Committee 2011
I know that once you click “Submit” on the Common App it feels anti-climatic. This year I’m walking applicants through the process at Vanderbilt in real time. Hopefully this transparency helps you feel less stressed. In a previous post I walked you through how I read an actual file. Here I answer questions about the committee process. Hope this helps as our ED I students anxiously await decisions.
Which applications go to committee?
My associate director likes to describe the files that end up in committee as the “muddy middle” – those files which have strong support for admission, but it’s not a clear decision. From my territory this year I had 51 ED I applications and 13 files will receive consideration in committee.
What happens to the files that don’t go to committee?
Files not discussed in the committee format already have initial decisions. (I say “initial” because no decision is final until it’s loaded onto the mail truck.) After receiving at least two reads some files are clear admits in our process and do not need discussion. Some files are also not viable after their primary reads.
Who comprises the committee at Vanderbilt?
The committee at Vanderbilt will typically include six individuals: your assigned admissions counselor, Associate Director Amy Smith, Associate Director Thom Golden, Director John Gaines, and Dean of Admissions Doug Christiansen. There may be additional individuals included if circumstances warrant.
What does an admissions counselor do to prepare for committee?
Study! By the week of committee I know which files will comprise the “muddy middle” and 99% of the time I already have written notes on each of the committee files. However, prior to committee I do a quick re-read and review the file. For some files I will call the high school counselor in order to collect additional points of advocacy. I will also do more research on the school context, paying particular attention to the high school profile. Every admissions officer is different, but I personally write sticky notes on each file with points of emphasis. Some of these files can be rather dense and I want to make sure to remember the highlights.
How does committee operate?
Each counselor will arrange the files according to geography (it just makes it easier if everyone has a standard order) and will present one by one. I will open a file and lay out a summary sheet for the committee to review – the summary sheet gives a brief overview of who you are, where you go to school, what type of classes you chose, and the grades you received in those classes. After a moment I dive into the meat of your application.
I tell my students to think of me as their lawyer in court. My job is not to admit or deny you; instead I am always your advocate, highlighting for the committee the reasons we should admit the applicant. Every item you put into your file is another piece of evidence I can draw from and use in committee.
I am also a story teller. Every student is different and presents different strengths in their application. I draw out the themes of the file and try to connect who you are today and who you might become at VU. If the file is going through the committee process there will usually be a significant discussion about the intangibles in the application – items that are not numeric such as leadership roles, wonderful letters of recommendation, or fabulous essays.
Finally, the committee reaches a decision. It’s not always easy. We only have 1,600 spaces in the freshman class and each admissions counselor has those students they love who were right in that muddy middle, but did not receive admission in committee. Conversely, there are really wonderful moments where students who had an uphill battle in the process receive a “yes” from the committee.
What happens after committee?
After committee every ED I application file has an initial decision assigned to it. We spend several days reviewing those decisions to make sure they “make sense”. Then, we print the decision letters for all students and check every single letter by hand. Amy Smith, my associate director, says that after the families entrust us with something this important the least we can do is make sure the student receives a letter at the correct address, with the name they prefer on the letter, and the correct decision.
Finally, we load ED I decision letters on a mail truck! We send every ED I letter (regardless of admission decision) in a letter-sized envelope through standard USPS. Some students who live closer to campus receive letters within 24 hours. Most students will receive mail within 2-3 business days. If you do not receive your letter by December 21st you may call the office, but we will not release a decision over the phone prior to that date. We will never release decisions via email.
How will I know when ED I decisions are mailed?
Read the blog! I am updating in real time. In fact, as I type this I am waiting on the committee to call down the hall and let me know they are ready for me to present. I will post a blog as soon as letters are out the door and then you can start your countdown clock. We predict letters will be out the door on December 15th, but things may change so stay tuned.
Can’t get enough committee talk? Check out Thom’s post from last year!
Questions? Ask below.
December 6th, 2010
Not going to lie, that post sent chills down my spine! So nervous!!!
December 7th, 2010
If you are denied early decision, are you still able to apply regular decision?
