Vanderbilt Admissions AMA 2015
We just finished reviewing over 31,000 applications – Ask Me Anything.
On Monday, the members of Vanderbilt’s University Enrollment Affairs Team – the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, the Office of Student Financial Aid and Scholarships, the Center for Data Management, and the Vanderbilt Institutional Research Group – gathered together for an annual tradition: Mailing Day. After months of talking with applicants and their families, of reading applications and getting to know the people behind them, and of making careful and difficult selection choices, we put admitted student packets in the mail to the Vanderbilt Class of 2019. If you applied to Vanderbilt this year, you can see your admission decision online in MyAppVU.
Do you have questions for us? Today’s the day to ask us anything. Just put your question in the comment section, and we’ll do our best to give you an answer.
Edit: Great questions today, everyone! I appreciate the interest. As of about 5:00 pm, I’m calling it a day. Of course, you can always ask us questions on the blog, it may just take us a little longer to reply. Again thanks!
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March 25th, 2015
Estimated overall admissions rate and yield rate?
March 25th, 2015
We’ll publish official stats on this class later, when we update the class profile at http://admissions.vanderbilt.edu/profile/. Until then, you can estimate based on the numbers we’ve already published – over 31,000 apps and approximately 3,500 admits. To calculate yeild, we have to wait until the Regular Decision applicants make their choice – and we hope they choose VU!
March 25th, 2015
Hi, thank you for answering questions. I have a few different questions – when will transfer decisions begin being rendered? Also, does coming from a two-year community college affect your chances for admission? Does being a non-traditional student reflect poorly on admissions decisions? Thanks again!
March 25th, 2015
Thanks for the questions, Jameson. We will begin notifying transfer applicants of admissions decisions in mid-April. We consider applicants from all types of schools, although the majority of our transfer students who are admitted are coming from a competitive 4 year university and have done well (about a 3.3 GPA or above) at that school. As with our first-year application process, we take a holistic view in evaluating applications – use the application to describe your particular circumstances and why you’d be a good fit for Vanderbilt. Thanks!
March 25th, 2015
How many people are on the Enrollment Affairs Team?
March 25th, 2015
I don’t have a total count across all of the Enrollment Affairs departments, but it is over 75.
March 25th, 2015
I posted this question a little earlier, it must have not gone through. Having worked my way through graduate school in the admissions office, I remember clearly how exhausted, happy, proud, and a bit punch drunk we were at this point and you all must be right now. Congratulations for a spectacular admissions season! So, in the spirit of “Ask Any Question”:
How many ping pong balls do you suppose it would take to fill Kirkland Hall?
Laura Brown
Class of 1987
March 25th, 2015
Thanks Laura! We are certainly proud of this new class!
Here’s what I have on Kirkland and ping pong balls. I estimate each floor of Kirkland is approximately 15,300 square feet. With 10 foot ceilings and five floors, that’s 765,000 cubic feet. Based on a quick google search, looks like approximately 475 ping pong balls fit in a square foot so . . . 363,375,000 to fill Kirkland. (That’s not counting the tower, but also not allowing for interior walls and furniture.)
March 25th, 2015
You’re a great sport, Jay! Take some time off, you all have earned it. Congrats again on your hard work and on another outstanding Vanderbilt class!
March 25th, 2015
Do all accepted students (ED and RD) receive these acceptance packets or just regular decision? Also, what is included in these packets?
March 25th, 2015
Hi Mark, thanks for the question. All admitted students will receive an admit packet, which includes the official letter of admission, a publication called Open ‘Dores which provides a great overview of what’s to come at Vanderbilt, financial information (including financial aid information, if applicable), and invitations to our Open House and Vanderbilt and You events. Oh, and a cool window cling for your car so you can show off your new school pride!
March 25th, 2015
Can you give a few examples of what made applications stand out to you?
March 25th, 2015
Hi Paul, this is a great question, but I am afraid I have to dodge it slightly. While certain applications do obviously stand out to us, I hesitate to call any out specifically. In our process, we want to know about each applicant as an individual, and we don’t want new applicants to look at a handful of specific examples of successful applicants as a model. It may sound a bit cliche, but each applicant is unique and our process centers around finding the right fit between a strong applicant and VU.
March 25th, 2015
What steps would you advise those students who were wait listed to take?
March 25th, 2015
Great question. First and foremost, claim your spot on the wait list and watch your email for updates. We will contact you periodically to check for continued interest in remaining on the wait list. This is the one time in our process where we take into account a student’s demonstrated interest. Please be sure to continue responding to each of the Wait List Interest emails we will be sending throughout April to let us know that you are still interested in enrolling at Vanderbilt. When we begin making offers, we typically consider only those students who have let us know that they are still interested in receiving them. We don’t advise sending in additional information unless it is truly new and significant information that bears on the selection process. Thanks!
