@bernie12 Yes, you are right, and I actually don’t value prestige anywhere near as much as fit, although I see why you may have garnered that from my post. What I meant was that, having visited Vanderbilt and spoken to students and faculty, I got the impression that it is a very high-level intellectual environment for those who pursue academics, and for those who don’t it can be not so education-oriented.
However, when I visited BU for an audition (I’m a music double-major) I really didn’t like the campus or the people that I met and the facilities felt cold from the get go, which surprised me since everyone speaks so highly of BU, but I did not see this. Perhaps I ought to go back and have another look, but if first impressions are lasting impressions, I really don’t think it is the campus for me. Although I love Boston so maybe that’s more important? I just don’t know anymore lol…