<p>Hi, I'm from the North but I have always felt like I belonged in the South. My sister went to Clemson and one of my top choices to go to college at is Vanderbilt. Several people have warned me that Vanderbilt is filled with "snooty" rich students. Others have told me that people from Northern states have a harder time fitting in because they are "exiled". From all the times I've visited the South and experienced Southern hospitality I can't imagine the University being filled with only mean people. I am a junior and have not visited Vanderbilt yet, but I was wondering if any of you think these Vandy rumors are true? I'm still going to visit no matter in what in the summer, however does anyone have any personal insight or experience? I'm really hoping these are just false malicious rumors by people who are upset they were not accepted to go to Vanderbilt.</p>
<p>It’s always a good idea to consider the source. Do those several people who have warned you about the snooty rich students and that northerners are “exiled” have any direct experience with the school at all? Have they attended or visited? Are they related to current or former students? Or did they hear that Vanderbilt is snooty from their neighbor, who heard it from her hairdresser, who heard it from her sister-in-law, whose kid knew someone who took a tour there once?</p>
<p>I’m impressed that you actually know several people in the north who’ve heard enough about Vandy to have an opinion about it, even if that opinion is a negative one. I’m from NY and one of my ds is a 2009 alum. Most people around here give you a blank stare if you tell them your kid attends Vanderbilt. If they happen to know it’s in Nashville, they ask if she went there because she likes country-western music. :D</p>
<p>I’ll reassure you that Vanderbilt is much, much more than the stereotypes perpetuated you’ve heard. There will be rich kids, and some may be snooty. Same is true at Harvard, Brown, UVA, and any other selective school with a national reputation. Some northern students may feel they’re “exiled” - but by whom? And what are they doing to find their own niches there?</p>
<p>My D is a freshman from the south. Her roommate is from California, but her best friends are from Boston, New York, Michigan, and other places across the country. I can assure you, there are tons of students from the north at Vandy. Indeed, there are tons of students from all over the country there. That’s the beauty of it. Are many of the kids rich? For sure. Are some of the kids snooty? Probably. But, most of the kids have been very friendly and warm. They are smart but well rounded and personable. You should try to arrange an overnight visit to get a real feel for the place, if you are that concerned. It’s tough to get the real flavor of a school from just a campus visit.</p>
<p>I have two sons at Vanderbilt. We are from the northeast and I know neither of them have ever felt outcast. On the contrary I know they believe Vanderbilt is inclusive and very friendly. They both have friends from all over the country and from a wide variety of socioeconomic backgrounds. There certainly are a lot of kids with strong financial means but Vanderbilt is also very generous with it’s money and gets a fair range from the economic spectrum. I strongly suggest visiting when school is in session to get a sense of what the student body is like. Our first son was pretty set on staying in the northeast but after visiting Vanderbilt decided it was the right fit for him. Best of luck, keep an open mind to all schools and visit as many as you can while school is in session.</p>
<p>The only way you know if Vanderbilt is right for you is by visiting the University campus yourself. Like many of the other replies, I believe that the common stereotype is Vanderbilt is filled with snooty rich kids. Visiting the campus myself, I came to the conclusion that it far from the truth. The student population is richly diverse and while I was visiting the campus, there were several kids engaging in fun activities. I heard the campus food is also VERY good</p>
<p>The Vanderbilt stereotype may have been true in the past, but it certainly has changed over time. The Vanderbilt that my son and daughter just graduated from in the past 1-2 years is not the Vanderbilt of yesteryear. Today’s Vanderbilt is an incredibly diverse school, geographically and socioeconomically. The school has been shifted away from a large intake of elite southern high schools to offering generous financial aid to recruit the best students nationwide in efforts to improve its academic reputation.</p>
<p>My children were Northern/Southern hybrids. They grew up in the South, but attended boarding school in the North. My son joined a “northern” fraternity where most of the boys are from up North. They all have friends from “southern” fraternities. Vanderbilt has a massive contingent of northerners; you will not be alone here. Rest assured, the students are collegial and accepting.</p>
<p>Go 'Dores. Vandy is a special place.</p>
<p>Hello! I’m a current freshman at Vandy. I’m from Boston, and I gotta say, I absolutely love it here! It was an adjustment at first, but I’m pretty sure it would have been an adjustment at any school. Yes there are rich people, and yes people tend to dress nicely, but I never feel judged if I roll out of bed in sweatpants. Snooty people are definitely not the majority! People are from all over the place (my closest friends are from California, New Jersey, Alabama…etc), and everyone’s really friendly. I have found great friends, and if you decide to come here, I’m sure you will too! I hope this helps!</p>
<p>I’m also from the North, and I have to say Vanderbilt is one of the friendliest places I’ve ever been. I don’t feel like an outsider at all b/c a ton of my friends are from the North too. Southern culture is awesome and is definitely making my college experience awesome. Who knows, you may even find yourself liking country music.</p>