Vanderbilt Class of 2014 Notifications in the Mail
The months of waiting are one step closer to ending, and we are grateful for your patience. Decision notifications for the next incoming class of Vanderbilt University left our building on two USPS trucks and are on their way to you.
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, we were again humbled this year by an incoming class that continued to reach historic levels of diversity, academic quality, and depth of leadership, character, and personality. The pool of applicants for this year’s incoming class was no less than astounding. Our evaluation process rewarded individuals who not only demonstrated an impressive intellect, but also demonstrated the signature Vanderbilt balance outside of the classroom.
Some background information on the applicant pool:
- Applicants: 21,800 (up 13% from last year, and another Vanderbilt record)
- Applications from underrepresented students grew 27% this year, continuing a decade-long trend.
- International student applications grew 35% over last year, demonstrating Vanderbilt’s substantial growth in international reputation.
- This year’s applicant pool was the best prepared academically by the strength of their curriculum (honors, advanced placement, and international baccalaureate courses) and their grades in those courses.
Some highlights of the admitted class include:
- Middle 50% SAT (CR+M): 1440 – 1540
- Middle 50% ACT: 31 – 34
- % in Top Ten % of Graduating Class*: 92%
- Average Rank in Class (% from top)*: 3.8%
- Overall Admit Rate (as of mailing day): 16.3%
*Figures only represent admitted students for whom we have official rank information from their high school.
Our standard note of warning: These figures are provided to assist you in contextualizing our decisions, and are not cut-offs. We maintain a holistic review process for admission, and these numbers cannot fully capture everything that gets considered.
For those who receive our admit packets: Congratulations and welcome to the Vanderbilt family! If you applied for financial aid, you should have your financial aid offer in your admit packet. If you thought you applied for aid, and there is not an offer of aid in the packet, call the Office of Student Financial Aid and Undergraduate Scholarships at 800-288-0204. Our entire staff is here to assist you as you make your decision.
For individuals who are offered a spot on our waiting list, please know that we model our incoming class in order to take the last remaining slots from the waitlist. While we never know what our yield will ultimately turn out to be, we do intend to go to our waitlist at some point later this spring and summer.
For those who are neither admitted nor offered the waitlist, please know that we were honored by your interest in our community and considered your application very carefully. The unfortunate reality of our applicant pool is that we are unable to admit all of the qualified students who apply. We genuinely wish you all the best in your educational endeavors.
If you have not received your letter by Wednesday March 31, you may call our office (800.288.0432) to get your decision. Thank you for being a reader of this blog, and thank you for your interest in Vanderbilt.
March 26th, 2010
Hooray! Cannot wait to get your letter!!!
March 26th, 2010
OMG im so nervous now lol
March 27th, 2010
How I wish to be admitted to Vanderbilt and watch the Decision Tree bloom next spring!
March 27th, 2010
This makes me very nervous and excited at the same time! Only one question: when do international students receive the e-mail about the decision? (or do they at all?)
Thank you!
March 27th, 2010
oh my goodness. okay! ahhhh! i can’t wait :)
and thank you sooooo much for this blog! it’s amazing!
March 28th, 2010
So happy that I got a likely letter through my MOSAIC packet…otherwise, I would be freaking out all this weekend like a majority of my friends. Also, those stats are frightening! I thought mine were fairly high, but they are barely the middle of the pack. I suppose that’s what happens when people apply to more and more schools, especially those with stellar stats.
March 28th, 2010
Looking at the admission stats, I don’t believe I got accepted. Best wishes to all of you who do. It is one great school!
March 29th, 2010
oups! I my letter will at least three weeks before coming. It seems that news won’t that good. but I’m still hoping that…
March 29th, 2010
Wow, very excited. Lots of my friends got them today!
A question:
Are decisions of “No” sent in the mail, or are you just to assume you didn’t get in?
March 29th, 2010
No news is good news??????
March 30th, 2010
Good luck to Freshman hopefuls!!
Thom,
Thanks for keeping us updated! When do you think transfer decisions will be mailed out?? I’m going crazy!
March 30th, 2010
Hey Thom,
If we have not recieved a response by now, is there still a good chance that we are accepted or is it more likely that we are waitlisted/rejected?
Thanks.
March 30th, 2010
It’s Tuesday and the mail has come….still nothing…..this is killin’ us!! Good luck and congrats to those who got in!!
March 30th, 2010
Keep the letter I’m going to Michigan.
March 30th, 2010
i still haven’t heard! is this a bad sign?
March 30th, 2010
It is Tuesday evening in Atlanta, GA and no letter has been received. Does this increase my chance of a Rejection? I am leaving the country tomorrow for 10 days with no cell service and would love to know. Thanks
March 30th, 2010
Hey there everyone,
I’m not able to respond directly to everyone, so I’ll try and get as many of these topics as I can.
