<p>So I visited Vanderbilt a few days ago and loved it. The campus was great, the kids there all looked happy, I know it is academically strong, and somehow everybody there is really good looking.... wow, etc.... </p>
<p>However, now that I read up on it I am getting a bit scared. I am a liberal New Jersey boy. I am scared that Vandy is too conservative and that I might feel out of place. I am very accepting of any political/social point of view, but I just think that I might feel out of place being a tiny minority. I also hear that outside of the classroom people are not very.... academically oriented, like there is little political activism and there is a lot of apathy etc.</p>
<p>I also hear that the vandyguy is obsessed about social status, and frats, and the vandy girl is ditsy and only pays attention to frat guys. I don't know if I would want to join a frat, but if it the only way to have fun.... well that is an awkward position. Lastly, my mom's friend's daughter went to Vandy and she told me that all of her friends freshman year who were girls just talked about marriage 24/7... is this a southern thing. Sounds like they just came from a debutante ball....</p>
<p>I know that these are just generalizations that cannot be totally true. I really like Vandy, but I am scared of these things. What do you guys think?</p>
<p>Well, I don't really think that you need to be too worried. If you are concerned about politics, then you can wipe that fear away as Vandy's students are split almost exactly 50/50 democrats and republicans. </p>
<p>You are right in saying that Vandy is academically strong. However, the students like to work hard and play hard. During the week, students will generally focus hard on their academics so that when the weekend comes around, they will have completed most of their work so that they can go have fun. Now, fun doesn't necessarily mean going to Greek Row and getting completely trashed. If this is your thing, then you absolutely can - but it certainly is not the only option. There are concerts and tons of fun things to do downtown. </p>
<p>Guys certainly are not 'obsessed' with frats. I believe about 1/3 of the guys go greek, and the rest do not join. The majority of the guys will not join a frat but will definitely still have a great time socially, as there is always something fun to do. </p>
<p>I do not know where this marriage thing is coming from...most of the girlfriends (friends who are girls) that I have are just interested in having fun during their college experience. They absolutely will try dating if they find someone, but marriage is not something that is on their minds. From what I understand, those thoughts start to cross the minds of girls their senior year in college if they have been with a boyfriend for a long time. </p>
<p>I initially had some of these concerns before coming to Vandy...but I have found that I had nothing to worry about and everything to look forward to! Let me know if you have any questions that I can answer by sending me a PM.</p>
<p>I absolutely agree with taw19! I'm also a liberal, and I haven't had any problems at Vandy. Some of my friends are very conservative, but I don't feel like they try to force their views on me. There are also tons of things to do on and off campus without being involved in Greek Life. Downtown is a short bus ride away (free with your Vandy card), and there is always something going on there! I feel like everyone here is also very academically oriented. People do go out and party, but like taw19 said we have the whole "work hard, play hard" attitude. I didn't think it was true at first, but somehow it works. </p>
<p>I understand where your concerns are coming from. We do have some people that create the stereotypes surrounding Vandy. However, they do not hold true for most of the students.</p>
<p>Certainly compared to schools in the Northeast, Vanderbilt could be considered "too conservative". But compared to rest of the South and Deep South, the school is far from that. You would not be the only New Jersey liberal on campus by a long shot.</p>
<p>I believe I also mentioned the pretty campus, strong academics, and hot girls... but let me elaborate a bit...</p>
<p>I like a school that is academically challenging. I go to a competative high school and I do pretty well. I like to learn about a lot of different things. Vandy seems like a good place for that. The campus was very nice. Not too big, not too small, and very beautiful. It also has a nice location, not in the middle of nowhere but not among the skyscrapers. The student body is an ideal size for me. Not too big not too small. And like you mentioned, everybody looked to be having a good time, so I assumed that I might have a good time if I went there as well.</p>
<p>So that is what I liked about Vandy.... it's a lot. But what I don't like might potentially be a deal breaker... I guess that's why I am talking to you guys. </p>
<p>You visited - was it overnight? That's a better way to get a more accurate feel for what to expect.</p>
<p>I'm always saying this - Vanderbilt is a big place, with room for lots of different viewpoints and opinions. It's certainly not the right spot for someone who wants an Oberlin/Wesleyan kind of experience. But the students there are accomplished, focused, and committed to academic success. Very bright people, who constitute the vast majority of the Vandy student body, don't tend to be closed-minded or intolerant, even if they do like LaCoste or Coach or whatever it is. Mike1717, I think you're asking really smart questions. I just sometimes get discouraged because this excellent school is so often pegged on CC as being a haven for Rich Southern Republican Snobs, and not much more. </p>
<p>My liberal NY daughter (a Vandy Democrat who worked for Harold Ford in the recent election) loves Vandy, Nashville, and the many opportunities she's had to meet all kinds of fellow students (Vandy is far more diverse than her high school ever was). Marriage? Fuhgeddaboudit.</p>
<p>A word on the happy looking kids--something that kids from the North need to know about the South in general--Southerners are very friendly, but that doesn't always mean that they are actually your friend. It can be hard for Northerners to see this, and several people I know have been left hurt and confused because they realize that someone they felt was becoming their good friend did not feel the same way underneath all of the smiles and graciousness.</p>
<p>I am from the north and have not experienced this at all...everyone here seems pretty genuine. Everyone seems to be polite, and those who appear to be my friends are, as they have demonstrated through their actions.</p>