<p>I have two questions I haven't been able to find the answer for - can you help?</p>
<p>Orientation - Vandy doesn't really have an orientation for admitted students prior to move-in ... right? (I know they have an admitted students day in April - I assumed that was more for accepted applicants that still were on the fence.)</p>
<p>Med Center - I've looked at the student health insurance faqs but I'm puzzled by a statement on the student med center website: that students don't pay a co-pay regardless of their insurance status. Maybe I'm over thinking this BUT, if we keep her on our insurance, all Nashville doctors would be considered out of network and it's full pay until a certain deductible. So in that situation .. well, I'm still confused. If we waive student health insurance, can she still go to the student med center and at what cost?</p>
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<li><p>Correct. Freshman “orientation” is the first week that they are on campus, before the semester begins. For students on the fence, there’s of course always the campus visit and tour, and also the “Dore for a Day” program where admitted kids get to shadow a Vandy student throughout their day. Oh and there should be a “meet and greet” type thing hosted for admitted students, current students, and alumni in a major city near you before school starts. </p></li>
<li><p>There’s no fee for a visit to the student health center, so maybe that’s what they are referring to. You pay for medicine and for ordering tests. You can buy medicine they prescribe there, and it’s super cheap-- or you can go through your insurance/co-pay and go to the pharmacy, whatever works for you.</p></li>
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<p>If Student Health needs to order some test or send her to VUMC and your insurance doesn’t cover it, well, you’ll be paying full price. There are requirements your insurance policy must meet in order to waive the VU health insurance.</p>
<p>I am a sophomore. Unfortunately, I’m ignorant of all things insurance, so I can’t answer that one. </p>
<p>As far as orientation… I suppose most of it occurs during and shortly after move-in, but there are a lot of different events. Additionally, there are (there have been in the past, I assume this is still the case) send-off parties held around the country. This is a good opportunity to meet some people before you ever arrive on campus, and there should be one reasonably close to you.</p>
<p>One thing to pay attention to next fall BEFORE paying the bill. All students are required to have health insurance. They automatically add it to your bill (I think it is around $1700/year). </p>
<p>You can waive it by showing the student is otherwise insured. It is a fairly simple online process but there is a cutoff date by which you have to submit it.</p>
<p>This past fall I almost missed the cutoff and remembered about 2:00 in the afternoon on the last day.</p>
<p>One other thing to do in advance is refill the Commodore Cash. If you don’t do it in time, there is a fee. I must admit, the Commodore Cash baffles me. I am still not exactly sure what it is for. I think my son only uses it for the laundry machines and cabs to the airport so we don’t put a lot in. He could use a credit card for the latter but not for the laundry.</p>
<p>No early summer orientation but scheduling fall courses takes place in June online. They will mail a booklet as a guide and you can call and speak with an advisor if necessary. Tell her to be online before her scheduling window opens because classes fill up in a matter of seconds.</p>
<p>Not on the orientation or insurance topic, but in the vein of other things to do: make hotel reservations for move in and parents weekend. Call the parents & family office to get the dates. Nashville hotels hike the rates up significantly for the big Vandy dates like move in, parents weekend, and graduation (which should be reserved a year in advance). There are a few more hotels being built on West End and that may ease some of the price hikes, but probably not by much.</p>
<p>First insurance: you’ve already got your answers, either keep your child on your insurance or purchase through school. VU is a major medical institution and accepts almost all insurances. Now onto the student medical center. It’s top notch and there is no reason for them to go anywhere else. I have 2 daughters there, both who experienced serious illnesses this year. The care they received, from IVs to medications, to calling deans of their schools, calls home to check on them and very thorough follow up care was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. Both times I had to go pick up my girls from school, I was hugged by the doctor first. </p>
<p>Now, onto meet and greet. I think you’re local? For sure go to the summer send-off party. We’ve gone twice now, and it was a great experience. Nice way for the kids to meet other local kids, and also to meet upperclassmen who live in the area. My youngest went to a admitted student gathering by herself in the spring, and I didn’t go with her. She was one of 2 girls there and about 17 boys. The 2 girls didn’t have parents, and all the boys did. They girls got a kick out of it. But one thing that stuck out to my daughter was that her admissions counselor remembered something very specific from her application and it made my daughter feel special.</p>
