville is in comparison to Pittsburgh. I'm unsure if my worries about fitting in at Vandy are unfounded or not.</p>

<p>Thoughts, opinions, or advice? Any help would be greatly appreciated!</p>

<p>As a side note, Vanderbilt gave me a more generous (15k a year more) financial aid package, but that's not a huge factor for me.</p>

2

<p>I’m glad to hear Vandy was generous with you. 15K per year is big money to somebody, OP There is a thread on here about Asians at Vandy that you might want to look at. I haven’t read it, or if I did I don’t remember it. My sense is that Vandy is a bit more of a party school than CMU but that the opps at Vandy are just as good if not better than they are at CMU. Both schools also have offerings outside of math and science in which they are quite strong, and I suppose that’s why they’re on your list. Don’t sell Pittsburgh short as a city. It has a lot going for it. Yes, the winter weather is worse unless you like snow, but it’s a major sports town and museum town. There’s a lot to do there. Nashville is Nashville. I’m capable of hearing too much country music and seeing too many country music rodeos, but to each his own. Pittsburgh is also a bit more of a major college city, with CMU, Pitt, and Duquesne. I have no horse in this race. I wish you luck choosing. Try to think of this choice as a joyous opportunity to get to know yourself and how you’ll fit into one of two very good institutions.</p>

3

<p>Have you visited CMU? A couple of the math professors there are extremely accessible and warm and friendly with undergrads. (Maybe they all are, IDK.) My son did a sleeping bag week-end at CMU and we were very impressed with how accessible the profs were.</p>