March 25th, 2015
If an application is considered “incomplete” because of missing transcripts or other paperwork, is the decision pushed back until the required forms arrive?
March 25th, 2015
Thanks for the question, Clarissa. If an application is incomplete after the deadline, we send notices to applicants telling them to log in to MyAppVU to see what is missing and update their file. If the materials come in before we release decisions, we can typically review the complete file. At this point in the 2015 first-year admissions process, we have released final decisions. For any applications that remained incomplete at decision time, we have closed the application and “incomplete” is the final decision.
March 25th, 2015
How competitive is the admissions process for international students? Particularly those from the Caribbean…. do you get many applicants from the Caribbean?
In terms of undergraduate admission
Also, does having an IB diploma give you an advantage?
March 25th, 2015
Hi Amanda, thanks for your questions. The admission process for Vanderbilt is highly competitive regardless of where a student comes from. The reality is that our class size is limited to 1,600, and we receive many more qualified applications than that. We do get applications from the Caribbean, and the Admissions Counselor who covers this territory for us is Jason McGrath. He’s a good resource for further questions, and you can reach him through that link. Strong IB test score and an IB diploma can be a positive part of your application, but they aren’t required.
March 25th, 2015
Thank you so much
March 25th, 2015
Would you rather fight one horse sized duck or 100 duck sized horses? Thank you, hope I get in !!!
March 25th, 2015
This is just me personally, not necessarily the view of the Office of Undergraduate Admissions or Vanderbilt University, but I’d say one horse-sized duck just because I like to think that after a little tussle we’d actually become good friends and go on lots of adventures together.
March 25th, 2015
Also, because of the Square-Cube law, a horse-sized duck wouldn’t be able to support the weight of its own body on its limbs, and would thus be unable to fight you.
March 25th, 2015
Dang, that makes it sound like the adventures are out too. :(
March 25th, 2015
My daughter might want to go into Engineering, but she loves music as well. She is a good student, but I feel like she may have an easier time getting into Blair over the Engineering school. Can she apply to both? If not, how do we choose which one to apply to? I know you can major in Engineering and take music classes, but I don’t think you can be a Blair student and take Engineering classes. Not sure how to proceed.
March 25th, 2015
Hi Stacy, thanks for your questions. Talented students face these kinds of tough choices, and your daughter will have to choose between applying to Blair or Engineering as her primary school of choice. She can, however, indicate a second choice on her application (so, for instance, she can apply to Blair and indicate Engineering as a secondary choice). Blair students can take Engineering classes, though Blair performance majors would likely find it very, very difficult to fit in an additional Engineering major because of the time commitments required by both.
How to make this choice? I think that’s a personal question, but I would suggest she visit campus, take a tour (and a tour of Blair), and talk to current students to find out more about both Blair and Engineering. After all of that she should have a better idea of where she fits best, and she can talk more with her admissions counselor about the application process. I hope this helps!
March 25th, 2015
On the waitlist letter it was mentioned that waitlisted applicants could send in additional materials for admissions consideration. To where should these materials be sent?
March 25th, 2015
You can send those to us at:
Office of Undergraduate Admissions
2305 West End Avenue
Nashville, Tennessee 37203
I’ll stress that the additional materials should be both new and significant. We aren’t just looking for additional, but something that actually sheds new light on the application. Thanks!
March 25th, 2015
My daughter is a HS junior with a Gpa 4.19 weighted & a 29 on pre-aCT last year. What does her focus need to be to get accepted for 2016? Her ACT score?
March 25th, 2015
I’m going to quote from something that we have in our FAQ section, because I think it’s the best answer we can give you: “By far the best method of preparing for admission to Vanderbilt, or to any selective university, is to take as many rigorous courses as you can healthily manage while working hard to make the best grades possible. Remember that learning is worthwhile for its own sake, not merely as a vehicle for getting into a “good” college. The most compelling applications will demonstrate a genuine love of learning as opposed to the mechanical pursuit of good grades. Participate in extracurricular activities because they have meaning to you, not merely because they will be needed for your college application. Preparing for a selective university begins when you first enter high school, not sometime in the middle of your junior year. By following these guidelines and your own internal compass, you will arrive at the college admissions process as prepared and self-aware as you can possibly be.”
I’ll add that your daughter has more control over her high-school transcript than she does over her standardized test scores, so that’s a great place to put in effort.
March 25th, 2015
What percentage of admitted transfer students come from community colleges?
March 25th, 2015
Hi Jeff, thanks for the question. I’m not sure that we track or publish this figure, and I don’t have it available to me. The majority of our transfer students who are admitted are coming from a competitive 4 year university, but again, I don’t have a specific percentage I can throw out to you.
