<p>I have been around the Vandy board since 2005 when eldest son really wanted to go to Vandy and was admitted but decided to go to Duke instead. His reason? He loves to play in a symphony but didn’t want to be in a conservatory symphony so he was pleased at Duke where he also joined a frat and went abroad and learned to be fluent in another language and had many other non frat adventures with independent and Greek friends. In my opinion, Vandy is a much happier place to go non-Greek than Duke and many other places that are isolated in smaller towns. Durham is not nearly as safe and stimulating as Nashville which offers so much to scientists artists and people interested in government or education or business steps from freshman campus. </p>
<p>There were only 11,000 or so applicants back when eldest son applied and this year you are looking at 26,000 plus applicants. I know you smart ED admits can do that math. Vanderbilt is super national and international in its student body now and it is only accelerating. The students are bringing so much diversity and keen ability to campus it will make your head spin and most of them are rugged individuals with interesting back stories. Hey…some of you will be among the new class. Vanderbilt’s Greek life is part of its culture and is connected to alum and it history but the student body of 2011 doesn’t look very much like the alum of the past anymore. </p>
<p>I have lived in Nashville twice, once in graduate school, so I know it well. It is a truly inviting friendly city with endless things to do on weekends. My independent Vandy son tells me this week that his problem is that he has events four nights this week that he really doesn’t want to miss, some off campus and some on campus. And he goes to plenty of parties on and off campus. He studies on weekends some now in order to make sure he can go out a lot at night. He is at Vandy on merit dollars and even with his choice to be a second class (ha jk) independent student, he got completely buried by second semester his first year in all the activities he is interested in on campus. In fact, he was having so much fun he almost forgot to study for a few weeks. Not studying hard would be a huge mistake since everyone at Vanderbilt knows how to do the academic work required…you have to stay focused. </p>
<p>His second year housing plan includes students oh well, best not to say details but students who speak five different languages and students from every corner of the USA and outside of it and who make him seem like a hayseed and they are all great friends who are planning to travel together and who support each other even though they all have different special interests and talents. When he needs an ear or advice…they are there.</p>
<p>Guys there is always someone on this board like VandyDore–pretty much every year if you look back… or whatever his moniker is this year-- who ardently believes that life at Vanderbilt is “Greek dominated” and everyone else is "doing geeky UN activities on Friday night. (how was that for egocentric and snide? some welcome to admittees on the fence re rushing or who are already planning to be independent!) Please. Please don’t take the opinions of one person in a one frat about your lousy prospects for a fulfilled social life to heart on this board. </p>
<p>And another thing…don’t let his posts prejudice you too much against the students who are in frats and sororities either…there are plenty of really gracious nice people with multi faceted lives at Vandy who are Greek and who don’t believe that their Friday nights are so rarified and envied by those who aren’t interested. There are also probably lots of guys in his frat who would never post such sad tidings for those “second tier” students who may rush and not be invited into frats. </p>
<p>What are you going to do? Eliminate all great universities with Greek systems because you find it off-putting? that would be foolish. Who wants to eliminate UVA, Dartmouth, Emory and Chapel Hill on that basis. Don’t get psyched out re Vandy’s Greek scene. Instead congratulate yourselves for getting into a great research institution smack dab in a great town with great sports on campus and off campus and tons of concerts steps away. Vanderbilt has school spirit, a significant alum network and a fine reputation but it is also a place where people are gracious and the town is both relaxing and stimulating.</p>
<p>My advice to you is to bear up and tolerate those few Greek people who have such warped ideas about the specialness of their weekends and exclusive rituals-- as if the rest of the student body isn’t also “playing hard.” Some people with this attitude grow out of it and become really great classmates later on, so indulge them and try not to judge them too much but most certainly don’t cede your own judgment over to them. Believe me, if you eliminate Greek classmates from your social life you lose out because obviously there are great future adults in Greek organizations and vise versa. Stay open minded and open hearted whether you rush or not because all of your classmates are worth knowing. </p>
<p>And your classmates will evolve over four years time and will surprise you. As a parent, I know that you also never want to judge anyone too harshly who is only a freshman or sophomore in college because we are all works in progress. I would not care to be remembered forever for my limitations and insecurities at age 19 and neither will you. But there is a reason that the word Sophomoric is defined as deluded and immature. </p>
<p>The reason Vanderbilt is hugely targeted by some of the best and brightest and most genuine 18 years olds in the country is because it is a massively important institution in its region of the USA and you are going to feel it as soon as you settle in. The graduate schools alone bring all sorts of reality to campus daily and the undergraduate school is the best of small and personal and warm and friendly and large and diverse and stimulating. The place it big enough for you to change your mind, change your friends and change your major a few times and that would be normal.
you are going to have a wonderful wonderful four years and you are going to meet and get to know people who will be your friends forever. My son learns so much from his classmates and housemates and from the students who also staff the two or three programs on campus where he puts in his time outside of class. Although Vandy can’t be Haverford or Davidson re constant access to faculty, you won’t be disappointed there either. My son has had outstanding instruction in small classes with intimate lectures and in larger classes. He hardly ever comes home and travels on his weeks off and will be going abroad next year and living in another city this summer. He has gotten letters of reference from three or four teachers in only three semester for various things he tries to do–he doesn’t get every opportunity he tries for but some doors have opened for him and they are there for you, too!..the interviewing, applying and dreaming has only begun…there are many many new opportunities at Vanderbilt that you can’t even see yet that are there for you to take advantage of if you are thinking and have your eyes open.</p>
<p>Believe in yourselves and see the good in every one of your classmates on the Commons next year and be generous in spirit when a good portion of the student body checks out the Greek scene. You will be fine which ever way you go socially. Good luck sorting out the Calendar of Events that will arrive in your “in” box daily at Vanderbilt …competing with your five classes and with your many new commitments and friends.</p>
unfortunately, this really goes against popular opinion. You guys might’ve seen my other post on here, and I have to say, if I didn’t think Greek life was so bad here, I couldn’t care less if Vandy was a bit worse academically. It’s just the possible combination that: