Vanderbilt University

Vanderbilt University Introduction

Nestled close to the middle of downtown Nashville, Tennessee, Vanderbilt University has stood as a stronghold of higher education in the southeastern United States since its founding in 1873 by a gift from railroad and shipping magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt. However, led in recent years by an energetic bowtie-wearing chancellor and the most diverse, talented student body in the university’s history, “Vandy” has become one of the country’s most bustling, engaging undergraduate institutions.

I love the metaphor of Vanderbilt being “constantly under construction.” I appreciate the fact that the school seems to have improved itself every time I visit, and I think these changes reflect Vanderbilt’s overall interest in always evolving toward excellence.

Characterized by a unique balance of academic rigor and social activity, Vanderbilt has always attracted the nation’s top students. These students come to learn in an intimate and diverse academic setting; many of them have multiple majors or do research with their professors. Because it is comprised of four undergraduate schools and several renowned graduate programs, Vanderbilt provides unique opportunities for academic exploration.

Students from all fifty states and ninety countries also bring to campus a buzz of activity. Their wide variety of extracurricular passions range from the more traditional (Division I sports, community service, and student government) to the more obscure (hot air ballooning, bowling, and disc golf). Vandy students traditionally exhibit a thirst for service to the world around them, and over half of the student body also participates in volunteer activities while at Vanderbilt. Every year many students travel to destinations ranging from South Dakota to New York City through the Alternative Spring Break program, which was founded at Vanderbilt.

A walk around Vanderbilt reveals one of the nation’s most beautiful campuses. A national arboretum, Vandy’s 330 acres are densely populated with leafy limbs under which students (and squirrels) habitually nap, snack, or study. The student body lives amidst the various species of trees and classic red brick buildings of Vanderbilt’s campus. Because of this, the university has dedicated dorm space to a variety of housing options, such as a brand new Freshman Commons, including five new and five renovated residence halls. The Freshman Commons is the first phase of a transformative system of college halls, which will amplify the synergy of social and intellectual life on campus.

Though natural beauty has always been an exceptional feature of Vanderbilt’s campus, more recent additions to the school have revitalized and supplemented campus life in other ways. In recent years, Vanderbilt has added several buildings to its already generous campus, including a new Student Life Center, renovated classroom buildings, like historic Buttrick Hall, a studio arts building and gallery, and a Hillel center for Jewish life. The university ambitiously plans further progress in hopes of continually enhancing the Vanderbilt experience.

Vanderbilt students are only a mile from flourishing downtown Nashville, and the campus itself rests in the center of the city’s trendiest nightlife. Nashville’s population of 1.5 million people radiates a vibrant mix of cosmopolitan energy and southern hospitality, which students find both welcoming and invigorating. Metropolitan Nashville also offers Vanderbilt students opportunities for community service, employment, internships, and religious life just outside the campus perimeter.

A challenging and energetic university, Vanderbilt continues to seek students who hope to engage in four years of both academic and social learning. These students will play a vital role not only in contributing to Vanderbilt intellectually and socially, but also in shaping the direction of the university.

The perfect blend of social activity and academic rigor, Vanderbilt offers prospective students a chance to explore, engage in, and enjoy the college experience. Its spacious lawns, beckoning benches, and shady branches create a comfortable and lovely home for the university’s increasingly diverse and talented student body. In the classroom, students thrive under the expert and personal instruction of Vanderbilt’s faculty. Outside the classroom, Vanderbilt students continue to affect the world through involvement and service, both in their years on campus and in their lives beyond the gates of Vanderbilt.

A blossoming community, Vanderbilt University offers all students a chance to experience four years of challenge, vitality, and change.

Vanderbilt University Academics

Under the umbrella of Vanderbilt University lie four undergraduate schools: College of Arts and Science, Peabody College of Education and Human Development, School of Engineering, and Blair School of Music. With its four undergraduate schools and distinguished graduate programs in law, medicine, business, divinity, nursing, and education, Vanderbilt is uniquely suited to provide its students with lavish opportunity to explore and research many fields of study. Though all four undergraduate schools have varying academic requirements, every undergraduate at Vanderbilt has access to the courses and resources of the entire university. It is even possible to major in one school and minor or double major in another. As a result, at least one-third of Vanderbilt students have multiple majors, many create their own interdisciplinary programs, and all enjoy the opportunity to learn from a diverse academic community.