For those folks still waiting on the letters, they should arrive very soon. there are sometimes delivery issues depending on where you live. Again, we can begin releasing decisions over the phone Wednesday (3/31, i.e., tomorrow) should you wish to hear that way.
Blue, enjoy Michigan. Bring a coat. :)
For those of you who are offered a spot on the waitlist, I know this was not the decision you were hoping for. I can tell you that we have admitted students from the waitlist the last 2 years and while we never know what will happen, we do intend to do so again this year. I will continue to post updates here about our waitlist, so make sure to subscribe and visit often.
If you’ve been admitted, congrats again!
March 30th, 2010
P.S. Transfer applicants for the fall should start getting their decisions on a rolling basis starting later this week.
March 30th, 2010
My daughter was accepted. We live in Macon Ga and received our packet on Monday.
March 30th, 2010
Scot, its Tuesday in Louisiana and we have not received a letter either. We know people that received their letter Monday and were not accepted. Good luck
March 30th, 2010
Hey!!
One of my friends who lives in my neighborhood got her letter already and i didn’t…she applied to A and S and i applied to Peabody…could that be why??
March 30th, 2010
I LOVE Vandy! After receiving my acceptance letter and my amazing financial aid offer, it looks like I will be a Commodore! I am so happy that my top choice came through, especially during a super competitive year like this.
March 30th, 2010
Thom, how will the transfer students be notified? Will they receive emails or letters or both? Thanks for all the updates!
March 31st, 2010
Jayle,
Transfers will be notified via USPS letter. The major difference though with transfers is that decisions are sent out on a rolling basis, so the sooner applicants complete their application, the sooner they can hear from us.
Thanks,
Thom
March 30th, 2010
Agony! It looks tough but we’re crossing our fingers here in Houston, TX! Any other Greater Houstonians have new yet?
March 30th, 2010
i am so excited!!!!!! i can’t wait to attend!!! :D :D
March 30th, 2010
I was accepted!! :) I didn’t get any information about financial aid, though. If I applied for financial aid past the priority deadline, do I have a possibility of still receiving a financial aid packet, or has all financial aid already been awarded?
March 31st, 2010
Katie,
No, it is not too late to apply for financial aid, but you need to contact Fin Aid asap to start the process (800.288.0204) or finaid@vanderbilt.edu.
Thom
March 31st, 2010
No news here in Houston yet. The anxiety is killing me! What does it mean if it’s taken this long?
March 31st, 2010
Not sure karolyne. Remember, you can call our office and receive your decision if you have not yet received it by now.
Thom
April 1st, 2010
If we have been wsitlisted and then are admitted in May,, will we receive the same FinAid package as we would have with regular admission?
April 1st, 2010
Oh, ok. Thanks, that’s good news. I already applied for financial aid; I just applied late and am waiting to hear back.
April 1st, 2010
How many students are on the waitlist and how does this compare to last year? what % of waitlist kids were offered acceptance last year? When offering to waitlist kids, what factors are considered to prioritize the first to be called etc…?
April 1st, 2010
In Florida, its thursday, no letter yet.
April 1st, 2010
Hi Thom,
Is there any way to appeal a decision? And if so how?
April 2nd, 2010
Can you tell me how many are on the waitlist? Also, is it possible to find out what your aid package would be while you are on the list?
April 2nd, 2010
It’s Friday (April 2) here in Hawaii. I would not like to call because it will be a little awkward on the line if I got rejected but do you happen to have any idea when it will reach me here? Thank you.
April 4th, 2010
My letter still hasn’t come…i heard my admissions decision on the phone but since i am on the waitlist i cannot send in the yellow slip to remain on the waitlist unless my letter comes…what should i do? i feel like it must have gotten lost in the mail because a friend of mine who applied got her letter the monday after they were sent out
April 7th, 2010
The admissions office told us that transfer applicants won’t know about acceptances until May. I know Thom said it would be this past week. Is there a firm and fast answer on this? We are anxious! Thanks for all the info!
April 14th, 2010
Waitlisted at three schools; accepted at most others. I turned down the other waitlist offers as I am only interested in continuing to pursue Vanderbilt at this point. Hoping for the best, while trying to be realistic; a lot tougher than I imagined!
November 14th, 2010
When you state 50% SAT scores with a range, does that imply the 25% to the 75%///i.e. 1540 is the 75% and the 1440 is the 25%? Wondering for upcoming possible student.
November 14th, 2010
Debbie: No, it implies that of the enrolled students 50% of their scores are within that range. It also implies 25% of enrolled scores are higher than that top number and 25% are lower than that lowest number. It’s a representation of the quantity of scores.