Vanderbilt University or Centre College?

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Hi. I got accepted into both the above universities. Centre, if you didn't know, is in Danville, Kentucky; fantastic reputation as a liberal arts college; most likely best in Kentucky.</p>

<p>Financial aid-wise: I get $0 at Vanderbilt (idiotically missed the merit deadline; same day as Common App was due and definitely did not know) and full ride at Centre. I got the full ride from this program called Brown Fellows (only 10 accepted students). You get a full ride plus you create your own leadership project; you also get funding for that project. And, as a opportunity to learn about leadership, they're sending us to Panama for two weeks in August, for free! And you can use that funding for research, too.</p>

<p>I visited both. Centre was an overnight and Vanderbilt was a Open House, so they were definitely different visits. And Centre's visit was actually to compete for that Brown Fellows scholarship. With that said, they seemed to really like me at Centre. They were nice, open, everything. Vanderbilt had a great campus, but there were a few bad apples in the bunch, like the one who works at the front desk. I mean, it looked good, but I didn't fall in love with it. I didn't fall in love with Centre, either, though; it just felt nicer in comparison.</p>

<p>Everybody tells me that I should go to Vanderbilt. I don't know, though, if they're talking about the name or the school, lol. I just don't like the idea of $200,000 for a 4-year education, while another school gives ME money to go there.</p>

<p>A girl from a few years ago turned down a full ride (plus $1,500 stipend) at UK to go to Vanderbilt. Something about Vanderbilt has to be good!</p>

<p>If you need any more info, please just ask. The answer is probably in front of my face, I just can't see it.</p>

<p>Centre is only a college; it has no postgraduate professional programs (medical, law, etc.) that I know of. Is that bad? Will its small size (1,200 students) hurt my chances at medical school? I'm definitely not set on medicine, but certainly leaning that way.</p>

<p>I've talked to Centre professors (Centre yields the most Rhodes Scholars in all of Kentucky; met the guy who got it last year) and they tell me that it will definitely prepare me for medical school, but my sophomore-going-junior sister who goes to UK says otherwise. She visited there and was turned off by some bad students. </p>

<p>So....yeah. Thanks in advance. :)</p>

<p>~Ibrahim~</p>

2

<p>You gotta go to Centre. It is a very very good LAC and Vandy (while GREAT) is not worth 200K over Centre.</p>

3

<p>Oh, right. Money probably won’t be an issue (why I got nothing from Vandy), so paying for college won’t be bad. But college + med school (if I even go!) might be bad.</p>

<p>My dad tells me that if I go to Vanderbilt, I’m set for life.</p>

<p>Like, can I put a number on what education is worth?</p>

<p>^^^ SO playing Devil’s advocate here. I was set on Centre until I told my sister. She threw a huge fit; now I’m not so sure. What made me choose Centre was that I could use my money for research.</p>

<p>Research, comparatively, is harder at Centre because Danville is pretty small, but…</p>

<p>Yeah…</p>

<p>Thanks for the reply, man! :D</p>

<p>~Ibrahim~</p>

4

<p>u’re not set for life because of where u goto college. i wish that were the case.</p>

5

<p>I feel that, man. I was so open-minded months ago; happy to go anywhere. Now I’m this nitty gritty stuff and it’s scaring the crap outta me. I feel like wherever I go, I’ll be happy.</p>

<p>True…but is there something to be said about having a fancy name on your resume?</p>

6

<p>If you go to Centre you will be well taken care of as a Brown Scholar. Also if you do well there, you WILL have med school options. Plus you will have ZERO stress about paying money back until after med school.</p>

7

<p>[Centre</a> College: Med school alums return to campus to offer advice](<a href=“http://www.centre.edu/web/news/2009/med_school_panel.html]Centre”>http://www.centre.edu/web/news/2009/med_school_panel.html)</p>

<p>Check out this article.</p>

8

<p>Centre is an excellent college with strong placement in grad schools. As one of their very top students you will be given opportunities that Vanderbilt probably wouldn’t offer you (or you would be in competition for them). Centre knows how to get recognition for its students (Rhodes, etc).</p>

