<p>We're trying to pare down my son's prospective list of colleges. He's most interested in Duke, Northwestern and Wash U but is looking for reasonable alternatives. Both Emory and Vanderbilt meet the screening criteria (5,000 to 10,000), strong academics and near a city, although he has not visited either school. My sense is that Vanderbilt is better choice for him because it adds a nice sports element, but worry that it is too conservative/southern/christian. On the other hand, I hear that Emory is an island for kids from the mid-atlantic states. Please compare and contrast for me.</p>
<p>Well if your son can get into Duke, that is the obvious choice between Duke-Vandy-Emory…If not, then personally I would go to Vanderbilt… It seems to be a better college experience than Emory because of the social life, the sports, and Nashville is a better college town than Atlanta… Just my opinion though, you should visit both…</p>
<p>Go to Vandy,you will be pleased and happy.It is a great school.
Does any one here remember last year about Hilsa last year? She tried so hard to get into Vandy. Is she in Vandy? I hope she got in.</p>
<p>obsessedparent-This issue comes up all the time with Vandy (just do a search) and many, including myself, have addressed it. My S biggest concern was the “sterotype” that Vandy was too conservative and southern but he fell in love and went with his gut. He is now a freshman and absolutely IN LOVE with the entire school. He has met kids
from all over the country and world and interestingly, most of his closest friends are not from the south. The Vanderbilt website recently released its “10th day report” where you can see the geographical breakdown of the current freshman class.</p>
<p>The beauty of Vanderbilt is it truly is a school with balance. As cliche as it sounds, it really is true for this school – it offers something for everyone.</p>
<p>Herrina, Hilsa is an Emory freshman. I am so happy to hear about your daughter’s good experience at Vandy. Vandy has become a school where you will meet people from all over the nation and world, and I really rejoice to see this happen. </p>
<p>I just know Hilsa has made a ton of friends and has given Emory her full devotion. Vanderbilt admissions simply became much tougher in the last two cycles (40% increase of numbers of applicants in 08 and 16% in 09–very rare phenom…and Vandy is indeed now gathering a national footprint class each year.) I am sure that everyone in every seat in my son’s classrooms is extremely capable. </p>
<p>I am sure many deserving students were not admitted to Vandy who will do just great at peer institutions. Sometimes the reverse happens of course. You have your cap set for Wash U and end up at Duke. Atlanta has many many special things to offer students, and I was uber impressed with Emory’s personal class sizes (very few large lecture halls), and their options for research are most impressive, to say nothing of access to business and government field placements and a thriving arts program.
I have lived and worked in Nashville, Atlanta. St. Louis, and have a son who is a recent Duke graduate. My youngest is a freshman at Vandy, his father’s grad school alma mater.<br>
I would advise any parent to consider schools like Duke, NWestern, Wash U, Vandy, Emory, Rice, etc as PEER institutions. You can launch yourself with equal success from any of them…it is a matter of putting your heart and soul into your four years. It is best to be prepared for some waitlists and disappointments and to be respectful of the odds at any of these schools.</p>
<p>It was only very slightly harder to get into Duke’s Trinity undergrad program than it was to get into Vandy’s Arts and Sciences program…last year. The differences between students is narrowing and negligible. Duke may have more of an internatonal student body still and perhaps has some advantages in the tip top graduate programs still, but only if you are a stand out among stand outs…and the stand outs at Vandy, Emory, Rice, Wash U and NWestern really have the exact same open doors. Putting these schools on tiers is something of a mistake. Each of them has something the other cannot replicate.
