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I guess it is mainly because most people here are not from the south, but why is Vanderbilt left out in so many college lists? It's in the top twenty, so why is it almost never mentioned? Why we're at it, why is Notre Dame never mentioned? Now that I think about it, I have not seem Notre Dame brought up ONCE in all of the messages I've read on this board. People are talking about Tufts, Georgetown, Berkeley, USC, NYU....Vanderbilt and Notre Dame are AT LEAST as good as these schools, and yet they get very little recognition...WHY?

By Asknot11 (Asknot11) on Tuesday, December 30, 2003 - 11:53 pm: Edit

I have to agree with you on both of those schools. I am applying to both of them. However, ND is my top choice. I think people don't give these schools much credit on the board because most are the "intellectual" type. ND and Vandy appeal to those who are looking for a school where the students aren't insanely concerned with academics. Both are way better than USC, Berkely, tufts, NYU, etc.

By Slayer (Slayer) on Wednesday, December 31, 2003 - 12:22 am: Edit

awww that made me happy to see vanderbilt got a good ranking from yall !

i applied to vandy, regular decision, but who knows if i'll get in. even if i do i can't go unless i get some kinda $$ from them...

but i love the school and its a beautiful place and the people are fabulous! i hope you are lucky enough to end up there

best wishes

By B18c1cx (B18c1cx) on Wednesday, December 31, 2003 - 01:48 am: Edit

Because the Northeast is more attractive to young people in general.

By Zephyrmaster (Zephyrmaster) on Wednesday, December 31, 2003 - 03:40 am: Edit

I think U Chicago doesn't get enough attention.

By Musictoad (Musictoad) on Wednesday, December 31, 2003 - 08:05 am: Edit

doing the Vandy music school audition in Feb. i know someone who did ED and didn't get in, got rejected. It looks like they are very very tough this year--apps must be way up. This person was extremely talented and very smart.

the person who talks about eastern schools being most popular is correct--all the boards are dominated by those who value east coast schools over all others.

By Benjamin (Benjamin) on Wednesday, December 31, 2003 - 05:45 pm: Edit

Well, the main reason I am so partial to Vandy is because I did get excepted their ED...

Yes, they are being more selective than they every have been, at least that is what they said...

By Slayer (Slayer) on Wednesday, December 31, 2003 - 06:05 pm: Edit

OK yall have me scared.... Do you think I will get in?

SAT - 1350
I didn't send my SAT II's to them but I might, Math-700 Writing-730 and Literature-620
I may retake that tomorrow and send it to Vandy.

My GPA (after this semester) will be a 4.75. I have had all Honors classes and a good # of the APs available at my school. Junior year I had AP Statistics (5 on exam) and this year I'm in AP Calculus, AP English, and AP Government. I'm worried because my grades for this semester are going to look like I'm slacking off. I have AP English-A ... AP Calculus-A .... Broadcast Journalsim Honors (i'm the director) A .... and Physics Honors - B

This B is my only B in all of high school though, and I'm hoping they'll take note of that on my transcript. It's a long story why I got it, and a really dumb reason involving a teacher not caring that all but me and one other person in my class cheated all semester and stole answer keys, etc.. but I guess "you live you learn"..

My ECs are:
Varsity Track - 9th
Varsity XC - 10th
Varsity Swimming - 10th, 11th ~ Regional Competitor
National Honor Society President
French Club Vice President
Broadcast Journalism Director/Producer - 3 yrs involvement
Leadership Society- 4 yrs
Student Government-9th, 10th, 11th-Class Secretary 12th-Student Body Secretary
Kids Voting-4 yrs involvement, 12th-School Precinct captain
Volunteered 3 weeks at Younglife Camp summer after 11th grade (300+ hours)
Volunteered a little with habitat for humanity
4 year Church nursery volunteer

My essays were pretty good~I think.
I'm from North Carolina so I don't know if that'll help or hurt.
My rank was 14/315 but I do not know my new rank. *knock on wood* it shouldn't go down TOO much but it might a little..


what do you all think? is there any way i'll get in and is there any way i'll get $?? also what do yall know about the journalism program there?

thanks!!!

By Benjamin (Benjamin) on Wednesday, December 31, 2003 - 06:15 pm: Edit

First of all, you're stats are pretty good. In comparison with other schools, Vanderbilt cares much less about test scores and more about YOU. Your grades are good, your ECs are good....I think you have about a 70% chance of getting in. Second of all, Vanderbilt is without a doubt, one of the best schools for giving out financial aid. I got at least $25,000 a year, which I feel is pretty darn good, so money really won't be that much of a problem, probably. I'm not sure about their journalism program, but I'm sure its at least "above average". Good luck, and I hope I see you there next year.

