<p>I am a more moderate democrat from the Pacific Northwest (Portland OR) and I am considering vanderbilt for ED. However, I have small reservations for how I will fit in. I have no problem with conservatives/preppy people (people often attribute these descriptions to the student body) but I would like some diversity/variety, and some people like myself. My main questions: does vanderbilt have an accepting environment? Is the campus extremely conservative? How is the interaction between students of different backgrounds, greek/non-greek, etc.? Many of my friends from the east coast describe me as the quintessential "chill" west-coaster, I am wondering if my type will be welcomed in a southern college haha</p>
<p>-Conservative preppy students? they are the minority
-deversity?, yes
-accepting environment?, yes VERY strong academic and social community
-conservative?, no, balanced. Student body voted for Obama last 2 elections
-student interaction?, very good, there are lots of west coasters at Vandy<br>
Southern college?, No, Vandy is a national university</p>
<p>Like most colleges, Vanderbilt is predominantly liberal. The Vandy stereotypes from 1960 just aren’t true and haven’t been for a long time.</p>
<p>My son is one of those “chill” left coaster that loves Vandy.</p>
<p>Vanderbilt is more Conservative than most top universities, but that does NOT mean that an overwhelming majority of the students are Conservative. Most polls place about 50% of Vanderbilt students as Republicans, with some saying slightly more and some slightly less. Just under 50% of the students come from the South and almost every state is represented on campus.</p>
<p>The polls I’ve seen of the student body actually put Democrats around 50% with Republicans around 30%. Same goes for placement on the political spectrum-- 50% leaning left, 35% leaning right. This comes from the Vanderbilt Political Review.</p>
<p>So why ED? Nashville and Portland are very different, which isn’t a bad thing, but it is something to expect. The freshman orientation experience is pretty “bonding” so you should find some like-minded people. Take a look at college review websites (CC won’t let me post a competitor) and read reviews. We’ve found those to be pretty accurate regarding Vandy.</p>