December 7th, 2010
Kelly: If you do not receive admission via Early Decision, you cannot apply Regular Decision.
ED gives you the best chance of admission because you are read and evaluated in a smaller pool of candidates; in our process if you do not receive admission at ED, you would not receive admission at RD so it makes no sense to allow students to reapply that year.
October 10th, 2011
I understand that in terms of the pool size, ED I gives a student the best chance of being accepted, but what if something has changed between the time you apply ED I and the Regular Decision deadline? For example, my test scores and semester grades could improve from those of my October SAT and 1st quarter grades.
October 13th, 2011
Thanks for your question, Bill.
You can apply to Vanderbilt only once per admissions cycle, so if you apply Early Decision, you cannot also apply Regular Decision. If you have information (test scores, grades, etc) that you want to add to your application that is not be available until January, then you may want to wait and apply Early Decision II or Regular Decision.
December 7th, 2010
Are any ED1 applicants ever put on wait list or deferred list. If so how does it work ?
December 7th, 2010
Fred: ED I applicants are not placed on the waitlist. While it is possible for a decision to be deferred, this is rare. Usually this occurs with extenuating circumstances, for example a Blair School of Music student is unable to audition in time due to a canceled flight or laryngitis. If a student were to be deferred, they would understand the reason behind it. The vast majority of students will receive a clear decision.
December 7th, 2010
I applied RD but have had all of my application completed for a few weeks now. Will I get a decision as soon as possible or will it be in February-March?
December 7th, 2010
Kristen: RD students will not hear until April 1, 2011.
December 7th, 2010
If the letters are mailed the 15th, will we find out whenever we receive the mail? I live in New Jersey so I think it will take a couple days. I’ve heard rumors about emails and phone calls to let you know whether or not you got in Early Decision on the 15th. Is that true for Vanderbilt?
December 7th, 2010
Alisa: There will be no emails/phone calls prior to your letter arriving. It goes in the mail on the 15th so you’ll find out as soon as it reaches NJ. Good luck!
December 7th, 2010
Will international applicants be notified by email?
December 7th, 2010
Cassie: Yes, you are correct. International students receive decision notification via email.
December 8th, 2010
How many ED1 applications did you receive and how many have already been admitted and what will the final admittance count be? Do you have a maximum number of ED1 applicants that can be admitted? How many are admitted to Peabody or the other individual schools, again is there an admittance cap? Sorry for all of the questions but I am very interested in the answers. Thank you.
December 8th, 2010
David: At the end of ED II we will publish on our blog the answers to your above questions. At Vanderbilt we report numbers in terms of total Early Decision applications. There are no caps, quotas, or ratios. You can get the best idea of numbers by looking at past Early Decision blogs and at my 10th Day Data post.
December 8th, 2010
Is there a differnt acceptance rate for Peabody ? And are the requirements different than the A & S school ? Eg: SAT score ranges?
December 8th, 2010
Fred: Admit rates are similar across the schools. Check out my 10th day data post for specifics from last year. SAT score ranges are similar between the four schools as well.
December 8th, 2010
Does the application get read twice by the same person or two different people? Thanks!
December 8th, 2010
Sarah: Each application is looked at by at least two different people at OUA. However, your assigned admissions counselor is the individual responsible for your file.
December 8th, 2010
will you notify international student who lives in the US by mail or email?
December 9th, 2010
Hugh: If you’re address is in the US, you will receive notification via mail.
December 9th, 2010
How is committee going? Any chance that you’ll send out the letters before the 15th?
December 9th, 2010
Jared: ED I committee is finished! It took five days and many many hours, but we think we’ve selected some out-of-this-world students to be part of our Class of 2015! We are in the phase currently where we make sure the decisions “make sense” and we are checking individual files. Letters may make it out the door on the evening of the 14th, but not before that. When I know, you’ll know.
December 9th, 2010
You said, “things may change so stay tuned.” Does this mean the letters may be sent out earlier than the 15th?
