<p>Hello! I'm a rising senior thinking of applying to Vandy. I am really confused about "declaring a major." Do you get admitted into a major? I want to do pre-med. What should I put down? Is there a separate program for pre-med (like Brown's PLME) or do I just put down something pre-med related as my major? And once I put something down, can I change it? Thank you SO, SO much!</p>
<p>Also, this is kind of random, but does Greek life play a big part in social life? If I do not participate, will I fit in? Thank you!</p>
<p>You don’t have to declare your major until you finish the second semester at Vanderbilt (aka end of freshmen year). You are allowed to fill out change of major forms later on and so but I’m not entirely sure about that process. When you apply to Vanderbilt, you just select one of the schools (engineering, arts and science, etc.) and put down a tentative major - you are not locked into the major you put down. For example, you could put down Molecular Biology when you apply and if you are admitted and decide to attend Vanderbilt, you could declare Chemistry or another major by the end of the freshmen year without any hassle. However, you are put into the specific school you do list on the application (Arts and Sciences, Engineering, Peabody, or Blair School of Music) so there is some paperwork for switching to a different school within the university if you change your major from one school to the other. Doing this early won’t be as difficult as later on when some prerequisites may have had to been met for the new major earlier on (such as changing from English to an Engineering major since engineering requires several prerequisites). There is no 7-year undergraduate/medical school program like Brown’s PLME - you’ll just have to go through the 4 years of undergrad then apply to medical school if you wish to do so. You can just put down something pre-med related as your major (something related to biology or chemistry) or whatever else interests you since you only need to fulfill the pre-med prerequisite courses (which include biology, chemistry, and other classes) to apply to medical school. </p>
<p>Greek life plays a dominant social nightlife role in terms of the parties (especially during Friday night and the weekend - some people I know here party over 4 days of the week), but the real question is if you actually like the fraternity parties. They tend to be crowded around the peak hours after midnight and are filled with loud music, alcohol, crowded “dancing”, and possible hook-ups. If you enjoy that stuff, then you can go ahead, but I don’t really find it very fun. I have several friends who also are not very interested in Greek life and we have fun doing other things (exploring Nashville and getting dinner in the city, watching movies, getting involved in extracurriculars, etc.) You can definitely enjoy yourself here doing what you enjoy - not partying a lot at the frats just because a lot of people enjoy doing so. Don’t worry so much on fitting in - you’ll fit in as long as you’re yourself.</p>
<p>By the way, I am currently a Vanderbilt freshmen and the information I have provided is from my own personal knowledge, knowledge from upperclassmen, etc.</p>
<p>Pre-med is just a guideline of a few courses to take. Peabody students officially declare a major when they apply, but that can still change. Greek life is noticeable but not dominant.</p>