<p>Hey guys, I am really excited about attending Vandy in the fall, but before I make my decision, I was hoping someone could give me a little insight into the type of students that attend Vandy. I am a little concerned because I have read many things that describe the majority of the students as conservative, preppy kids who are all obsessed with expensive labels and Greek life, and that if you're not involved in Greek life, your social life is limited, etc.</p>
<p>I am from Washington, DC...so I would describe myself as moderate to liberal, and used to diversity not only ethnically, but personality/interest-wise.</p>
<p>I know that some of these may be just stereotypes and not necessarily facts, so I was hoping this post, and the responses I get (both from current Vandy students and even just any person who has visited the campus at any point, as I have unfortunately never had the pleasure of visiting) will help me towards my decision of whether or not I should attend Vanderbilt in the fall.</p>
<p>Is there any way you can visit campus before deciding? I think it would be a mistake to make such an important choice without the benefit of a visit. Airfares from the DC area to Nashville are really affordable right now (less than $200 if you hunt). It’s worth the time and money - this is a major life decision, and your own impressions will mean much more than the opinions of strangers.</p>
<p>If you look at the Vanderbilt board, you’ll see that this question has come up a million times before. Some people will say that the stereotypical view of Vanderbilt is correct, that Greek life dominates all else on campus, that the rich preppy kids rule the school, etc. Others will say that, as a leading university, many different types of people can find their niches there, that the 50 percent of women and 65 percent of men who are not in Greek life have full lives without it, and that there is more social, economic, and ethnic diversity than Vandy gets credit for.</p>
<p>After years of pondering why the same identical responses are posted whenever the question is raised, I’ve come to the conclusion that both sides must be right. Or rather, like everything else in life, it’s all in how you see it. Some people are bugged if they cross the campus and see 15 different Greek letter T-shirts; some people don’t even notice. Some people will not leave their rooms without decking themselves out in name-brand regalia, and some are perfectly happy in no-name jeans and sneakers. There are both kinds on campus.</p>
<p>Vanderbilt is not for every student. Harvard is not for every student. Wesleyan is not for every student. Penn State is not for every student. A visit is an excellent way to at least start to judge if Vanderbilt is for you.</p>
<p>If you really can’t visit, ask yourself, “If the Vanderbilt stereotype is true, how will I feel about going?”</p>
<p>The perspective of one parent of one student: my son does not in any way fit the stereotype you have presented here. Could not care less about clothes, lives inexpensively, not into sports and ignores the Greek scene. Independent as they come with regard to political views. Nonetheless, he likes Vanderbilt and Nashville a lot, has a lot of friends and stays very busy.</p>
<p>Ditto to the above with regard to his girlfriend–except that she does dress better than he does, but still not a name-brand slave.</p>
<p>By the way, this forum is not representative of the student body. </p>
<p>As frazzled1 noted, half of the females and 2/3 of the male students are not members of Greek organizations, even nominally. I think you are safe assuming the majority of students find something enjoyable to do with their time, since freshman retention rate is very high.</p>
<p>the greeks rule, period. you will find that the majority of the students are preppy and extremely wealthy. however, plenty of people do not fit that stereotype. most people find their niche within the vandy community.</p>
<p>The wealth question is a tough one with the recession and all, a lot of soro. girls had to settle for Benz S classes for graduation gifts this year…</p>
<p>I visited Vanderbilt with the same prejudice: expecting a highly preppy, conservative student body. I also imagined the elitist air that IMO occasionally tacks onto a top-20 school (for example, I did NOT have a positive experience at Northwestern :P). - I mean, yeah, I was rejoicing that I’d been accepted to such a great school; I loved the campus, the dorms, the food, everything; but I was leery of the student body.</p>
<p>Um. </p>
<p>I was so wrong that it’s embarrassing to even write all of that down.</p>
<p>Are there beautiful people at Vanderbilt? Yes. Are there some name-brand slaves on campus? Probably.</p>
<p>But overall, those same people are also super nice!! They genuinely want to recruit you to their school, they care about your interests, they will plant a tray down next to you in Rand’s dining hall and talk to you for twenty minutes, they will go out of their way to let you into a dorm to look around, they offer counsel on the best classes to take…</p>
<p>Best visit experience I’ve had. Really, try to go if you can.</p>
<p>Because it means its not my type of school. Not unfortunate for some people but it is for me. Fortunately, there are plenty of colleges to choose from.</p>
<p>I think you mean to say that stereotypes are almost always BASED on a past or present truth. That is very inconsiderate of you to say otherwise, you must hate the environment. This relationship is similar to legends, myths, and great movies that are “based on fact”, like Saving Private Ryan, which helps to explain why stereotypes are so much fun and a key component of social interaction. Only the best and the brightest understand their full benefits and proper method of employment.</p>