<p>My top choices:
Penn with Vagelos Scholars Molecular Life Sciences Program
Vandy with big scholarship (full tuition)</p>
<p>I plan to study biology and become a biomedical researcher (in neurology or pharmacology). How do the social and academic atmospheres compare at these schools?</p>
<p>My oldest son had a similar choice. UPenn for about 20k more per year than Vanderbilt. While I think he would have fit well at UPenn he chose Vandy. His two main deciding factors were he liked the area of Nashville around Vanderbilt much more than the area of Philly around UPenn (we are from a big city in the northeast) and he felt more “at home” at Vandy. He is studying engineering and while UPenn’s name carries more academic weight, both institutions would serve you very well in your studies and are both recognized for very high quality educations. Both schools have excellent Biomedical departments. It seemed to me that UPenn students have a good perspective on the work/play aspects of life, but here I believe Vanderbilt students probably make a little more of an effort to wind down and have some enjoyment (don’t get me wrong both schools students study very hard). He has never regretted his decision and really is enjoying his time at Vandy. Whatever you decide you really can’t go wrong with either choice. If you have not visited both schools you really should. It was the visits that allowed my son to make his decision. Best of luck and congratulations on getting into two great institutions.</p>
<p>I agree with many of the points made by ‘the o dad’. The location of Vanderbilt is a strong selling point, in my opinion. The campus is urban, but with few of the normal downsides to urban. Restaurants, music, various entertainment options are located very close to campus, yet the campus itself is quite peaceful. There is a comfortable, friendly feel to the place.</p>
<p>Like ‘the o dad’s’ son, my son is in the engineering school and has had a very good experience. It looks like you are looking at a CAS major, so I’m limited in my experience. Son’s girlfriend is a bio-related major (premed) in CAS and has nothing but good things to say about her time at Vanderbilt. (Both son and gf are about to graduate.)</p>
<p>Like you, my son is attending on a full tuition merit scholarship. We would have been full pay otherwise, so the real value of the award is quite significant. What is your price difference between the two schools? If it is significant, it is my personal opinion that you would have to come up with some very good reasons to choose Penn over Vanderbilt.</p>
<p>I really recommend a visit.</p>
<p>It seems you have two excellent choices. My own kid chose Vandy over Penn mainly for money (merit) reasons, but in hindsight, we can say that it has been a highly nurturing environment where he has been involved in cutting-edge research, has close relationships with professors (think grad recommendations here), and is in grad classes as a junior. Also, graduating w/o debt will allow for more choices at the grad level. Ultimately, while certain degrees open doors, your own work/research/rainmaking will win out. (See notables in various fields and you’ll be surprised by some of the alma maters.) Congrats on two exciting choices!</p>
<p>Hmmm. I have visited both Penn and Vanderbilt, and I liked Penn better. I liked Vanderbilt, but the party scene is not at all my thing, and it seems to be a big part of campus life. The biological sciences departmental resources (at Vandy) were definitely impressive. </p>
<p>Btw, Penn is about $15K more expensive.</p>
<p>^^^If that represents $60K in loans, I’d say don’t do it. Even though the fields you are interested in would be no-pay graduate programs (PhD, anyway), the loans will still be accruing interest, and decent pay for scientists is many years down the road.</p>
<p>The “party scene” is not my son’s thing, either, really. Freshman year it may (or may not) be a little harder to avoid, but there are a lot of housing options after that. This one, for instance:</p>
<p>[Mayfield</a> Lodges Housing and Residential Education | Vanderbilt University](<a href=“Housing and Residential Experience | Vanderbilt University”>Housing and Residential Experience | Vanderbilt University)</p>
<p>Also, there are single rooms in some of the dorms after freshman year, if that appeals to you.</p>
<p>It is true that Vanderbilt is a social/sociable campus. That is a strong point. When I say my son is not into the ‘party scene’ that does not mean he is a recluse who hides out at his desk. There are various entertainment options, and I’m sure you will find other students like yourself.</p>
<p>All that said, Penn is a very fine university, obviously, and if you really feel it is more you, and you can afford the difference, then lucky you to have a great choice.</p>
<p>my son is also in a Mayfield Lodge and could not be busier or happier. He already has a very good summer internship lined up in a big city and we are kind of surprised with the level of faculty support he has already received as a sophomore. The Greek party scene is a dissonant scene for his personality although he has escorted a girl or two to parties if asked to do so. He attends many parties that are related to the two or three things he is most interested in on campus and he has a hard time saying “no” to the many social options he is invited to weekly. </p>
<p>whether or not 60 grand in more cash or loans registers with your family as a sacrifice is a personal matter but I agree that it is too much for a student to shoulder for an undergrad degree unless your family will take it on as a shared burden/decision. The student body at Vanderbilt is 60% independent and most independents are self directed people who create their own social lives very ably. </p>
<p>Duke has a great biomedical engineering track and also has a pretty prominent Greek scene, at least those who are Greek feel it is very prominent, and I am talking about my eldest son’s rather skewed perspective as a Greek Duke grad. I am pretty sure that the independents at Duke don’t see things through his eyes. Durham is not half as fun as Nashville for an independent student IMHO. </p>
<p>Congrats on your offers and good luck with your final decision. Be happy!
oh yeah. and thanks to midmo for posting about the Mayfield Lodges a few seasons ago…turned out to be a great choice for our son</p>
<p>You are very welcome, Faline. So glad it worked out well for him. Perhaps we should mention that the groups can now be co-ed. They didn’t have that selling point when my son was putting his group together.</p>
<p>enzymeman–I like your screen name. I have a PhD in biochem, but I don’t think I had any idea what an enzyme was when I was a high school senior. Of course, I went to school centuries ago. I see that you are in a special Scholars program at Penn. Does that include a guaranteed research component? I was just wondering if you asked about that kind of opportunity when you visited Vanderbilt. My son was not in CAS, but he did have a lot of research opps, including a competitive summer grant, called VUSRP or something like that (VU Summer Research Program?). It is designed mostly for students who have completed junior year, but some (incl. my son) have enough research under their belts to apply during their sophomore years. A less formal opportunity was also available to him the summer after freshman year. I’m just guessing, but probably the same kind of thing will be available to ambitious (aggressive?) students in CAS.</p>
<p>The Vagelos Program is a very intense biochemistry program with two summers of built-in research:
[Vagelos</a> Scholars Program in the Molecular Life Sciences](<a href=“Biochemistry | Penn Arts & Sciences”>http://www.sas.upenn.edu/biochem/vspmls.html)</p>
<p>^^And what? You can’t go ask professors to work in their labs during the summer months? Oh wait, many people at Vandy do just that. In fact many high schoolers do just that. The excuse of summer research is overrated. Just as a professor. I got a paid research position at one of the top public university (UMich) by just emailing a professor and I have friends who work at medical colleges. He technically could have taken anyone but he allowed me a chance to work in his lab. If high schoolers can do it (look at all those ISEF, ISTS, Siemens, JSHS finalists) so can college students. Oops, UPenn just became less special. Regardless, Penn is NOT WORTH the 100K+ dollars, especially if you are going to grad school or med school. I would save that money and invest it in stocks (but not really). Good luck!</p>
<p>P.S. You might argue that Vagelos provides seminars courses where you discuss research but you can get just as good of a discussion when you have lab meetings if you join a lab or if you join a journal club.</p>