<p>Tell me, flat out, which one you think is better, for whatever reasons.</p>
<h2>[This post sums up the Vanderbilt experience]</h2>
<p>Vanderbilt has arguably the best social scene out of any Top 20 school. The student body is incredibly balanced and driven. The classes are demanding so people are generally very focused on their work during the week, but on the weekends there will be tons of parties all over campus.</p>
<p>There are about 6,000 undergrads which makes it a mid-sized school. It is big enough where you can always meet new people but small enough where you can see your friends around campus. The campus has a park-like feel (nice brick buildings surrounded by lots of trees). One of my favorite parts about Vanderbilt is the incredible geographic diversity – you will make friends from all across the country/world.</p>
<p>There is no need for a car on campus. There are tons of great restaurants within walking distance. Most people typically like to stay on campus, but Thursday is the big night to go downtown. Generally, people will go to the Munchie Mart (mini-convenience store on campus) and buy “cab cash”. Downtown is about 2 miles from campus so it is generally really cheap when you split the fare with friends.</p>
<p>Nashville has a lot of different "neighborhoods". Elliston place has lots of indie/alternative bands (Exit-In; The End); Hillsboro Village has lots of trendy bars/restaurants (Cabana is on the VandyCard). WestEnd/Midtown is the area around campus. The area that surrounds campus isn’t really southern at all, but downtown Nashville has much more of a country western sort of feel. Coming from NY, I found the downtown area to be small/southern but it has grown on me. Culturally, there is the Frist Center for the Visual Arts, TN Performing Arts Center, and the Nashville Symphony Orchestra. Lots of venues downtown for concerts including Ryman Auditorium (the old Grand Ole Opry venue) and the Summit Center. Nashville also has some professional sports teams – TN Titans (NFL), Nashville Predators (NHL), and the Nashville Sounds (Triple-A Baseball). Centennial Park is also a really nice area by campus (read/jog/makeout) which is around a block from campus (also home to the Parthenon – one of Nashville’s landmarks).</p>
<p>Although Nashville has lots of social outlets, most people stay on campus during the weekends. Homecoming Quake and Rites of Spring are the biggest music festivals but Vanderbilt will generally bring bands on campus throughout the year. Rites of Spring is a great time and absolutely awesome festival. During Rites of Spring there will tons of partying, lots of dancing, and even some crowd surfing. The campus becomes electric.</p>
<p>Vanderbilt is in the process of completing the “Freshmen Commons” – essentially they are brand-new residential colleges. The campus is very tight-knit and very few people live off-campus. Around 1/3 of guys join fraternities and around 1/2 of girls join sororities. Only the officers live in the houses (around six people). I’m independent but I have lots of friends who are Greek and everyone interacts well. The fraternities will generally have lots of theme parties where everybody gets dressed up (80s, Middle School, Anything But Clothes, Foam/Paint, Jungle, Gatsby, etc.). There are also lots of live bands and DJs for late night dance parties. Aside from the fraternities, there are also lots of parties in the upperclassmen suites. There will be tons of dance parties in Towers Suites or Morgan Lewis. There will also be lots of drinking games, especially Beirut/Beer Pong and Flip Cup.</p>
<p>Lots of clubs downtown are 18+, but the bar scene is mostly popular among upperclassmen. On Tuesdays, Cabana/Sams/Sportsman in Hillsboro Village are very popular (the first two are on the Vandy Card). Demonbreun Street is very popular on Thursdays (especially The Tin Roof/Dan McGuiness) along with Buffalo Billiards and the Flying Saucer downtown. I’m not really into country music – but Roberts/Tootsies/The Stage are places to check of if that’s your scene. Boundary and Virago are also popular restaurants around campus and popular pregame spots. For margaritas, many people go to Las Palmas and there are several sushi places for sake bombing (these places are generally less strict on IDs).</p>
<p>Dorms are hard to generalize -- the freshmen dorms are all brand new though. Each residential area generally has an advantage/disadvantage. Towers is close to classes but far from the Rec Center where Morgan/Lewis is the opposite. The Rec Facility is very modern and has great workout center, basketball courts, swimming pool, climbing wall, squash, etc. The student body is very in-shape overall and intramurals are popular.</p>
<p>Vanderbilt also has D-1 sports which definitely add tremendously to the schools spirit on campus. The football program historically struggles but the program is on the rise. Most of the fun comes from the tailgating (lots of food and socializing before the game). Some people are very traditional and dress up shirt/tie while the girls wear sundresses. Other people dress informally and covering themselves in black/gold paint. Basketball games at Memorial are amazing. The student section gets packed and people will be jumping up and down and whatnot. Our basketball team last year was top 20 making the Sweet 16 – while defeating #1 Florida and sweeping Kentucky. It’s hard to describe the excitement and incredible atmosphere of the games (try searching YouTube). The baseball team was ranked #1 in the country for most the year and we have some great recruits coming in. All the sports venues are very centralized on campus and a quick walk from the dorms and the games are all free for students (just show them your Vandy Card).</p>
<p>Food is pretty good on campus. Quiznos is on the meal plan and I like CT West a lot. The Pub and Rand are also decent. Vanderbilt also has a “Taste of Nashville” program where you can use your rollover money at off-campus locations – such as PapaJohns, Chili’s, RolyPoly Sandwiches, Bruegger’s Bagels, Noshville. Some late night places on the card are Wendy’s (open til 4am) and Caf</p>