By Superbob (Superbob) on Saturday, January 03, 2004 - 01:05 am: Edit

I heard a rumor that Vandy's targeting Jewish students and giving them scholarships. I'm tight pressed for money and wondering if I should look into it.

By Cbmac (Cbmac) on Saturday, January 03, 2004 - 08:31 am: Edit

Vanderbilt recently lured Brown's new president, McGee, away to be its president. That's says something about its increased profile.

PS as a Brown alum I was .

By Bananabean (Bananabean) on Saturday, January 03, 2004 - 03:28 pm: Edit

vandy has a nice campus and great professors and programs--however, it is definitely NOT the place for everyone. if you are looking into vandy, i really would suggest that you sit in on several classes.

By Slayer (Slayer) on Sunday, January 04, 2004 - 12:09 am: Edit

bananabean, why? what's its downside? you're not the first person that's said something to this extent to me...i know it's kind of preppy/elitist but beyond that what's its major problem?

thanks for your reply

By Marinakitchen (Marinakitchen) on Sunday, January 04, 2004 - 02:46 am: Edit

because conservative people SUCK

By Bananabean (Bananabean) on Tuesday, January 06, 2004 - 12:26 am: Edit

i took some courses there this year (i'm a high school senior), and sometimes the preppy/elitist attitudes really angered me. some of the students take way too much for granted. then again, not everyone is like that--though i'd have to say a LOT of people are...there also isn't a LOT of diversity--at least i didn't see all that much.

By Dg5052 (Dg5052) on Sunday, January 18, 2004 - 09:06 pm: Edit

Vandy is DEFINITELY targeting Jewish students--this year's freshman class was 8% Jewish (this is way up) and they target next year's class for being 12%. Granted, the numbers aren't huge because the whole undergraduate school is about 6,000 kids--but go for it--good luck!

By Xyz155 (Xyz155) on Sunday, January 18, 2004 - 10:23 pm: Edit

So do you think its a lot easier for jews to get in there?If so, how much easier?

By Georgee (Georgee) on Tuesday, January 20, 2004 - 12:32 pm: Edit

The Jewish thing isn't true. I talked to a Vandy rep and she explained that they simply don't favor Jews. In fact, she said that they purposely don't have a spot for applicants to indicate their religion. They just want to gain interest in the Jewish community and have more Jews apply. If more Jews apply, more Jews get in, and more Jews go. Personally, though, I don't see why a Jewish person would ever consider the place. Emory, Wash U, or Tulane are much stronger options.

By Benjamin (Benjamin) on Tuesday, January 20, 2004 - 08:04 pm: Edit

HUH??? I can see you comparing Vanderbilt, Emory, and Washington...but saying Tulane is better is absolutely INCORRECT! LoL....Tulane isn't the great, bud...

By Dg5052 (Dg5052) on Tuesday, January 20, 2004 - 08:53 pm: Edit

Georgee, I beg to differ somewhat. My husband is a Vandy alum and last year when my son was applying to colleges, he (my husband) was contacted by a another Vandy alum who encouraged our son to apply--you're right that they may not be favoring Jews (nor should they) but they are encouraging larger numbers to apply--and in our little corner of Atlanta, this is happening. What happened last year, though, was that a number of Jewish kids applied, were accepted, and then went somewhere else. My son got in, but chose Wash U. If you are the type of kid that is looking for a chance to get in on the ground floor of Hillel leadership, Vandy might be a choice, because of the high level of education you can get there.

By Chris2121 (Chris2121) on Tuesday, January 20, 2004 - 10:31 pm: Edit

Do you mean to tell me that you would consider Notre Dame or Vanderbilt to be better schools than NYU, or Berkeley? That is just ridiculous. I'll give you the fact that ND and Vandy are very competitive schools, but I believe that on all levels, they just don't compare to at least the few you mentioned, such as NYU or Berkeley. (perhaps even Tulane) The only thing ND has going for it is its football name. I've never seen any significant research or significant alumni come out of those schools. Looking at what a school accepts, and its class profile is often a good gauge of the caliber of what you're talking about. I don't put any stock into those all-encompassing rankings, such as US News, etc...They factor in cost, alumni giving, and other variables that do nothing to gauge a school's worth. IMO, NYU is the best of the bunch that we're talking about here. I would most certainly put it right below the ivies, along with Georgetown, Duke, Stanford, etc...There isn't one member of their faculty/staff who hasn't got their PhD from an ivy league, or written a text book, etc...Not to mention that the university has Bobst library! Again, this is solely from an academic standpoint. Once you take into consideration costs, conservative/liberal, small vs. large, doctoral/research v LAC, etc, then things tend to shift. I don't think anyone will ever find that perfect college nirvana that leaves the student regret-free at commencement.

