Will someone please compare these schools. I’m applying to all of them and am trying to decide whether or not I want to do ED at one of them. I would really appreciate it. Thanks in advance. 
Please give us a little guidance as to the nature of the comparison you’r asking us to make. Thanks.
@NJDad68 maybe comparing what type of students go to each school and the campus vibes
Well, with Tulane and Vandy you’re talking about the No. 1 ranked (Vandy) and No. 4 ranked (Tulane) schools for “happiest students.” Tulane is very work hard/play hard and has a very intimate relationship with a wonderful city (New Orleans), who needs the school badly. Community service is a very integral part of the Tulane experience. Tulane also sends tons of students to professional schools every year (medicine, law, business) and is now orienting itself to increase the number of people who pursue Ph.Ds. Vandy has students with somewhat higher stats and has become so popular that, as I understand, the southern gentleman/southern belle atmosphere has dissipated, as the school now attracts students from all over the country and world. I don’t know a lot about Wake or SMU, but I do know that they are very respected institutions that have become more popular and attracted increasingly qualified students over the past 10 years or so. USNWR loves Wake and always ranks it above its selectivity, so I am sure it has great things to offer and, similar to Vandy, has lost some of its southern character as it has attracted more and more students from outside the south. Finally, don’t discount SMU. Despite its provincial name, it is always in the conversation with other great schools. I can’t comment ont eh student body, though, because I am not knowledgeable. I do know an SMU grad that went on to grad school at Harvard, but that’s just one dude. Good luck with your search!
My daughter actually applied to all 4 of these schools. Vanderbilt was the one she did not get into to. She was accepted to the other 3, and had fantastic scholarship opportunities at both SMU and Tulane. The best option, financially, was Tulane. We spent about 3 days there and she just didn’t feel it (neither did we). It is a great school but it was like putting a square peg in a round hole. She definitely tried but we had a very hard time getting information on her program of study, she had a hard time connecting with other students, etc. Tulane is an amazing school, but I think it is important to visit campus and New Orleans to see if you would like it there. She made one last visit to SMU, alone, and had a wonderful time, got her questions answered, and felt like it was the right fit for her. Wake, also great, did not have any scholarships for her. So, a lot of your question leads to more questions…if you got into Vanderbilt or Wake, can you pay the full tuition if you won’t qualify for financial aid - an important factor in applying ED? What is important to you in a campus. What do you want to study? Have you visited these campuses? If you can afford ED, then Wake or Vanderbilt might be a good way to go. I would do EA for Tulane and SMU. Also, apply for all of the extra scholarships at SMU and Tulane - they can be very generous.
Wake Forest is the most intimate of the bunch–the one whose atmosphere most closely approximates that of a liberal arts college (even though its athletic teams compete in the big-time ACC).
Traditionally, Wake Forest and Vanderbilt both had reputations as redoubts of fratty, preppy, upper-class Southerners; as other posters have noted, those reputations have changed–especially for Vandy, which has engaged in a very successful campaign to increase its national visibility, diversify its student body, and raise its USNWR ranking.
Geographically, Tulane is the most southern of the group, but New Orleans is something of a world apart, a thing unto itself; in part because of this, Tulane is not as conventionally “southern” (in a cultural sense) as one might expect, given the school’s location. In fact, it attracts lots of northeastern students, and it would certainly be considered the most “party-friendly” of the universities you have listed.
SMU strikes me as the USC of Texas, with its big-city location, its well manicured campus, and its reputation for pretty blonde co-eds and wealthy fratboys. Like USC, it is also easily underestimated: SMU places very well in the world of finance.
Of the four schools, Vandy is by far the most difficult to win admission to. It also tends to fill a high percentage of its incoming class with ED applicants. Indeed, so many slots are taken by EDers that RD admission has become as competitive as for the top Ivies. If Vanderbilt is your first choice, then ED is definitely the way to go.