For me, the best part of academics at Vanderbilt was how learning was integrated across the curriculum and even outside it. I had an interdisciplinary major (Public Policy Studies) and minor (European Studies). Having this broad academic background that was an integrated whole rather that a collection of disparate pieces gave me a better leg up in the workplace after graduation, but more than that it prepared me for life in the “real world.”

College of Arts and Science

The oldest and largest undergraduate school at Vanderbilt, the College of Arts and Science offers students a broad, liberal arts education, based on a multidisciplinary curriculum in humanities, natural science, social science, languages, and math. Students begin fulfilling this core curriculum in their first year and are not required to declare a major until the spring of their second year. Thus, broad exploration and multidisciplinary study characterize the Arts and Science student.

The college is home to several interdisciplinary institutes and centers as well as the Honor Scholars program. Additionally, all freshmen in Arts and Science are required to take a freshman seminar. These courses are typically designed around the faculty’s unique interests, with a strong additional focus on writing and enrollment limited to fifteen freshmen.

Engineering School

The first private school in the South to offer a degree in engineering, the Vanderbilt School of Engineering boasts exceptional progress in recent years. For example, the school’s new facilities offer every possible learning tool for students in the field of engineering, including wireless connection, interactive computer classrooms, and advanced research and computer labs. Additionally, Engineering faculty have recently claimed several notable awards in their fields. Vanderbilt Engineering students also take required courses in liberal arts, and thus, are highly sought after by corporations as well as graduate schools. Of those engineering graduates seeking employment in a recent year, ninety-five percent had jobs within six months of graduation.

Peabody College of Education and Human Development

Consistently ranked in the top five education schools in the nation, Peabody College is home to the education and human development majors at Vanderbilt. With its focus on experiential learning across the lifespan, Peabody requires internship and field placements for most of its majors. The most popular undergraduate major at Vanderbilt – Human and Organizational Development – resides in Peabody College. This major requires a one-semester internship, which many students choose to complete in New York, San Francisco, and other approved cities. Students in the education majors find themselves in classroom settings from the beginning of their Vanderbilt experience, thus guaranteeing superb preparation for work upon graduation. Peabody has produced several renowned programs, including the progressive Head Start program, and it also boasts the top Special Education program in the nation.

Blair School of Music

Vanderbilt is only one of a small handful of top-tier private universities to boast an accredited undergraduate school of music. The Blair School of Music addresses music through a broad array of academic, pedagogical, and performing activities. Each student auditions as a part of the admissions process and chooses to study performance (including all orchestral instruments), composition/theory, musical arts, or musical arts/teacher education. The Blair School features not only gifted student performers, but also a prestigious faculty of musicians; both students and faculty enrich the campus with frequent performances at Vanderbilt and in the greater Nashville community. In 2002, the Martha Rivers Ingram Center for the Performing Arts opened as Blair’s performance wing. This breathtaking facility includes a 618-seat performance hall with full staging capabilities, in addition to generous rehearsal, administrative, and studio space.

One of the greatest opportunities I had as a student at Blair was getting to see the Nashville Symphony perform frequently. Seeing my clarinet professor on stage with my music theory professor and the teacher of my ear training class and then being able to dialogue about the performance with them the next day in class was a priceless experience for a music major.

Classes

The prestigious learning environment at Vanderbilt feels intimate not only because of the faculty, but also because of the small class sizes. With an average class size of nineteen, Vanderbilt’s undergraduate schools keep almost every class (ninety-eight percent) below fifty students, and a majority of them (seventy-eight percent) below twenty five students. In some classes, graduate students assist professors as teaching assistants by leading small group breakout sections and conducting review sessions. Professors also work hard to keep classes lively and challenging. For example, a sunny spring day at Vanderbilt usually smiles on several classes discussing the day’s material on the grassy lawns of the campus.

Recently, in order to continue challenging students and attracting prestigious faculty, Vanderbilt has placed a renewed focus on interdisciplinary study and research funding. Undergraduates at Vandy have continually increasing exposure to teaching and research in cutting-edge fields. In keeping with this pedagogical philosophy, the head of one of Vanderbilt’s newest interdisciplinary departments (a renowned scientist) also taught a freshman seminar last year.