March 25th, 2015
How many students are offered places on the waitlist?
Also, where do we send the extra materials, and to whom do we address them?
March 25th, 2015
We don’t publish a specific number of offers to the join the wait list. The actual number of students on the list is constantly changing – not every student who is offered a place on the wait list will accept his/her spot, and students can accept their spots and remove themselves from the list, which means that the number of students on the list actually fluctuates on a daily basis.
You can send extra materials to us at:
Office of Undergraduate Admissions
2305 West End Avenue
Nashville, Tennessee 37203
March 25th, 2015
Also, is early decision a good option in case she cannot get in and has to look at her 2nd and 3rd choices? sorry I am new at this.
March 25th, 2015
Jodi, this post is a great primer for you if you’re new to Early Decision: http://admissions.vanderbilt.edu/vandybloggers/2013/08/early-action-early-decision-and-regular-decision-whats-the-difference/
The choice to apply early comes down to this – is Vanderbilt your first choice school and will you absolutely enroll if you are offered admission. If the answer is yes, then Early Decision may be the right option for you.
March 25th, 2015
Vanderbilt is the ONLY school she wants, as she is biology major/pre-med and born in Nashville but we moved when her father passed at age 8. I get that my question only talked about her being a junior in HS but she is ‘focused’ and was admitted to a medical college class as a junior locally. SO, although I know it’s difficult to be admitted to Vanderbilt. she is determined, and I think her transcripts will say it all. Thank you for your responses. Have a great day.
March 25th, 2015
Hello! I was wondering how you guys determine whether to admit applicants to their first or second choice school? (e.g. College of Arts and Science vs School of Engineering)
March 25th, 2015
Great question, Carolin. If a student is not offered admission to his or her first choice school, he or she is then also evaluated for the second choice school. If a student is admitted to the first choice school, then we don’t do the second evaluation. Thanks!
March 25th, 2015
I am a junior at Franklin High in Williamson County. I plan on graduating with an IB diploma as well as a special needs diploma because I am gifted. Part of the IB diploma requires the competition 50 community service, 50 activity and 50 creativity hours, but beyond that, what would you recommend to improve my resume? My weighted GPA is around 4.4-4.5 and unweighted around 3.49. In addition, I have a 27 on ACT as of the fall of my sophomore year and plan to raise it to a 33. Are there any suggestions you have for a Caucasian, middle class, Williamson County student? Vanderbilt is my dream school and I am striving for a nice financial package because I do not want to rely on my parents for furthering my education. Thank you so much for taking the time to do this and I would appreciate any additional advice you have to offer.
March 25th, 2015
Christina, it sounds like you are already doing quite a lot that would make for a strong application. At this point in your high school career, you’ve already achieved a lot, and soon it will be time to start thinking about how to present your achievements on your application. I suggest looking back through the blog archives at our “how to” posts on recommendation letters, personal essay, and extracurricular activities lists. Thinking about how you will approach these now can help you prepare when the time comes to actually put your application together. I also suggest reaching out to your admissions counselor Mary Stevens so you can ask any specific questions. Hope this helps!
March 25th, 2015
What are the campus demographics (race and gender)?
March 25th, 2015
From the Vanderbilt Profile:
(All Undergraduates, Fall 2014)
Female 50%
Male 50%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.3%
Asian or Hawaiian/Pacific Islander 10.1%
Black/African American 8.0%
Hispanic of any race 8.0%
Two or more races 4.8%
Total minority 31.3%
International 6.2%
March 25th, 2015
What are your favorite places on and off campus, and why?
March 25th, 2015
This is such a tough question – there are SO MANY! Here are a few off the top of my head:
On campus – Alumni Lawn, The Commons, Wyatt Center Rotunda, Buttrick Hall, and the Admissions Office. Lots of good memories at all of these places.
Off campus – Pinewood Social, Bicentennial Park, Mas Tacos, Lockland Table, The Downtown Public Library. Just google these places and you can see why – Nashville is amazing!
March 25th, 2015
If a student at a rigorous high school experienced a death/family illness that affected their academic performance for one semester, is that taken into account? Also, does it help if the student improves in the second semester (from a C to an A)? How does this affect the admissions decision? Thank you!
March 25th, 2015
Really good question, Laura. We certainly take these kinds of things into account. The most important thing is to help us understand what we are seeing on the transcript. We like to see an upward trajectory of a student improving achievement in ever more rigorous coursework. However, if grades suffer because there is an extenuating circumstance like a death in the family, we want to know. Understanding the context of the transcript is a part of our holistic application review. Thanks!
