Vanderbilt University Top Questions

every socio-economic class is even more stratified and outlined by the student body.

The students at Vanderbilt are very well dressed per their reputation. Girls often wear sundresses and even heels sometimes to class on a daily basis which can be overwhelming but also a nice tradition. Individually, races and religions interact with one another but, coming from the north, I have definitely noticed a lack of communication between the white and black and Malaysian and even Indian nationalities. As a whole, the groups stick together yet no one seems unhappy. Students are also extremely ambitious. Even girls going for their MRS degree take hard classes and seem interested in their courses.

The different ethnic groups don't mix all that much which is sad. The people I feel that would be out of place at vandy are the "goth" or really out there types. Vanderbilt is a very pretty school- I wouldn't want to come here if I had any self image doubts or was slightly overweight or even plain. There is a lot of money on campus. This means that there are a lot of people who wear only designer clothes. But there are also people that don't and I don't think it really matters. Engineers are not politically aware or active. Vanderbilt is a very conservative school (not surprising because it is still a southern school); however I feel like it is becoming more liberal as more students come from outside the south. I don't feel like most of the lectures are well attended.

I absolutely love the student body at vanderbilt but I do understand that it's not the right place for everyone. The stereotype of white upper class attractive preppy students is head on and creates an incredibly harsh environment for people who don't necessarily fit that description. There aren't a lot of alternative outlets for social life outside of the greek world, but it's not impossible to be an independent.

Vanderbilt is not the most diverse place. It is mostly preppy white kids who tend to be attractive. People are fairly motivated to be successful. In terms of what people where to class: (the majority) girls: depends on the season but designer jeans, polos, sweaters,sundresses, cowboy boots, jean skirts, boots,pearls, a lot of JCrew, BCBG. Some people are more preppy and others are more trendy and have the more "northern" look boys: generally preppy and clean cut, kakies, polos, boat shoes, some people where athletic clothes to class as well

There is a distinct lack of diversity on the Vanderbilt campus. Because I'm white, sometimes I don't notice it, but my best friend and roommate is Mexican and sometimes when we talk, it seems like we're talking about two different schools. most of the students here seem to be republican, and crazy-religious, which makes me really uncomfortable. Most of the students are not politically active, they are just mirroring the political views of their parents

My experiences concerning the sensitive issues of race, sexuality, and class at Vanderbilt have proven that Vanderbilt is a very conservative school. Racial tension definitely exists here and it really breaks my heart. For a fraternity to openly display/praise/glorify Robert E Lee in 2009, disturbs me. Yea, I know: "It's a Southern Pride thing"- but it definitely doesn't mean that to everyone. Socio-Economic status is also very important to the student body here- the wealthiest kids sometimes end up the most popular. Which leads into class attire- normal universities you would see mostly school-spirit themed outfits (t-shirts, jeans, sweats) here you would not. The only t-shirt its acceptable to wear is a Greek one. Granted this doesn't account for 100{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the undergraduate population, but its at least 85{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c}. Let's put it this way: it's friday and I had to be up for 9 am and I'm wearing a dress, cardigan, and flats- does that seem like casual friday to you?

Most students dress very nicely to go to class. You rarely see people in sweats unless they are athletes or going to the gym.

It can take a while to find them, but there are other people that have the same interests as you on campus somewhere.

Most students here are from very, very wealthy backgrounds. If you don't come from wealth, some people will snub you. I don't come from a rich family, and I was pretty jealous of some people in my first year here - girls have the best clothes, the best cars, the best boob jobs... etcetera. Perhaps because of the wealth, appearance is very important here. Vanderbilt is known for having one of the most attractive student bodies in the country. There is a lot of pressure to be skinny and perfectly dressed for every class. It IS possible to find students who do not care about these things, though. And, being around Vandy girls all the time really has inspired me to keep in shape - beauty is not a BAD thing, by any means!