Thoughts on Vanderbilt University?

[Anonymous]

The level of entitlement at Vandy is unmatched at any other top 30. Maybe because it courts children of the famous (even children of influencers) and loves donor kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The level of entitlement at Vandy is unmatched at any other top 30. Maybe because it courts children of the famous (even children of influencers) and loves donor kids.

Get to know Brown, Duke, Dartmouth and Harvard a little better

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A friend's kid goes there. The student population is incredibly wealthy - think USC on steroids. They have a 7 figure household income and their daughter was one of the poors there, for example....spring breaks on private islands, etc.

DS is in a mid-tier Greek house at Vandy currently. Exactly no one in his mostly privileged house of ~40 guys fits this description. A few are even poor! and on scholarship (ie, Vanderbilt pays their Greek dues for them via financial aid). They even get stipends to travel with the fraternity to weekends away and national meetings.

Are there students there now like Apple Martin amd Alexis Cuban? Sure, but they are the outliers. For better or for worse I have spent a lot of time there in the dormitory hallways, the parking lots, and even occasionally tailgating or eating in the coffee shop. It is most certainly NOT as you describe.

I’m surprised because this is not what I’ve heard from my kids friends who attend there.

Four or five Greek houses dominate the social scene and getting bids from those houses can make or break your time there.

It is a really good spot for kids who are comfortable in a very sheltered closed uber-wealthy environment.

You see a lot of tri-state… Connecticut, New York, New Jersey kids or private/celebrity LA kids. Or Chicago private school or wealthy Chicago suburban kids.

The private high school scene there does connect a lot of kids together before they even even get on campus.

A lot of parents are here seem well intended, but your impressions aren’t necessarily what life is really like. Have your kids talk to kids from their school. Have them meet up with them on campus for coffee and ask about what their days and nights are like.

Not what you are all describing. And campus “impressions” are often wrong…

I am PP you are quoting. The “impressions” I conveyed in my post come directly from my DS who has attended Vanderbilt for the last 3.75 academic years. Plus things I have seen with my own eyeballs and discussed with my current Vanderbilt student.

Admittedly, this is an n of 1. But I don’t see anyone else on this thread who has a current senior. The veracity of that person’s take is likely stronger than a whole bunch of people lurking on Reddit or sitting in their living room in Connecticut on the outside, looking in

Appreciate your perspective, VandyMom!

How has your son found the academics? (What's he studying?)
Are you from the DMV?

Wondering about potential fit for my MCPS senior -- should she be so lucky as to be admitted. She's an exceptional student, down to earth (but not "quirky") and is looking for a warm, friendly student body and academics that are strong but not unnecessarily grind-y. She applied for engineering.

PP mom here. Engineering is somewhat grind-y unfortunately. So is pre-med. Is it better or worse than, say, Cornell or Chicago? I can’t say. But my kid’s 3 close friends in engineering and pre-medical school are far more busy-to-overwhelmed than his other friends at Vandy (and than he is).

I suggest your DD check out forums/threads dedicated to this exact topic for first-hand POV. No one here will be able to compare the experience at two undergraduate programs Outside of engineering, the guys do socialize and are in Greek life. But honestly, they go out less and are in fewer clubs/activities than my non-engineering DS. I think that’s the norm everywhere

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A friend's kid goes there. The student population is incredibly wealthy - think USC on steroids. They have a 7 figure household income and their daughter was one of the poors there, for example....spring breaks on private islands, etc.

DS is in a mid-tier Greek house at Vandy currently. Exactly no one in his mostly privileged house of ~40 guys fits this description. A few are even poor! and on scholarship (ie, Vanderbilt pays their Greek dues for them via financial aid). They even get stipends to travel with the fraternity to weekends away and national meetings.

Are there students there now like Apple Martin amd Alexis Cuban? Sure, but they are the outliers. For better or for worse I have spent a lot of time there in the dormitory hallways, the parking lots, and even occasionally tailgating or eating in the coffee shop. It is most certainly NOT as you describe.

I’m surprised because this is not what I’ve heard from my kids friends who attend there.

Four or five Greek houses dominate the social scene and getting bids from those houses can make or break your time there.

It is a really good spot for kids who are comfortable in a very sheltered closed uber-wealthy environment.

You see a lot of tri-state… Connecticut, New York, New Jersey kids or private/celebrity LA kids. Or Chicago private school or wealthy Chicago suburban kids.

The private high school scene there does connect a lot of kids together before they even even get on campus.

A lot of parents are here seem well intended, but your impressions aren’t necessarily what life is really like. Have your kids talk to kids from their school. Have them meet up with them on campus for coffee and ask about what their days and nights are like.