Each of these schools has a mission to serve locally and globally that is remarkable. People that have not seen Emory do not realize how much it is connected to Atlanta, if you don’t visit Vanderbilt you don’t realize its scope of service in its region and so on. </p>
<p>I know my son at Duke is there now savoring alum weekend. However, he was really envious when leaving his brother at Vanderbilt on many levels. And truthfully he almost went to Vandy over Duke. Why? The arts scene in Nashville is just fabulous…museums, constant speakers, celebrities tracking through, a world class symphony, a superior conservatory, and a fun football season (Duke football?!)…The Commons is spectacular, and the atmosphere is just extremely cordial on campus. Nashville has many of the sports and arts thrills of a Chicago or St. Louis without the stress and Durham can’t compare as a college town. Relations between town and gown at Vandy are exceptional. That said, Nashville is a southern city. Everyone will experience that culture while at Vanderbilt, but the Vanderbilt community is broad and diverse. </p>
<p>Regarding the conservative element at Vandy, you might want to realize that Vandy has completely altered its footprint in five short years in terms of national draw. My second son at Vandy now was admitted to two top ten liberal arts colleges with left leaning students, and at first felt he would be more comfortable there. In the end he chose Vandy and he realized that being in classrooms and reading papers where true debate takes place was a better path for him. In all honesty, I think the student body at Vandy very much resembles the national scene and the atmosphere you will end up with in the business world.</p>
<p>Posting this question in the Vanderbilt forum is likely to get pro-Vanderbilt responses. I don’t know enough about Emory or any of the other schools you mentioned to contribute, but I just wanted to make that bias known.</p>
<p>Faline2 , thanks for the news about Hilsa . I hope her well in Emory. She wrote so many posts here . I think she will do well in any colleges . So glad your second son made to Vandy and the other son is going to Duke. I am sure you are very proud of them.</p>
<p>Not sure about Vandy, but Emory really, really wants to see “demonstrated interest”. That probably means a visit. Without demonstrated interest, count it out.</p>
<p>I have a son at Emory and a High School daughter who is already receiving correspondence from Vandy and I would like for her to consider Vandy as a potential. However, I am a bit concerned about the southern protocol. I am told that students wear ties to the football games and Lily Pulitzer is required for girls. This is not our bent. Although Emory is located in the South, our son’s experience there has not been “southern”.</p>
<p>To answer the Southern question that everyone seems to be worried about, yes guys will wear ties and girls will wear dresses to the football games, and so on, but it’s by no means an overriding rule. I honestly haven’t even heard of Lily Pulitzer (but I’m from Texas, it may or may not be considered fully Southern depending on who you ask).</p>
<p>Basically, you will feel the Southern presence, but if it’s not your scene, you can find your niche just as easily.</p>
<p>Here’s the thing about the Lily Pulitzer/Vinyard Vines uniform: If your kid wants to be part of the dominant crowd, the “in crowd,” the people who set the tone for social life and are visible and seem to define The Vanderbilt Student, then YES YES YES YES these kinds of clothes are de rigeur. There will be posts that tell you that there are large numbers of extremely happy kids who eschew all that, who are making remarkable scientific progress in the laboratores and enjoying active and fulfilling social lives, and there is no reason to doubt that that is true. But unless you want to deny the reality of visible cultural standards in our human world, you’ll just have to believe all the reports of kids wearing extremely expensive preppy and/or designer clothing, driving expensive cars, living extravagently wealthy lifestyles, and acting the part of the affluent, privileged elite that they are. There is no doubt that a middle class kid can find his niche at Vanderbilt. But please do not be fooled by people telling you that the “uber-rich and flaunting it” do not still dominate Vanderbilt. They do. And it is hard for the kids who aspire to fit in, but whose parents cannot and will not pay thousands for fraternity/sorority membership, and hundreds of dollars per outfit for a football game.</p>
<p>Herrina-- I was just thinking of Hilsa! Vandy was my S first choice and he was denied. Wake Forest wait listed. In prior years, I believe he would have gotten in. (BTW-- Wake Forest became the hottest school from our region!) Now a freshman at Villanova he is loving it. While not the same tier school- his satisfaction is a home run. He has the city nearby, Div 1 b-ball team, the kids campus (UPenn, Drexel) hop for various parties and concerts - which I think is pretty neat. I am very happy with proximity.</p>
<p>I’m currently a freshman, and I can tell you that those ‘southern’ and ‘religious’ stereotypes are definately not true. </p>
<p>I’m actually an international, and I love the south its my fav part of US now</p>
