<p>“It is an example.”</p>
<p>No, it’s a logical fallacy. </p>
<p>“I have friends who go to Vanderbilt, and I met several students during our orientation who transferred from there, and all had the same complaints.”</p>
<p>It is reasonable for transfer students to be dissatisfied with the merits of an institution. I’m bewildered how you can make such adamant claims about a school without visiting it personally.</p>
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<p>Haha, care to tell me which one?</p>
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<p>Read, read, read…</p>
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<p>Note the former half of the conjunctive, in addition to there actually being a conjunct.</p>
<p>“I have friends who go to Vanderbilt”</p>
<p>Fine. As for the former part of your argument – </p>
<p>Do you consider your Vandy friends to be intellectually inferior?</p>
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<p>…and why are they dissatisfied?</p>
<p>*…because of the lack of intellectualism.<a href=“This%20is%20the%20only%20complaint%20I%20hear”>/i</a></p>
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<p>I never argued that students are intellectually inferior or superior at either school.</p>
<h2>Do you consider your Vandy friends to be intellectually inferior (when compared to Rice)?</h2>
<p>“why are they dissatisfied? …because of the lack of intellectualism.”
People transfer for a multitude of reasons.</p>
<p>“This is the only complaint I hear”</p>
<p>Do you believe that correlation equals causation? Do you believe your limited interaction allows you to make blanketed statements about the university?</p>
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<p>My statement had nothing to do with the post-hoc fallacy.</p>
<p>Can you reasonably say, as a person who has never visited the institution, that you are in a qualified position to rate the intellectual atmosphere of the school? Further – not only qualified to assess the school but also to compare it to another?</p>
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<p>Ah, shifting arguments.</p>
<p>I am qualified to have an opinion of the school grounded on the reasoned opinions of students who attend the school, student swho transferred from the school, and professors who comment on the school. </p>
<p>One can compare schools without having visited them. I can state that Harvard is more intellectual than, say, the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Surely you do not mean to argue that visiting the school is a precondition to actually having a decent opinion of it.</p>
<p>I agree to an extent. However, I think there is a sharp difference between having an opinion and proclaiming knowledge that you <em>know for a fact</em> that one school is better than another. When you do this, people will assume reasonably that you have strong personal expierence or evidence to back up your assertions.</p>
<p>Yeah, I’m going to Rice, but I really respect Vanderbilt. You ought not condemn it for its hot people, different academics, and love of Rice.</p>
<p>Prejudice is most vehement for those just below us on any status scale (what’s that psychologist’s name? I’ve gotta stop doing this). That’s why upper class worry about middle class but not necessarily poor people in other countries, or why the valedictorian always watches out for #2. Similarly, Rice (#17) lovers are dogging on Vanderbilt (#18) when they really should be distinguishing their qualities, not lambasting them with stereotypes.</p>
<p>Again, original poster, I live in Nashville, and hope that you’re happy with your decision. Should you need any input (I’m sure you’ve got plenty), just PM me.</p>
<p>Peace.</p>
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<p>I never said one school is better than the other.</p>
<p>I’ll clarify –</p>
<p>I think there is a sharp difference between having an opinion and proclaiming knowledge that you <em>know for a fact</em> that one school is more intellectual than another. Correct?</p>
<p>Of course there is a difference, but the types of evidence required for the latter, in this context, do not include ‘visiting the campus’ as a necessary condition.</p>
<p>Personally, I don’t think I would be able to make an accurate comparision of intellectual environments without visiting and I guess this is where differ. If you believe your anecdotal evidence is sufficient to brand Vanderbilt as a less intellectual school when compared to Rice, there is no point in exhausting the issue any further. I’ll agree to disagree.</p>
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<p>The problem is that my evidence is not anecdotal. I researched every school before I decided to submit applications to them, and Vandie was eliminated in the first round for good reason.</p>
<p>“The problem is that my evidence is not anecdotal.”</p>
<p>So far, all your information has been anecdotal. If you have a link or can cite any “research” that Vandy is less intellectual (than peers such as Rice) please do so.</p>
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<p>Contact with both professors at Vanderbilt and Rice, as well as students at both schools, constitute substantive research.</p>
<p>Our expierences have differed sharply. My classes have been engaging and intellectual. Nevertheless, best of luck at Georgetown.</p>
<p>some people here need to chill…</p>