Preparing for College Category
Why VU? Making the Most of Music City
Apr. 25, 2012—Vanderbilt Junior Seth Johnson tells us why he chose Vanderbilt and how that decision has shaped his college experience.
Vanderbilt Road Warriors
Feb. 9, 2012—Carolyn Pippen on the lengths we'll go to find future Commodores.
New Year’s Resolutions for Current High School Students
Jan. 13, 2012—Carolyn Pippen on what students in grades 9 - 12 can be doing to prepare for college.
Connecting with Your VU Admissions Counselor
Aug. 4, 2010—I just finished a book titled “Don’t Stalk the Admissions Officer” where the advice was average at best, but the humor was timely. Many of my students want me to have a face to put with their name, but in the quest to become real to me, a few students exhibit unreal behavior. Examples include...
The Best Four Years of Your Life
Jan. 25, 2010—College will not be the best four years of your life. Regardless of what you hear as you prepare for college, remember that no life should peak between ages 18 and 22. The four years you spend during your undergraduate education will hopefully be fun, exciting, and inspirational. However, there will also be moments of...
Greetings from the Office of Student Financial Aid and Undergraduate Scholarships
Dec. 10, 2009—I hope this entry finds you having a great holiday season! I just wanted to provide a brief update regarding processing for both merit and need-based financial assistance. Please remember, visit our financial aid website should you have any questions regarding financial assistance at Vanderbilt. Also, you may send questions via e-mail to finaid@vanderbilt.edu. Ingram...
Just be Yourself: The role of personality in coping with applying to college
Aug. 17, 2009—Thanks to many of you for the signs of support and interest in my doctoral research. I wanted to post some additional information about my research and what we found in hopes that it may be helpful to you and your family.
Would Da Vinci have Gotten the Small Envelope?
Feb. 18, 2009—A wonderful article appears this week in the Chronicle of Higher Education's Chronicle Review by W. A. Pannapacker of Hope College. In it, Pannapacker portrays the well known genius of Leonardo da Vinci set against the lesser known backdrop of growing biographical evidence that he was a chronic procrastinator.
Stupid Things Admissions People Say
Jan. 27, 2009—From time to time I'm asked to serve as a panelist for high schools hosting "junior nights." These are opportunities for students and their parents to come out and hear from college "experts." They're usually fun affairs for us, as we get to put down your employer's banner for a little bit, field questions and get a pulse for what's on people's minds. Not too long ago, I sat on one in Chicago and something happened there that has had me thinking for about a while now about the state of the whole admissions field and where our profession has gone wrong.
Admitted at ED?: advice for approaching the rest of your senior year
Jan. 16, 2009—All admitted students to Vanderbilt will be asked to submit a final transcript once it comes available and it never fails that we see a very small handful of students who packed up the intellectual circus a little early that last semester. At that point our office has a decision to make, and it is a no-one-size-fits-all determination. My general advice is succinct, if not completely predictable, don't risk it.
And Then There Were Files: ED I and Front Yard Football
Nov. 18, 2008—It was a moment a couple Sundays ago. On the couch, my 2.5 year old playing quietly on the floor in front of me, the Titans game on in front of him. Nothing too remarkable about the exact moment really when I realized this would be last weekend without file reading. The clicking of Matchbox...
The ED & Financial Aid Quandary
Oct. 16, 2008—We got a really good question about Early Decision & fin aid from Talha and I thought I would answer it here instead of replying over email. “Hey bloggers, I was wondering wheather (sic) applying early decision to Vander-awsome-bilt would affect at all the financial need of a student/family. I know that once you are accepted...