Without question, Vanderbilt University has an outstanding nationwide reputation. Oftentimes, we forget what a spectacular school we’re at in the midst of our insanely stressful classes, sub-par dormitory situations, and unarguable lack of student holidays. Despite these common attributes shared by many other universities, Vanderbilt stands apart for several fantastically distinct reasons.
Nashville
How many people can say that live next door to Taylor Swift, have the ability to witness live concerts on streets just outside of their dorm, or have Food Channel- worthy restaurants scattered in every direction? Even if you don’t like country music, there is an endless variety of new artists sampling music in cafés, lounges, hotels, and the occasional venue. People travel from all over the country to see the Country Music Hall of Fame, which may peak your interest even if you are anti-cowboy boots. The Grand Ole Opry is nearly ten years away from its 100th birthday, and is still nationally revered in the music industry.
And the food you say? Loveless café and other legendary restaurants have been deemed a necessity for any food lover’s list of must-eats, especially after Bobby Flay deemed the biscuits at Loveless incomparable to those found elsewhere. Pancake Pantry is another phenomena of Nashville, sitting within an ideal proximity of our campus. You may wait an hour or so to get inside, but you’ve made it to heaven once you’re there! From sweet potato to Georgia peach, you’ll have no problem finding the exact pancake flavor you’ve concocted in your wildest dreams.
To top it all off, there is not one of us that doesn’t feel the slightest bit star struck during the CMA’s red carpet or when power couple Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman make an evening appearance at J. Alexander’s for date night. C’mon, you know you’re in a great place when your hometown makes you feel like a celebrity!
There’s a reason you see those hokie tour buses crammed with overly enthused tourists – Nashville is an amazingly unique city that we are all lucky to experience at such a young and exciting age.
Style
It’s a known fact that Vanderbilt is one of the most stylish schools with one of the densest cutest-people-to-square-foot ratio. And by known fact I mean College Confidential and other blog sites swear by it, but you get the point. Some may call it a curse that you can’t roll out of bed five minutes before class, slip on sweatpants, and then call yourself socially acceptable. But that’s what college is all about, right? Wrong. Vandy undeniably prides itself on a constant presence of sundresses, Tory Burch shoes, and well-accessorized jewelry. This can be slightly overwhelming, and understandably so. The true reward for our consistently excellent fashion choices appears the moment we set foot anywhere else in the continental U.S. and realize that we look spectacular. It nearly becomes habit as we head out to the Munchie Mart in our recently perfected mascara and new infinity scarf from last week’s Green Hills adventure. Some may call it fierce, some may call it swag-a-licous; no matter what you call it, you know that you got it from Vanderbilt.
Involvement
If you are in the Nashville area during a national holiday or any significant service event, you could write a novel about the level of dedication Vanderbilt students have to the surrounding community. Most of us had a relatively stacked resume of service work, extracurriculars, and just plain impressive titles leaving high school and coming into Vandy. The truth, however, is that life before Vanderbilt was the kid stuff – service is serious business at our prestigious university. From the moment freshman orientation started, we were equipped with every single tool and a number of mentors and advisors to better establish a personal presence in the Nashville and Vanderbilt Community.
But it doesn’t stop in our immediate surroundings. From ASB to study abroad, Vanderbilt students are hitting several different continents and giving their greatest efforts towards the development of something extraordinary. Students spend Maymesters abroad, showing a respectable level of dedication to something bigger than a regular summer vacation could ever wish to be. The greatest part about our involvement I would have to say is not the fact that our school offers so many options, but rather, that we as students seek them in an eager and committed way.
Well-balanced Social and Academic Atmosphere
As much as there’s a reason for us making it onto Forbe’s top five most expensive universities for our academic reputation, we have equal reason for being a top contender for Greek involvement on most college sites. Vanderbilt has astronomical statistics concerning Greek life, such as 50% of girls belonging to a sorority and 35% of guys affiliating with a fraternity. For most college students, this might seem like a potion for madness. A lot of us don’t understand the concept of a “weekend” and find ourselves downtown on Demonbreun Street for a casual Tuesday dance session. When the weekend actually does arrive, frat row becomes a spectacle of loud music and stumbling pre-gamers eager for the next stage of their night to commence. Although 85% of the student body reps either a sisterhood or brotherhood, we refuse to be denied solely by our ability to party and socialize.
Academically, Vanderbilt is, for lack of a better word, stacked. Whether you’re in the School of Engineering or getting through your first semester of the infamous Bio, Chem, and Calc combo, the demands are relentless. Classes not follow an intense curriculum, but most have the added component of attendance grades. This factor, in addition to the loaded course work, isolates Vanderbilt into a special category of extremely high standards. The mid-teens acceptance rate we’ve all surpassed is only the beginning. Once you’ve experienced your first semester, you have officially become an expert at handling stress. And what is the most impressive part about this challenging lifestyle? We do it all while maintaining a social presence that, in our opinion, even Ke$ha would envy.