<p>How are the Vandy dorms?</p>
<p>What is the style at Vandy? It is really Southern and preppy?</p>
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<p>The dorms are really really nice. Rooms are pretty big, bathrooms get cleaned daily, and there are large common rooms for studying/hanging out. I’ve visited several other top schools and none of their dorms can compare to Vandy’s. </p>
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<p>People tend to dress nicer here than at your typical college. For guys, button downs, pastel shorts, and boat shoes are pretty popular. Cowboy boots seem to be pretty popular among girls here. However, plenty of people dress casual all the time that you won’t stand out at all if you don’t dress “preppy.”</p>
<p>I was recently accepted as a freshmen in A&S for the class of 2017. I know alot of people say that you don’t have to rush if you don’t want to, and the whole delayed rushing thing seems great, but which frats are considered the best/most popular? Why? Is there anything you wish you could’ve known for your first year that you know now? Thanks!</p>
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<p>Uh…why not?</p>
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<p>Take a guess…</p>
<p>Hcuffie, you’ll find out once you are here.</p>
<p>Does the Greek scene revolve around alcohol?</p>
<p>For most fraternities, yes. There’s a lot more to fraternities than alcohol but it’s usually a part of social and rush events.</p>
<p>Ok, Vandy problem number 1: Getting so busy with school, friends, etc., that you forget about the internet.</p>
<p>But really, I’ve been swamped. To give an update in my second semester, here’s what I’m involved in (and will hopefully have time to answer more questions about):</p>
<p>Next Steps, Vanderbilt University Theatre, and my House advisory council. I’m taking English classes, a psychology course, Acting, and French this semester. The course load is heavy; I’m at 17 hours and it is a lot of work. All manageable for now.</p>
<p>I did not rush, though many of my friends did. They all enjoy it, but rush week was definitely stressful for everyone. I still see them though (and it’s blackout week), and again, the social scene does not revolve around Greek Life. I go out on campus every weekend and never party at the frats. It’s not necessary.</p>
<p>Premed still enjoys the social scene, though General Chemistry will be rough (don’t take it if you aren’t premed. Just don’t!)</p>
<p>I really don’t know about the frat rush scene, other than most of the guys I knew who were rushing quit midway through. I haven’t heard about any hazing really, other than a lot of hours at the house. </p>
<p>Vandy can be preppy, but it’s really only noticeable if you look for it. Most of the stereotypes about Vandy are the same way. If you aren’t looking for it, you won’t notice.</p>
<p>Girls dress sometimes cute, but generally pretty casual. I don’t feel self-conscious wearing sweats to class, if that’s what you really want to know. But I would say that we dress nicer overall than most college campuses–not just more expensive clothes, but a general attitude toward looking put together.</p>
<p>The financial aid process was great for me. A couple things got messed up on my CSS, but the financial aid office was fantastic in dealing with it–super helpful. On and around campus, money is not huge issue. I won’t say it’s a non-issue because it comes up, definitely, but the commodore card can be used for almost anything and acts as an equalizer. </p>
<p>Dorms are fantastic. Commons is gorgeous, and upperclass dorms are great too. Construction is under way on College Halls, which will open my junior year, and I cannot wait.</p>
<p>Greek sometimes revolves around alcohol, though this year we started enforcing alcohol policies at the frats and it’s a lot harder to get served underage. When it’s just the brothers hanging out, then yes, beer is going around, but most of the parties aren’t massive drinkfests. There is an issue with pregaming though–everyone drinks a ton before they leave so they can last through the night. For the most part, I only go to frat parties when I feel like dancing for a bit. The frats almost always have great DJ’s (great perk of that rich Vandy stereotype).</p>
<p>Really cool.</p>
<p>Soo…are social life and schooling two different bubbles at Vandy? Do they not touch?</p>
<p>Hi! I was wondering how competitive the students are with one another at Vanderbilt. I was also wondering how hard it is to get an “A.”</p>
<p>As are tough to land. Students are all self starters and self directed people with divergent talents and different paths who are all gifted. It would be pointless to compete with each other in schools with students who test this well.<br>
The only way to cope when all of your peers are equal is to take a deep breath and learn to compliment, praise and celebrate their journeys.<br>
As a freshman, you have all sorts of opportunities…I know my son used this service…to have your papers reviewed and critiqued before you choose to submit them by a faculty mentor. Some faculty members also critique first drafts, grade them and give you tons of directive feedback for your final work.<br>
Every department has ways for you to get extra help, including hiring tutors. One of the nicest things at Vandy that is not publicized is that you can in some circumstances, withdraw from a class, accept your W on the transcript and repeat it later. Or you can take your C on your transcript and retake the class for a better grade. Both grades stay on your transcript but only the higher grade is in your GPA.
