Cornelius Vanderbilt Scholarship

anotherazn
Mon, 03 Jan 2011 16:00:39 +0000

Coming from Chicago, I’ll be frank - Vandy definitely wasn’t on my list of “go-to” schools until really late. Well, March 11th to be honest. I mean, I got into UChicago EA and UIUC’s EE program in December. I really didn’t know that much about Vanderbilt (other than the rumors and the hear-say) until I actually attended. Of course, I toured the campus, and it looked nice… but then again, most campuses look nice =D. I picked Vanderbilt because it was prestigious, a little bit so that I could get away from my parents, and of course the CV scholarship tied the knot. Not the greatest reasons, I know. If you want the “OMG I LOVED VANDY SINCE I WAS A KID” response… well, I can ask some of my friends.

Anyway, Vandy is definitely a Southern school, despite its recent diversification. Most people are white, Christian, and rich. Frats and sororities are a big deal, as is dressing up for games. But that’s just part of the atmosphere. I’m not in a frat, I’ve never gone partying, but I still definitely have a good group of friends and a lot of people I can get help from. There’s no barrier between “Northerners” and “Southerners.” Most of the time you don’t even notice where people are from. The Commons are amazing (Gillette all the way) because, except for the long walk (7 minutes) to main campus every day, it’s great for communication reasons, and the RA’s are great. I really love Vanderbilt because it’s relaxing (except during finals) - the beautiful scenery, the people - and stimulating at the same time.

Haha, sorry for waxing poetic. I’m sure all of you will say the same to whichever college you end up attending!

Oh, and I applied to HYPS, NU, UChicago, U of I (Urbana), Duke, Emory, Vandy, Rice, and WashU. I got denied HYS and waitlisted Princeton, Rice, WashU. Being a nerdy Asian definitely did not play into my favor.

As for picking schools… well
1.) Do you have the financial means to go there. Seriously. I mean, everybody and their mother says you can get loans, but… well those suck. If a school is willing to give you money, definitely give them a good hard look.
2.) Location. Big city or college town? Or like Vandy, even though we’re in Nashville, there’s the “Vandy bubble.” Close to home or far, far away?
3.) Friends. You have to decide, are you leaving all your high school friends, or are you going where they’re going. Nobody from my school went to Vandy… I mean, I definitely made friends, but the first few weeks were a little lonely *tear.
4.) College visits. Some people say they have a calling when they go to visit a campus. I’ve never personally experienced this, but definitely don’t go somewhere where your impression was “wow, this place is the dumps.”
5.) Parental influence. Haha, OK, we’re all 17/18. Listening to the parents is probably the last thing on your mind. But they are definitely worried about your well-being more than a random person on CC Forums who goes by the alias “anotherazn.” I don’t mean you have to listen to your parents, just don’t blow them off the second they open their mouths. Remember, this is a big investment on their part.

I’m open for suggestions. Good luck to all and happy new year!

Edit: Actually, I just remembered, this is a GREAT post - a lot of info, and if you’re wondering about Vandy, you should check it out: http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/vanderbilt-university/994350-year-ago-i-you-worrying-about-college-vanderbilt-2.html?highlight=york+times