<p>since when was wealth considered a negative? how many people here would choose to have less rather than more? the correlation you're trying to imply between personal wealth and being "snobby" is a bit prejudicial. it would be nearly the same as saying someone is poor and therefore petty and uneducated. people who can afford to buy extremely expensive clothing that makes them look "better" do so because their circumstances simply allow them to. how many people wouldn't take an A in a class over a B if they could without added effort? there is an inherent jealousy here, however weak or strong. Also, I'm actually poor so take my points more seriously.</p>
<p>Locals state that at Rice the students know how to make it rain, they just do not have the common sense to get out of it.</p>
<p>Vandy is less cerebral, but still a very strong university.</p>
<p>I think this decision is so personal that unless you have really stayed at each campus, you will not being yourself or the school any justice.</p>
<p>There is no question that Rice is the most intellectual of the two schools.</p>
<p>In my opinion, I do not have the slightest idea why Vanderbilt is ranked or rated as high as it is.</p>
<p>"There is no question that Rice is the most intellectual of the two schools."</p>
<p>What are you basing this on? I'm confused.</p>
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What are you basing this on? I'm confused.
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<p>I was simply basing it off of matter of fact. Compare Vanderbilt and Rice in any way, and you will see that Rice trumps it intellectually. I do not have time to type an exhaustive report, but I urge you to compare the two schools in any category.</p>
<p>"I was simply basing it off of matter of fact. Compare Vanderbilt and Rice in any way, and you will see that Rice trumps it intellectually."</p>
<p>I'm an English major at Vanderbilt and its department is much more prestigious than the one at Rice. Vanderbilt is famous for being the birthplace of the "New Criticism" - one of the most dominant modes of textual analysis. It is also widely known in literary circles for the emergence of The Fugitives and Agrarians, some of the most influential poets and literary scholars in American history. Robert Penn Warren was also prominent in this movement and won a Pulitzer prize for his work in All The King's Men. Aside from the rich traditions, my professors have been outstanding. I have taken a creative writing class with best-selling author Tony Earley. My other professors are at the top of their field. The department at Vanderbilt is strides ahead of Rice. It's not even close.</p>
<p>i agree with nspeeds...RIce is just better...comapare it urself</p>
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I'm an English major at Vanderbilt and its department is much more prestigious than the one at Rice.
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<p>Prestige has nothing to do with intellectual caliber. </p>
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The department at Vanderbilt is strides ahead of Rice. It's not even close.
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<p>The caliber of the faculty has no necessary connection to intellectual caliber; the students, in tandem with the goals of the university, embody the overall thrust of the school. I have never heard of Vanderbilt being a prized intellectual institution. On the other hand, I have been overwhelmed by reports of schools like UChicago, Rice, Reed, Swarthmore, Brown, and Yale leading the pack of schools where substantive thought matters, and where most students learn for the sake of learning.</p>
<p>I am no Vandy alum or parent. But, please refrain from absolutes about it being an academic stepchild or a college without merit . . .</p>
<p>In fact, Vandy just announced a bunch [11 with an alternate] of Fullbright Scholar winners. </p>
<p>SITE: <a href="http://www.vanderbilt.edu/news/releases?id=26107%5B/url%5D">http://www.vanderbilt.edu/news/releases?id=26107</a></p>
<p>It is not a lackluster academic institution -- in spite of what some of you portray -- and anyone accepted should be happy as it provides a fine education for its students.</p>
<p>From my experience as a student, my classmates have been intellectually curious. The professors create the intellectual atmosphere and the conversations are engaging. Personally, Id rather go to the school with the more prestigious programs/faculty rather than basing my decision on arbitrary categorizations. To each his own.</p>
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From my experience as a student, my classmates have been intellectually curious. The professors create the intellectual atmosphere and the conversations are engaging. Personally, Id rather go to the school with the more prestigious programs/faculty rather than basing my decision on arbitrary categorizations. To each his own.
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<p>UPenn has more prestige, but hardly anyone calls it the bastion of intellectualism.</p>
<p>For some reason, universities with less prestige seem to have more in terms of intellectualism. Perhaps it is because the students are more self-selecting? Reed College is definitely not prestigious, but I think the preponderance of posters on this board would agree that it outpaces nearly any school in the top tier in terms of intellectualism.</p>
<p>It's still arbitrary. It is not unreasonable to choose the school with the better program.</p>
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It's still arbitrary. It is not unreasonable to choose the school with the better program.
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<p>I never said it was not. I simply stated that Rice intellectually surpasses Vanderbilt.</p>
<p>How many times have you personally sat-in a Vanderbilt classroom to observe its intellectual atmosphere? And which courses did you not find stimulating?</p>
<p>They aren't really similar. I can't think of many people who've pared down a list to these two. You hear voices in your head?</p>
<p>Kidding aside, the differences have little to do with each school's mental horsepower quotient. Others here seem to disagree on that, but they are wrong.</p>
<p>Neither is a bad choice.</p>
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Kidding aside, the differences have little to do with each school's mental horsepower quotient.
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<p>That was not even my argument.</p>
<p>"That was not even my argument."</p>
<p>Can you clarify your argument? It's rather vague.</p>
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I simply stated that Rice intellectually surpasses Vanderbilt.
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<p>It is not vague at all.</p>
<p>I am not speaking about the intellectual capacity of students, or the "mental quotient" of the schools. UPenn boasts a generally intelligent studentry, but it is pre-professional, not intellectual.</p>
<p>Again, have you personally sat-in a Vanderbilt classroom? I don't understand how your assertions of UPenn's "intellectualism" -- or lack thereof -- have any correlation to the intellectual atmophere at Vanderbilt. Enlighten me.</p>
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I don't understand how your assertions of UPenn's "intellectualism" -- or lack thereof -- have any correlation to the intellectual atmophere at Vanderbilt.
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<p>It is an example.</p>
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Again, have you personally sat-in a Vanderbilt classroom?
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<p>I have friends who go to Vanderbilt, and I met several students during our orientation who transferred from there, and all had the same complaints.</p>