<p>Since the posts over the last few days have been riddled with disappointment I thought I'd let you all know that we just got an email from Vandy that my son got a Chancellor's Scholarship. We're on the West Coast and it came at 7:09 this morning. We're very excited and truly wish the best for all of you incredibly talented students. Keep the faith and rememember Vandy still gives plenty of partial merit scholarships :)</p>
<p>Congratulation to your son!!!</p>
<p>I found out during my last class at school today, and I was so extremely shocked because I didn’t think that I had a chance of getting the scholarship at all. I ended up screaming and running around the school to tell my teachers.</p>
<p>I’m so extremely excited because I wasn’t sure I’d be able to attend any private schools due to their cost, but a full-ride is definitely a way to fix that :D</p>
<p>Any other people get the Chancellor’s Scholarship? Any of those who did going up to MOSAIC weekend next week? I’m like bursting at the seams with happiness right now :)</p>
<p>I have to post to say that to our absolute shock, our second and last son received the Chancellor’s this morning by email. Momofknowitall and aznhsiehboi, I know he will look forward to meeting you West Coasters and Georgians should this be the right open door, which we think it likely is for him. He is a Virginian, and not a Mosaic invite, but we hope he will add something unique to the mix at Vandy, too.
We absolutely expected Zip. But he gave his application real thought and his best. His essays were so true to who he is and what energy he brings.</p>
<p>He went to bed last night waiting for his denial email, feeling for every one of you uber talented students that were disappointed but finally had to turn in…and about midnight it hit me that if he didn’t get an email last night they either never reviewed his file (this has happened actually at another fine school which will go nameless), or he was going to get a positive email in the morning (!!).<br>
This was a terrible realization, because then that little bird called hope appeared and I barely slept a wink. I cried a lot this morning. When he was at school, I wondered which had happened…in or out. He called me at 11 in a state of shock.
He spent the afternoon locating each of his references to thank them.
We had already decided basically that although we are excited about Vandy in its new incarnation and we visited for a long weekend recently and soaked it all in, we simply could not locate the money for the expenses in this recession and we felt really lousy about that. Son had already moved emotionally toward where else he was wanted more within our means.</p>
<p>Now last time my husband and I were at Vandy 30 yrs back, we ended up with loans that took us a decade to pay off, but we have never regretted those years or that choice. It is not that we don’t understand value…the value for sure came later.</p>
<p>Sons stats and test scores were on par but were not as good as many of those worthy and wonderful students who were disappointed last evening. thanks to each of you and for the Cornelius Scholar applicants who posted.</p>
<p>A thread called “Vandy southern school in the south?” (?? nice echo eh? don’t look at me…I didn’t name it!) is still the never-to-ever-go-away feature on the Vandy CC pages…from four years ago. You can see it still on Page One. It is ubiquitous.</p>
<p>First responded on this blog to Bridie, a northeasterner who was checking out Nashville with a little trepidation and she received my enthusiasm for Nashville as a third coast jewel of a city with a good economy and tons to do for internships and service and fun. We still say hello to each other every year or so…and her first child will graduate from Vanderbilt this year (he has had a magnificent experience) and my first will graduate from Duke. (My eldest wanted very much to be in an orchestra but not if he had to do more than two rehearsals a week…and Blair students are conservatory level players with high standards who practice a lot…so he chose Duke, where he is indeed a very happy member of a non conservatory but good orchestra.) I digress.</p>
<p>Second son comes along and resists coming to see Vandy because he was put off by the Vandy stereotype still featured in certain places in books etc, despite the rapid changes in culture and undergraduate population. (second son is decidedly not a Greek likely–please don’t want to talk about that…the other son went Greek…ok–). I kept telling him that if his father (Yankee from NY/NJ and his mother a military brat) could make life long friends and land in excellent jobs post Vandy circa ages ago…he would find it even more hospitable/diverse/socially fluid/endlessly fun today. Even though I have for the last four years countered that stereotype on this blog various times…because although I know the traditional Greek scene is thriving…there is indeed a very strong life at Vandy for students who have different outlooks and Nashville provides many many fun places to work and play…unlike some campuses which are entirely too quiet and boxed in if you are not in the Greek scene.<br>
Anyway, the minute he got to campus he understood. There is real diversity at Vandy…newspapers that publish on the left and the right, debates in class that are for real…not everyone is alike.</p>
<p>Anyway, Bridie has a second child at Vandy now. Bridie…my second son is coming!! I think, anyway! Looks likely. </p>
<p>Kelsmom! Thanks for all the latest on Vandy and for your encouragement and for sharing your daughter’s experiences.</p>
<p>MeatMountain, my son is coming! I am expecting you to be nice to him. I know you will be as happy for him as I was for you three years ago when you were in our shoes. We will find you.</p>
