seg1189

I need to decide tomorrow which school to go to and I can't decide. I just eliminated Emory from the mix but cant make up my mind between Vanderbilt and Michigan. I'm interested in studying economics or business, am a big sports fan, am jewish and from the northeast. I don't really care about the weather(warm or cold) and I dont know how much the school size will affect my college experience. Please HELP!

keefer

years ago, i had to make this decision, well, there were other schools as well. But, in the end, I chose Michigan. Granted, that I was an engineering major, so that made the choice easier, but i think if you want to go into business, Michigan has better recruiting.

There's also a popular thread on the vandy board about racism and anti-semitism, that you may want to check out. You will feel very at home at Michigan, but I'm not sure how you would feel at Vanderbilt.

Alexandre

Go to Michigan. It has a better Econ department, a top 5 B-School and over 2,000 undergrads from the tri-state area! Nashaville and Ann Arbor are both awesome, so there is no advantage one way or the other there. Overall however, I think Michigan has the edge.

TheOC89

Theres no anti-semitism at Vanderbilt. Keefer, the thread you are referencing is about the website JuicyCampus --- which has offensive posts from every elite school. If you talk to actual Jewish students on campus, many rave about the school. The Hillel is active -- and the number of Jewish students has skyrocketed from 2% to over 15% in only a few short years.

Vanderbilt is a school that is fiercely dedicated to its undergraduates. Kids accepted this year (Class of 2012) will enjoy the brand new residential-college style housing.

keefer

I don't know, even you guys on CC are commenting on quality of fraternity based on racial makeup. It's a small part of the decision. Vanderbilt is a fine school, but Michigan is also equally dedicated to undergraduates, it spent 1.8 million on the spring commencement this year because students voted to have the commencement in the diag.

I understand being small/private, small classes, eating lunch with professors,beautiful campus, and small classes, eating lunch with professors are vanderbilt's main selling points. Just because Michigan doesn't openly advertise these things on every page of every brochure, doesn't mean it's not there in Ann Arbor.

TheOC89

Michigan doesn't offer the same individualized attention. I think schools with residential colleges offer a very unique experience that larger, state school can not provide. In the next few years, 100% of undergrads will live on campus.

bsali5

Michigan has one of the largest Hillels in the country. You will not feel out of place being Jewish or from the Northeast. Over 1000 NY undergrads. Great business school. Vanderbilt is a bottom feeder for sports. It's the SEC version of Northwestern in the Big Ten. Michigan is among the top in tons of sports. the only area of weakness, basketball, will show great improvement with leadership from Coach Berline. Besides there is no NCAA hockey at Vanderbilt and compare that with Michigan who has one of the top hockey programs in the country and a crazy experience at Yost arena. You'll love it.

Alexandre

TheOC, it is a myth that Michigan doesn't offer the same individualized attention. Only the extremely well funded LACs offer more individualized attention. Schools like Emory and Vanderbilt may offer more direct and obvious paths to individualized attention, but those are also availlable at Michigan, only not as visibly.

Christine123

I went to a private school in northern Alabama and a lot of the kids from my high school go to Vanderbilt every year, but I picked Michigan, despite having to pay about $20K more. It was absolutely the right choice. Vanderbilt may have this "overall good undergrad program," but Michigan has top academic departments from each field. Maybe on average Vanderbilt is more selective, but the top of Michigan's class, honestly, probably wouldn't even consider Vanderbilt and not just because of regional differences.
About sports. Not only does Michigan have an amazing sports tradition, but the student body really rallies behind it. I absolutely love the school spirit here. I love seeing thousands of students dressed in Maize shirts cheering for their team. In contrast, my ex-boyfriend who goes to Vanderbilt made fun of me for wearing a Michigan hoodie all the time when I went home for Thanksgiving my freshman year and told me about how his frat made fun of a kid for wearing Vanderbilt sweatpants. But I didn't care, because I love random people who said "Go Blue!" to me when they saw my sweatshirt wherever I go.

keefer

I don't know what the statistics say, but from my experience, 90+% of the students live on campus, statistics may say lower, but Ann Arbor is the University, I lived in a complex right down the block from South Quad, virtually the same location, so in the statistics I was off campus as well, even though I was 2 minutes walk from Michigan Union.

I am aware of the Commons, I think it's a good idea for Vanderbilt, to build a community that's not based on the greek scene. But Michigan is constantly adding dorms as well to enhance the undergraduate experience, the North Quad will be completed in 2010.

Regents approve North Quad design

Mosher Jordan is currently being renovated. There are also plans to add more housing on North campus for undergraduate students.

And it's not just Michigan and Vanderbilt, every University is striving to provide the best for their undergraduate students.

Christine123

As for individualized attention, I've had lunch with three separate professors. I don't understand why people think you become a number at Michigan. It's big enough to meets lots of diverse, amazing people and small enough to run into people you know everywhere you go.

Also, I love how Michigan is integrated into Ann Arbor. Vanderbilt is closed off from Nashville. It's culture does not embrace the entire city.

TheOC89

Vanderbilt had seven sports teams ranked in the top 25 last year.

The baseball team is one of the strongest in the country and generally ranks in the top 10.

In four of the past five years, Vanderbilt basketball has won atleast 20+ games (three NCAA apperances, two Sweet 16s).

The only sport we aren't great at is football. But the tailgating is awesome (lots of great food and drinking) and the girls look awesome in their sundresses.

TheOC89

Vanderbilt students go downtown every Thursday night (college night). The area immediately around Vandy doesn't feel southern -- but thats only because the undergrads are from all over the country. Downtown Nashville is only 1.5 miles away and only a quick cab ride away (see rock bands at the Ryman, go to Frist Center of Visual Arts, go see a Titans/Predators game, go to the brand new symphony orchestra, etc.).

TheOC89

Vanderbilt's acceptance rate this year is 23%; Michigan generally accepts close to half of its applicants. To get in to Vandy this year the middle 50%: (CR & M) 1380 - 1540 [ACT: 31-34]. Both schools have bright students, but Vanderbilt has the edge.

pmrlcomm

Seg, it's great that people are fiercely loyal to their schools but all this cat-fighting about which is best doesn't help you out any. I don't see how you can go wrong either way. They are both well-respected schools. Vandy doesn't have a traditional Business School so Econ is as close as you can get. It is a very good program. I can't speak about Michigan but everyone says it has a very good Business program...have to take them at their word. Since weather doesn't matter to you it's a pretty even fight. The biggest difference is the size of the school and the size of a lot of your freshman or weedout courses. I'm not sure my D had a class with more than about 100 or so students and I think she might have had 2 classes like that (Chem E. major, probably had something to do with it). The other thing that I know Vandy offers and I can't speak to UMich is the classes are almost always taught by the professors, not TA's. One last thing. The Freshman to Sophomore retention rate at Vandy is somewhere in the 96-98% range. Something else to think about. I wish you luck on your decision!