20 Reasons Why You Should Be A Part Of Vandy’s Class Of 2020
I hadn’t really done a ‘Why Vanderbilt’ post before, and while this list keeps growing everyday, here are my 20 reasons (in no particular order) why YOU should be a part of Vanderbilt’s Class of 2020.
1. The Campus. A national arboretum, our campus is one of the most beautiful I have seen (totally unbiased opinion), and you can expect lots of greenery, and lots of squirrels. With beautiful buildings such as Kirkland (pictured below), Vanderbilt has an old world charm to it. Make your high school friends jealous with your Instagram pictures.
2. Balance. Vanderbilt’s unofficial motto is work hard, play hard. While we are a top 15 school with top notch academics, we are also passionate about student organizations, sports, Greek life, and social life.
3. Commons. A living-learning community for first-years, Commons provides a sense of community that is hard to find elsewhere. It’s a great way to meet many new people, and bond with your faculty head of house. The year-end extravagant Commons Ball is an added bonus.
4. Food. There are so many dining locations to choose from, and even as a vegetarian, I have never found it hard to find scrumptious food. We also have the Taste of Nashville program in which you can use your meal money to eat at different off-campus restaurants. Campus Dining organizes many gourmet events as well. But be careful, freshman 15 is real.
5. Weather. The advantage of being located in the south is beautiful weather for the majority of the year. I didn’t think weather would be so important to my daily functioning in college, but it really is, and having Nashville’s beautiful sunshine and mild winters is a blessing.
6. Flexibility. My roommate is majoring in biology, and minoring in trombone performance. My friends have designed their own majors. There is so much flexibility in choosing your academic path, and Vanderbilt supports you every step of the way. Don’t like your current major? You can change it! Don’t know what you want to major in? You don’t have to decide until second semester sophomore year in Arts and Science! Want to transfer from Engineering to Peabody? Sure you can!
7. Financial Aid. Vandy is expensive, no doubt, but it all boils down to your Expected Family Contribution (EFC). Vanderbilt has one of the most supportive financial aid programs, and it also offers merit scholarships too (don’t forget to apply for them!). I’m on the Cornelius Vanderbilt scholarship, and I’m so grateful to see how committed Vanderbilt is to provide opportunities to its students.
8. Student organizations. If you’re passionate about an activity, there’s a 98.7% chance that Vanderbilt has a student organization dedicated to it. We have over 500 student clubs, and if you don’t find what you’re looking for, you can even start your own club! From Vandy Apps to Investment Club, from Debate Club to Bhangradores, there are hundreds of ways to get involved on campus.
9. Size. With around 1600 students in each year, Vanderbilt is neither too big nor too small. It’s easy to keep running into friends from last semester, while forming new friendships too. You don’t get lost in a crowd, but you also don’t feel like you’re seeing the same people all the time.
10. Professors. Vanderbilt’s professors go above and beyond to meet your academic needs, and even in big lecture halls, all my professors knew me personally. Commons, and other living-learning communities have a faculty head of house who lives with students, mentoring them every step of the way. Your faculty VUceptor is also a great resource to have, especially in your first semester. Last semester, I grew very close to my faculty VUceptor, Dean Wcislo, and his mentorship helped me adjust to Vanderbilt quickly.This semester, I didn’t have any special plans for Halloween, so one of my professors treated me to a horror video art show. This is what makes Vandy special.
11. Visions. This weekly program in your first semester helps you in your transition from high school to Vanderbilt, and befriend 17 other first-years. It also helps you use an upperclassman and a faculty member (VUceptors) as resources. In fact, I still keep in touch with my VUceptors, much after Visions ended. I don’t know how many colleges have such a supportive and regular program like Visions.
12. Sports. We’re in the SEC, and we take great pride in our sports. With a women’s tennis national championship this year and an NCAA men’s baseball championship last year, we are much more than a football school, but we love to tailgate and cheer on our ‘Dores at every game!
13. Diversity. I have friends from nearly 25 different countries. Also, Vanderbilt has students from each one of the 50 states, and it’s such a pleasure to hear stories about different places. Diversity comes in many forms, not just location and looks. We have students who enjoy different things, have different opinions, and different personalities. Each one is a unique part of Vanderbilt, and experiencing the diversity on campus has been one of the most rewarding parts of being a Commodore.
14. Free stuff! If you want to go for a classical music performance, you can go for free at Blair. Craving for Shakespeare? Vanderbilt University Theater has you covered. Want to see Josh Radnor speak? It’s ALL free! Most events on campus are free for students, and if you’re trying to save some money, you don’t have to compromise on fun. Many students organizations also bribe you with free food and free T-shirts. I literally have 15 free T-shirts in my wardrobe.
15. Music. We’re in the Music City, so if you love music, Vanderbilt is the place for you. Top artists come to Nashville to perform, and I went for my first pop concert (Ed Sheeran!) after coming to Vanderbilt. But you don’t have to venture out of campus to enjoy music. We have a whole undergraduate music school, Blair, which regularly stages many free concerts. We also have many student organizations dedicated to music. In fact, one of our a cappella groups, the Melodores, won The Sing-Off last year. They even went on a national tour. Seeing your classmates on TV winning a national a cappella contest? No big deal.
16. Southern hospitality. It’s so easy to adjust here because everyone is so warm and welcoming, especially Nashvillians! I normally don’t like stereotypes, but southern hospitality is very much true, and I’m so grateful for it.
17. Tons of cool events. From Bill Nye talks to Nobel Prize winning economist Robert Shiller coming to campus, from Iggy Azalea to hackathons, you’ll never get bored here, no matter where your interests lie.
18. Nashville. A melting pot of cultures, the Music City is the perfect place to be a college student.
19. The Med Center. Thinking of going on the pre-med track? The Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) is one of the best in the world, with cutting edge research and state-of-the-art facilities. Many of my friends have gained hands-on experience after doing research at VUMC. It is such an integral part of Tennessee, and it’s walking distance from your dorm room! There are tons of opportunities for undergraduate students to get involved, even if you’re not pre-med.
20. People. This might be the most clichéd reason, but it all boils down to the passionate, talented, and caring people at Vanderbilt. I am stunned everyday by how dedicated and supportive the Vanderbilt community is. From classmates and professors, to dining hall workers and administrators, each person contributes to the dynamic atmosphere at Vanderbilt in a unique and meaningful way. I could not be more grateful to the Vanderbilt community.
Photo Credit: VUcept
Watch this video to get even more pumped up about anchoring down!