<p>I haven’t responded to this thread previously because ,in my 8th year as a Vanderbilt parent since S is in professional school there now, I have a hard time relating to the OP’s parents’ impressions of Nashville. There is proof in the statistics for the last few admissions cycles that there are plenty of folks out there from all over the world who appreciate what Vanderbilt and the Nashville community have to offer. </p>
<p>ocean10, if you are really interested in Vanderbilt, you may want to check out this link and show it to your parents.
[IMPACT</a> Symposium: Vanderbilt Programming Board | Vanderbilt University](<a href=“http://studentorgs.vanderbilt.edu/vpb/impact.html]IMPACT”>http://studentorgs.vanderbilt.edu/vpb/impact.html)
Since I only live 2 hours away, I have driven down for Impact on three occasions. Vanderbilt offers opportunities at this level, whether in the arts, politics, etc. on a regular basis.</p>