Not what you are all describing. And campus “impressions” are often wrong…

I am PP you are quoting. The “impressions” I conveyed in my post come directly from my DS who has attended Vanderbilt for the last 3.75 academic years. Plus things I have seen with my own eyeballs and discussed with my current Vanderbilt student.

Admittedly, this is an n of 1. But I don’t see anyone else on this thread who has a current senior. The veracity of that person’s take is likely stronger than a whole bunch of people lurking on Reddit or sitting in their living room in Connecticut on the outside, looking in

Vanderbilt has a quarter system?

No but we are midway through the last semester before graduation

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The level of entitlement at Vandy is unmatched at any other top 30. Maybe because it courts children of the famous (even children of influencers) and loves donor kids.

Get to know Brown, Duke, Dartmouth and Harvard a little better

Have visited all of them.

[Anonymous]

An inferior Sewanee alternative formerly controlled by Methodist apostates and now overrun by Yankees. Delightfully wealthy and mostly normal, but losing the Southern charm by the year.

Vastly preferable to the depression & gender dysphoria factories of the Northeast, but maybe still a little too country relative to its primary competition, SMU & USC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:An inferior Sewanee alternative formerly controlled by Methodist apostates and now overrun by Yankees. Delightfully wealthy and mostly normal, but losing the Southern charm by the year.

Vastly preferable to the depression & gender dysphoria factories of the Northeast, but maybe still a little too country relative to its primary competition, SMU & USC.

I can't make much sense of the above. Overwrought attempt to seem sophisticated and clever? A lot of X but Y sentence structure going on. I'm not getting it.

Personally, Vanderbilt reminded me of Duke in the 1990s. Smart kids with a strong sense of balance.

For the kids who want to dive deeply into very challenging academics and research, Vanderbilt seems to offer every possible opportunity. But our sense was that most kids choose a different path - one that involves a a broad education and exposure to various disciplines (some challenging, some not) along with the major requirements and a pre-professional mindset.

Kids seemed quite smart and articulate, good at school, willing to work hard as needed, and also social and invested in life beyond the classroom. An academic grind could certainly find what they need. But if they want to do so in an environment full of of peers like themself, it's probably not a great fit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A friend's kid goes there. The student population is incredibly wealthy - think USC on steroids. They have a 7 figure household income and their daughter was one of the poors there, for example....spring breaks on private islands, etc.

DS is in a mid-tier Greek house at Vandy currently. Exactly no one in his mostly privileged house of ~40 guys fits this description. A few are even poor! and on scholarship (ie, Vanderbilt pays their Greek dues for them via financial aid). They even get stipends to travel with the fraternity to weekends away and national meetings.

Are there students there now like Apple Martin amd Alexis Cuban? Sure, but they are the outliers. For better or for worse I have spent a lot of time there in the dormitory hallways, the parking lots, and even occasionally tailgating or eating in the coffee shop. It is most certainly NOT as you describe.

I’m surprised because this is not what I’ve heard from my kids friends who attend there.

Four or five Greek houses dominate the social scene and getting bids from those houses can make or break your time there.

It is a really good spot for kids who are comfortable in a very sheltered closed uber-wealthy environment.

You see a lot of tri-state… Connecticut, New York, New Jersey kids or private/celebrity LA kids. Or Chicago private school or wealthy Chicago suburban kids.

The private high school scene there does connect a lot of kids together before they even even get on campus.

A lot of parents are here seem well intended, but your impressions aren’t necessarily what life is really like. Have your kids talk to kids from their school. Have them meet up with them on campus for coffee and ask about what their days and nights are like.

Not what you are all describing. And campus “impressions” are often wrong…

I am PP you are quoting. The “impressions” I conveyed in my post come directly from my DS who has attended Vanderbilt for the last 3.75 academic years. Plus things I have seen with my own eyeballs and discussed with my current Vanderbilt student.

Admittedly, this is an n of 1. But I don’t see anyone else on this thread who has a current senior. The veracity of that person’s take is likely stronger than a whole bunch of people lurking on Reddit or sitting in their living room in Connecticut on the outside, looking in

Vanderbilt has a quarter system?

No but we are midway through the last semester before graduation

Didn’t they just go back from winter break?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:An inferior Sewanee alternative formerly controlled by Methodist apostates and now overrun by Yankees. Delightfully wealthy and mostly normal, but losing the Southern charm by the year.

Vastly preferable to the depression & gender dysphoria factories of the Northeast, but maybe still a little too country relative to its primary competition, SMU & USC.