<p>My choice would be Centre.</p>

9

<p>No school in the country is worth $200,000 in debt. Pretty easy choice. Centre.</p>

10

<p>Thanks for the article, vociferous; you really didn’t have to do that. Thanks.</p>

<p>Well, I mean, I wouldn’t have trouble paying $200,000. I’m not bragging, but it wouldn’t be a huge strain for my family; we have plenty saved up…and my dad is a doctor.</p>

<p>I think it is Centre. That is definitely true, scout: they definitely have stuff lined up for us! </p>

<p>:D</p>

<p>Thanks, guys. I knew I made the right choice. Off to fend my sister, then!</p>

<p>~Ibrahim~</p>

11

<p>Centre is an excellent, often overlooked LAC that will give you a rock-solid education. With the possibility of med school in the future, you should not be giving your SISTER’s opinion of a school so much credit (I assume that you yourself like it fine, since you were set on it before informing her). And certainly the price is right.</p>

12

<p>Thanks for the reassurance, Kelixandra. :slight_smile: </p>

<p>Centre it is! :D</p>

<p>~Ibrahim~</p>

13

<p>An old friend of mine went to Centre. From there he went to Duke for his PhD. He always spoke very highly of the school.</p>

<p>I’m a big Vanderbilt fan, but if you liked Centre, and it loves you, it sounds like a good deal. Besides, if you don’t like it, you could try to transfer after a year. Since VU didn’t offer you anything in the way of money anyway, there isn’t a lot to lose.</p>

14

<p>Vanderbilt was one of my first choices many months ago, but now that I’ve considered all the options, I feel like I’ve made the right choice.</p>

<p>Exactly. If it isn’t for me, I can just apply to Vanderbilt again. That way I don’t lose any money. :slight_smile: </p>

<p>Thanks, mate. </p>

<p>~Ibrahim~</p>

15

<p>Sometimes when it comes to prestigious schools like Vanderbilt, being able to say you got accepted there is half of its prestigious… you already got that. You just get a diploma with a different school’s name on it.</p>

16

<p>Wouldn’t you just have to pay the full cost the first year, and then apply for financial aid on time starting second year?</p>

17

<p>^ OP missed the merit deadline. That is usually unavailable after the first year.</p>

18

<p>Yup. In the stress of finishing up applications, I didn’t think about financial aid until about mid-January. And I heard most financial stuff was done in February, anyways, but that is not the case for Vanderbilt.</p>

<p>I asked the financial aid officer and there is only one scholarship that I can apply for AFTER they’ve accepted me at Vanderbilt. It’s the Ingram and it is pretty steep. It gets you a full ride, but it definitely asks for plenty. It is a service-oriented scholarship, but one kid last year started clinics in India! I’m president of Key Club and I volunteer as much as I can, but I don’t know if I’m material for it. I’m afraid I’ll be doing service projects to GET the scholarship (maybe that is the idea, I don’t know) which makes it seem ingenuous. I could definitely work towards it, though.</p>

<p>My sister is still adamant, though: she tells me that I’d be working with “world-class researchers” and I’d get opportunities that Centre can’t offer. Friends tell me that I’ll be able to network, I’ll know people who can help down the line. Is it better to have a great undergraduate and great graduate? </p>

<p>I might visit Vanderbilt one more time, but I think I’m set. </p>

<p>~Ibrahim~</p>

19

<p>Centre makes much more sense and you will get a great education. Don’t worry about your sister. You can apply to Vandy for med school. You might want to PM poster Curmudgeon if you haven’t already. His daughter chose Rhodes (similar to Centre) over Yale and also was planning on med school. She also had the top scholarship and has had a fantastic experience at Rhodes.</p>

20

<p>Definitely, I’ve sent him a message, thanks. :)</p>

<p>I also am going to talk to the girl who chose Vanderbilt over the full ride at UK (plus that 1.5K stipend); see what she thinks, as Centre is a different school from UK, definitely. </p>

<p>Like, I’ve spent my whole life pushing for the best education I could get. I just want to make sure I’m not sacrificing something important for just “money”. </p>

<p>Thanks, guys! :smiley: I really do appreciate this help; gets my mind thinking.</p>

<p>~Ibrahim~</p>