December 9th, 2010
Eli: Yes, letters could be sent out earlier, but they could also be sent out later. It seems at the moment letters will go out on the evening of the 14th or morning of the 15th. I’ll post on the blog when they’re out the door.
December 9th, 2010
Kylie – you can be deferred to Regular Admissions from ED1, right?
December 9th, 2010
Spencer: Barring special circumstances a student will not be deferred; ED is a yes or no answer.
December 9th, 2010
What does it mean when you are reviewing the decisions to see if they “make sense”? Thanks!
December 9th, 2010
Kelli: Great question! What I mean by saying we review decisions to ensure they “make sense” is this: we want to be positive we gave every applicant the fullest review possible. With thousands of applications we want to know that when decisions head out the door, no application fell through the cracks. After committee every ED I file has an initial decision and we check it again to make sure we are sure. It’s the way we respect our applicants and prevent human error.
December 9th, 2010
It’s so weird to think that my application is somewhere in the midst of a pile of other applications with a little sticker which decides my fate on it…. Has anyone else slept in a Vanderbilt shirt every night since hitting submit?
December 9th, 2010
I went the other way… I never bought anything from the bookstore because i thought it would jinx my chances… I guess its all superstition. Can’t wait for this letter to come!
December 10th, 2010
Hi Kylie, do you plan on releasing the statistics from ED1?
December 10th, 2010
John: We will not release statistics for just ED I; although there are separate application dates, we view Early Decision as one pool at Vanderbilt and will release the statistics for the combined ED class in February.
December 10th, 2010
I started to wear mine a lot, Maria, but the closer we get to decision time, the more stressed I get, so I try to keep Vandy off my mind most of the time. Losing my hair won’t help me get in.
December 10th, 2010
Are ED1 students at less of an advantage than
ED11 since most counselors might want to see if potentially stronger applicants who might not have been accepted to Ivy schools, are now choosing Vanderbilt as their ED11 choice? I suppose my nerves are getting to me and am over analyzing the process, since originally I thought that ED1 would have a better chance(obviously if there application meets Vanderbilts criteria) than even ED11 since we are showing the committee that Vanderbilt is the one and only school we want to get accepted to.
I know most counselors will probably say they are viewed the same way, but I would like to hear your take on it. Thanks for your response.
December 10th, 2010
David: The statistical advantages for ED I and ED II are about equal. In terms of raw numbers, more students apply ED I versus ED II so we have more admits at that time, but the admit rates are quite similar. In my experience as a counselor, ED II is the choice for students who decided they were certain about Vanderbilt later in the year. We weren’t their second choice, but they didn’t have a clear first choice until around the holiday season.
December 11th, 2010
Hello! I have a bit of a dilemma. I am leaving to the airport for a vacation in the early morning of the 18th. If the ED I decisions are sent out the morning of the 15th, would you guys have any way of knowing what the odds are that they arrive before the 18th? I live in the Chicago area, so it’s not too far away. I really hope I am able to read my own decision letter; I’ve been waiting for the moment I open the envelope for my entire life! Thanks.
December 11th, 2010
Charlie: I send mail to the Chicago area all the time and it arrives in about 2 days. It’s not a guarantee, though, especially if there’s inclement weather. I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you!
December 11th, 2010
Kylie – If I am not in the top 10%, are my chances greatly lowered?
December 11th, 2010
Spencer: Here’s what I said about top ten percent in my 10th Day Data post:
“Only 36.1 percent of applicants had a reported rank in class; of those admitted with a reported rank in class, the average rank in class was 6.1 percent and 84.6 percent of students with a reported rank were in the top ten percent of their graduating class.”
Most of our applicants do not have real rank reported. If you come from a school where real rank is reported refer to my posts where I discuss our holistic approach to file reading. Each application is so much more than a single number. That said, I won’t know how much a piece of the the application matters until I see the entire application.
December 12th, 2010
Hi, I was wondering how many days it would take for the admissions decision for ED1 to reach Fairfield County, Connecticut. Thanks
December 12th, 2010
Conor: I have no idea how long it takes a letter to reach Connecticut. Most of our students last year received a letter in 3 business days, but I don’t run USPS so no guarantees!
