#12 UT @ #24 Vanderbilt – ESPN 7 pm EST

Nesbitt February 9th, 2010

It is Rivalry week in college basketball and our cross state rival Tennessee comes to town. Vandy Fanatics, our school spirit org. called for a “WHITE OUT” so all fans will be wearing white to support the ‘Dores. We will need sophomore star Jeff Taylor and freshman John Jenkins to return to form tonight in one of the most anticipated games of our season. Tune in tonight on ESPN at 7 pm EST as two NCAA tournament teams go head-to-head in what should be yet another great chapter in the UT – Vandy rivalry.

One of my favorite parts of life at Vanderbilt is the SEC caliber sports, and tonight you will not only see great talent but you’ll see the fantastic school spirit of our student body (and hopefully the city of Nashville too)! The Athletics was one of the most important factors in my decision to attend Vanderbilt, and I got more much more than I expected. It wasn’t just that we had a good athletic program, it was the electric school spirit, having all the stadiums on campus and not having to camp out for tickets. When you want to go to a home game you just show up with your student ID and if there is room left then you get in. Tonight is a good example of when you need to get there early as the student section will most likely be full about an hour before tip-off. Speaking of, I should probably get over to Memorial Gymnasium pretty soon since I will be using my grad school ID as my ticket in tonight.

Go ‘Dores!

2010 ED2 Decisions Mailed and Total Applications Update

Thom February 6th, 2010

Yesterday afternoon, the latest rounds of admissions offers left 2305 West End Ave.  Early Decision II applicants should receive their admissions decisions sometime early this coming week in the mail.  As we are now able to get a glimpse of the entire Early Decision pool and admitted class, here’s some information on the profile of that class.  Remember, it is our practice to report both ED rounds together.

Early Decision Admitted Student Profile, Vanderbilt Incoming Class of 2010 

  • Middle 50% SAT (CR+M): 1390-1470
  • Middle 50% ACT: 30-33
  • % in Top Ten % of Graduating Class*: 90.32%
  • Average Rank in Class*: 4.70%
  • Overall Admit Rate: 31.91%

* Data reported only from students enrolled in schools that provide exact rank information.

 Congratulations to those admitted and welcome to the Vanderbilt community.

 Regular Decision Application Update

 As of today, we have received a total of 21,800 applications for the Vanderbilt entering class of 2010, again, the most ever received at Vanderbilt.  That is an approximate 13% increase in applications over last year.  With an incoming class between 1,570 to 1,585 first year students, this sets up for a very tough selection process.  The applicant pool continues to deepen academically, socially, in diversity, and in leadership qualities.  Our target date for mailing those decisions is currently late March/1st of April.

Vandy Snow Day and EDII 2010 Update

Thom January 31st, 2010

Nashville got blanketed with 4-6″ of snow over the weekend. Vandy students promptly went B-A-N-A-N-A-S.

EDII Update

Early decision II committee started Friday and it will likely conclude this Tuesday.  Last year we mailed EDII letters on February 6, 2009, and we will shoot for a similar early mailing date (early from our publically stated February 15 EDII notification date) as is our general practice.  As we did last year, I will make sure to let everyone know when the letters have left the building.

Mid-Year Reports Clarification

A mother of an admitted EDI student emailed me this past week and asked whether we required mid-year reports to be sent?  We do not require that students submit mid-year reports.  However, many students will elect to do so, and many high schools automatically submit mid-year reports for their students.  If we receive a mid-year report we will consider that information in our admissions decisions.  We do require that all enrolling students submit a final transcript however.

A Big Week for Vandy OUA

Tomorrow (2/1) we are scheduled to take occupancy of our new prospective student welcome center and presentation space in the historic old gym (located adjacent to our current Admissions and Financial Aid building).  It looks amazing!  I will post some pictures later this week.

Sunday Pondering: Is it bad that I just learned something I didn’t previously know about socket wrenches from Handy Manny’s School for Tools? Probablemente.

#23 Vandy @ #1 Kentucky- 4 pm EST ESPN

Nesbitt January 30th, 2010

Don’t forget to watch the Commodores big game today at #1 ranked Kentucky. The game is on ESPN and starts at 4 pm EST. This is yet another huge game for the ‘Dores, as we head into Rupp Arena looking to hand Kentucky their second straight loss. We take our ten game win streak on the road for the ultimate test, however we have never beaten a #1 ranked team on the road (we are 4-0 in our last four game against #1 ranked teams at home in the confines of Memorial Gymnasium). I’ll be watching the game with some Vandy friends of mine over a little Vandy reunion weekend, the last time we all watched a game together was when we beat #1 Tennessee (2008). Go ‘Dores!

“Back to School, Back to School”

Nesbitt January 28th, 2010

Download Professor Bess’s WWII lecture.

Yes, I am referencing Adam Sandler’s song from “Billy Madison” and yes, that last statement made me look old (you were probably three when that movie came out) and yes, last week I went back to school. Last week I returned to my one of favorite lectures and my favorite undergraduate class, History of World War II taught by Professor Michael Bess.  Only this time I wasn’t equipped with a notebook or a pen, but a microphone and podcast equipment.  With a little help from Vanderbilt News Services, you can now download the lecture from Professor Bess’s introductory class to History of World War Two entitled “WWII: It’s place in history and the Saboteurs at Norsk Hydro.”

Professor Bess kicks off the first day of class with a lecture so vivid and fascinating that I still remember it today. He weaves the story of British and Norwegian spies and their attempts to thwart Hitler’s attempts at building an Atomic bomb (successful attempts luckily).  These tales, while largely unknown to the public, represent the story of WWII: a high stakes drama where the fate of the world hung by the tiniest of threads.  I loved hearing this lecture one more time as it brought back fond memories of my favorite classes and lectures from my days as an undergrad at Vanderbilt.  I hope that this podcast will give you a better feel for the academic experience at Vanderbilt. 

Here are some of thoughts from my return to class:

1) The Honor Code:  It was so refreshing to hear Professor Bess reiterate how serious the honor code and honesty are at Vanderbilt.  Professor Bess takes part in of my favorite traditions and leaves the room during a test to let “the honor code rule.” 

 2) Office Hours: Professor Bess opens the class by saying the following: “Come meet me, I want to get to know you and if my office hours don’t work for you then we will schedule something else.”  Vanderbilt professors truly care about YOU the student, and they want to get to know YOU.  It was during Professor Bess’s office hours in the second week of my freshman year that I learned the professors really did care about the students.  Prof. Bess, not a TA or grad student, helped me with my first college paper.  This experience my second week at Vanderbilt is indicative of the academic climate at Vanderbilt. 

Professor Bess was just one of the many profs that befriended me as an undergrad, and he is one of the few that I still have lunch with each semester.  If you want to build fantastic relationships with your professors in college then Vanderbilt is a great fit for you. No matter what college you attend in the years to come take the time to meet with your favorite professors get to know them, it will enrich your experience…. you won’t regret it, trust me!

This is what classes are like at Vanderbilt.  I hope you enjoy the lecture!  If you have any suggestions of future departments or subject to podcast please let us know!

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