@azmomof3 My D is interested in these schools too. Can you describe the kind of person your D is in terms of personaliity and what she was looking for in a school? I am wondering what made SMU a fit, but not Tulane. Thanks so much.
My daughter liked Wake Forest but ultimately chose a different school. She liked the traditions that they spoke about and liked the idea of 15 students in a class sitting around a table. We visited 3 times… each time the campus was very quiet. Too quiet for her… but very nice. It did have a preppy vibe. To my surprise she really liked the fact that students in Greek life lived with students who did not participate. She had no interest in Greek life and the 50% participation did not seem to bother her. This school required 4 or 5 essays.
Vanderbilt had more action going on- students going out for a run, going to eat, hanging out, etc. The vibe at V was not as southern as at WF and the student body seemed more diverse. This school did not “do it” for my daughter… but I can’t say why because we all agreed that it’s a great school. She applied regular decision and was initially wait listed- got off the WL but had no interest. I think her “blah” attitude showed up somehow in the short essay she had to write. They told us on the tour that the school was 50% Greek. For some reason this bothered her yet it did not bother her at all at WF.
My D had no interest in Tulane. Refused to apply. Where we live, Tulane attracts a very different type than the other two schools. That being said… Tulane is a great school and the kids who attend seem to be very happy.
@twogirls I’m just curious, what type of students does Tulane attract? Also what do you mean by the vibe at V was not as southern as WF? I’m not from the south so I’m not exactly sure what it means to have a more southern culture. Thanks.
Following. Any comments on SMU related to these other schools?
I don’t know who goes to Tulane from other parts of the country… so I can’t answer the question accurately. i just know the kids from our HS who attend- I apologize for any confusion. I wanted my daughter to apply but she didn’t want to because she felt strongly that she would not fit in. She said this without ever visiting so who knows…
When we visited Vanderbilt it did not “feel” southern to us. Wake Forest did ( she liked WF very much). This is not good or bad… It is just how it felt to us and does not mean it would feel that way to others. We are not from the south either, but my daughter does attend a school in the south.
Sorry… not sure if I helped much LOL.
@citymama9 - I really don’t know what the “it” factor was for SMU vs. Tulane. As an SMU grad from the 90’s, I know all too well what the SMU “stereotype” student is, and my daughter is anything but that. She is a public school kid -
we are upper middle class, very comfortable but not “wealthy”. She was heavily involved in choir and theater in high school but plans on studying engineering / computer science. She has groups of friends but doesn’t run with the “popular” crowd. She’s very outgoing and enjoys getting to know other kids. Within an hour of being at the accepted students days at SMU, she had met a small group of kids - in her major and otherwise - and connected with them. She ate with them, took pictures together around campus … just had a good time. At Tulane’s accepted students day, she did not really talk to one other person that would be in her class. She did go to lunch with a current student - but it was a guy, from the east coast, and a business student - really nice but not one single relatable thing. Had a hard time making any connections… she sat in on a class and did not get her questions answered by anyone in the department. The building was quite old (which is OK, campuses have old buildings - she gets that) but it was in really rough shape. We learned that the department is re-building, post-Katrina, and has only recently been brought back.
As far as the school, she was looking for a school where she could see herself, felt like the program was strong - maybe not “nationally ranked” but well-established. One where, as a female computer science student with limited experience, she wouldn’t feel completely behind and maybe valued for some of the other things she can bring to the table with her background. I think she liked Dallas a lot better than New Orleans. She is not opposed to partying but it is not a huge draw. Both schools have Greek life and she is interested in that. Tulane might be a better fit for a pre-professional or liberal arts program but for a technical degree, Dallas offers more opportunities for internships, etc. SMU has a very strong recruiting game - and it worked for my daughter. I can say, one week into school so far, it has not disappointed. She likes her classes and the kids in her groups.
I think this is why it is very important to visit the campus and, when making a final decision, give yourself plenty of time to really get a feel for things.
@azmomof3 Thank you so, so much. That was very interesting and very helpful. We will hopefully be looking at both schools this year. I am a huge believer in finding the right fit. So glad your D found the right school for her.