December 12th, 2010
Maria, i’ve done the same thing as you! I’ve worn my Vandy sweatshirt almost every night, kept a Vanderbilt logo as the background for my phone, and had a picture of the school hanging on my wall! I’ve been counting down 75 days since i sent my application in, I cannot believe its a week away!
December 12th, 2010
I know you said the letters may be sent out on the 14th which would be great! Does it just depend on how quickly you all are able to finish reviewing decisions? Is there any way it could be before the 14th?
December 12th, 2010
How is the OUA? Any chance the letters will leave the office tomorrow?
December 12th, 2010
Hi,
This is mainly directed towards all of those who are commenting, but is anyone else nervous?
To Kylie,
I love how organized and informative your blogs have been, but since you have reviewed applications for this year and I’m guessing many other years, is this group more impressive, as a general assumption, compared to other groups? And do you know a rough estimate of how many will be accepted in EDI?
Thank you!! Can’t wait for my letter.
December 13th, 2010
Sarah, Gibson, Jonah & Jesse: Check out my ED I Update for answers to your questions!
December 12th, 2010
After reading this post as well as the post about the middle 50%, I know you said that there are applications that do not go to committee because they are initial acceptances. What are the qualifications for an application that is admitted without having to be discussed in committee? I know applications are looked at in a holistic manner, but do these individuals need to be extremely strong in every single area? For example, say an applicant has a 29 on the ACT but has strong essays, extra-curriculars, recommendation letters etc… Is there any way that this individual could be an initial admit or even an admit if taken to committee? Thanks so much for the information you’ve provided with these blogs- your posts have been extremely helpful!
December 13th, 2010
Aly: As I described in previous posts, the X factor for each applicant is different. I am certain there are students with lower testing that receive an initial admit decision without going to committee and I am certain there are students admitted in committee with testing outside the mid-50%. Why students are admitted varies greatly. It’s all about looking at the applicant as an individual.
December 13th, 2010
I’m just going to say what everyone is thinking: I am so scared. All I want for Christmas is Vanderbilt. I have a Vanderbilt pennant on the wall of my room at home, but I’m afraid to bring it to my room at boarding school until I get in…It will already be awkward enough peeling the sticker off my laptop if I don’t get in. Sorry, pointless post. I just had to say it. Oh, and all my friends are getting into college and I’m dying waiting. Oh, and I can’t wait to join the facebook group when I get in :). Positivity is key. If it’s meant to happen, it will.
December 15th, 2010
I feel the exact same way, Maria. I’ve been strutting around in my Vandy gear for a few months now, and it’s going to be really embarrassing if I don’t get in. I said the same thing about Christmas too
December 15th, 2010
I had a question regarding the process for admission to the Blair School of Music. How does a student’s audition factor in to the application process? Does Blair receive the application and then recommends students they think meet their requirements to OUA to see if the student meets the admission requirements of the University or vice-versa? (Or maybe neither option.) I know it only concerns a handful of students but have been wondering.
December 15th, 2010
Barbara: Great question! We read the file here at OUA and Blair scores the audition. We then have a committee of Blair faculty and OUA liaisons who meet and make decisions. This is somewhat different from the process for applicants to the other three schools.
December 15th, 2010
Everyone is sooooo quiet ???
May 4th, 2011
what are the percent of applicants accepted?
October 13th, 2011
Hello! So sorry for the delayed response. To answer your question, though, the admit rate for the class of 2015 was 16.4%.
December 16th, 2011
My daughter has also been strutting the Vandy wear that we purchased on out campus tour last spring! It will be heartbreaking (if not somewhat embarrasing to not get in after that…) if she doesn’t get in! We’re such a wreck waiting on the mail! All she wants for Christmas is an acceptance letter! Soooo nervous! Should be today! Good luck all you potential Vandy’s! As moms, I can not tell you how proud we are that you were even eligible to apply! Merry Christmas!