How good is Vanderbilt?

[Anonymous]

Vandy was a very good college 20 years ago, a cut below the Ivies, and doubtlessly it remains a very good college a cut below the Ivies. Given that elite college brands have been taking a clobbering lately, I daresay Vandy looks better and more grounded in more eyes over Columbia and Yale.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DC wants ED1 to Vandy next year (FCPS). How is the school like, I know it is apparently great for Quality of Life, but how does it compare to an Ivy League school? I want them to go to an Ivy like Cornell or Brown I believe that they are more well known and esteemed, and because I feel like Vandy is like a Wake Forest or Tulane. It feels very overrated, it feels like a southern NEU. Am I wrong? I feel like they can get into an Ivy, I think it would be a waste to go there over an Ivy.

Your feelings don’t mean much. Why don’t you look at actual statistics?

Look at rankings to start

Vanderbilt #18


Wake forest #47
Northeastern #53
Tulane is #73

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC wants ED1 to Vandy next year (FCPS). How is the school like, I know it is apparently great for Quality of Life, but how does it compare to an Ivy League school? I want them to go to an Ivy like Cornell or Brown I believe that they are more well known and esteemed, and because I feel like Vandy is like a Wake Forest or Tulane. It feels very overrated, it feels like a southern NEU. Am I wrong? I feel like they can get into an Ivy, I think it would be a waste to go there over an Ivy.

I agree with you. Life is too short to not go to the ivy. The ivy name will stick with you for the rest of your life.

As will a tattoo.

[Anonymous]

Vanderbilt seems to have a super wealthy privileged culture. I know someone who is there - seven figure family income - and she feels poor compared to her peers, one of whom is Apple Paltrow-Martin and another is the kid of Marc Cuban, I think?

[Anonymous]

The problem with sending them where you want them to go is that you are not the person going. They are. And they will need to have the intrinsic motivation to tackle all that college will throw their way. You really want to kill that with control and manipulation? This will have an enduring impact on your relationship with your adult child for the remainder of both of your lives. That is of far greater importance than whether they graduate from one T20 college or the other. Not saying you shouldn’t weigh in with advice, but I’d loosen the grip on the actual decision.

Your move.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Good luck! Vanderbilt accepted about 22% ED1 this year. Most likely situation is your kid doesn’t get into Vanderbilt so you worrying it’s not good enough is pretty presumptuous of you.

Of course its a great school. It’s been ranked in the top 20 universities in the US for 15+ years now.

We just went through all this. The Early Decision acceptance rate was 15 percent this year. The Regular Decision acceptance rate was 3.7 percent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Vandy was a very good college 20 years ago, a cut below the Ivies, and doubtlessly it remains a very good college a cut below the Ivies. Given that elite college brands have been taking a clobbering lately, I daresay Vandy looks better and more grounded in more eyes over Columbia and Yale.

Key thing to note is that it is not an ivy, not even Cornell. I recommend the ivies, undergrad ivy cannot be passed up.

[Anonymous]

It's an overrated school, but kids seem to like it because of the warm weather and Nashville.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Vanderbilt seems to have a super wealthy privileged culture. I know someone who is there - seven figure family income - and she feels poor compared to her peers, one of whom is Apple Paltrow-Martin and another is the kid of Marc Cuban, I think?

Both of the George Stephanopoulos’ and Ali Wentworth‘s kids attend as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Vanderbilt seems to have a super wealthy privileged culture. I know someone who is there - seven figure family income - and she feels poor compared to her peers, one of whom is Apple Paltrow-Martin and another is the kid of Marc Cuban, I think?

Both of the George Stephanopoulos’ and Ali Wentworth‘s kids attend as well.

There are ~7000 undergrads there. They are not all rich. My DC certainly isn’t and neither are most of their friends, several of whom receive financial aid.

[Anonymous]

It’s a fantastic school. Don’t worry. College is what the student makes of it. You could go to an ivy and sleep in and get low grades or you could go to a non-ivy and study hard and connect with professors and really learn. You are placing way too much emphasis on an ivy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DC wants ED1 to Vandy next year (FCPS). How is the school like, I know it is apparently great for Quality of Life, but how does it compare to an Ivy League school? I want them to go to an Ivy like Cornell or Brown I believe that they are more well known and esteemed, and because I feel like Vandy is like a Wake Forest or Tulane. It feels very overrated, it feels like a southern NEU. Am I wrong? I feel like they can get into an Ivy, I think it would be a waste to go there over an Ivy.

I think it's apparent that this site has jumped the shark and been overrun by teenagers, lunatics, and the idiots that engage them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Vanderbilt seems to have a super wealthy privileged culture. I know someone who is there - seven figure family income - and she feels poor compared to her peers, one of whom is Apple Paltrow-Martin and another is the kid of Marc Cuban, I think?

Both of the George Stephanopoulos’ and Ali Wentworth‘s kids attend as well.

Yes, and the Ivies have no wealthy or famous kids 🙄. Pretty sure Apple’s brother is going to Brown next year…

Seriously, people. Get a grip. My kid is ant Vandy and had a great freshman year. Has a really nice mix of friends (and yes, even some on financial aid - gasp) and has really enjoyed his classes and professors. Seems like the kids are bright and engaged, but not cutthroat at all. And we have been pleasantly surprised by the diversity of backgrounds and viewpoints there.

[Anonymous]

Does “hard to get into” equal “great school”? What programs at Vandy are highly ranked?

It has a low acceptance rate. But is not known to be particularly strong in any area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Vanderbilt seems to have a super wealthy privileged culture. I know someone who is there - seven figure family income - and she feels poor compared to her peers, one of whom is Apple Paltrow-Martin and another is the kid of Marc Cuban, I think?

Both of the George Stephanopoulos’ and Ali Wentworth‘s kids attend as well.

There are ~7000 undergrads there. They are not all rich. My DC certainly isn’t and neither are most of their friends, several of whom receive financial aid.

This Vanderbilt is pledging to provide full-tuition scholarships without loans to all students with families making less than $150,000 annually.

https://vanderbilthustler.com/2024/02/18/vanderbilt-guarantees-full-tuition-scholarships-to-all-students-with-family-incomes-below-150000/