Vanderbilt University Top Questions

One thing that surprised me when I came to Vanderbilt was how religous some students were. Since then, however, I have not come into that much contact with it. I think that many of the students come from very similar socio-economic backgrounds and was surprised to find Vanderbilt less diverse than I had imagined. For that reason, I have less experiences with other races and relgions than I did in high school, whether good or bad. I think that for this reason, anyone that did not fit the Vanderbilt "norm" would feel out of place when first coming to a school like this. Everyone becomes very superifical at the beginning of school, because everyone compares themselves to others and tries to see where they fit in. Students who were poorer or of a different race might find it harder to connect from the start, yet would definitely be welcomed in and find their place after some time. In the fall and spring, students dress up a lot for class. Students are always very fashionable and classy and looking their best. In the winter, the dress becomes much more casual and people revert to their ugg boots and north faces for warmth. But as soon as the spring arrives, people begin wear dresses again. Because everyone at Vanderbilt comes from all over the country, many types of students interact. Although people tend to form similar groups of friends that they hang out/go out with, individuals interact with all types of students through the array of classes, organizations, and projects people are involved in on campus. The financial background that is most prevalent is definitely middle to upper class. Although this is by no means a set norm, Vanderbilt students typically come from wealthy backgrounds. I think like any college student, Vanderbilt students would be much more aware/active if they had more time. Students are always inundated with work and meetings, but some of them still are, you just dont hear about it as much. I would say that most students are conversative, although as percentage of students from the north increases, I would say that Vanderbilt is definitely moving in a more liberal, independent direction. Students do not talk about how much they'll earn one day, although everyone is definitely hear to get a very good job and hopefully make a lot of money and/or make a big difference in the world.

Most students dress up to class. There are four tables: a group of geeky looking kids, the crazy frat/sorority boys, some sort of Bible Study, and another one. Most Vandy students are from texas and NY and are very wealthy. Many are politically aware but they vary from left to right. Lots of students talk about how much they will earn someday.

Students are different everywhere you look. You've got the Southern preps, the fake sorority girls; there are the dumb frat guys, and the down-to-earth ones. Right next to them there are the religious fanatics who go to church every Sunday and pray over each meal, and the theater/emo kids that fit into their own group. Then there are the crazy, fun partyers, the bookworm engineers, the fashionistas, the basketball players, and of course, the genuine, happy sort that are friends with everybody. Everyone fits in somewhere here; the best part is that most everybody has friends in every type of social network. Vanderbilt is trying to become more diverse, and it's showing and growing year after year.

People wear everything from pajamas to dresses and heels to class, it depends. I think an open minded person would be hard put to feel completely out of place here. I feel that Vanderbilt does a good job of recruiting different kinds of students (although the majority and certainly most visible group of students is the caucasian student involved in the greek community)

The majority of the boys on the floor above me are in the Byx frat, or brothers under Christ and have become some of my best guy friends here. They have started to take me to church, something I have not done in years. My hall is pretty much segregated by race with minimal interactions between the groups. Everything is friendly, but I don't know most of the girl's names and I don't think they know mine. I think there really isn'tmuch socio-economic diversity here, everyone is basically rich or richer. I think that someone who has financial trouble wouldn't fit in at Vandy, or someone who wouldn't fit in with the clean cut stereyotype. There aren't many hippies or goths or anything else other than preppy here. I think that most students dress up for class, especially girls. There really isn't a pressure to wear a dress to class, but it just seems normal to me now. I go visit friends at other schools and I am like why are they wearing pjs!? Class is like a fashion show. I think the four tables include the socially akward boys, the athletes, the ethnic minoritys, and the sorority girls. I think Vandy is pretty diverse when it comes to where students are from. I have met many people from all over. The most prevelant financial background would be very wealthy. I think that students are more politically active than they were in high school, and are predominantly right. I think that girls are more apt to talk about the future than guys, in the sense of how much money their future husbands will make!

i LOVE the community here at vanderbilt, but i can see why some people wouldn't. greek life is definitely predominant, and i feel that there isn't as much interaction between greeks and nongreeks at vanderbilt. i also feel that there is some separation by race.

I don't think that any student would really feel out of place at Vanderbilt. It is very diverse and there are a lot of different groups on campus that encompass all different kinds of people. Most students wear very cute clothes to class, but it varies depending on the weather. Most Vanderbilt students are from the east coast. Most students are politically aware and active.

I find Vanderbilt to be very diverse racially although many people disagree with me.

Diversity is an issue at Vanderbilt, but it is also an issue at many universitie. Socio-economically the campus is not diverse. While religiously and culturally the campus varies, most people come from well-off families. Vanderbilt is to blame for this; if tuition weren't so high, more people would have the opportunity to come. It seems like most students are from Tennessee, Georgia, Texas, New York, and Ohio. Most students are not politically active but are still somehow raging republicans.

I find Vanderbilt to be very self-segregated. Although the student body is diverse and from all over the world, I find that it can be very cliquey. Students are not from one particular area in the country although there is a very heavy Southern influence. I have friends from New York, Hawaii, Florida, California, etc. Overall I feel as if most students are fairly well off but most do not flaunt exactly how wealthy their families actually are outside of fashion.