<p>The culture of Vanderbilt is changing, relatively quickly. From speaking with alumni who graduated in the 1990s (and even early 2000s), the shift in the student body is quite clear. The administration sought to depart from the southern elitist, white, "country club" image, to recruit a much more diverse (racially, economically, and geographically) range of students; it has succeeded. </p>
<p>Do more traditional, preppy aspects of Vanderbilt culture continue to be prominent? Absolutely. Are they an accurate characterization of the entire undergraduate population? No.</p>
<p>To reiterate another poster's point, the undergraduate enrollment is 6000 and near downtown Nashville. Needless to say, the student body is not absolutely defined by the preppy, fratty culture. While there are many individuals who are Greek, many others go downtown, party in Highland or have Dungeons and Dragons meetings (or whatever they do in McGill). There are more than enough possibilities.</p>
<p>The impression that any student who doesn't completely conform to "Vandy culture" as an outcast is ludicrous; there are numerous groups here. Ultimately, people do what makes them happy.</p>
<p>And I still think VandySAE is correct.</p>
<p>thewaffleiron: great post. i second everything you said
when I come onto the Vanderbilt forum, I am a bit shocked everytime by the stuff people post on here. I can hardly believe I go to the same school as them.
No school's culture is changing as fast as that of Vanderbilt</p>
<p>Vanderbilt is, and always will be, a Southern school. Duke, or to a lesser extent Emory, has already filled the role of the Southern school with more Northern culture. While Admissions is trying its heart out to "change" the culture/aka assimilate (happily accepting political correctness (freshman are now called 'first year students'), petitioning for the suspension of tour guides that mention "work hard, play hard", rumor has it that they even contacted History Channel's 'Mega Movers' to see if they would film a special where the entire campus is moved to Manhattan, etc...), there will always be just as much if not just a tad bit more Southern drawls than Yankee doodles.</p>
<p>The great lesson to learn from this is that the school is the most well rounded university in the country. While libs are always excited about "change", it'd be good advice to know the difference between Duke's culture change in the 70s through early 90s and the shifts Vanderbilt is going through and how that large of a metamorphosis realistically won't ever happen (NC vs TN [check an electoral map], ACC vs SEC, Atlantic Coast effect, Nashville vs Durham, etc...)</p>
<p>Our culture will probably end up in ten years more or less how Tulane has become post-Katrina. Plenty of NJ types, but a consistent legacy and regional basis. Obviously the school will probably be Top 15 in the rankings at that point as a result of these changes, then people will have to ask themselves if listening to what good ole' Gee dictated was worth it. After all, his ex-wife is a pothead.</p>
<p>most of the stuff that VandySAE is saying pretty much sums up why i want to go to vanderbilt</p>