Vanderbilt University Top Questions

I would certainly say that there is some truth behind these stereotypes and I would assume that the incoming Freshmen are aware of these things and choose (for the most part) to adhere to them.

While there are a lot of blonde, tan, gorgeous girls at Vanderbilt, they are not necessarily the majority. In fact, a lot of girls at Vanderbilt, even the stereotypical "Vandy" girls feel pressure to live up to this expectation. Not everyone at Vanderbilt is wealthy. While Vanderbilt is not inexpensive, many more people are on financial aid than you would expect.

Some but most are not.

Girls are getting uglier The others are accurate

very much so. most of the people here come from very well off families, little ethnic diversity, appearances are emphasized and most people are attractive (especially the girls), people get their work done but also party quite a bit. it's not as southern as people think, however, and is definitely not as conservative as the location may indicate.

To some extent, but there are many exeptions. This campus is more diverse than it appears at first glance.

As for Vandy girls, there's definitely a ruling image of a rail thin sorority girl. I think there's a little bit of truth in that, honestly -- girls here pay an incredible amount of attention to their appearances. It is rare to find someone walking around in sweatpants, and sundresses are commonly worn to class in the right weather. As the student body has changed to become more diverse, I think the stereotype of typical Vandy kid should change along with it. My guess at the reason why we all still think of Vanderbilt as a school full of rich, southern WASPs is because people tend to self-segregate on racial lines here. People blame the greek system for the racial divide, but I don't know if I agree with that.

some of the students are all of these things, but, largely because of the efforts of the admission office, some students are none of these things.

In some ways the stereotypes are accurate and in some ways not. While the student body does tend to be a little bit more well dressed on average than on other college campuses, not everything about the stereotype is true. In fact the majority of the students aren't from the South and while there tends to be a lot of conservatives on campus, there are almost just as many liberals. And yes, the majority of the students are Greek, but you don't need to be Greek to have a good time. One thing though is for sure, that students at Vanderbilt do work very hard, but partying is a huge part of almost every students life.

I mean, what stereotypes really are? theres a grain of truth in all of them, but not to this extreme.

Most students here are not obnoxious, some are wealthy, many are not.

Yes

On some level, they can be - there are definitely Vandy students who fit the stereotypes. But, that's probably true for any school. There are also plenty of interesting, genuine, intelligent and really cool people here. The one stereotype that I think is most true is the amount of wealth here. I come from a very middle-class family, and am awed by some of the excess that many students take for granted.

To some degree, every stereotype is somehow founded on a shred of truth and at Vanderbilt it is no different. There are a number of kids with lots of wealth, but not everyone is rolling in cash. There are many smart and dumb kids, pretty and not so pretty, but on the whole I would say the stereotypes about Vanderbilt are often more accurate than not.

After spending almost a year at Vanderbilt, I can truly say that many of these stereotypes are very far from the true Vanderbilt student body. Although students are smart, wealthy, and pretty, this is far from the universal norm and a lot of diversity does exist. I think that believe stereotype Vanderbilt as being a southern, conversative school in a negative light when in fact that is what gives Vanderbilt its unique atmosphere. Although people do dress up for the football games, it is something that everyone loves to do because it is a special tradition. Stereoypes will always exist, but I wish these stereotypes could portray the friendly and dynamic qualities that Vanderbilt students truly embibe.

Yes, for the most part. Most students are EXTREMELY well-off. Also, most of the students are pretty smart (but there are definitely some stragglers). However, vandy has many 'naturally smart.' Those kids dont really have to work that hard to get the grades they desire whereas many other schools have people that work really hard to get good grades. There are many snobby people because they are from well-off families and dont understand where the rest of the world is coming from.

Agood majority of the campus likes to look good for class (even guys), but it's not like The OC here for the most part. The campus is definitely not overrun by Tennessee hicks. You never hear "y'all" or see cowboy hats, unless there's a theme party that weekend. I don't even know what HOD is. These people barely go to class and take the most elementary courses...they say it's our equivalent to a Business major, but....nah. Even though the Vandy community for the most part is made up of beautiful people, what is commonly overlooked is the fact that everyone here is smart; brilliant, even. Many around Tennessee call Vanderbilt the Harvard of the South, but with friendlier, more diverse people. Vanderbilt is VERY Greek, but is also very welcoming to everyone interested in exploring Greek life. Everyone's invited to the famous frat parties, and almost all girls can get into a sorority if they want to. Work hard, party hard = Vanderbilt University.

I think to a certain extent the "girls with pearls" and "guys with ties" stereotypes are accurate. Personally though, I have always enjoyed getting dressed up and am not really offended by that. However, the mrs. degree is totally false.

I think to an extent they are, but I feel like most schools have a "work hard play hard" atmosphere. Although I haven't seen anyone I would label as a "goth", and althought I feel like Vandy's students generally dress the same and look the same, I feel like there is more diversity on campus then an army of Lily Pulizter clones. I think that students here are hardworking when they need to be and know how to unwind. However, I have friends here that drink moderatly, are completely trashed every weekend (and some weekdays), and some that don't drink at all.

a lot of people fit some of these stereotypes, but they by no means define everyone.