In other words, there are ways for you to take one step forward, stumble and repeat. Guidelines exist and your academic advisor has to sign off and work with you but Vandy is not interested in seeing immaturity result in awful grades if you can straighten up your study habits and repeat or change directions. Our son did a science credit in the summer term after over extending himself and not setting boundaries well in an academic semester.<br>
If you get into Vandy…you can do it.</p>
<p>Students are not very competitive with eachother at all. </p>
<p>How hard it is to get an ‘A’ depends on the course. There are many courses where if you study and produce quality work, you can expect an A. There are other courses where you’ll study excessively and only be able to pull a B. Just depends on the course.</p>
<p>^As a prospective engineering student should I be concerned about the latter part of your statement? How tough is it to get As as an engineer?</p>
<p>It is hard to get As in any school of engineering with a fine reputation. People who want to major in engineering need to have a lot of resilience. Not any harder than As at Georgia Tech, one of my father’s alma maters. Differences? Some include: smaller classrooms you get with a mid sized research institution, excellent access to professors, getting an engineering degree on a more traditional campus that teaches liberal arts and sciences and has graduate schools on campus, peers who are majoring in other things, more traditional college all round experience.</p>
<p>It’s not easy to get an A in several of the engineering courses, but there are also easy ones. Plus the liberal arts core will help bring up your GPA.</p>
<p>You should not be worried about grades. It’s not like highschool where grades are paramount. A degree is paramount here (unless you have plans for grad school in which grades play a bigger role). You’re going to be challenged unlike you ever have- when to bring kids from all over the country who were top 5% in their highschool, 95% of them are going to see some grades lower than they’re used to. Just part of being at a top school.</p>
<p>We study hard and we play hard and are happy with whatever grades we get. Nobody brags about their GPA and we all complain together about how difficult various professors are. It’s a great environment, even when difficult.</p>
<p>Does the academics bubble and the playing bubble ever touch?</p>
<p>“Soo…are social life and schooling two different bubbles at Vandy? Do they not touch?”</p>
<p>It depends. I am a theatre minor and I hang out with a lot of my Theatre friends; however I am also a French minor and I do not spend much time with them. My major is self-designed (Approx half Special Education and half Psychology). The Sped major is small (20 students) so we’re all pretty close, but I don’t know most of the people in my psych class.</p>
<p>“Hi! I was wondering how competitive the students are with one another at Vanderbilt. I was also wondering how hard it is to get an “A.””</p>
<p>I would not say students are competitive with one another–not like the HYP horror stories. Everyone wants each other to do well–after all, we all got into Vanderbilt, so if someone gets a GPA a hundredth of a point higher than me, it shouldn’t be the end of the world.</p>
<p>However, it can be hard to get an “A”. This isn’t high school. C+ to B- is expected to be the course average, so about half will be above that and half below. Some classes have a higher average (many Peabody classes), some are lower (chemistry and calc 155A/B). I would note that Peabody classes aren’t necessarily that much easier–the professors and students all tend to be a bit more involved (not saying A&S students aren’t, but many Peabody students have a “calling” and are extremely passionate about their education studies). Anyway, an A or at least a B is attainable in most classes if you put the work in. </p>
<p>“We study hard and we play hard and are happy with whatever grades we get.”
Exactly.</p>
<p>“Does the academics bubble and the playing bubble ever touch?”</p>
<p>Already answered this, but also wanted to add that intellectual discussion frequently carries over to party time. I’ve had major debates over our Commons reading, Half the Sky, over red solo cups filled with punch.</p>
<p>thank you for offering to answer questions. You have said that some kids there are the “preppy” type, but that casual students would fit in…which is good to know. What about socio economic differences? Would someone who prefers no-name jeans and t-shirts, who doesn’t come from money, and who might often prefer reading a book or playing a board game to partying, feel out of place at Vandy?</p>
<p>Sounds like my D (2011 grad) - and she enjoyed her time at Vandy.</p>