<p>My son is a junior and is considering Vanderbilt. I, however, know very little about Nashville and am worried that he would be going to Hicksville, USA. I know that sounds incredibly ignorant and I apologize to Nashvillians and to Southerners for my lack of knowledge. It's just that whenever I hear Nashville, I think of the Grand Ole Opry (and I am really not much of a fan of country music). Can someone please give me a more informed view of Nashville and please, please, please don't sugarcoat it. I really want to hear the positives and the negatives of the city and how the city influences a student's life at Vanderbilt.</p>
<p>I think many people who live outside the South have the same concerns. I'm from NY -- when I initially came down to visit I fell in love with the campus and the people but felt Nashville "as a city" was really small. Don't expect it to be like NYU or anything -- the majority of kids are not going to be "hipsters"/"emo" and although there are some kids like that they are not the majority like at other urban colleges. There are alot of kids that tend to be on the athletic/preppy side but I was amazed with the number of normal/really down-to-earth kids. But since the student body is from all over the country, when I am on campus I often forget I'm in the South. Around campus there are TONS of restraunts, like Chili's, PF. Chang's, Mellow Mushroon (Pizza), RolyPoly (Sandwiches) and lots of places like Starbucks/Border's Books that kind of thing. The main part of the city is 3 miles from campus and has a mix of bars/clubs and different types of scenes. I'm not a fan of country music either and it hasn't been a problem. Alternative or pretty much any genre will come to Ryman/Exit In type of places. There are also bars/clubs that Vandy kids will predominately go to so its really a non-issue. The main reason why it isn't a concern is because there is always so much to do on campus the school spends lots of money bringing in top bands and D-1 sports are lots of fun (especially basketball). Theres also Titans (NFL)/Predators games (NHL).The only night kids will go downtown is Thursday and most kids like to party on campus. I'm having the time of my life and I have really fallen in love with this place, and I'd definitely recommend a visit.</p>
<p>Kiplinger's Magazine just came out with a story on "50 Smart Places to Live," based on readers' criteria of selecting cities that are "fun, vibrant and affordable." Nashville was the #1 pick in the country. It is a great city--lots of culture, history, beautiful neighborhoods, and the friendliest people we have ever met. It also offers a nice balance in climate--you will get all the seasons but not the severe winters like up north. It is a wonderful city --I also would encourage you to plan a visit to Vanderbilt and Nashville to see for yourself.</p>
<p>Most Vanderbilt students actually never leave the Vanderbubble...their loss. Nashville is a great Southern city. I've actually heard people complain about how small and provincial Nashville is. I say, come to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and then talk about what's small.</p>
<p>I still am trying to figure out how their highways are laid out. My favorite was when I missed the right exit but wound up in the right place, having no idea of how I got there.</p>
<p>I guess it's all about perspective - Nashville, to me, isn't 'huge' (been to Sacramento and DC, so guess I'm spoiled) but it is cultured and 'smart'.</p>
<p>My aunt teaches AP bio in one of the burbs and probably 98% of her students are non-native. I don't think you have to worry about inner-city Nashville being stagnant or inbred. 8-)</p>
<p>Also, if your son is considering politics, it's a hugely political city (at least in the eyes of an east Tennessean). If he's more interested in the sciences, Oak Ridge is only a few hours away.</p>
<p>I just moved out of Nashville, but boy I'm I going to miss it!</p>
<p>I always (and I mean ALWAYS) felt safe over there, and everything was in walking distance. Seriously, I think feenotype is right what he(or she) says that most of the students never leave thei'r Vanderbubble.</p>
<p>Why do I know that? Because I spent 9 months in that bubble so far.</p>
<p>hawkette, although I know you didn't mean it to come off the way you did, your post sounded amazingly ignorant and prejudiced! To call any city or culture "hicksville" is downright insulting!! My mom is originally from there and is a vandy alum. I find the city fascinating, interesting and most of all the people exude the southern charm for which they are famous.........unlike the cold callous and barracuda like mentality that the north is known for. I would be careful with my generalizations but even more careful with actually verbalizing them.</p>
<p>Quote:I would be careful with my generalizations but even more careful with actually verbalizing them.</p>
<p>Quote: unlike the cold callous and barracuda like mentality that the north is known for.</p>
<p>I think kellyconn's own words make my point better than I ever could.</p>
<p>To kellyconn: I originally posed the question as an "innocent" looking for information. Sorry for any offense. BTW, I am a midwesterner.</p>
<p>To weasel: Thanks for the support.</p>