Study Abroad

Approximately forty percent of Vanderbilt students study abroad at some point in their Vanderbilt careers. These students take advantage of Vanderbilt’s unique partnerships in various countries, usually for one or two semesters of junior year, or for summer study. Vanderbilt has home-base programs in several countries, including England, Spain, Italy, France, and Germany. Participants in the Vanderbilt Study Abroad programs are guaranteed that their financial aid packages will translate to the Study Abroad semester or year, and courses in the Vanderbilt programs have been evaluated for transferal of credit. Additionally, Vanderbilt belongs to a consortium of schools through which students can find alternative programs that may be better suited to their interests. Many students take advantage of Study Abroad opportunities to further proficiency in language as well as cultural knowledge and experience. Vanderbilt encourages students from all undergraduate schools to pursue studies abroad when possible.

My semester in Leeds, England, unquestionably changed my life. Thanks to the ease with which Vandy transferred my financial aid and academic credits, I was free to enjoy the experience without any headaches. I will never forget reading novels for my Victorian Lit class while the sheep slipped by me outside the train window—I traveled a great deal and learned so much about the world!

Graduate Study

Vanderbilt offers applicants unique academic opportunities for graduate study. For example, the university now offers a handful of select freshman applicants direct admission to Vanderbilt graduate programs through the ENGAGE program. Second, Vandy students have the opportunity to apply early to the Vanderbilt business and medical programs. The medical school accepts a select number of Vanderbilt undergraduates at the end of their sophomore year. These students do not take the MCATs and proceed directly to Vanderbilt’s Medical School upon graduation. The Owen Graduate School of Management accepts undergraduates in their junior year at Vanderbilt; these students complete their undergraduate studies in addition to an M.B.A. in five years. In 2006, the College of Arts and Science also began 4+1 programs, which result in the Master’s degree in five years in many disciplines.

The Honor Code

Today I give you two examinations, one in trigonometry and one in honesty. I hope you pass them both, but if you fail one, let it be trigonometry. — M. Madison Garratt

The Honor Code governs student integrity at Vanderbilt University. A rich tradition at Vanderbilt, the Honor Code allows faculty and students to learn in a flexible and trusting environment.

Since 1875, Vanderbilt students have pledged, “I pledge on my honor that I have neither given nor received aid on this examination.” As a result, students and faculty alike are free to operate in a trusting way with each other. Professors will often give take-home exams or leave the room during exams.

Commitment to the Honor Code begins with all freshmen participating in a discussion and signing of the Code during fall orientation. The pages of signatures hang in Sarratt Student Center, framed as a reminder to students of their oath and to the Vanderbilt community of its reputation for integrity.

The Honor Council, a group of Vanderbilt students, investigates violations and assigns consequences. These students also help disseminate information regarding the Honor Code and its applications to student life.

Vanderbilt University Admissions

A highly competitive institution, Vanderbilt has experienced significant increases in the number, diversity, and academic profile of its freshmen applicants for the last few years. In the 2004­2005 application year, more than 12,100 students applied for around 1,600 freshman spots at Vanderbilt. The average class rank of admitted students was top five percent, and accepted applicants combined exceptional classroom performance with average SAT Critical Reading and Verbal scores ranging between 1300 and 1470.

Application Requirements

An application to Vanderbilt is evaluated on the basis of five components. The first and most important of these components focuses on a student’s academic work in high school. Admissions officers look for a high school curriculum of challenging, academic classes (with an emphasis on Honors, Advanced Placement, and International Baccalaureate courses), rather than simply basing their evaluation on grade point average. Additionally, applicants should submit standardized test scores, academic teacher recommendations, a resume of extracurricular pursuits, and the essays requested on the application. Though it publishes its own two-part application, Vanderbilt also accepts the Common Application. Students submitting a Common Application must also complete Vanderbilt’s Common Application Supplement.

Standardized Tests

Vanderbilt accepts both the SAT and the ACT. All ACT students must complete the optional writing tests. SAT subject tests are not required for admission; however, they are strongly recommended. These subject tests are used not only for admission evaluation, but may also be used for placement into language, math, and writing classes upon entrance to the university (additional testing times are offered at academic orientations). Vanderbilt additionally requires the TOEFL for overseas applicants whose first language is not English.

Decision Plans

Vanderbilt offers three decision plans: Early Decision I, Early Decision II, and Regular Decision. Created for students who have decided upon Vanderbilt as their first choice, Early Decision is a binding admission plan. Students who apply Early Decision sign a contract to attend Vanderbilt and agree to withdraw all other applications if accepted. Early Decision I applications are due by November 1 with notification mailed by December 15. Early Decision II and Regular Decision applicants must be postmarked by January 3. Early Decision II students receive notification by February 15, and Regular Decision students receive notification by April 1.