I can't make much sense of the above. Overwrought attempt to seem sophisticated and clever? A lot of X but Y sentence structure going on. I'm not getting it.

Personally, Vanderbilt reminded me of Duke in the 1990s. Smart kids with a strong sense of balance.

For the kids who want to dive deeply into very challenging academics and research, Vanderbilt seems to offer every possible opportunity. But our sense was that most kids choose a different path - one that involves a a broad education and exposure to various disciplines (some challenging, some not) along with the major requirements and a pre-professional mindset.

Kids seemed quite smart and articulate, good at school, willing to work hard as needed, and also social and invested in life beyond the classroom. An academic grind could certainly find what they need. But if they want to do so in an environment full of of peers like themself, it's probably not a great fit.

Vanderbilt doesn't make it easy to take grad courses as an undergrad: https://as.vanderbilt.edu/internal/policies/undergraduate-graduate-courses.php
Only one per semester, and only as a senior. Many other T20s let students register simply with instructor permission.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:An inferior Sewanee alternative formerly controlled by Methodist apostates and now overrun by Yankees. Delightfully wealthy and mostly normal, but losing the Southern charm by the year.

Vastly preferable to the depression & gender dysphoria factories of the Northeast, but maybe still a little too country relative to its primary competition, SMU & USC.

I can't make much sense of the above. Overwrought attempt to seem sophisticated and clever? A lot of X but Y sentence structure going on. I'm not getting it.

Personally, Vanderbilt reminded me of Duke in the 1990s. Smart kids with a strong sense of balance.

For the kids who want to dive deeply into very challenging academics and research, Vanderbilt seems to offer every possible opportunity. But our sense was that most kids choose a different path - one that involves a a broad education and exposure to various disciplines (some challenging, some not) along with the major requirements and a pre-professional mindset.

Kids seemed quite smart and articulate, good at school, willing to work hard as needed, and also social and invested in life beyond the classroom. An academic grind could certainly find what they need. But if they want to do so in an environment full of of peers like themself, it's probably not a great fit.

Vanderbilt doesn't make it easy to take grad courses as an undergrad: https://as.vanderbilt.edu/internal/policies/undergraduate-graduate-courses.php
Only one per semester, and only as a senior. Many other T20s let students register simply with instructor permission.

Why do you need to take graduate courses as an undergraduate? Tiger parents.

[Anonymous]

My son is a sophomore at Vandy. He loves it but it's very competitive and can be a grind. He is juggling classes,ROTC and many clubs. He has a diverse group of friends, really nice kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:An inferior Sewanee alternative formerly controlled by Methodist apostates and now overrun by Yankees. Delightfully wealthy and mostly normal, but losing the Southern charm by the year.

Vastly preferable to the depression & gender dysphoria factories of the Northeast, but maybe still a little too country relative to its primary competition, SMU & USC.

I can't make much sense of the above. Overwrought attempt to seem sophisticated and clever? A lot of X but Y sentence structure going on. I'm not getting it.

Personally, Vanderbilt reminded me of Duke in the 1990s. Smart kids with a strong sense of balance.

For the kids who want to dive deeply into very challenging academics and research, Vanderbilt seems to offer every possible opportunity. But our sense was that most kids choose a different path - one that involves a a broad education and exposure to various disciplines (some challenging, some not) along with the major requirements and a pre-professional mindset.

Kids seemed quite smart and articulate, good at school, willing to work hard as needed, and also social and invested in life beyond the classroom. An academic grind could certainly find what they need. But if they want to do so in an environment full of of peers like themself, it's probably not a great fit.

The PP you replied to definitely has a confederate flag displayed somewhere and loves to tell people why it’s not racist.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The level of entitlement at Vandy is unmatched at any other top 30. Maybe because it courts children of the famous (even children of influencers) and loves donor kids.

Get to know Brown, Duke, Dartmouth and Harvard a little better

I have a dartmouth kid and there isn't much entitlement there. it's changed a lot in recent admissions cycles.
Vanderbiit by the account of a family we know with kids at both is much heavier on the big and flashy money crowd.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How hard is it to get in? Recent reel from one of the college influencer (ivy__) makes it seem like ED this year was brutal at Vandy

I would say ED and TO are the two abbreviations you need to know when applying there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How hard is it to get in? Recent reel from one of the college influencer (ivy__) makes it seem like ED this year was brutal at Vandy

I would say ED and TO are the two abbreviations you need to know when applying there.

I wonder if RD and really high test score will work? I know RD is almost impossible, but I also heard they love the 1550/35+ scores.