<p>Before I applied to Vandy, i had already heard of that. After i got into Vandy, i saw many of my classmates ARE pretty (through facebook and "Vanderbilt & U") i mean those caucasians.</p>
<p>i am just curious. is there anyone knows why? (do admission officer consider good lookings? :-)</p>
<p>btw, i am a girl =D</p>
<p>I'm not sure why. But I'm definitely not complaining. :-)</p>
<p>lol. i have never considered it as a bad thing either. just curious.=D</p>
<p>If you didn't notice, Vandy is fairly expensive. Many people that attend Vandy are from well-to-do families. While it may seem somewhat providential and somewhat arogant, people with money tend to be better looking. There are many factors such as genetics, access to better health care, access to make-up, clothes, vacations (for that great Vandygirl bronze tan). Another thing is Vandy is a party private. Good-looking girls come here to have a good time. Vandy doesn't recruit great looking people, beautiful people just show up.</p>
<p>mhmmm, it makes sense. hehe</p>
<p>That's not a stereotype at all, Dores. You're completely right that 95% of us have parents who make 250k+ a year, we vacation (or should I say party?) in Turks and Caicos, and we just love to laugh at all the people who get stuck going to their miserable little state schools and wearing, of all things!, American Eagle and Abercrombie. Sounds like a terrifically good summing up!</p>
<p>While I enjoy criticism, especially sarcastic invective, I am afraid some misleadingly trenchant whim has been cast in my direction. Don't let anyone cast a veneer over Vanderbilt's face. Granted, many Vanderbilt students do not come from old-money houses, sneering down their noses at the peons attending Vanderbilt on federal aid because their financial burden would be to large in any other case (we're better than the aristocratic cess-pool that some call Sewanee), but many students at Vanderbilt do come from wealthy families. Like many colleges, there are wealthy students, illustrated by the gas-hulking Hummers, GMC, Mercedes-Benz, and BMW SUVs that traverse across the rough Vanderbilt campus terrain like four-wheelers in Beverley Hills. I would say that students on average drive better cars than administrators and that is an understatement. I've taken a ride with some of my professors, and hell, my car is better than my professors 1995 Geo that looks like it could easily sell for actual peanuts. Kids come from some of the best private schools in the nation. If you cannot understand simple dynamics, allow me to illustrate: private schools cost money and good private schools cost more money. While some of these students also had scholarships to go to these private schools, it is absolutely fallacy to believe not one of these students paid full tuition and room and board to attend private school. You may want more proof, and I will oblige, take a look at some of the heads around campus, you might notice some of the most repelling sunglasses you have ever seen. Yes, in the fashion world ugly sunglasses translates into costing 300-400 dollars. Once again, I know a guy who knows a guy who knows a girl who knows a fake Chanel dealer, but if you think everyone on campus is sporting fake Chanel and fake Douney and Bourke, then I would question how you got into Vanderbilt in the first place.</p>
<p>What does it all mean? Why is this bastard on a diatribe? I am illustrating a point that there are wealthy people at Vanderbilt (Ill pause a moment so that you can reflect). Let me repeat that since it might come as a shock to some posters: there are, in fact, wealthy people at Vanderbilt. While not everyone is wealthy, there are certainly enough of these wealthy people to make up a mass of lacoste-sporting, BMW-driving, ugly-sunglass wearing people who come from wealthy families. If you would care to reexamine my previous post, I made a great connection between wealth and beauty. If you would care to challenge my assessment, I would love to smite you and your feeble mind to the ground. After all, beauty is a classic case of the nature versus nurture conflict. Since the days of old, beautiful women have married up. What type of ramifications might this have? Chances are, the offspring of said beautiful woman and rich guy will have the genetic basis for beauty. Genes are genes, but since this well-to-do kid will also have advantages, he or she will always have some advantage. I will reiterate, wealth is not a connection to beauty and not all kids take after their parents, but chances are, when you get a child with decent looks, a high level of self respect, put that child into nice clothes and makeup and even some ugly sunglasses (seriously, these things are butt-ugly), you are going to get a girl who is attractive.</p>
<p>I would also like to invite any further criticism or sarcasm as it only makes me feel better. By the by, Im upper middle class, white, liberal, not religious, and Ive been told I look like Alexander Hamilton (check him out the next time you get a 10 dollar bill and tell me he doesnt light your fire). I love and hate my university.</p>
<p>this is such a great school. </p>
<p>if someone can't handle it, then don't go.</p>
<p>i've got one at vandy and hopefully another. </p>
<p>dores last info commercial was great. can you put it on video and post to the web? </p>
<p>let the truth be known.</p>
<p>what does all this "dressing nice" mean? my closet is full of abercrombie/polo...i get the impression that vandy kids dress a step up from this.</p>
<p>Thanks for the wonderful condescension to start my day on a positive note. </p>
<p>On another note: I'm tired of seeing Vanderbilt's stereotype propagated even by its alumni. Despite my best efforts to try to combat the "rich, preppy, conservative" view of this fine institution whose students are so much more varied and dynamic than anyone seems willing to acknowledge, I have failed, it now seems apparent, to make even the smallest of changes. So, goodbye CCers and future Dores. I hope you all do well.</p>
<p>For what is is worth, not everyone dresses up at Vandy. My son's wardrobe consists mainly of tee shirts, blue jeans, and old khaki shorts, and he wears those comfortably there. I don't think he's really concerned about how others dress and doesn't feel out of place. Just be yourself, wear what you want, and don't be overly concerned about the stereotypes. Sounds like anything goes.</p>
