Decision time is fast approaching for the accepted students of the class of 2013. To help them decide, there have been a number of opportunities over the past few weekends for accepted students and their families to visit campus.

However, it is usually difficult for the accepted international students to make their final decisions, due to the distance and expense of traveling. To amend this, Vanderbilt hosted an informal meet-and-greet in the Orangery of Kensington Palace in London on Saturday.

The event was the first of its kind in London and was organized by alumna Maureen Doolan, the president for the Vanderbilt University Greater London chapter. It was intended to help accepted European students meet other accepted students, answer any queries they may have about college life in America and encourage them to attend Vanderbilt.

It was a small gathering with only 11 people in attendance, including two accepted students and their parents, the parents of a current Vanderbilt student and three alumni.

"It was very insightful," said accepted student James Mathers. "I wanted to learn more about attending Vanderbilt and it was a good experience to talk to alumni and parents of current students."

Attendees felt the event was a success with one accepted student confirming her decision to attend Vanderbilt.

"It helped one of the admitted students confirm that she really wanted to attend Vandy," said Patti White, the Europe/UK representative for the Vanderbilt University Alumni Association Board and parent of current student Frances White. "Although she had been admitted to four or five other top schools, I suspect this was the only admitted students' reception she was invited to, and so it showed outreach and caring."

Currently, international students, coming from 97 different countries, make up 8 percent of the Vanderbilt student body. However, due to events like this across the world, this number is expected to increase.