Davidson vs. Wake Forest vs. Vanderbilt

<p>Hello, I am considering these three schools and i'm having some trouble deciding what my favorite is. I plan on majoring in either business, economics, or finance, (prob. business) with a minor of spanish so I was wondering which one of these schools had the strongest programs in these fields. I also am interested in being involved in greek life and from what I understand, each school has a solid greek life, though I was wondering if Wake had fraternity houses because I heard somewhere they didn't. </p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

<p>They’re all very strong academically - you’ll have no basis to choose one over the other on the grounds of your choice of majors. The fraternities on all three campuses have meeting / lounge space / chapter rooms in lieu of private houses, and I believe that in each case the university owns the spaces. At Wake they’re built into the corners of the residence halls while at Davidson and Vandy they’re free-standing, but again, I don’t think that will furnish any distinction on which to make a choice among the three. My sense is that Greek life is bigger at Wake and Vandy than at Davidson. I went to Wake, Vandy is at the top of my son’s list, and if I could pick somewhere to send my own kids, it’d be Davidson. So apparently, I won’t be much help to you either. :)</p>

<p>I have a S at Vandy, toured Wake twice and never been to Davidson. Yes, Wake does “house” their fraternities/sororities in lounge spaces within the dorms in addition to having “satellite houses” which is where I assume the parties take place. This was a bit of a negative for S1 but not a major deal breaker for S2. Perhaps someone else can explain how that system works.</p>

<p>Vandy fraternities/sororities have their own houses adjacent to campus which I do think makes Greek life “easier”. In other words, the “entertainment” is only steps away from the dorms/main campus and tailgating is a stones-throw away from the football stadium/basketball arena. Plus, if you walk around Greek row on a nice day there is always kids hanging around on the front porches listening to music, playing football in the yards, etc. </p>

<p>The biggest difference I see is the location. Nashville has everything you could want in a college experience - tons of music venues, bars, restaurants, pro football team, pro hockey team, etc, etc. Winston-Salem is a very small artsy type town.</p>

<p>Obviously, touring all 3 campuses will give you a better sense of how they compare.</p>

<p>Good luck</p>

<p>Davidson is liberal arts, so doesn’t have business or finance. You could do econ. I’m not sure Vandy has business either. Wake does–you apply after 2 years to the B school.</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>. . . with a population of a quarter-million. :)</p>

<p>^^^ - I meant that more as in comparison to Nashville and what it offers. </p>

<p>When we walked around downtown W-S, it did feel “small” - then again, we live outside D.C. …population 5.5 MILLION!!</p>

<p>That’s true - Wake students don’t get a lot of use out of their surrounding community as the students at Vandy do. And at Davidson, there’s not a whole lot in the surrounding community, but there’s a longstanding love affair between the townsfolk and the students. The neighbors all bake the new students cookies when they move in!</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>this is wonderful</p>

<p>I have not been to Wake, but have always been impressed with Davidson. Vanderbilt does offer the SEC sports scene, which I happen to like. Nashville is an amazing place and I would have loved to have gone to college here. My daughter is a Vandy grad student and grad students always think the undergrads are inferior beings, but I don’t think you can go wrong with a Vandy pick (except perhaps in your basketball pool).</p>

<p>As I understand it, Vanderbilt does not have a standard business school or business major for undergraduates. Most students who are interested in studying business are majors in the Peabody School (human and organizational development major). Check the web site for details about what sort of course work that implies; I don’t really know.</p>

<p>Of course, some who ultimately want to study business major in economics, in College of Arts and Sciences. Again, a look at required courses will give you a hint of which would better serve your immediate and long-term interests.</p>

<p>My son isn’t studying business or economics, so no specific help there, but Nashville really is a great place to be a student. (Can’t compare to the other two schools on your list, though, because I don’t know them.)</p>

<p>Thank you guys so much!</p>