<p>my son is a Chancellor’s Scholar at Vandy who remained independent and is super busy and involved at Vanderbilt. Don’t forget that along with your full tuition merit scholarship at Vanderbilt and that 20 thousand dollar savings over Wash U (a fine school indeed), you get a 5000 dollar stipend to do anything you propose that makes sense. Please keep in mind how difficult it can be in this economy to find viable work related to your career goals in the summers and how helpful it is to apply to things as a Chancellors Scholar, and how helpful it is to have at least one summer experience funded and supported by the Honors Office at Vanderbilt which oversees all uses of stipend money.</p>
<p>Our son just figured out what he will be doing as a junior this summer with his stipend…and Chancellor’s Scholars tend to do very interesting things with this opportunity. You can choose to do research or to study anything abroad or to do a service experience. </p>
<p>He also applied freshman year to be considered as an “add-on” for the College Scholar program and was selected, so he is in many small seminars that have been stellar experiences. He originally wanted to attend Haverford/Swarthmore/Davidson and was a little sad to give up the intimacy of their classrooms when he took his scholarship to Vandy. The College Scholar seminars have been a great liberal arts experience on a campus that has many exciting things to offer with an undergrad school of 6000 plus the many cool grad schools and the hospitals on campus. </p>
<p>Some College Scholar seminars have been science classes although I think some premeds are busy doing other things rather than these seminars. All Vanderbilt students are-- if truth be told-- “honors students” and thus they all have the option of working for honors standing in their major departments but College Scholars have a pathway they can pursue for an honors diploma. </p>
<p>All CV scholars are also eligible for College Scholar seminars but you can apply to be one after your first term at Vandy is my point. Not only will you need good first semester grades, you will need new references and new ways you are active on campus. But this is why you were offered the Chancellors. They anticipate that you will be active and a contributing member of the student body in some aspect of campus life.</p>
<p>I just wanted to say that there are benefits to the community that is the Chancellors Scholars. Their annual breakfast with new scholars is this week and my son is looking forward to meeting the freshmen. He also always hosts on Mosaic weekends but will be gone this weekend unfortunately to a conference. He is btw not from an URM ethnically or by any other measure. But he has been very active on campus in ways he said he would be in his application three years ago.</p>
<p>Most important thing is to come to campus in April and soak it up. He would likely be happy to meet you as well. He had a lot of apprehensions about the Greek culture believe me at your age. (His bro went Greek at Duke and this is 180 degrees from his outlook and comfort zone). So on Accepted Students day at Vandy he was chagrined when all four of the student panel speakers were members of Greek organizations and the two males were in identical pink and blue shirts…sorry but with identical labels. But he deliberately winded his way to take a tour with a female senior who looked more alternative in dress. This young woman and her BF took him to lunch that day on campus. They noticed this year that he was abroad via FB and happened to be living in a major European city and they invited him up for a weekend to where they were living…three years later mind you. He really liked these Vandy grads who were 25 to his 21 this year. </p>
<p>Lesson. Attend and think before deciding. I personally think it is crime to reject a school like Vandy Duke Emory Chapel Hill UVA or for that matter Alabama or Georgia Honors because some of the students are super into Greek life. It shows a lack of imagination. I think our son has learned a lot by being on a campus where Greek life exists. Debates exist at Vandy in classrooms and newspapers. Everyone is not on the same page politically or in any other way. I think Vandy is more like the work place frankly. Although part of me wished my son could attend a cozy liberal arts college where the majority was more like him. </p>
<p>Nuff said. When you can get excellent financial aid like your deal at Wash U…you have decision to make and perhaps more decisions to come. But keep in mind that hundreds of readers here would like to have this problem!! People with high EFCs in particular. </p>
<p>Congrats to you and enjoy your April final visits to the fullest.</p>
Joking aside, if $5K is a lot of money to your family, I’d go with Vandy. Merit scholarship is guaranteed as long as you meet the requirements. I think you’re good with either choice. BTW, do visit them. I think WashU pays students to visit in April. There’s a sticky thread over the WashU, 101 reasons to attend or something like that.</p>