I'm a senior and getting ready to apply. At this point, my top choice, as it has been since 10th grade, is still Michigan. However, as I've been looking into Vanderbilt I think I'm growing more partial to it. I just have some questions.
1. I know for sure I want to pursue a career in business. Obviously, Michigan's got a top three program so it seems ideal, but I'm hearing about Vandy's HOD major with a minor in economics. What sort of jobs do graduates get out of this major?
2. My uncle, who works in the HR dept. for a global corporation, claims that Vanderbilt is only deemed a "regional" school, as in grads only get jobs in Nashville and the surrounding area. Michigan, he says, has more "global" appeal. How do you feel about it?
3. I'm really into sports and obviously you can't beat Michigan football but how into the sports are the students?
4. Greek life is important to me. Great looking campus, I know, but how are the frats?
I disagree with your uncle. Vanderbilt students do get jobs in major markets. S works in the DC area, as does his girlfriend (another VU grad). He had a double major in economics and mathematics and accepted an offer from a prominent consulting company in November prior to graduation. His job puts him in a position to know what skill sets/backgrounds Fortune 500 firms are seeking. In fact, he's a big proponent of a liberal arts education. He has a friend from graduating class who works with McKenzie. Job placement in major markets is not a problem for top students.
Bennn...maybe by regional school, he meant as in the Southeastern United States.
The largest markets for Vandy students are the Atlanta, Dallas, Charlotte (major financial services hub for southeast), and DC area. Few schools in the country beat out vandy when it comes to these areas. In terms of national and international prestige it then carries the same weight as any other top 20 university...which...michigan doesn't have.
frat life? come visit. if you need a place to stay use this internets thing to let me know and i'll take you out and help you crash somewhere
usually the students use football as an excuse to tailgate all day and maybe stop by the field to watch us lose. that's changed. we win games now but still tailgate a lot. basketball...sweet 16 much? aka we're good. baseball...um...espn should tell you the answer to that one. sports are important to us.
last thing...it's uh...the greatest school in the world when it comes to balance of academic and social life. in class i feel like i'm at one of the schmivies because everyone is so focused and on tuesday or thursday or fri or sat or whatever night it might be i feel like i'm at ANIMAL HOUSE except everyone is dressed well
Nashville has a lively economy with tons of people in successful business ventures, creative types attracted to cultural arts, music (witness the stunning new venue for the Nashville Symphony Orchestra), and you simply can't underestimate the value of the excellent law school and a medical complex or the fact that Vanderbilt has a remarkably positive relationship with Nashville. (This is rarer than you might think.) I hope you don't mind if we point out that the weather is fantastic, although a tornado did hit downtown a decade ago, and that the atmosphere in Nashville is very congenial. People who attend Vandy set high goals for themselves, and the student body is unmistakably moving toward a national draw more each year now. Life in Atlanta, Houston and Charlotte for graduates is life in cities with booming economies. U Michigan is a fine institution, but if you want to actually know your professors and have decent student/teacher ratios, Vandy offers a mix of a liberal arts education with the extras of a big school.
Frequently posters want to know what kinds of companies recruit at Vanderbilt. Some of the more prominent firms take out ads in The Hustler to promote their campus visits. You can access The Hustler online by linking to www.insidevandy.com and clicking on the button for access to the student newspaper on the right hand side of the page underneath the photo gallery. The paper is published on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. In fact, I believe this is one of the best ways to get a sense of the campus personality.