<p>To all others, can you provide any insight into whether four years in Nashville might put my child at a disadvantage when it comes time to look for a job, eg, on Wall Street, in Silicon Valley, in the Chicago Loop, anywhere? Thanks.</p>
<p>I am not trying to be a smart @@@ but, hawkette:</p>
<p>the only person or thing that can handicap your child is your child. not nashville. if you have the drive and personality and a bit of luck anyone can accomplish anything. sometimes success doesn't come until the later years like after 50.</p>
<h2>I have just finished my junior year and I am interning at a top investment firm (super-bulge bracket) in New York. During my interviews, everybody was familiar with Vanderbilt. </h2>
<p>Vandy doesn't have a traditional business major, but if you major in economics and minor in managerial studies you will be fine.</p>
<p>Hi again, I think I might be giving the wrong impression in my earlier posts and I'd like to put this discussion on a better path. But first, Musictoad-I completely agree that a person with drive can achieve great success from any college. Thanks for reminding me. And college-congrats on the internship and good luck in NYC. Hopefully, your arrival in the Big Apple will get the market moving again in a positive direction. :)</p>
<p>My son very much likes Vanderbilt. The problem is that I just don't know much about it so the questions above reflect my own lack of knowledge and my own insecurity. </p>
<p>One of the biggest question marks in my mind is what types of job opportunities he will have coming out of Vanderbilt/Nashville. We probably all can agree that one's college connections can open a lot of doors and I just want to be comfortable and confident that he is going to have the same or similar opportunities as he would have going to another, perhaps higher profile, school, eg, Duke, Northwestern, Dartmouth, etc. Is the breadth and depth of job placement from Vanderbilt similar to what he could get from these other schools? Does anyone know if the same companies that recruit at these other schools also recruit at Vanderbilt? Finally, does anyone know what percentage of Vanderbilt's graduates stay in Nashville or elsewhere in the South? Do many go to Wall Street, to Silicon Valley, to Chicago, overseas, etc????</p>
<p>I don't have any idea where he will end up after college as he hasn't decided what he will study, much less what career he will pursue. But I just want him to be in a good spot where he is not closing off any possibilities. Undoubtedly, I am being a worrywart (isn't that what parents do best!?), but at the end of this college selection process, it is going to be his choice on where he will go. I just want to have enough information so that I can positively support his choice even if it would not have been my choice.</p>
<p>when my significant other and i started with my kid #1 9 (who attends vandy), i faced an uphill battle. The "other" is a full blown yankee who didn't know beans about vandy and was dead set against letting kid #1 apply. So we did the northwestern thing (the music school building is really bad--i mean it's a tear down) and lawrence (what does one do in the middle of Appleton in winter?) and other schools here and there. Me, being a non-yankee, promoted Vandy and took kid #1 to visit and it turned out to be the only school of 8 which my kid loved. The first time my significant other saw Vandy was when we brought #1 to school and "other" was duly impressed.
In fact, now likes to visit too often.</p>
<p>You will too. it's a great school. readily recognizable across the USA.</p>
<p>I'm a little worried about internship opportunities too. I'm transferring from NYU, where they encourage internships during the school year, but this doesn't seem to be the case at Vandy (probably because students are so busy with other activities, Greek life and philanthropy and whatknot) But does Vandy have some kind of program to connect students to Nashville opportunities (or other companies around the US) when summer comes? How's the advising (both for academics and career)? Thanks.</p>
<p>hawkette, I think your worries are perhaps understandable, but unfounded. </p>
<p>I've been in higher education for 30 years, and have never had the impression, for example, that Duke, Northwestern, Dartmouth are in general terms higher profile than Vanderbilt, for starters. Part of my responsibility is admitting grad students to a very competitive MA/PhD program. What counts other than the student's record is the strength of the specific program s/he's coming from, not -- and it's hard to emphasize this enough -- the marquee name of the overall institution. Those who know less about details of higher education will feel somewhat differently, but (important but), hirers who know their stuff will know which schools are best at what.</p>
<p>To pick something almost out of the blue, Hispanic Linguistics is very good, indeed, at Vanderbilt. It's not at Duke, Northwestern, Dartmouth. The more esoteric the field, the more that sort of differentiation by school is magnified, but to some extent it's true regarding just about any field.</p>
<p>You don't say what your son wants to study. If he has more than a vague idea of what he's interested in, my experience suggests that that should determine the list of schools to consider.</p>