<p>Into both Vandy and Tulane, both with full tuition. Would study business at Tulane or HOD major with Managerial Studies minor or Econ double major. Torn between both schools - can't decide. Any help or thought appreciated.</p>
<p>Granted, I'm biased, but my instinct is Vanderbilt.</p>
<p>What type of environment is your son looking for?</p>
<p>my daughter is deciding between these two also</p>
<p>I don't think I would pass on Vanderbilt. </p>
<p>More intellectual student body, better reputation, better school spirit, attractive students, Nashville a better city than New Orleans. </p>
<p>Just my .02, are you planning on visiting the schools?</p>
<p>Wants a good balance between academics and social. Will drink, but wants to not feel uncomfortable if he chooses to not get drunk every night (or 5 out of 7) - wants to know there will be many others like that. He's looking for more of a laid-back atmosphere with more cooperative learning and less of a cut-throat nature. Has been told by Vandy students that Tulane students party much more and that Vandy is more balanced. Has been told by Tulane students that Vandy is more formal and preppy. Has also been told that Tulane's social life is centered around the bars and Vandy's is centered around the frats. Each school definitely appeals to him in different ways, and as similar as they are in some respects, they're very different in others.</p>
<p>Already visited both - more than once</p>
<p>I would go with Vandy. Quite familiar with both. If money is the same, Vandy is the pick. There IS a very strong frat scene which is not for everyone. Nashville is an amazing city and the town/gown relations are great. You can't go wrong. It has the stronger academic reputation, too. There is plenty of partying, but same at Tulane (or almost anywhere else, frankly). Better athletics at Vandy, too. It's a lot of fun.</p>
<p>MomofWildChild, </p>
<p>Thanks for your response. Have you had kids at both schools or do you know students at both schools?</p>
<p>I am about to have a Vandy grad student (D-seminary) and a Vandy medical resident (D's fiance), and WildChild's girlfriend transferred out of Vandy after freshman year (to Penn) and has told me a lot about it. Her issues had a lot to do with the intensity of her sorority and being homesick (my opinion). I know lots of Vandy kids, WildChild did a summer session there last summer and I go to all the home basketball games. :) Know some faculty, too.
Tulane- looked into it a lot a few years ago, there is a poster on this forum whose son is probably heading there and who just visited last weekend (jym626) and I know some current students. D's fiance is a Loyola grad and told me a lot about Tulane, but he was there pre-Katrina.
I compare Vandy with Rice and I think Tulane is just a notch below academically. I should also say that I, personally, am NOT a big New Orleans fan. Another poster here, Ecliptica, is a Tulane student and has had a great experience there. He returned after his semester away due to Katrina.
Hope this helps.</p>
<p>I should add that WildChild is a tough customer, and was quite impressed with his summer courses at Vanderbilt and with the campus. I am pushing it for law school (if he stays out of jail.....)</p>
<h2>Vanderbilt is definitely more prestigous, but you should go wherever fits.</h2>
<p>Vanderbilt is a peer school of Georgetown, Rice, and University of Virginia.
Tulane is a peer school of Boston University, George Washington, and Syracuse.</p>
<p>the problem is they both fit.....</p>
<p>Definitely Tulane.</p>
<p>Why? New Orleans is an incredible city that offers so much that you can't get in Nashville. I understand that Vandy is more prestigious and might offer some programs that Tulane either doesn't have or isn't very strong in but Tulane's positives make up for everything it lacks. The academic programs at Tulane are incredible and while I'm sure the </p>
<p>As for the person who said Vandy students are a lot more intellectual, I totally disagree. I visited Tulane last weekend and got an intellectual vibe that was balanced very well with a laid-back work hard/play hard attitude. </p>
<p>The social scene at Tulane is much more varried than Vandy. Vandy revolves around Greek life while Tulane does not. Nevertheless, there is a thriving Greek scene at Tulane so it's there if you want it. Furthermore, the Greek scene isn't the least bit suffocating from what I saw. Definitely go to Tulane over Vandy.</p>
<p>"the problem is they both fit....."</p>
<p>If that's the case, it's perfectly legitimate to use reputation as a tie-breaker.</p>
<p>Hanna - you may be right. The concern with Tulane is the amount of drinking (not to say it doesn't happen at Vandy or any college - now or when we went to school). There's so much to do in NOLA, yet it seems that the overriding interest is in how much you can drink, and how often, as opposed to drinkning as a part of socializing (maybe I'm being naive). In any case, there is a new website out there (or perhaps it's not new, and I just found it) Live</a> Video U : College & University Live Online Video Search & Student Guide which features video interviews of current students at many schools (Tulane and Vandy both included). It seems that in almost all of the Tulane videos (I didn't say all of them, but in almost all of them) the kids interviewed talk primarily about drinking, how often they drink, where they drink, etc. One even stated, "It's out of control". As you go through the videos, you begin to wonder what else they do (other than apparently study during the day, and drink at night).</p>
<p>So you have reservations about the school that's ranked lower...that ought to make things a little easier.</p>
<p>It honestly just depends on what you're looking for...I would never go to Vanderbilt because it's way too fratty/preppy for me, but I love Tulane. I have friends that love Vanderbilt that would never go to Tulane. They're similar in that they're both good southern schools (with Vandy being a little more prestigious), but other than that they are very different. Vandy is much more southern, whereas Tulane is kind of a northern school in the south. </p>
<p>I would think that if you have already visited both multiple times you would have gotten a feel for the differences between the two, so I would just go with whichever one feels right to your son/daughter. If prestige is what you're looking for, maybe go for Vanderbilt, but I wouldn't make that the most important factor because in the end they are both good schools that will provide lots of opportunities after graduation.</p>
<p>I can't think of anything New Orleans offers that you can't get in Nashville- or that you would WANT that you can't get in Nashville. Nashville is a great city and New Orleans is a city that has some serious problems right now. Music scene- different kind of music, but stronger in Nashville. Weather- better in Nashville (my opinion) unless you like swamps. Cleanliness of the city- no comparison. You don't have casinos in Nashville, but you can always go to Tunica.</p>
<p>New Orleans offers a vibe and culture that cannot be matched or compared with anywhere else in the country. It's not for everyone, but for the people that love it you can't get the same experience anywhere else. Yes, it is facing serious problems right now, but it is a major American city that needs help, so the community service opportunities there are unmatched.</p>
<p>New Orleans is a great vibrant city with great restaurants, festivals, unique culture and the opportunity to get involved in rebuilding - great public service/community service opportunities. And Tulane is a great school with a beautiful campus. Both Vandy and Tulane are wonderful schools in cities with their own unique flavor. Just trying to figure out which is the better fit in terms of academic program and social scene</p>