<p>geraldw,
The world has chaged/is changing and "old money schools" are (thankfully IMO) fewer and farther between than ever before. Not sure, but from my reading of your post, it might be helpful for you to explore some options outside of these three and expand your understanding of the world today, not to mention the college alternatives available to someone with your statistical profile. </p>
<p>Harvard has been, is and probably always will be one of finest, if not the finest, brand names in American and world education. The school's environment may not be for everyone and we have all heard the stories about dissatisfaction/grumbling among some undergraduates about Harvard's devotion to grad students at the expense of undergraduates. But the name recognition (and the good and bad that goes with that) is undeniable, as is the fact that Harvard will open more doors nationally and worldwide than perhaps any other institution in America. It is just a fact that in terms of how others will perceive you 5-10-20 years from now, Harvard will have far greater, wider, and longer-lasting impact for you than either Vanderbilt or W&L. If that is important to you, then don't underestimate that factor. </p>
<p>As for Vanderbilt and W&L, you probably already know this from your own research, but there are very few institutions that have changed more (and for the better IMO) in the last two decades. The student profiles of each are now on par with many of the non-HYP Ivies and the undergraduate environments that they offer can often have far greater appeal than more heralded, historic options. </p>
<p>The arrival of women at W&L and Vanderbilt's push to expand to greater diversity (religious, ethnic, geographic) have transformed those colleges and IMO they are now legitimately in the top rank of academic colleges just below HYPSM. They retain some of their traditional "old money" elements, but these are no longer the driving or defining forces on these campuses. Part of this is represented in the Greek scenes at these colleges where I would describe it as still very, very strong at W&L and very strong at Vanderbilt. But the experience that you parents' generation had at these colleges is highly unlikely to be the same for undergraduates today and tomorrow. </p>
<p>Perhaps the single biggest differentiator among these three schools is the athletic scene, which your post would suggest is important to you. If you want to play college sports, then Harvard and/or W&L will undoubtedly be better options and you could maybe walk on there. If you like the allure and the fun of a scene at a top national athletic program, then Vanderbilt would be the better choice as the athletic scene there is vibrant (if you're a southerner, then you know that SEC football games are awesome events) and excellent in certain nationally prominent sports (baseball, men's and women's basketball). </p>
<p>Finally, I will second the suggestion of tetrisfan and recommend that you look at Duke. To that, I will add Stanford, Northwestern, and maybe even Rice. These other options are all outstanding academic schools with great social life and athletic life and IMO provide the best UNDERGRADUATE experiences in the country. You may end up coming back to one of your original three, but if you do the full search (and maybe include some of the top publics as well like U Virginia), you will have a greater appreciation for the nature of the various undergraduate alternatives and why your ultimate selection is the right one for you. Good luck.</p>