Vanderbilt Rivals

kimfuge · 10-05-2005, 05:26 AM

Schools that come to my mind are Notre Dame and Emory. Any more?

zip86 · 10-05-2005, 11:37 AM

There isn't really a rival. We compete with a lot of schools for admissions but that's not really a rivalry. I guess we compete against emory mainly and also a bit against duke and WashU. Once in a while, a student might reject Harvard/Yale/Princeton for a full ride at Vandy. Honestly, most of us are Duke/WashU rejects, (although I'm a ChicagoU reject).

college1 · 10-05-2005, 12:22 PM

<<most of us are Duke/WashU rejects>>

I'm going to have to disagree there (at least with the WashU part). I think a surprising number of people here chose Vandy over WashU. I think that the academics are similiar at both schools, but there is a greater sense of community at Vandy. I have been told WashU seems almost snobby. Many people see Vandy as having more prestige, although they really are (in my mind) quite equal. I'm not trying to "bash" WashU at all, it's a fantastic school, I'm just saying Vandy is not a bunch of WashU rejects. I have a friend at WashU who is very happy, and he is certainly not snobby at all.

I really don't see Vanderbilt as having many "rivals" in admissions, although the Fiske guide lists Northwestern, WashU, Emory, Duke and Wake Forest as some of our overlaps. I suppose you could say they are our "rivals". In athletics, I don't really know who our main rivals. Certainly Tennessee. Although we clearly have the superior football team.

hilary6 · 10-05-2005, 12:24 PM

i heard that vanderbilt was the snobby one?

bandmom · 10-05-2005, 05:45 PM

I, too, disagree that Vandy is for the WashU and other school "rejects." My son got into Duke, WashU, and others, and chose Vanderbilt above all the rest. (Admittedly, the merit scholarship money he received was an influence, but he wouldn't have selected Vandy if he didn't think it was a great school with a lot to offer in its own merit.)

slipstream99 · 10-05-2005, 05:46 PM

Definitely true about the Duke rejects. I haven't talked to anyone else who got into Duke - i feel privileged

(EDIT: odd that i also got merit money at vandy...i wonder if vandy tries to steal kids from duke with moolah?) I would agree, based on talking to friends, that the big competitors for vandy students are northwestern, emory, unc, wake, and - for those who got in - duke.

hilary6, what do you mean that vanderbilt is the "snobby one"? Don't let the image of the rich sorority girls obscure the huge numbers of regular ole' folk who are here

hilary6 · 10-05-2005, 05:56 PM

i have a friend who was there for her freshman year and then transferred to BC because she said it was "very snobby and not diverse at all" and that she didnt want to be a part of that.. i think it did have something to do wtih sororities, at least partially, and how they are "exclusive/obnoxious".
i'm still debating whether im going to apply to vandy at all. i dont like the idea of there being any kind of a social elite, even if i didnt decide to be a part of it. i'm all for greek life, but not when its taken to an extreme, ya know?
you go there right? are you a girl or a guy?

slipstream99 · 10-05-2005, 08:03 PM

talking to people who transferred is going to give you the worst possible impression of the school. greek life is big, but it definitely isn't everything. i've been to one frat party in the entire month and a half i've been here and i'm still having a blast.

and the sophomore and higher girls i've talked to that are in sororities have all seemed really nice and not snobby at all. i'm not saying that there aren't those girls here that spend lots of daddy's money and think they're better for it, but it's definitely the exception rather than the rule. the "nerdier" girls i'm friends with who aren't interested at all in sororities definitely don't get the feeling that they're being excluded from campus life or that not being in a sorority is vexing. I think it's only about 50% of the girls in sororities, which means half of them are NOT in sororities (just wanted to emphasize this). it's not like W&L where if you're not in greek life that you're one of the few GDIs. Also, i'm not too familiar with the sororities, but I'm pretty sure that they all have different interests and, thus, different members.

Overall, I think Vandy is stereotyped as the college that has fraternities and sororities running the school, which is not true at all. Plus, with the college hall system coming up in the next couple of years, I think the greek presence is going to be at least partially diminished (which i think is a goal of the administration - trying to shake the stereotype that keeps so many people away)

If you have the time, I definitely think you should stay overnight on campus and really get a feel of how much of a presence the greek life has. i think you'd be surprised.

btw, i'm a guy and do go to vanderbilt

zip86 · 10-05-2005, 08:18 PM

I think there is a big problem with Vanderbilt having a bad stereotype. Although it is moderately true, as with any stereotype, it is blown way over proportion. The school is hard at work trying to change their image for the better and I think it is working very well. Every year, the school has shown improvement. I just hope the trend continues.

college1 · 10-05-2005, 08:42 PM

Greek life is as much a part of campus life as you want it to be. If you don't want to go to frats and such, there's no problem with it. I'm not huge into the Greek scene, and I find plenty to do. As far as I understand, the percentage of people involved with Greek life has dropped significantly over the last few years. Currently, about 1/3 of guys and slightly under 1/2 of girls are in Greek organizations. Which means that MOST people ARE NOT in a frat/sororiety. As for Vanderbilt being snobbish, I have found the opposite to be true. I am from New Jersey, and I find Southern hospitality to be quite refreshing. In addition, I feel that there is tremendous diversity on campus. There are active student organizations for blacks, Asians etc, and among my friends there are several ethnic groups, states and even nations represented. There is also a surprising amount of political diversity on campus. Vanderbilt is not all conservatives! I find that it is a fantastic place to go to schoo.

ecnerwalc3321 · 10-05-2005, 08:43 PM

I have to echo what the previous two posters said. Vanderbilt is not a terribly snobby school for the most part. I came from the South where I've heard many stories about vanderbilt students being stuck up and snobby and therefore I was hesitant about even applying here. However, my mom suggested it since vandy takes the common app. anyways, after some surprises during the period when decisions come out, I decided to come here. After being here a month, I can't say that even MOST people are "very snobby and not diverse at all". Sure, there are some out there, but if you pick your friends and environments wisely, you'll sure to find someone who appeals to your tastes. And be assured, there are certainly many "regular ole' folkes" here. (regular being defined by personal opinion.)

hilary6 · 10-05-2005, 08:44 PM

thanks guys for all your positive feedback-- you've convinced me to keep vandy on the list!

ecnerwalc3321 · 10-05-2005, 08:45 PM

great. however, don't take our word for it. come down and visit!

hilary6 · 10-05-2005, 08:50 PM

do they let people who havent been accepted yet do overnights? cuz i already did the official tour/info session last february

ecnerwalc3321 · 10-05-2005, 08:56 PM

hmm. I don't know. maybe if you know someone who goes here you can stay with them. I know one guy who I met at an open house last year who stayed with a student (a couple years older than him) on campus.