Victoria’s Vanderbilt Visit and Verdicts
You’ve probably seen a variety of posts here on the blog about why people chose Vanderbilt. Today I’d like to share my reasons with you. Much like Nathan, I don’t have bullet points but as I am an English major (as if the title didn’t tip you off), I figured I’d share my reasoning with you in story form.
I applied to 8 different colleges, adding Vanderbilt to the list on somewhat of a whim. I had heard people talking about it my junior year of college and looked into it and saw it was a pretty reputable university and decided to apply.
To make a long story somewhat shorter, I didn’t get into my first choice school–this wasn’t super surprising because it was incredibly selective but I was still pretty upset. If you’re reading this as someone in that situation–let me spoil the ending of this story for you: I love Vanderbilt, and I am so glad I ended up here.
Anyways, after all the decisions came in, it narrowed down to Vanderbilt and one other college because both had given me amazing financial aid and were similarly ranked. I went on a trip to visit both–the first I visited was Vanderbilt. Sometimes people glorify the “magical feeling” you get on a campus when you know it’s the one–if you’re looking for that, let me also tell you that that doesn’t necessarily happen for everyone, and that’s fine. When I visited Vandy it was grey and drizzly (see the rain jacket in the above picture) and my mom wasn’t feeling super well, so it wasn’t the perfect experience. When I visited the other college, it was an idyllic, sunshiny spring day and there were (I kid you not) children playing with puppies on the lawn of the public library by the school.
I made a lot of pro/con lists after that trip. My mom refused to tell me which place she preferred until I had told her my decision because she didn’t want to influence me. Eventually I got her to tell me and she confirmed what I was thinking–Vanderbilt.
I’d love to give you one specific reason why you should come, or even a list. But I can’t–what I can tell you is that for me, Vanderbilt fit perfectly in so many ways–both big and little. College is going to be an amazing experience when you take advantage of it to the fullest–and choosing Vanderbilt is a decision I can honestly say I haven’t regretted for one second of my time here.