<p>slipstream:
you need to be able to laugh about these stupid stereotypes. In every school that has over 6k kids you are bound to have some who are stereotypes. but there are plenty who aren't. </p>
<p>i read dores comments and howl. </p>
<p>next someone will say they sing Dixie at halftime.</p>
<p>Ah, Dixie at halftime? I'm all for it! Wish I'd thought of that...</p>
<p>Perhaps bandmom's son is just too high on life to concern himself with an internet forum about college admissions. I myself make no excuses: I am a full-fledged nerd. What say you, oh mighty and hip VUAlum?</p>
<p>Maybe you and David</a> Ellison need to get together for some delusional circle-jerk nerd-bashing.</p>
<p>feeno,</p>
<p>I am far from hip, but I think I like that David Ellison guy however probably not as much as you suggest I might. (Twice now, people have not liked what I have had to say and headed straight to 4-letter words and gutter talk. Weak.) Yet, I do think either bandmom or bandmom's kid is a dope. I hope the former - a parent has no idea what goes on on campus, yet she posts as if she does. How is that helpful?</p>
<p>If the nerd set wants to rule to boards, I'm happy to go down in flames fighting it. Ill take your label and say your so-called nerds definition of the Vanderbilts overall and day-to-day experience is far, far, far, from the average, or even the mean.</p>
<p>Besides, everyone at Vandy is a partial nerd; one need be to make the cut. Yet the beauty of most between West End and 21st is that the nerd gene doesn't dominate. That's the secret. That's that well-balanced student you hear so heralded and unfound nationwide, but you do find in great numbers on a certain Nashville campus. Dores is right, affluence does a lot to help this balance happen. And yet so many want us to all be apologists for it and you coyote leg yourself on this trap everytime. Don't step. Dont stoop. Aren't you glad Taffy didn't get accepted? I sure am. It's that kind of thing. If you want a public school education, go to a public school! If you want to go to a place with a bunch of kids with working class parents, by all means do so. There is nothing wrong with either socioeconomic stratum. If you think doing the opposite and cavorting with the well-to-do is somehow weak, flawed, or some economic injustice, wed rather not have you. Or, at least I wouldnt.</p>
<p>Feenotype: Thanks for the support.
VUAlum:
Why must you resort to name calling if anyone ever dares to express an opinion that is counter to your own? I am no dope and my son isn't either. And he does put his two cents worth in on the boards now and then when he feels inclined, but when he does, he tries to be helpful, not insult the posters like you do. He obviously has better social skills than you do because he seems to get along with everyone. He has lots of friends and reports he is having a great time at Vandy--maybe that's because he hasn't run into jerks with attitudes like yours. Yes, I feel I do have the right to post here, even if I am a parent. I don't claim to know everything about the school, but I have talked to him about the stereotypes, dress, the dorm experience, and whatever. and I know he isn't concerned about what he wears--he doesn't judge people based on superficial things like that. Maybe he doesn't have to try to impress people like you do. You yourself said, in a very offensive private message, "We are an elite university, stop posting about petty stuff...If you can't act elite, fake it, or stay out of it." I won't bother to post the rest. The bottom line is, you aren't doing Vanderbilt any favors by promoting your elitist attitude. Hopefully anyone considering Vanderbilt will see past your attitude.Lay off.</p>
<p>Your kid is in the band. So, I guess you are correct; he is at the center of the Vanderbilt experience. Gimmeabreak. </p>
<p>It's like a reflex reaction around here when some people point out the actual social scene that is Vanderbilt. Then a bunch of heads pop up to say it isn't really like that. But it is. I hope everyone coming to Vandy knows the actual. You are doing no service to the people who really seek out the college experience of todays Vanderbilt to portray it differently, nor are you doing any favor to those not liking a strong preppy Greek culture to say dont worry, you wont even notice. They will hate it. </p>
<p>There is nothing wrong with the culture of Vanderbilt. Being an apologist is so silly and says so much about what must be swimming around in your guts about the school. When someone posts the girls are preppy and the many of the boys too, saying they arent is just some silly wish for whatever odd reason.</p>
<p>Finally, Id post your PMs on either side of where you accurately quoted me. But thats not what people do because the private part of the private message is well respected just about everywhere. I think people might be surprised with your comments as well as some profanity Ive gotten from others. But I do stand by my comments to you and I would never post anything others have sent me in a PM. </p>
<p>I did hope you would stick to topics where you truly do know the score. I guessed wrong. Hang on tight momma!</p>
<p>I hope that Vanderbilt's girls are really hot. I have two really good friends there.</p>
<p>I, for one, take Alum's side on this.</p>
<p>VUAlum:
I actually have to agree with you about Vanderbilt's culture--it is what it is, and if you don't like it, perhaps you will be happier somewhere else. But where you get me wrong is that I am not apologizing for the way Vanderbilt is--you misunderstood my intent. All I did was to respond to a poster saying that not everyone has to dress up to fit in there. That's all. Then I'm blasted for that, and the next thing, you call me and/or my son a "dope." No wonder that I got a little testy--so sorry if I may have overstepped my bounds. The point I want to make is that there is no single "Vanderbilt Experience" that fits a particular stereotype. The Vanderbilt experience is what each individual makes it, and there is plenty of room there for those whose nationalities, views, activities, and goals are different from your own. That said, we are so off topic that I think it's time to retire boxing gloves. Can't we share the space?</p>