<p>Vandyhopeful from two years ago, I want to hear from you too…I think of you often.</p>
<p>And lastly, Evil Robot, whereever you are…which I think is in a fantabulous job in Google on the West Coast, after completing your engineering degree and declining Yale for scholarship at Vandy…my son is coming. We would love to high five you at Homecoming if you return. I will always scan the crowd and wonder if you are there. I always followed your posts and took all the postives you had to share about your four years at Vandy to heart.</p>
<p>oh, and Moderator, dear Moderator. Perhaps it is time to remove the “Vandy, southern school in the south thread?” I can think of lots better ones…with better titles.</p>
<p>Congratulations to you and your son Faline2. What a tremendous post!!! I am so happy for you and your family :)</p>
<p>Congratulations Faline! You were so helpful when our S was trying to make his decision 4 years ago (my D needed no help to make hers, having visited her brother and fallen in love with the school herself). I can only imagine how happy (and relieved, financially) you must be. Your son must be a very special guy. Well, now maybe I can help you with any questions! and I LIKE the name of my thread haha! Well that was my main concern back then, when no one from our high school (nor area really) knew much about Vanderbilt and raised eyebrows about how southern it was when I brought it up. Now, a mere 4 years later, Vanderbilt is on everybody’s radar screen-def. one of the “hottest” schools for kids around here. My how things change</p>
<p>Adding my heartfelt congratulations, Faline - what a wonderful honor and opportunity for your son! I’ve mentioned my d’s exceptionally rewarding experience at Vandy many times on various CC boards, both because it’s true, and because I’ve wanted to do what I can to give a complete and accurate version of Vanderbilt, which is so much more than the stereotype many folks are happy to accept.</p>
<p>I’d like to think we’ve moved on over the past four years, and that the sticky thread mentioned above can at last be consigned to the back pages. It was helpful to us as we considered my d’s choices 4 years ago (she’s another CC kid who’ll graduate in May), though. Your posts in particular, Faline, inspired confidence and optimism in my d as she made her decision, and I feel you’ve always been fair and accurate in your supportive portrayal of this fine school. </p>
<p>Not to derail this thread any further, though. Reiterating my congratulations to Faline’s son, MOMofknowitall’s son, aznhsieboi, and all the other amazing students who have been recognized with the Chancellor’s Scholarship. My d is grateful every day that she ended up at a school that has given her so much.</p>
<p>Congrats, Faline - to your son, as well as your family! As someone who has been in the Vandy forum for a number of years, I’m thrilled to read of your S’s award. Your posts have provided lots of wonderful advice to prospective Vanderbilt students and parents and you will be able to add a new perspective now as a parent. It will be interesting to hear your take on how things are evolving with the new freshman experirence - Commons, etc.</p>
<p>thanks for the good wishes, fellow CC Vandy friends. please know I was very keen on hearing about your very current lives in Vanderbilt. It is thrilling to talk to people from the West Coast, NY, Georgia, and thrilling to know my son will be meeting some of you next year along with the class of 2013.</p>
<p>Faline2-What a wonderful post - THANK YOU! </p>
<p>My first S will also be freshman this fall (got in ED1) and reading your thoughts made me so happy and even more excited for him than ever. We are from the northeast (kinda - outside DC) and I am so tired of the stereotyping that Vandy receives about its southern culture so posts like yours are great to read. I feel really confident that my S has chosen the perfect fit for him and I have every reason to believe he will meet some of the brightest most talented kids from all walks of life. Hopefully he will meet some of you wonderful kids who post on this site and some of the kids of parents who post here as well. Thank you again and congratulations to all of you who are already in and good luck to those of you waiting.</p>
<p>Great, dwhite! I hope our sons share a chapter in Vandy history together…their four years! Should be a challenging group of individuals to say the least.</p>
<p>What is the chancellor’s scholarship, and what is the difference between it and the Dean’s Select scholarship?</p>
<p>I am so excited to be a Vandy Parent. You all have shown how much affection you have for the school. My sister is an alum (1991) and so between her memories and those recent ones of yours, I know my DS will be thriving at the best University ever! Maybe we can meet up at move-in day and/or parents weekend.</p>
<p>Faline2 - haha “challenging group of individuals” - they will all feed off each other & excel to their fullest for sure</p>
<p>I am in the process of writing a lengthy pm to faline2 right now — but I want to take a moment to congratulate her son & all the others who have received merit awards to Vandy! I hope your kids find happiness at this fine school (if they decide to attend). My daughter transferred to Vandy this year & has been very pleased with her experience. Academically, it has been right up her alley - so many opportunities to learn new things, and such high expectations from students by profs. She is a midwestern girl who loves the independent music scene in Nashville (she can walk to the Exit/Inn). </p>
<p>Again, congratulations - and maybe I will run into some of you in the next couple years!</p>