ENGAGE

Since the fall of 2006, Vanderbilt has offered a unique opportunity for freshman applicants. Through the ENGAGE (Early Notification of Guaranteed Admission for Graduate Education) Scholars Program, a select group of admitted freshmen also receive early admission to the Vanderbilt graduate or professional school of their choice.

The program offers exceptional opportunities for personal and academic growth; for example, the ENGAGE Scholars Program guarantees at least one paid summer internship in addition to providing research and practical experience. Faculty in each field mentor the Scholars, and Scholars also have access to specific and unique programming available only to students in the ENGAGE program.

ENGAGE currently partners with Vanderbilt’s graduate and professional schools in divinity, education, engineering, law, management, medicine, and nursing. Freshman applicants must meet the appropriate deadlines. After these applications are reviewed, finalists are invited to campus to interview with the designated graduate or professional school.

Vanderbilt welcomes the chance to encourage students to explore a liberal arts curriculum while pursuing ambitious goals for work and study beyond their undergraduate experience.

Vanderbilt University Financial Aid

Vanderbilt awards both need-based and merit-based financial aid. To qualify for need-based financial aid, applicants must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form in addition to the CSS PROFILE form by February 1. Based on the need indicated by these forms, the Office of Student Financial Aid awards financial aid packages that include a combination of federal and institutional grants, student loans, and work-study.

Additionally, Vanderbilt awards annually over two hundred merit-based scholarships in each of the four undergraduate schools. These scholarships are awarded based on a student’s application for admission and are not related to financial need.

Over sixty percent of Vanderbilt University receives some form of financial aid. The average award in 2005—2006 was around $30,924.

Vanderbilt University Students

Although Vanderbilt students pursue academic success vigorously, they also pour vast amounts of energy and time into extracurricular pursuits. This balance of academic and social pursuits brings a friendly and energetic feel to campus life.

Student Organizations

Nearly all of Vanderbilt’s 1,400-plus organizations are open to all students, who can join at any point in their Vanderbilt careers. These organizations cater to a variety of interests, and they facilitate speakers, special events, community service projects and various other campus activities.

Sarratt Student Center, the hub of campus life, houses office space, mailboxes, meeting areas, and even faculty advisors for these campus organizations. Additionally, the Sarratt Student Center is a sprawling home to student study spaces, a cinema, several dining options, the bookstore, the post office, and a convenience store called Varsit/Market. Because of the involved nature of campus life at Vanderbilt, the Student Center daily buzzes with activity. On a sunny day, students congregate to advertise events, sell tickets, and socialize on “The Wall.”

When people ask me to describe my life as an undergraduate at Vanderbilt, I often say “busy!” From the moment I took my first tour of campus, I loved the fact that Vanderbilt was filled with people who had as much energy as I did. The experience of living, studying, organizing, serving, performing, growing, and relaxing with my fellow students provided me with rich growth and deep friendships, both of which are still part of my life today.

Residence Life

Because all undergraduates are required to live on campus, the students who choose to attend Vanderbilt quickly become enmeshed in the Vanderbilt community. Beginning in 2008, all freshmen will live together in the new Freshman Commons without regard to undergraduate school. This complex facilitates relationships between the incoming, diverse freshman class as they embark on their Vanderbilt careers. Critical to the first year experience is the new Vanderbilt Visions orientation program. Lasting from move-in day through spring break, first year students meet weekly in small groups, which are teamtaught by a professor and trained upper-class students to discuss issues of transition and Vanderbilt community traditions.

After freshman year, Vanderbilt offers students a wide range of housing options on campus. For example, McTyeire International House promotes the study of foreign language by requiring students to speak French, German, Spanish, Chinese, or Japanese while in the dorm and at specific events. McTyeire residents also plan activities pertaining to the culture and nations associated with their language. Alternatively, Vanderbilt offers a hall dedicated to philosophy and the fine arts, as well as a group of ten-person houses dedicated to community service projects. All students at Vanderbilt have access to various arrangements of single rooms, shared rooms, and suites throughout their four years. Students are not allowed to bring cars to campus until sophomore year. Vanderbilt’s walking campus accommodates the needs of students through campus access to laundry facilities, dining options, and a chapel.

