<p>was probably exaggerating a tad.
No one dresses casually. O_o</p>
<p>hahahah! yeahh I was surprised too… but its alright… some dresses casual just some… </p>
<p>good luck though!</p>
<p>Well, thus far I have yet to see a girl in sweatpants, which is kinda odd because some of my classes are relatively early: 9:10 and 9:35 in the am. As for preppy outfits, is it just me or are the freshman wearing preppier clothes than most of the upperclassmen? It’s like whenever I walk around Peabody and the Commons, I guess I just notice more kids wearing preppy outfits.</p>
<p>If you’d paid attention to posts from current students, this would have come as no surprise. For some reason, there are parents out there–typically those whose kids don’t actually go here–who insist on promoting Vandy as this diverse place with something for everyone. </p>
<p>I wouldn’t say it’s totally homogenous either, and I do believe it’s becoming more diverse, but Vanderbilt has a very particular vibe–which includes the way people dress. If that’s a real turn off then I think it’s better to know that up front before you apply and decide to go here.</p>
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<p>Names, please? There are few parents posting on this forum who do not have kids who are current students. My kid is a junior.</p>
<p>And he fits none of the stereotypes people commonly associate with Vanderbilt–that doesn’t mean there is not a “particular vibe” as you put it, but it does mean that is very possible to be a happy and successful student without fitting into some preconceived mold.</p>
<p>I agree that it is always best to visit before enrolling in order to check things out for yourself.</p>
<p>lol, the majority of people dress like slobs, endless people wearing sandles, shorts (exercise ones).</p>
<p>I no longer have an undergrad student, but do have one there in professional school. From past conversations, primarily with D, it seems that many freshman dress to impress, particularly girls who will be participating in sorority recruitment in Jan. I think there is slightly less effort put forth from upperclassmen. As well, when the temps start to drop and the “new” has worn off the semester, you’ll probably see less effort put forth in what is worn to class. I had lots of time to people watch over the last seven years, six of which I had someone living in Towers, as I waited on my kids to meet me in my car and so my observations are mostly of upperclassmen.</p>
<p>Another parent of a Vandy student (2009 grad, non-phantom) here. Instead of taking my word for it, or the word of current students who choose to post on CC, prospective students would be well served to visit and decide for themselves how diverse Vanderbilt is. I see the campus as being more diverse than some of the student posters here. Not multiple-piercings/tattoos/purple hair diverse, but way more diverse than the community I live in. It may very well be my age - if 10 of the first 20 girls I see on campus are wearing Greek letter T-shirts or name brand sunglasses or Kate Spade handbags, it means nothing to me whatsoever. Someone who’s still finding a niche on campus may feel differently.</p>
<p>On my last two visits to campus, I did an informal survey of campus attire and saw lots of jeans and T-shirts (Nashville’s hot - I don’t know how many people ever wear sweats) with flip-flops as well as sundresses with pricey sandals. Also running wear with no makeup (and perspiration, even!), though probably not in class. I think 2VU0609 is correct that freshman girls who are interested in Greek life dress up more. </p>
<p>If you want to see diversity - of appearance, ethnicity, religion, and certainly footwear - drop in on the Phi Beta Kappa induction ceremony in May. (One guy wore a kilt!)</p>
<p>vandygirl12, I disagree with you. Vanderbilt ended up being a lot more diverse than I even imagined and I thought it would be fairly diverse even before I got there for various reasons. I’ve said it before, but it sometimes appears that everyone dresses “preppy” because that is what catches your eye. Most of the freshmen over dress because they think that’s the way they are supposed to dress. By junior and senior year, most people (guys especially) wear nothing more than shorts or jeans and a tshirt around campus.</p>
<p>Enough already!! Such a tired old subject!! Yes, there are people who dress nice, people who dress “down”, who cares? My S is a freshman this year - yes he likes to dress nice but he would have dressed that way at Brown, Harvard or the state flagship! It does not define who he is as a person – a VERY liberal, diverse kid - probably not what you would expect from his “attire” according to this forum. A bit advice - get to know someone before you pass judgement on them based on their clothes!</p>