<p>We’re not local … we’re northern Indiana. And will most likely go to to the meet & greet that will happen in Chgo. I told her about the meet & greet event (looks like it typically takes place in April) and she wants to go by herself. Must be a girls thing! :)</p>
<p>The Summer Send Off events are sponsored by Development & Alumni Relations and I thought they were all held after students have committed to Vanderbilt. Is that not the case? My small community did have a student/alumni event the year S was admitted as a “recruitment” event for admitted students, but since that time they have always had the Summer Send Off for those who have matriculated.</p>
<p>There will definitely be a Summer Send Off Party in every city with an Alumni Chapter, probably in early August within a couple of weeks prior to when the students are due on campus. Those are fun to attend for incoming students, parents of incoming students and local alums (start that networking early!) There is usually a representative from Vandy there to chat with the parents and alums (not an admissions officer). </p>
<p>In the spring, your area might get a visit from someone in the admissions office who will field questions from admitted students and/or parents of students who are trying to decide whether to attend Vanderbilt. </p>
<p>My daughter attended both events (with parents) and had questions answered and, more importantly, met other students whom she stills sees and talks to 3+ years later.</p>
<p>Seems like a lot of schools do have an orientation in early summer during which students meet with advisers and register for classes but Vanderbilt draws students from all over the country and abroad which would be an added expense to have those students fly into Nashville for orientation 2 1/2 months prior to the start of class, so I think VU is wise to dispense with the summer orientation concept. </p>
<p>For what it’s worth, we have kept our daughter on our insurance and were able to find a doctor in-network the one time she needed one off campus. For smaller things like a strep test, she goes to student health; she has gone with friends to the emergency room for more major things and it sounds like VUMC takes good care of the students (think there is some sort of liaison for the undergrads to contact at the hospital if needed??) Also, every fall the university has a huge Flulapalooza event where they give free flu shots to thousands of students, staff & families (think VUMC holds the world record for the most flu shots in 1 day )</p>
<p>KaMaMom…sorry , I confused you with someone else???from Murfreesboro I think? Anyway, the local meeting was in March or April, for admitted students, but not all had committed yet. My daughter, like yours did ED, so she was committed, the girl who went was there w/o parents ended up in Texas, but she was local also and just wanted out of the state! The admitted student get together was an admissions event and the summer send-odd party was an alumni event. It was a nice event, I met some great people but I’ll let the girls decide this year…since we don’t have an incoming freshman this year. I’m so excited for you girl… Mine are the happiest and most confident I’ve ever seen them!</p>
<p>Although it’s been several years since our d graduated, I concur that the medical care at Vanderbilt is excellent. The health insurance coverage was quite reasonable then, and continues to be ($1380/year for an undergrad in 2013-14).</p>
<p>Right now our son is on my husband’s insurance that lets you self-refer to any specialist and not limited to physicians local to our area. However, if we ever switch to one of the plans my employer offers, I don’t know what we’ll do because he would not be covered for out of state providers. I think I might buy the Vanderbilt insurance at that point. But either way, he can still use Student Health regardless of what insurance he has. They do close kind-of early, like 4:30 pm, I think, so anything urgent after that means a trip to the emergency room, and for that your child may need his/her PCP’s approval (phone call) to avoid a “non-emergency use of emergency room” fee (as we learned the hard way).</p>
<p>Though I can’t comment on the insurance situation because that all baffles me, VUMC is great. I had to go to the ER for severe vertigo and fainting about a year ago, and they have liaisons who will contact your RA and your dean, and you can get fast-tracked through treatment (obviously triage order is a priority, but behind the heart attacks come the Vandy kids).</p>
<p>D (2011 grad) used the student health center more than a few times. They were wonderful. She visited for sinus infections, colds, and a more serious medical issue. She never had to pay anything. The more serious issue required testing that was done outside of the health center, and the health center staff helped coordinate with our insurance. Although we had an HMO that did not allow non-emergency care outside the HMO network, they had an away-at-school advisor who helped her get the testing she needed. Between the advisor & Vandy’s health center, she got everything she needed.</p>
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