<p>I love everything about Vandy except for it's location. I am an Asian- American I have a few reservations about the south. I am still going to apply since it's a fantastic institution but I was hoping someone can provide some other options for me to explore. </p>
<p>What I love about vandy is its balance, between social life and academics, city and campus, research university with an undergraduate emphasis, and the large student body that still maintains a sense of community. </p>
<p>My stats are 3.8 uw gpa, 4.2 weighted, 33 highest comp, 34 superscore, officer positions in 5 or 6 clubs, and I go to a competitive public high school in CA. The school doesn't rank but I should be around top 9 to 10%.</p>
<p>Any schools out there that fits my stats and what I look for in a college?</p>
<p>Dtao114: Visit Vandy and you’ll see your reservations are unfounded. However, if you are set on another region of the country, consider Northwestern, Cornell, Cal Berkeley, UCLA, Rice University. </p>
<p>Dtao114, could you elaborate on your “reservations about the south”? As a southerner who has also lived and traveled in Central and East Asia, perhaps I could help to put your mind at ease.</p>
<p>The only people who have “reservations” about the South in general, and Vanderbilt MOST particularly, are those who have never lived there or experienced a place like Vanderbilt first hand. It really is one of the most hackneyed and obdurately embedded stereotype, completely lacking any basis is fact. Very tiresome, in fact.</p>
<p>Vanderbilt is only 8% asian, but still that is higher than average and it is a great school - hard to imagine that being an asian would be a problem in any way. But in terms of other choices that have more asians that are similar level: Rice is over 20% asian (much more asian than a typical university) though and is in the south with similar stats to Vanderbilt. Washington University in St. Louis is similar and has 17% asian.</p>
<p>FYI. Northwestern is not like Vanderbilt. I’m not sure about the others KuaKuana mentioned.</p>
<p>Evanston/Chicago is nothing like Nashville.
The campuses are very different.
The overall mix/personality of student bodies is very different.</p>
<p>My niece is a student at Northwestern and she is from Nashville (where her family lives). My son is a student at Vanderbilt and we live in Chicago. Both are very happy with where they are.</p>
<p>This is not a judgement of better or worse only that they are very different schools.</p>
<p>Gstudent99: NW and Vandy are similar in these ways:
Highly selective; students having similar academic qualifications
Near or in large urban areas
Significant Division I athletic programs, with a significant following among the student body
Similar sized National Universities with top undergraduate, graduate and professional schools</p>
<p>I’ve spent a fair amount of time on both campuses, they are not dramatically different in the sense that Columbia or Cornell would be different from both.
I’ve spent a fair amount of time in both Evanston and Nashville, and they are not dramatically different in the sense, again, that NYC or Ithaca would be different from both.</p>
<p>OP asked for schools similar to Vandy, not identical. No school is identical. If the OP eliminates the South, she eliminates Vanderbilt, but also schools like Duke, Emory, Wake Forest, North Carolina, Virginia, William and Mary which also more or less fit her profile.</p>
<p>But I suspect the OP is smart enough to figure all that out.</p>
<p>I wish you well as you sort out each college you look at and it’s particular stereotype vs actuality of campus life. One thing I want to caution you about is that on stats alone, you are average in the Vandy admit pool. Because you didn’t forecast things you believe might be part of your major study focus, it is harder to help you come up with other college options here. One thing is for certain: If your family cannot or does not wish to pay full price at a private college, make sure to find a financial flagship safety that makes you happy in California or somewhere else. Vanderbilt gives No Loans in its financial aide which is one thing that makes it an exceptional college. It is also need blind as it selects its freshman class each year. There are so many wonderful smaller colleges in America-- but few are need blind (Vanderbilt does consider need as it pulls from its waitlists) and loan free based on your finanical aide/ability to pay…your EFC. Hopefully, your California residency will work in your favor if you spread your applications out. I know happy Californians who attended schools like Wesleyan and Colby…and Vanderbilt in our circles. Vandy son’s first roomie was a good guy from Orange County…who later became an RA for a couple of years.</p>
<p>Vanderbilt is unique and isn’t duplicated anywhere else in the country.
If YOU have reservations about attending because of your ethnicity, do yourself a favor and don’t apply.
BTW, are you aware that you have stereotyped the entire school’s population based on its location? The very thing you are afraid may happen to you as an Asian?</p>
<p>I am a parent who has been in Nashville only a couple of times, so I have limited knowledge. But I really can’t see any difference between Nashville and the Northeast (where I lived for several years). Summer weather is just as bad, landscape and trees look the same, people drive the same cars, and I haven’t seen any pickup trucks with a rifle in the back window. People seem the same, though they do say “y’all” a lot. </p>
<p>Stereotypes have a basis in truth. That’s why we all stereotype, even if we deny it online.</p>
<p>Try Duke. It’s southern but not that much. Also the South isn’t that bad, but enough negative stereotypes are true…especially if you’re from California. Georgetown is an option too. Northwestern might work. </p>
<p>If you go into a situation looking for bad things to happen, they will happen. Vanderbilt (or any school located below the Mason Dixon Line) is simply not the right school for the OP.</p>
<p>Not in the south eliminates: Duke, Emory, UVA, UNC, GA Tech, Wake Forest
Large eliminates: Rice, Darthmouth, Cal T, and most LAC’s
Balanced social/academics eliminates: Chicago, Columbia, JHU, MIT
UG focus eliminates most large publics: UM, UCLA, Cal B
Community oriented eliminates schools with little housing on or near campus: NYU, Georgetown, GWU
So you are down to: Stanford, Wash. STL, Yale, Princeton, UPENN, Cornell, Northwestern, Brown, USC, NDU. </p>
<p>Don’t let the fact that Vandy is in Tennessee keep you from applying. Vandy had top-notch academics, brilliant students and a whole lot of activities and clubs on campus that appeal to students from all cultures and regions. Nashville is a dynamic city with tons to do apart from country music. I went to Shakespeare in the park at Centennial Park the other day and for a Bollywood movie with Sutherland House yesterday. There are so many things going on campus that I’m sure you will find many things you are passionate about. </p>
<p>Nice weather leaves you with: Stanford, and USC.
Nice area surrounding the campus leaves you with only Stanford.
Merit aid, the happiest students, and a top 10 quality of life: puts you back at Vanderbilt</p>