By Slayer (Slayer) on Tuesday, January 20, 2004 - 10:54 pm: Edit

vanderbilt's more difficult to get into than NYU. and i believe it's much higher ranked. don't under-rate vandy. it's along the same lines as DUKE whereas NYU is definitely not.

By Asknot11 (Asknot11) on Tuesday, January 20, 2004 - 11:21 pm: Edit

Notre Dame is harder to get into than NYU, Vanderbilt, or Berkely. My school is in the midwest, and, I hate to break it to you, but NYU is looked upon as "the east coast safety school" (along with BC). Its a place for Ivy League rejects. However, last year, my school's Salutatorian chose ND over Princeton and Cornell. It is important to note that the ND presence is most noticeable in the Midwest, especially Chicago. For example if you wanted to get a job in NYC, an NYU degree would be best. If you wanted a job in San Francisco, a UC Berkley degree would be best. If you wanted a job in Chicago, a ND degree would be best. Heck, if you wanted a business job in Chicago, it would be better to go to ND than to go to Penn's Wharton. Everything is based off of regional biases people...

By Chris2121 (Chris2121) on Wednesday, January 21, 2004 - 12:00 am: Edit

"...if you wanted a business job in Chicago, it would be better to go to ND than to go to Penn's Wharton..."

That's just laughable. ND continues to gain national prominence and recognition, solely from its football name. That notoriety leads to an increase in apps, which leads to better kids being accepted, which means that the school is "harder to get into". This competitive nature doesn't change the fact that the school itself might just be mediocre, and not that spectacular. Like I said, in recent times I haven't seen any significant research or post-doctoral work to come out of ND or Vanderbilt that would say: "hey, these schools are really doing something, and making strides with their marked faculty..." As liberal arts colleges to set up a higher master's or doctoral degree, they're great. Another thing they lack are facilities that would be conducive to higher learning and research. NYU and Berkeley have world-class libraries, laboratories, and even hospitals for pete's sake! If NYU is for Ivy rejects, I'd hate to think who ND or Vanderbilt is for...

By Chris2121 (Chris2121) on Wednesday, January 21, 2004 - 12:13 am: Edit

Just to follow up, I did some research to come up with real, factual numbers provided by 3 different college searches. I averaged the results from each search for each category. These are current as of 2002-2003:

Percentage of undergraduate students accepted:
Vanderbilt -- 46%
Notre Dame -- 34%
NYU -- 28%

% SAT Math over 700:
Vanderbilt -- 40%
Notre Dame -- 49%
NYU -- 40%

% SAT Verbal over 700:
Vanderbilt -- 25%
Notre Dame -- 38%
NYU -- 43%

Average High School GPA:
Vanderbilt -- 3.62
Notre Dame -- 3.6
NYU -- 3.71

As you can see, NYU not only boasts a better academic caliber of student (albeit slightly), its admissions percentage is significantly lower than the others, thereby making it far more difficult to gain entrance to...I just don't see how you can say that ND or Vanderbilt would surpass NYU in any way shape or form...

By Slayer (Slayer) on Wednesday, January 21, 2004 - 11:52 am: Edit

in college rankings doesn't vanderbilt always surpass NYU?

By Chris2121 (Chris2121) on Wednesday, January 21, 2004 - 01:38 pm: Edit

College rankings such as US News, etc., usually weigh factors that are rather meaningless in determining the academic quality/resources/prestige of a school. Some of these include alumni giving, tuition value, major NCAA teams, etc... While some of these issues may be important to some, I personally feel that a school should be considered "better" solely on its academics, intellectual quality, and its resources that are conducive to that end. For example, ND is known for having a very high alumni giving rate (which accounts for ND's high score on many rankings), partly because of school pride in its football/sports teams, and also because giving is considered the "Catholic way".

By Asknot11 (Asknot11) on Wednesday, January 21, 2004 - 04:42 pm: Edit

1. Your stats for average SAT scores are a bit biased. Most students who apply to ND submit the ACT instead of the SAT.
Average ACT
Notre Dame 30-33
NYU 26-31

Rank in top 10% of class
Notre Dame- 84%
NYU- 70.5%

From these stats ND has the slightly better academic student body...

2. I hate to break it to you, but here NYU is considered a second rate school. "safety school of the east coast" People here REGULARLY chose Notre Dame over Ivy League schools (last years #2 being an example). I can't say anything on Vandy because very few people actually apply there.

3. My dad is a fairly prominent businessman in Chicago, and so are the majority of my neighbors. They simply flat out said that a wharton degree is worthless compared to a ND degree. HOWEVER, it is important to note that this ONLY applies to Chicago. I'm sure on the east coast a Penn grad is looked upon better.

