<p>Hey everyone. I was wondering if I could have advice on the pros and cons of Vandy and Emory. I will be doing Pre-Med, which I have heard is better at Emory but Vandy will be costing me $10,000 less, which is a huge deal. Which school has the better worth? And do you know if it is possible for me to get my finaid reevaluated? b/c it's a pretty big difference, for schools that are so similar (or not?). </p>
<p>Any response would be greatly appreciated =)</p>
<p>i agree that premed would be better at emory. not only is emory great for the education, it is also in atlanta which provides better opportunities for internships and jobs. the cdc and the emory hospitals which are located on campus give the ability to do things that are impossible at almost any other university. the price difference is important though. i have heard of schools matching a comparable school's aid package so i think it would be a good idea to tell them/fax them your offer from vanderbilt and ask them to match it. they probably will since vanderbilt is a school with alot of cross admits. can't hurt to try.</p>
<p>First of all, both schools are very good and well respected. It comes down to what you value in a college and most importantly, fit. Where will you be happy and have the highest probability of success? As you can verify, Emory does have a statistically slightly better student body, but I think the difference is immaterial. You should be concerned about facility resources, location, and preparation for med school. Emory is very strong in attracting funding and research. The school recently received over $260 million to establish a new global health institute in addition to capital to complete a new med school building. Emory has some of the few advanced biolabs in the southeast (in addition to those at the CDC). 1 of 7 NIH primate institutes in the US is also on campus. Emory's endowment is also very high at around $5.5 billion which allows for continued funding of programs. I can't speak for Vanderbilt's position, but I suggest you inquire about its resources. Good luck with your search.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Emory does have a statistically slightly better student body
[/quote]
</p>
<p>They seem about the same.</p>
<p>Vanderbilt:
US News PA: 4.1/5
SATs: 1300-1470
<a href="http://www.vanderbilt.edu/admissions/fastFacts.php#Profile%5B/url%5D">http://www.vanderbilt.edu/admissions/fastFacts.php#Profile</a></p>
<p>Emory:
US News PA: 4.0/5
SATs: 1300-1470
<a href="http://www.emory.edu/ADMISSIONS/about/class-profile.htm%5B/url%5D">http://www.emory.edu/ADMISSIONS/about/class-profile.htm</a></p>
<p>
[quote]
It comes down to what you value in a college and most importantly, fit.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Agreed.</p>
<p>Both are great schools and offer all that you need to get into the very best medical schools in the country. If you work hard and take advantage of the opportunities that are available to you, either school will meet your needs.</p>
<p>I can add my personal experience: I graduated from Emory in the late 90s and was fortunate enough to be offered admission to some of the very best doctoral programs in one of the social sciences. Vanderbilt was among the schools to which I was admitted, and there was a faculty member there who was doing research that very closely matched my interests. Vanderbilt made me an offer that warranted serious consideration -- a full tuition remission, a $15,000/yr service-free university fellowship for five years, and an additional topping-off merit award of $5,000 per year (designed to attract the very best students in their applicant pool). For those reasons, my interest in Vanderbilt was strong.</p>
<p>I visited campus, got along swimmingly with the faculty member with whom I would have worked, and spent four days in Nashville. Although the campus was beautiful and the students smart, there were several notable contrasts to Emory: (1) Nashville and Atlanta--and the cities' inhabitants--are VERY different; a short trek from Vanderbilt's campus and I felt like I was in another world; (2) Vanderbilt's undergraduates were more conservative, both politically and socially, and had a very different on-campus culture than Emory's; (3) Vanderbilt, on the whole, felt less cosmopolitan, which was a surprise to me given the relative similarity between the student bodies. Some of the graduate students I met (who had come to Vanderbilt from Northwestern, Cornell, and Brown) were biding their time in Nashville and couldn't wait to leave whereas others (who had come from the University of Tennessee, Wake Forest, and Washington and Lee) felt very much at home. I felt as though I would have been like those in the former category. (4) Vanderbilt seemed less diverse--in terms of ethnic, religious, and sexual minorities.</p>
<p>So, in the end, for me, Vanderbilt's offer, though generous and attractive, was not strong enough to overcome the allure of more recognized departments and more esteemed mentors. I mention the observations above, not so much because they played into my decision, but because they represent my reactions after four years at Emory.</p>
<p>Good luck.</p>
<p>Some old threads discussing Emory vs. Vanderbilt:</p>
<p><a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=167824%5B/url%5D">http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=167824</a>
<a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=287593%5B/url%5D">http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=287593</a>
<a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=203056%5B/url%5D">http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=203056</a></p>
<p>They echo what DC said.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Which school has the better worth?
[/quote]
</p>
<p>All things being equal, Vanderbilt would be a better worth because it's potentially forty thousands dollars cheaper after four years.</p>
<p>Vanderbilt has a good pre-med program as well. I would suggest not making your decision based upon any fear that the Vanderbilt pre-med program is somehow inadequate.</p>
<p>emory is known to be tougher to get into than vandy.</p>
<p>Emory by far... 26% acceptance rate... B-School is 4th in the nation... A half billion dollars in monetary donations made to the school this year... 8th largest endowment which means the school will only improve..</p>
<p>In addition, the kids here are the "normal" smart type kids. Very social atmosphere compared to other academically similar colleges.</p>
<p>For Business and Premed definitely Emory</p>
<p>Emory will be top 10 in 2-3 years IMO</p>