<p>Faline2, it is funny that my older daughter is thinking about apply to Duke. She got a fee waiver, she thinks she can get into Upenn law school, but I hope she goes to Duke law school, so it will be closer to the other daughter in Vandy. I heard Duke law is very good. You have a son in Duke, so I like to hear from you. Sorry this is off the track with this thread. To me ,Duke, Emory and Vandy are all the same in so many ways.</p>
<p>Hi Herrina:</p>
<p>my husband is a Vandy Law grad and my elder son did Duke undergrad. Duke has just rebuilt its law school, and my Duke son liked to study at Duke Law Library…he said it was the best library ever. Duke Law may be “ranked” above Vandy Law but Nashville is a state capitol and from that point of view Vanderbilt Law has an excellent location for public sector internships and for observing the State Supreme Court and some federal courts as well as local courts…and Vandy Law also a very high quality tough education. Although Vandy is tough in the law school and hard to get in, people are collegial in the law school and it is a very civil place with comfortable and safe housing options for graduate students nearby. I like Nashville much more for grad student housing than I like Durham, although Duke is great on campus.</p>
<p>Nashville is only four hours from Emory if you want to consider your children being closer to each other. There is a lot of traffic between Nashville and Atlanta. Also Nashville is only five hours from St Louis so perhaps she might look at Wash U Law.</p>
<p>Durham is more than 8 hrs from Nashville. Nashville is pretty far west although Tennessee is known as having three cultures: Memphis is “west TN,” Nashville is “Middle TN” and Knoxville/ Bristol is “east Tennessee.” Nevertheless, Nashville is pretty darn west…in our minds…it seems to take forever to get there from Virginia. </p>
<p>I can’t compare to UPenn Law…I don’t know anything about the quality of life and job placement for their graduates. Job placement matters. Philadelphia is the city closest to where I grew up, and it has its crime issues as well as its outstanding cultural arts and wonderful neighborhoods. I like Pennsylvania. The weather is not all that much worse than Nashville’s…winters are greyer and more bitter but the four seasons in Philly are quite decent. It is muggier/more humid in Philly in summers but the payoff is quick access to the Chesapeake and the shores…and I like that part. I love the whole Middle Atlantic shore scene. </p>
<p>One thing to respect is that although say an Emory and Vandy may be ranked “beneath” the Dukes and UPenns… …Atlanta and Nashville have very strong economies. There can be advantages if you are interested in going to work in Atlanta and Nashville is my point. My husband and many of his classmates went to work in Nashville itself…so here is my plug for Vandy Law. </p>
<p>Once she is admitted places, she can make many of these decisions based on money and emotional fit to a city and to a Law School. Vandy Law has a special cordiality about it similar to Vandy Undergrad. She should not have favorites till she has her acceptances in her hands. My son attended a Vandy Law info panel this fall and was told that the average debt load for a law grad was 150 thousand. Of course he is a freshman and maybe he didn’t write that down correctly but in today’s economy that is a daunting figure. Your daughter and any grad school applicant should strongly weigh money and job prospects in their next decisions. keep us posted. ps I agree that Duke, Emory and Vandy are peers as long as students excel in their four years there and max out opportunities…all three wonderful places with faculty ready to teach who probably will also get to know you pretty well if you make the effort.</p>
<p>Faline2, thanks so much for the advises. You have so much informations about this topic. I will talk to my girl, see what she thinks. Thank you very much.
She did went to Vandy law library and she was very impressed by it.</p>
<p>Our athletics are Div 1, but don’t come here expecting Vandy to be winning the bcs. </p>
<p>It’s a great school, and it’s conservative stereotype is pretty much outdated. You’ll find many southerners, but there are plenty of liberals, and politics aren’t even a big thing here anyways. Religion is somewhat big, but probably not as much as it used to be.</p>
<p>Frats/greek life is big, and it’s what 1/2 the school does on weekends. Nashville only truly becomes available in 3rd and 4th years, until then greek life thrives.</p>
<p>Faline2: update:D is in at UT law with some scholly, but did not apply to Vandy or Emory, she also applied some other schools as well, but pending for now. She is thinking. I had hoped she applys Vandy, so I can go to Nashville often. Thank you so much for your advise.</p>
<p>Hi Herrina. Nice to hear your daughter is sought after with an offer from UTLaw. Law is a profession that relies very much on your personality and attitude and the name of the law school is sometimes not as important as your natural talent as a communicator as an adult. I know many superior attorneys who opted for the lower debt load of UT Law and have had great careers in Nashville. Hope she will be happy where she ends up! It is all hard work no matter where she begins and the faculty is strong at UTLaw.</p>