<p>ok, i’ll chime in as a parent of a current soph. She and her friends are definitely wearing shorts and t-shirts or something similar around campus and to class, and gym clothes when going to the gym. They do dress up at night when they are going out. i think you notice the people who stand out…i remember when I joined a gym here, i thought that everyone wore fancy workout gear and makeup. but after i was a member for awhile, i saw that most of the people were dressed just like me and were pretty down to earth. even though they were the majority, they didn’t stand out to me. I think probably the same holds true at vandy.</p>
<p>Even at my community college there are people who dress preppy. What’s the big deal? People have such ridiculous hangups.</p>
<p>My D wears jeans most of the time. She did notice that not that many girls wore jeans to class, but no one looked at her funny for wearing them. She just does her own thing & doesn’t worry about what others think or do. She also has a roommate who is a minority … so it’s kind of hard for me to not see the fact that students DO dress casually, and that there IS diversity. It’s how my kid lives.</p>
<p>I’ve noticed lots of preppiness from both freshman guys and freshman girls, but I’ve also noticed a very wide array of different styles that just aren’t as noticeable on first glance. I for one fall into the latter category, and the friends I’ve made here so far seem to be less preppy than I anticipated, so even though there’s a lot of dressing up there is a lot of dressing down as well. Also, I’ve discovered Vandy to be diverse in a number of ways, if not for the apparel choice - everything from cultural, racial and religious diversity to diverse hobbies and extracurricular interests. I wouldn’t discredit the fact that Vanderbilt is still very much in a period of transition where, despite increased national attention, there remains a very strong, distinct Southern flair that outsiders may find a bit omnipresent. Over time, that will change, but as of now Vandy is still a very diverse and very quirky place in some ways.</p>
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<p>Guilty.</p>
<p>Give it a few weeks, then the nice dressing will normalize. Then, a few months later, prospective students will ask what it’s like here as far as campus vibe: we’ll get to have this conversation all over again!</p>
<p>parents know nothing, Vanderbilt is one of the least diverse college campuses in the country and the admissions people know this, just because you have people of different skin colors and countries does not mean you are diverse. It is preppy, superficial, and stuck up, but I love it still, GO DORES!!</p>
<p>Thanks for an enlightening post. It must be because I’m a parent, and therefore know nothing (except how to write checks, of course), but I need some explanation of what you mean by
Is your point that the admissions office specifically looks for preppy, superficial, and stuck up students of diverse “skin colors and countries”? Can you tell us how they manage it?</p>
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I’m wearing a T-Shirt, blue jeans with a hole in my right knee, and a lip ring. I’d say that’s pretty casual. There’s a few people that dress casually.</p>
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It’s been pretty hot outside, but I definitely remember seeing a girl my first week here with Boston University sweatpants.</p>
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I saw a girl today in Rand with hot Pink Hair and black nails/toe nails. I’ve seen a couple of tattoos and I’m probably getting snake bites sometime this year, so I’ll fit the multiple piercings one myself.</p>
<p>[Login</a> | Facebook](<a href=“http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=2408858824]Login”>http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=2408858824)
That’s a Facebook group for McGill hall, the Philosophy/Fine Arts themed housing. Check out the photos for the kind of diversity you just mentioned (you may need to log into/sign up for Facebook and then join the group to view the photos, though).</p>
<p>So far Vanderbilt hasn’t seemed diverse to me. Not because I couldn’t see people of different skin colors, creed, etc., but because when I see black people, or Asian people, or any race or dress, people that are homogeneous tend to coagulate together here (I’ve only been here for like a week and a half, so maybe I know nothing, but this is my limited observation). To me, diversity isn’t simply the presence of many types of different people, but having those people interact with each other.</p>
<p>My D is pretty darn pale, and her roommate is black … they chose to live together & hope to be able to do so again when both return from their study abroad semester. They are friends because they have the same interests, sense of humor, and values … which is why seemingly diverse groups interact in the first place.</p>
<p>We live near UMich. It’s considered very diverse, yet you’ll see Asians hanging with Asians, blacks with blacks, goths with goths, etc. Vandy’s hardly the only place where people group together.</p>
<p>Yeah, I’ve seen some girl with reddish-pink hair, although it might be a different girl because this girl also has some orange in her hair, too.</p>