@buttercup2018 I’m not sure what type of students Tulane attracts, but it’s popular choice for kids from my city (NYC), and the kids I know who go or want to go tend to be wealthy, socially sophistocated and not what I would call down-to-earth, but I am talking about a tiny subsection. I am certain there are all kinds of kids from all over who present differently.
@3mamagirls - regarding SMU related to the other schools… just based on our experience through the application / admission cycle… Vanderbilt is probably a reach for most, Wake Forest would be next - I would try to get an interview, even via Skype, SMU and Tulane’s admissions chances are probably about equal, although Tulane’s RD chances seemed to be really low this year (just based on observation). If your decision is based on finances at all, SMU and Tulane should stay on the list if you like Vandy and Wake because odds are more in your favor for sizable scholarships there. Depending on how things shake out, you may have to decide on schools with a $20, $40, $50K / year price difference. These schools have pretty, manicured campuses, fairly similar in size, and attract wealthy students that might be able to pay full fare. But, I think you would find that they all have very academically focused students that are going to work hard. Knowing a lot about SMU, I think there is value in being in the city of Dallas for the opportunities the city provides. The New Orleans economy still seems to be struggling to me. Nashville should have a lot of opportunities … Winston-Salem seemed small but we weren’t there very long.
@azmomof3 Thank you. Right now, SMU is #1 on “paper” followed by Tulane. It seems like such the perfect fit for her. I am trying to get more info on the journalism or advertising or even English program there, but not having a lot of luck. The SMU board on here isn’t very active. SMU is coming to her school next month, and then we will probably go visit early next year. We have read all about the “stereotypes” there, and quite frankly not bothered too much. There are all sorts of people on every campus. She is a junior now so we have time, but having had two other girls go through this process already, I know that time comes up pretty quickly. I was looking at the price tags, and it does seem like her chances for some sort of merit scholarship might come from SMU - we won’t qualify for any financial aid. Dallas certainly seems like a great city for internships - one huge plus for that school.
@3mamagirls I would definitely look at USC’s Annenberg if your daughter is interested in journalism. I took a journalism class there last summer and it was amazing. Also, when visiting schools, USC and SMU gave of similar vibes.
@buttercup2018 Thank you. That is on the list too, although not as high. We are from CA, and she really wants to do something different. Plus the fact that the admit rate to USC and SMU are pretty wide. I think she will look at University of Georgia and Maryland- College Park too. She’s a tricky one to help. I don’t know these out of state schools much, so doing a ton of research right now…
Agreed, USC is awesome but also VERY difficult to get into and even less likely to get a scholarship there. No reason to not apply at these schools to see what happens but, from experience, if you are in a range to gain admission to Vanderbilt or USC without merit scholarships, you are probably highly likely to be in the range to get a significant scholarship to SMU or Tulane…and, therefore, would be faced with a decision of whether a school is worth so much more $$$. Maybe, maybe not…
I am pretty realistic, and think that only SMU and Tulane may be on the table, but I guess we will see once final vs. practice scores come out. She would love Vanderbilt as well, but there may too many others that will be more qualified than her. And yes - I think full pay at Vanderbilt vs. scholarship at SMU or Tulane is huge. We “can” pay, but it would be a struggle, so a merit scholarship would be amazing. Fit is much more important to us than ranking - which is hard to say sometimes on CC since some think it’s an Ivy or bust. This particular thread has been extremely helpful.
Tulane just released the stats of its entering class: 25%-75% SAT 1410-1500, ACT 31-34, acceptance rate 21%. See, https://tulanehullabaloo.com/27262/showcase/class-2021-academically-qualified-diverse-class/. And on top of that, Tulane is famous (or infamous) for its emphasis on demonstrated interest.
This college admissions game has become so competitive and unpredictable. I think that people need to keep a cool head and realize that they can realize their career dreams by going to a very wide range of schools. Maybe this “fit” thing is not so bad at the end of the day.