Unless the results on Parchment are color coded the results are not statistically significant and cannot be trusted, likely because not enough people voted to have accurate results. Read the fine print!

Among T25 USNews schools:
Vandy “loses”:
HPYSM
Penn
Brown
Dartmouth
UChicago
Columbia
Notre Dame
UCLA
Cal
CalTech
JHU

Vanderbilt “wins”
Emory
CMU
Wash U
Georgetown

Vanderbilt “ties”- results are not statistically significant (most likely not enough votes on parchment to yield a reliable result at 95%):
Michigan
UVA
Duke
Northwestern
Rice
Cornell

This generally makes sense based on the current ranking of #18 and historical ranking of about 16-21 they’ve had. When there is a greater difference in ranking/prestige, Vanderbilt is not likely to be picked but the closer the rankings get or the higher Vandy is ranked in comparison, it’s more likely Vanderbilt wins. I didn’t go beyond T25 much but if you do Vanderbilt starts to win more in comparison. And for some of the ties or “wins” I’d bet the cultural differences (location, public schools where in-state students are more likely to stay at their flagship due to cost, religious affiliation in the case of Notre Dame), that would be a deciding factor. Many of these students apply to the same group of schools so there is much overlap.

Vanderbilt is clearly an elite school with an extremely low acceptance rate. Students who go there are happy and the alumni network is strong. It has been ranked in the top 20 for a long long time.

Not sure why so much hate, there are lots of schools that remain test optional in the top 20 and these schools will likely continue as long as it’s beneficial to them. Remember schools do what’s in their best interest- not the applicant’s, no matter what the party line is that they put out.

Anonymous wrote:Come on. No one is picking Vandy over an Ivy
unless they get a better financial deal.

Parchment says most pick Vandy over Cornell.

Anonymous wrote:It feels like this board has been taken over by first gen immigrant strivers.

I think you'd be surprised and very few are that are making posts you are eluding too. The kids at our school want the prestige schools. Not sure who is right, maybe a bit of both.

A friend's daughter was accepted to Harvard last year ('24) and chose NYU instead - not a financially based decision. A co-worker's rising senior is 1st in her class, has zero interest in any of the Ivies and is dreaming of Vandy.

"Is [non-HYPSM] ever anybody's first choice?" the answer is always going to be yes, but the answer will never be the same for everyone. Everyone wants different things out of college and for some prestige isn't the driving factor.

It feels like this board has been taken over by first gen immigrant strivers.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Come on. No one is picking Vandy over an Ivy
unless they get a better financial deal.

Is this a joke?

No, it’s the sincere feeling of a 1st or 2nd gen striver without generational affluence. Their hunger prevents any answer except Ivy Stanford MIT

Those with more cushion and chill - but the same resume — can afford to think more expansively. See also, “CS”

Anonymous wrote:Come on. No one is picking Vandy over an Ivy
unless they get a better financial deal.

Is this a joke?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Troll. No one chooses Vanderbilt over an Ivy. Also, they let a lot of people in as second year transfers with much lower stats.

Speak for yourself. I find Cornell, Columbia, Yale, Brown, & Penn to be pretty unlikable due to an array of reasons, especially their locations.

What’s unlikable about Brown? Location?

Anonymous wrote:Come on. No one is picking Vandy over an Ivy
unless they get a better financial deal.

100!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are no ivies lower ranked than Vanderbilt. It’s a fine school, appeals to some for what if offers on location and vibe so it will be first choice for some. But, yes, many others will use it as a backup like they do Emory.

I meant lower ranked amongst the ivies. And only a couple of years ago it was ranked above a few. But in that case, can’t any school be a backup for someone. Penn, Duke, Columbia backups for HYPSM?

I don't personally view those schools as backups for HYPSM, they are still at the very top and academically serious. I put Vanderbilt in the same category as Notre Dame, fantastic education but a bit more work hard play hard than many of the T20.

+1

Nice try Emory clown.

Anonymous wrote:Troll. No one chooses Vanderbilt over an Ivy. Also, they let a lot of people in as second year transfers with much lower stats.

Speak for yourself. I find Cornell, Columbia, Yale, Brown, & Penn to be pretty unlikable due to an array of reasons, especially their locations.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is this thread demonstrably less hostile than the Emory one?

Because Vanderbilt is an Ivy-alternative, not an Ivy- fallback/safety

When you put Vandy next to any Ivy except Cornell…Vandy loses out to all of them…not to mention JHU, Chicago, ND and essentially all other top 20 schools.

Go do a parchment comparison and see for yourself.

Exactly, Vandy and Emory are not different in that regard, in fact parchment says Emory performs better against ivy plus schools than Vandy.
Check Emory/Vandy vs Columbia, Dartmouth, or Duke.

People on DCum choose to hate certain schools over others.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Troll. No one chooses Vanderbilt over an Ivy. Also, they let a lot of people in as second year transfers with much lower stats.

DCUM is like striver central with people like you. Dozens of kids choose Vanderbilt over Ivies because it's known to have a much better social scene. I know several. My own son chose UVA over an Ivy for the same reason.

The entire world is not a slave to the US News rankings like some on DCUM are.

UVA makes more sense to be because it’s different than the Ivies and has a more social state school rep. I actually know a couple of student athletes who chose UVA over ivies last year.

Vanderbilt feels too much like it wants to be an Ivy or Duke.

No student athlete in a revenue sport picks an Ivy over a Power 4 school.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Troll. No one chooses Vanderbilt over an Ivy. Also, they let a lot of people in as second year transfers with much lower stats.

DCUM is like striver central with people like you. Dozens of kids choose Vanderbilt over Ivies because it's known to have a much better social scene. I know several. My own son chose UVA over an Ivy for the same reason.

The entire world is not a slave to the US News rankings like some on DCUM are.

UVA makes more sense to be because it’s different than the Ivies and has a more social state school rep. I actually know a couple of student athletes who chose UVA over ivies last year.

Vanderbilt feels too much like it wants to be an Ivy or Duke.