Orientation Programs

One of Vanderbilt’s strengths lies in its dedication to facilitating new students’ transitions to college life. Vanderbilt offers a series of programs to this end. First, accepted students can attend an optional Summer Academic Orientation. This two-day, summer program is divided by undergraduate school and offers incoming freshmen a chance to decode their academic requirements, register for classes, and meet other students. Many students have met roommates through the Summer Academic Orientation Program, and all students are thrilled by the opportunity to complete academic registration before moving to campus in the fall.

On move-in day, freshmen and their families find themselves overcome by hordes of identically T-shirted VUCeptors, who insist on carrying boxes, refrigerators, backpacks, and anything else they can find. These hardworking VUCeptors then pair up with faculty members to usher groups of twenty freshmen through their first year of Vanderbilt life.

Finally, Vanderbilt offers optional early orientation programs to incoming freshmen. These programs have gained enormous popularity in recent years, and have now expanded to include five themed options. Themes center around outdoor activities and skills, service, leadership, and diversity. These programs seek to provide orientation, transition, and fun for incoming Vanderbilt students.

Alternative Spring Break

The original program of its kind, Vanderbilt’s Alternative Spring Break (ASB) annually sends students into needy communities over spring break. Vanderbilt ASB is also one of the largest programs in the country. In 2005, over 350 students traveled to nearly thirty destinations across the United States, Canada, and Mexico to face issues ranging from Native American issues to urban violence. The ASB Executive Board states, “Our mission is to promote critical thinking, social action and continued community involvement by combining education and direct service on the local, regional, national and international levels.”

Greek Life

While Greek life plays a significant role at Vanderbilt, less than half of the student body participates in fraternities or sororities. Unlike most southern schools, Vandy offers a deferred recruitment process. New member recruitment occurs during the spring semester of freshman year, giving new students a chance to adjust to college life and make friends in the fall semester. Students at Vanderbilt can choose from nineteen fraternities and twelve sororities, including Asian, Hispanic, and historically black Greek organizations. All parties are open to the entire student body, and only officers (usually around six) live in the Greek houses on campus.

Vanderbilt University Athletics

Amember of the Southeastern Conference, Vanderbilt offers Division I athletics in addition to club and intramural sports. Vanderbilt University maintains a proud tradition of Black and Gold (the school colors) in intercollegiate sports, including six men’s and ten women’s varsity teams. Students enjoy attending games to cheer and to socialize. Vandy has enjoyed tremendous success in basketball (both men’s and women’s basketball teams advanced to the Sweet Sixteen in 2004), baseball, golf, tennis, soccer, women’s swimming, and women’s lacrosse. Vanderbilt athletes strive for excellence both on the field/court and in the classroom.

Vandy students also enjoy the chance to compete against other colleges at the club level. Among popular favorites are the Ultimate Frisbee, crew, and rugby teams. These teams travel to tournaments and often function as tight-knit social groups.

At the intracollegiate level, Vanderbilt students participate in intramurals. The largest student organization, Vanderbilt intramurals offer seasonal sports such as basketball, football, soccer, volleyball, and water polo for men’s, women’s, and coed teams.

Intramural facilities and individual fitness facilities are located in the Student Recreation Center at Vanderbilt. The Rec Center contains weights, cardio machines, indoor and outdoor tracks, basketball courts, racquetball and squash courts, aerobics and yoga facilities, a climbing wall, an indoor pool, Ping-Pong tables, and a café in addition to the intramural fields. Additionally, the Outdoor Recreational Program at Vanderbilt hosts weekend trips to various parks for climbing, hiking, kayaking, and spelunking. Students can also borrow equipment and take courses in outdoor skills through this program. Every year, the Outdoor Rec plans a hike through the Grand Canyon during spring break, and a ski trip to Colorado over Christmas break.

Vanderbilt attracted me as an athlete and a student, a combination offering that no other university could match. Challenged daily on the football field, playing against national title contenders, I also relished the chance to compete daily in the classroom against the brightest minds in the country. From a chancellor who strives to “win” in every aspect of the university, to coaches and players who respect and honor academic commitments and accomplishments, the entire athletic community at Vanderbilt pursues victories on the field without losing sight of other academic and social victories to be won off the field.

