<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>I think you need to distinguish major cities from your stereotype of the rural South. Atlanta is a very diverse city with large Asian communities (particularly Korean) and Emory is very popular with Korean students. New Orleans has a large Vietnamese population and Tulane might be a good choice. Similarly, Houston and Rice.</p>
<p>In California, USC seems most similar to Vandy.</p>
<p>Sounds like you love Vandy. You should go there and join the other ~600 Asian/Pacific Islander students that don’t seem to have a problem with Nashville. Or maybe they do, but chose to overlook it to get an opportunity to study at a great school.</p>
<p>Check out University of Rochester. Not as social as vandy but pretty similar otherwise. Personally I’d take Nashville over Rochester as cities go.</p>
<p>If Vanderbilt were in the northeast, I think the closest comparison would be UPenn. If you want a school less selective school than Vandy in the northeast (with similar balance), I would say Lehigh and Boston College.</p>
<p>Nashville is kind of like Austin in that it’s a liberal, creative, open-minded enclave in a conservative state, although the contrast between liberal and conservative isn’t as extreme as with Austin.</p>
<p>My daughter lives in Nashville. I can’t say I noticed a lot of Asians there, but it’s a very friendly city.</p>
<p>I have never heard the people I know whom live in Nashville describe it as “liberal.” Perhaps it’s liberal compared to other places in the region. I do, however, remember a reception where a Dean at Vandy whom happed to be an Emory alumnus, told the assembled crowd that he preferred Vandy to the “stuffy methodists” at Emory. LOL.</p>
<p>I was in nearly the exact same situation as you when applying to schools (outside of the state of residence) and really I don’t see what there is to be concerned about. Vandy will have students from all over and although it is known for its “southern hospitality” than most, I think you need to identify what your fears are.</p>
<p>I currently attend an excellent school in the south, William and Mary, and if I threw out “the south” just because it was a southern school, I would have missed all sort of opportunities. Don’t let stereotypes of the region confuse you with the real thing. Colleges are generally known for being more liberal and “in a bubble” compared to the rest of the neighborhoods they are in anyway</p>
<p>Notre Dame, Northwestern, and maybe Holy Cross-top25 LAC with great academics/social life. HC has nice campus 1 hour from Boston and meets 100% demonstrated financial need.</p>