By Benjamin (Benjamin) on Wednesday, January 21, 2004 - 09:36 pm: Edit

NYU better than Vanderbilt and Notre Dame? That is hysterical. The only thing NYU dreams of being better at than these two is the arts...Even if you don't put that much stock into the rankings, something has to be said for Vanderbilt and Notre Dame CONSISTENTLY being ranked ABOVE NYU. In most southern and midwestern states, an NYU degree is not respected nearly as much. In fact, I've actually heard people say "Oh, you mean NYU isn't only for actors? I thought it was just an arts school!" Also, Vanderbilt and Notre Dame's ACT averages are higher...

By Benjamin (Benjamin) on Wednesday, January 21, 2004 - 09:44 pm: Edit

Oh, and whoever said Vanderbilt does not receive many applications...that would be incorrect. They have recieved almost 20,000 this year....expected size of freshman class: 1,100

By Spiffybrownboy (Spiffybrownboy) on Wednesday, January 21, 2004 - 10:12 pm: Edit

I think NYU is better as a grad school than an undergrad school. It's business, med, and law schools are all excellent. For undergrad, its college of arts and sciences isn't very hard to get into (from what I've heard and seen). Vanderbilt and ND would most probably be harder than NYU CAS. However... NYU Stern is a different story, as is Tisch. It really depends on which school you apply to at NYU; you can't look at it in general. So, when people say NYU is less competitive and less "worthy" if you may, they should be specific as to which school within the school they are referring to.

And I don't very much about ND and Vanderbilt, but I would guess that NYU is more well-respected where I live (NJ) than the other two. This is for the simple fact that a lot of people just don't know of ND's and Vanderbilt's academic quality up here (same with UChicago... I would guess that some people here think it is a state school). Of course, an employer SHOULD know the difference.

By Benjamin (Benjamin) on Wednesday, January 21, 2004 - 10:24 pm: Edit

Yeah...unfortunately, only a handful of colleges are nationally considered "the best". If it's not Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Stanford, or MIT, the region you work in is a huge factor for academic reputation.

By Chris2121 (Chris2121) on Wednesday, January 21, 2004 - 10:50 pm: Edit

You're putting more stock in ACT scores than SAT performance? Do you really mean to tell me that most kids who applied to ND only took the ACT? Come on, the test isn't even offered in a lot of states. And class rankings are certainly not a good factor to weigh, simply because certain high school programs are easier than others, and intense courseload such as APs and Honors classes generally produce lower grades than regular classes. Yeah, people might choose ND over ivy leagues, but for what reasons? I chose William & Mary over 2 ivy acceptances for the simple fact that it was cheaper, and I couldn't see getting myself into crazy debt just for a bachelor's degree. It's unfortunate, but many people choose certain schools exclusively for the name or the price (out of understandable necessity), as your #2 friend may have. I seriously doubt that he thought ND was an academically superior school to the ivies, and that he went there for that reason.

By Asknot11 (Asknot11) on Wednesday, January 21, 2004 - 11:19 pm: Edit

The majority of people who apply to ND ONLY take the ACT (Including three of my friends). A sizeable majority of students who apply to the Ivy League dont even take the SAT. If they get a good ACT score, they don't bother taking the SAT. Many, MANY, people in the midwest don't even bother to take the SAT. The person who chose ND over P'ton was because of the "atmosphere" at ND. (In reference to money as a factor, that may be a factor to many, but essentially, it's a non-issue here) Basically, ND and NYU are both excellent schools. Depending on the region you live in, one or the other is considered more "prestigious"

By Chris2121 (Chris2121) on Wednesday, January 21, 2004 - 11:38 pm: Edit

"Basically, ND and NYU are both excellent schools. Depending on the region you live in, one or the other is considered more "prestigious"


I'll agree with you whole-heartedly there. Looking through this thread in hindsight, I hope I haven't come across as demeaning to ND or Vanderbilt in any way. This was not my intention, and I am sorry if I have offended you, as you seem to be excited about possibly attending these schools. Good luck with your applications, and always know that wherever you get accepted to, the grass is always greener on the other side. Sometimes when I take a step back, I realize just how lucky I, and everyone else on this board is, that we have the opportunity to even finish high school. It's depressing to know of how many kids drop out of high school, or end up as juvenile delinquents, etc. I know a few kids who lost parents in 9/11, and for them, school took a back seat to other things, and they unfortunately are going down the wrong path. I guess what I'm trying to say is that bickering over which colleges are "better" is pretty much moot in the big picture. We are all damn lucky to have been raised in a future and goal-oriented mindset.

By Battleofny (Battleofny) on Sunday, April 18, 2004 - 11:43 pm: Edit

I live in New York and I had to pick between NYU and Vanderbilt and I chose Vandy because they are better academically. NYU may be as difficult to get in, but Vandy has a better faculty.