I need 3 reasons...

Colleges and Universities A-Z Vanderbilt University
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<p>So I have a dilemma on my hands. I have the Langsdorf to WashU (full tuition) and McKelvey (5000 dollar research grant) plus national merit. On the other hand, I have the Cornelius Vanderbilt from Vandy (obviously) which is also full tuition, plus a 5000 dollar research grant, plus national merit. Money-wise they are comparable. Location-wise, I personally think Nashville is a better city than St. Louis, in terms of weather, safety, and distance from home. WashU seems more serious in education, while Vandy, though there are terrific students seems more free-spirited. Student, wise WashU is proabably more diverse, but Vandy draws in 65% of students from out of state, mainly from New York, and other coast places. Campus-wise, WashU is more picture perfect and beautiful, while (to me) Vandy seems to have natural beauty (state arboretum) and is sunnier. That does not seem to bother me. I know washU has a better med school, but I am far from med school right now and know that washU's med school is tougher and Vandy's med school is directly on campus. This is what I've taken away from my visits and overnight stays at the two colleges.</p>

<p>I will be going into biomedical engineering with premed track. Can someone please comment on the curriculum of the two schools, the faculty, the atmosphere? I posted this in the WashU forum too. My heart is going for Washu, though.</p>

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<ol>
<li>Don’t mistake free-spirited for non-serious academics. Students at vanderbilt are very serious about their education, and what you perceive as free-spirited is what we call BALANCE. Some of the most important lessons in college are learned outside of the classroom, and Vanderbilt has that balance between academics and social life that will allow you to learn the most both within and outside of the classroom. You will go crazy if studying is all that you ever do, trust me.</li>
<li>The college scholars program at Vanderbilt is an awesome oppportunity. I am currently a cornelius vanderbilt scholar. We get to take seminars exclusive to honors scholars that are taught by some of the most outstanding vanderbilt professors. Being a college scholar opens many doors. Last year I was able to give tours and be on a student panel during the A&S open house all because I was an honors scholar. </li>
<li>You are going to the school for undergrad, not med school. Why does the strength of the school’s med school matter that much? Not to mention, the med center at vandy is top-notch and provides lots of internship and shadowing opportunities. They are very open to having students shadow and volunteer with research, an openness you may not find at other schools. Also, vandy’s med school is no small potatoes.</li>
<li>While students here at vandy want to excel, there is a spirit of cooperation that you may not find at other schools. Students here want to help each other succeed, not sabotage each other in order to boost the curve. This is very important.</li>
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<p>Overall, I have to say that Vanderbilt is the best balance of everything possible. The campus is definitely diverse, despite what people post on this forum, and there are countless opportunities that your situation here would afford you that you would be crazy to turn down. If your heart is with Wash U, go there–it’s no skin off of my back, but I have an idea that you would possibly be happier here in the long run.</p>

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<p>Is College Scholar Program meant for CAS students only? Can anybody tell about the BME premed students statistics? Like how many start as pre-med and how many drop-off? How many who continue on pre-med track actually get into good medical schools? How is the pre-med advising here?</p>

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<p>Go with your emotional decision and make it work. No one here is going to tell you that Wash U isn’t a wonderful place. For premed and Biomedical E, it is really more about what you bring to the table to make an educational path sing.
Vanderbilt has luscious long autumns and early long springs and is safe to wander on foot plus is nicely wed to its host city neighborhoods. We went to the world class Symphony Hall the Schermerhorn–Saturday night-- but St Louis also offers a great host city. I think your cultural opportunities are outstanding in Nashville with low stress for attendance. Your alum circle is truly national and international at Vanderbilt now.<br>
The College Scholar program is open to freshmen who apply after first term…and they add a few more at that time. My son loves these seminars and they have made Vanderbilt much more like the small liberal arts college courses he originally dreamed of in high school…discussion based courses by top professors…great memories. However the non scholar courses have provided much much more access to teachers than I would have expected. Vandy really has the best of small cozy intimate and big research opportunities on campus.<br>
Good luck with the good fortune of your decision and best wishes either way. Give to your college and it will give things back to you forever.</p>

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<p>The people are a lot better looking at Vandy and the Sports/social life is way better. With academics being so good also, its an easy choice for me…hahaha. But definitely go with your gut feeling because you’ll be happiest there.</p>

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<p>Phasmatis, the College Scholars Program is for CAS students only, and you are forbidden from ever joining it (even if you switch to CAS after the first year) if you were accepted to one of the other schools (VUSE, in your case).</p>

<p>I’m also starting off in BME and talked with the dean.</p>

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<p>Congratulations on some wonderful options.</p>

<p>If your heart is with Wash U, you should go to Wash U. </p>

<p>However, I don’t think you would find the students in VUSE any less ‘serious’ about academics than those in BME at Wash U.</p>

<p>Based on total dollars awarded via NIH research grants, Wash U’s med school is ranked #4, and Vanderbilt’s is ranked #15. That is all that ranking means: amount of externally funded research grants from the NIH. It is unlikely that means anything at all to an undergraduate, unless more research money is translated into additional research opportunities for undergraduates. If you are interested in research, you should be inquiring into what the opportunities are like for undergrads during the school year, and during the summers.</p>

<p>The location of Vanderbilt in Nashville is superior, in my opinion, to Wash U’s location in St. Louis. I grew up in St. Louis, and I spend a lot of time there now (in particular, at Barnes Jewish hospital, the Wash U med school’s hospital), and I feel that the opportunities for VU students near campus and downtown make VU a better option, all other things equal, for students who plan to be a part of the larger community. On the other hand, I think Forest Park is a fantastic resource for Wash U students, and the proximity of the park and the attractions there would be a major draw for me, personally.</p>

<p>You’ve mentioned that the weather is better in Nashville. I’d agree with that, at least during the school year, but the difference is not really huge. It isn’t like San Diego vs. Minneapolis.</p>

<p>The housing situation is not the same at the two schools. Vanderbilt guarantees housing of some sort on the campus for all four years. The last I heard, that was not the case at Wash U, and there is not a lot of good student housing near the Wash U campus; however, that situation may have changed by now. Also, some students do not want to be on campus all four years, and are not happy if they are not granted a waiver of that requirement their senior year, so that can cut both ways.</p>

<p>The College Scholars Program sounds interesting, and if any of you do enroll at VUSE, I hope you take up the subject with the deans at VUSE. My son is graduating, or I’d bug him to take up the issue. VUSE likes to emphasize that it gives its engineering students more access to humanities and liberal arts than most engineering programs, so I don’t know why there is no access for CV scholars to the program.</p>

<p>Good luck to you as you make this decision.</p>

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<p>Pretty much made the decision with the last line of the original post. If you want to go to WashU, don’t go to Vanderbilt just because it’s so much better… :P</p>