Application FAQs
It looks like we’re creeping up on that application deadline – again! Because many students, counselors, and teachers have had difficulties with the Common Application, we have extended the application deadline to January 15, 2014. We know that many of you have taken advantage of the extra time to complete your applications, and we also know that many of you have some remaining questions about this process. Below you will find a list of the most frequent questions we have heard from you over the last several days:
Should I send in an art supplement/writing sample/research abstract/resume to enhance my application? We do not evaluate art supplements (CDs, portfolios, etc) as part of our application evaluation process. If you would like to send in a document to be added to your file, such as an additional writing sample or research abstract, you are welcome to do so. However, it is important to note that these items very rarely, if ever, make an impact on a student’s chances of admission, and it is still much more important that these activities be documented in the extracurricular activities list on the Common Application.
What is the School Report, and how does my counselor complete it? The School Report is a form that is sent electronically to your guidance counselor when you input that counselor’s email address in your portion of the Common Application. If your counselor has not received the form, check to be sure that you entered his/her address correctly. Any further difficulties should be addressed by the Common Application Help Center.
How do I set up an alumni interview? Once you submit your Common Application, you will receive an email from our office with instructions on how to set up your interview. This email may take a few business days to get to you, but trust me, it’s on its way! Keep in mind that alumni interviews are entirely optional, and the inability to complete an interview will not hurt your chances of admission in any way.
Will you be extending the notification date since you extended the application deadline? At this time we have not decided to change any of our notification dates. Early Decision II applicants should still receive their admissions decisions by mid-February, and Regular Decision applicants will hear by April 1. As always, keep an eye on this blog and your email account for further updates.
Will you be extending financial aid or scholarship deadlines? We have extended our priority deadline for Regular Decision and Early Decision II candidates to submit the CSS Profile to January 15, 2014. The priority deadline for the FAFSA is still February 3, 2014. The Cornelius Vanderbilt and Chancellor’s Scholarship deadlines have also been extended until January 15; the Ingram Scholarship deadline has already passed.
My testing center was closed for weather and the test was delayed, will you still accept my score? We are working with students who have been affected by weather-related closings on a case-by-case basis. If you are concerned that your test scores will not arrive in time due to a delayed testing date, please contact your admissions counselor.
I am scheduled to take a standardized test in January/February. Will you be able to review the scores for admissions? If you take the SAT or ACT after the application deadline and would like to submit these scores, you are welcome to do so. There is no guarantee that we will be able to take these scores into account when making your admissions decision, though sometimes it is possible. If you significantly improve your score and are worried that it was submitted too late to be considered, it would be a good idea to get in touch with your admissions counselor to discuss this update.
I’ve already submitted ___, why does my MyAppVU show that it’s still missing? Keep in mind that it may take multiple business days for a submitted application item to be processed in our system and marked “complete” in your MyAppVU account – even longer if the item was submitted via postal mail. If enough time has passed to get you truly worried, you can either resubmit the item or contact your admissions counselor to discuss your next steps.
Is it okay if my teachers/counselor did not get their pieces in by the deadline? Yes. We understand that students often have little control over when teachers or counselors are able to submit their recommendation letters or official reports, so we will likely continue to accept these items a few days after the deadline. However we strongly encourage you to do your best to make sure everything is done by the 15th – for your sanity as well as ours!
I am/my counselor is still having issues with the Common Application. What happens if I my items are not submitted by the January 15 deadline? We will continue to work with students, parents, counselors, and teachers who are having difficulties with the application on a case-by-case basis once the January 15 deadline has passed. Stay calm, stay in touch with your admissions counselor, and continue to work with the Common Application Help Center to get your issues resolved.
I have a question that is not addressed by this blog! What do I do? Please direct all other questions regarding your application to your assigned admissions counselor.
January 16th, 2014
I would like to know when is the due date of Mid Year Report for RD applicants? My counselor said my grades will not be available until Mid-Febuary :(
January 16th, 2014
Hi Mary, Thanks for the question. Midyear report is not required
and therefore does not have a due date. If you would like to submit, just do so
whenever you can.
January 17th, 2014
Thank you so much! However my couselor is having a technical problem with his CA account. He has never worked on my mid year report but CA indicates that he’s submitted it already, therefore he’s currently unable to do my mid year report unless this issue is solved. My counselor is working with CA on this and hopefully he still can submit my mid year report through CA. However, if he cannot submit through CA, how else can he send this report?
Since I’m applying under RD, when would Vanderbilt likely download my mid year report? I hope Vanderbilt does not download it right now because the report would be all empty….
Thank you very much:)
January 17th, 2014
You should bring this concern to your Vanderbilt admissions counselor. He or she will be able to help you with this specific concern. You can find your counselor at http://admissions.vanderbilt.edu/your-counselor/. Thanks.
January 17th, 2014
Ok…..Thanks! I’ll contact my Vanderbilt admissions counselor~
January 17th, 2014
Thank you so much! My counselor is having a technical issue with his CA account though–he’s never worked on my mid year report, but CA indicates that he’s already submitted it, thus he’s not able to work on my mid year report right now :( While he’s still trying to figure out how to solve this with CA, I’d like to know if CA fails, how else could he submit the report for me(by email)?
When would Vanderbilt download my mid year report from CA? I hope Vandy doesn’t download right now…cuz it’s all empty :(
August 7th, 2014
Does Vanderbilt consider the essay section of the ACT/SAT?
August 7th, 2014
Thanks for the question. We require the writing section of the ACT and SAT as a part of a complete application. The SAT automatically includes a writing section, but students taking the ACT should make sure to take the optional writing section. Thanks!
November 2nd, 2014
I am a HS junior very interested in Vanderbilt. I took the ACT plus Writing for the first time in September receiving an 8 out of 12 on the Writing portion of test. I plan on taking the ACT again in December and in February, and my current plan is to take the December test without Writing portion. If this December score (the one without Writing) is my best score, how does that work on the Common Application and with Vanderbilt? Does Vanderbilt only evaluate the ACT if it has the Writing section included, or does Vanderbilt take your writing score and combine it with the highest ACT composite?
Thank you
November 3rd, 2014
Hi Mike, thank you for your question. In this case, we would consider the higher score between the two tests, since you will have submitted the ACT with writing already.