March 25th, 2015
Admissions directors and info sessions always talk about finding a “good fit.” What are some convincing and successful ways applicants communicated to you that they believe Vandy is a good fit for them? When a prospective student visits campus, what places do you recommend they visit or activities they engage in to get the best feel for the school?
March 25th, 2015
Hi Lori – great question! Fit is an idiosyncratic thing – different people can fit in different ways. I would say that it is key to let us know that you understand the school or academic program you are applying to, and tell us your personal qualities that mesh well with it. Pointing to specific experiences, classes, achievements in an area can go along way toward showing that a student has both understanding and experience in an area.
Our program ‘Dore for a Day is a great way to get a personal look at campus and get a feel for the social and academic environment of Vanderbilt. Beyond that, just talking with current students about their experiences is probably the best way to learn about campus. Thanks for the question!
March 25th, 2015
Thanks for the reply and good advice. I’m a school principal and often advise students. Now my own child is going through the process. We are flying in this weekend during spring break, and my daughter will be a ‘Dore for the Day on Tuesday. Looking forward to it!
March 25th, 2015
If a student does not get accepted via ED, can he or she get deferred or be placed on the waiting list?
March 26th, 2015
Hi Josh, thanks for your question. If a student applies Early Decision and is not admitted, that is the final admission decision. We do not defer applicants to RD from ED or put ED students on the wait list.
March 25th, 2015
Hi,
Thanks for hosting this AMA! This has been loads of help!
Vanderbilt is my absolute dream school. I plan to apply to the School of Engineering next year. My PSAT score predicts that I will be announced as a National Merit Semi-Finalist next fall, and I am confident that I can become a Finalist in the winter. I realize that not any one accomplishment determines acceptance into Vanderbilt, but does Vanderbilt put any particular emphasis on having National Merit Finalists?
Thanks again!
March 26th, 2015
Thanks, Meg, I’m glad you’ve enjoyed it. And thanks for the question. We do value National Merit Finalists, however, as I have mentioned in some other answers, we take a holistic approach to evaluating applications. As you say, we are looking for more than any one thing. Another cool thing about National Merit Finalists is that they can earn you scholarships in our merit aid process. See more at http://www.vanderbilt.edu/scholarships/additional.php
March 25th, 2015
Which specific schools normally have the higher acceptance rate for transfers? Just out of curiosity.
March 26th, 2015
Thanks for the question, Malik. I don’t think this is a number that we track or publish. I’m sorry, but it’s not something that I have available to me.
March 26th, 2015
Hi! I know I’m late to the party but just wanted to take this opportunity to ask a question. When considering the application of a homeschooled student, what factors/accomplishments would show the admissions officer that this applicant is qualified to be a student at Vanderbilt? Also, do you have admissions statistics about homeschool students you are able to share? Such as admission rate, middle 50% test scores, etc. Thanks so much!
March 26th, 2015
Hi Lainey, thanks for the question. Really, for homeschool students we are looking for the same qualities we are looking for in any applicant. We want to see the ability to be successful in Vanderbilt’s rigorous academic environment. Our homeschool admits profile similarly to other admits, and to get a feel for those numbers check out the Vanderbilt Profile at http://admissions.vanderbilt.edu/profile/. Also you may want to visit our page for homeschool students at http://admissions.vanderbilt.edu/prospective/homeschool.php. Thanks!
March 26th, 2015
Hi! My son was admitted ED1 and the kids started a 2019 FB roommate search page. Now that RD has been announced, will VU start an “official” roommate search page?
March 26th, 2015
Hi Lori, thanks for the question. Vanderbilt doesn’t organize an official roommate search page, but the official 2019 FB group is a great place for admitted students to begin meeting and getting to know each other. If he hasn’t yet joined the group he can find it at https://www.facebook.com/groups/vu2019
March 27th, 2015
i want to get admission in this university please help me guys :(
Zoroka
March 29th, 2015
Hi, I am an admitted international student from China. I would like to know when can I expected to receive Vanderbilt’s admission packet : ) Does the Vanderbilt admission office send packets to international students via regular postal mail or express mail? I haven’t received mine yet. Thanks!
April 10th, 2015
Hi Hayley, thanks for the question. As you probably know, international mailings can take a while. If you still haven’t received your welcome packet, please let me know so that we can take a closer look.
March 29th, 2015
If I have earned any new achievements and/or awards while on the waitlist, how may I communicate such to vanderbilt inorder to enhance my application
April 8th, 2015
Mr. Watson, I applied A&S, and I’m on the wait list. The program of study I’m interested in for A&S overlaps with a program of study at Peabody. In fact, I know I can achieve my ultimate academic goal, PhD, via either path. Should I let my counselor know I would accept a spot at Peabody as well?