Vanderbilt University Local Community

Although students from outside the South may tiptoe with curiosity into Nashville, they are certain to fall in love with the city soon after arriving. “Music City” claims the country’s “third coast,” featuring musicians from many genres and backgrounds, who can be seen performing all over the city. In addition to its renowned live music scene, Nashville boasts a rich cultural and educational heritage. Sixteen other universities call Nashville home, as do the only exact replica of Greece’s Parthenon, the Frist Center for the Visual Arts, the Tennessee government and state capital, the NFL’s Tennessee Titans, and the NHL’s Nashville Predators. Nashville also features diversity usually reserved for more sizable cities, with the largest Kurdish population in the United States and thriving Asian, Hispanic, and African communities.

Vanderbilt’s location near downtown Nashville provides easy access to Nashville’s best restaurants and hottest night spots, and students often walk to nearby parks. When Vandy students need to get away for a weekend, Nashville also provides an ideal location from which to travel, as it is served by an international airport featuring service from seventeen airlines, and easy access to three major interstate highways.

Vanderbilt University Alumni

The original gates of Vanderbilt University, still located at the main entrance to campus, have ushered generations of Vanderbilt students into the world with great success. Vanderbilt graduates are equipped with strong analytical, critical thinking and writing skills, and they have many options upon graduation.

The Career Center at Vanderbilt assists students in the job search. Career counselors offer standard services such as resume review, and recruiters also come on campus to conduct information sessions and interviews at the Career Center. In fact, more than 250 recruiters came to campus in a recent year. Vandy students also have access to career testing, an alumni mentor search engine, and career workshops.

While the majority of Vanderbilt graduates enter the workforce upon graduation, a significant number also attend graduate programs. Vanderbilt’s rigorous academics and excellent reputation make it a wonderful springboard for further education. Approximately thirty percent of Vanderbilt graduates attend graduate school immediately following graduation; law and medicine are two popular options for postgraduate study. Over time, more than two-thirds of Vanderbilt graduates pursue further studies.

Prominent Grads

• Tom Schulman, ‘72, Academy Award-winning screenwriter (Dead Poet’s Society)
• Albert Gore, Jr., ’77, Former Vice-President of the United States
• Tipper Gore, ’76, Wife of Former Vice-President
• Amy Grant, ’82, Award-winning Recording Artist
• Will Perdue,’88, ESPN Radio Commentator; Former NBA World Champion with Chicago Bulls and San Antonio Spurs
• Fred Thompson,’67, Movie, TV Actor, Former U.S. Senator
• Dr. Norman Shumway, ’49, Transplant Pioneer at Stanford
• Lamar Alexander, ’62, Current U.S. Senator from Tennessee, Former Secretary of Education, Former Governor of Tennessee
• Ann S. Moore, ’71, CEO and Chairwoman, Time Inc.
• James Neal, ’57, Watergate Counsel
• Bill Purcell, ’79, Mayor, Metropolitan Nashville-Davidson County
• Perry Wallace, ‘70, SEC’s First African-American Basketball Player, Law Professor, Washington, D.C.
• Sam Feist, ’91, Senior Executive Producer, CNN
• The Late Grantland Rice, ’01 (1901), Legendary Sportswriter
• James Patterson, ’70, Best-selling Crime-Suspense Novelist
• The Late Robert Penn Warren, ’25, Author and Three-Time Pulitzer Prize Winner (All The Kings Men)
• Dr. Mildred Stahlman, ’46, Neonatology Pioneer at Vanderbilt
• Dr. Thomas Frist, Jr., ’61, Chairman, Founder, Hospital Corporation of America
• Chantelle Anderson, ’03, Two-time First Team All-American

Vanderbilt University Faculty

A prestigious research institution, Vanderbilt employs many professors who have received and are receiving notable recognition in their fields. However, professors at Vanderbilt truly enjoy both the teaching and the research aspects of their profession. In fact, many professors choose Vanderbilt because it is a school where they can focus on teaching relationships in addition to conducting excellent research. To this end, almost all of the professors hold office hours, and they continually make themselves available via email, phone, or appointment. Vandy boasts a 9:1 student to faculty ratio; in contrast to many research universities, Vanderbilt can also boast that ninety-five percent of a typical undergraduate’s courses are taught by professors. With such personal attention, undergraduates never doubt that the faculty at Vanderbilt genuinely care about their students.

Carnegie Foundation Classification

Research Universities (very high research activity)

General Characteristics

Highest offering	Doctoral degree
Calendar System	Semester
Years of college work required	N/A
Variable Tuition

Special Learning Opportunities

Distance Learning
ROTC — Army / Navy / Air Force	— / /
Study Abroad
Weekend College
Teacher Certification