Class of 2020 – Early Decision Summary Statistics
Now that we’ve completed the Early Decision round of admissions for the Class of 2020, we can share some information about the newest ‘Dores. This is an immensely talented, incredibly diverse, and thoroughly engaged group. It’s also the largest Early Decision class in Vanderbilt’s history. We’re excited to welcome these students to Vanderbilt as we know they’ll make a profound difference on campus and beyond. We can’t wait to see what they will accomplish!
Here is a statistical profile of our Early Decision Class of 2020:
Percent of students who received one or more significant honors or held major leadership positions: 100%
Middle 50% CR SAT: 700-770
Middle 50% M SAT: 720-800
Middle 50% ACT: 33-34
Percent of students in the top ten percent of their graduating class: 91.1%*
Early Decision Admit Rate: 23.6%
We thank each student who applied through Early Decision, and we welcome the new members of the Class of 2020. We’re looking forward to seeing you on move-in day in August. In the meantime, as you’re sharing your news online with family, friends, and fellow ‘Dores, make sure to use the tag #vu2020. We’ll be watching for you!
*based on high schools that provide rank
February 16th, 2016
Can you please let us know how many students have been accepted? Has more than 50% of the class already been filled?
Thanks
February 16th, 2016
Thanks for your question. Approximately half of our entering class has been filled through early decision I & II.
February 16th, 2016
How many applied to early decision for class of 2020
February 17th, 2016
Quick back-of-the-envelope math … the first year class is approx 1,600, so approx 800 ED admits at 23.6% is somewhere in the neighborhood of 3,400 ED applications.
February 17th, 2016
Thanks Jay
February 16th, 2016
Could you please define “significant honor or major leadership position?” Would Secretary in my schools chapter of Future Business Leaders of America be considered significant?
February 17th, 2016
Thanks for your question, Matthew. Yes, it sounds like Secretary in your FBLA group would be considered a major leadership position. Significant leadership positions can include leadership in a student group (president, VP, Secretary, etc.), athletic leadership (captain, co-captain, MVP, state or national champion), fine arts leadership (leading roles or directing, being a drum major), or service group leadership. Honors can include academic awards, honors, or scholarships, or high honors in a group such as being an Eagle Scout or Girl Scout Gold Award.
February 16th, 2016
Hello! What are some examples of signifigant honors or major leadership positions?
February 17th, 2016
Thanks for the question, Allie. Please see my response above to a similar question.
February 16th, 2016
What was the total number of ED applicants for this year?
February 17th, 2016
Thanks for the question – I just answered a similar one. See above.
February 17th, 2016
Do you know when admitted students will get their acceptance letters and t-shirts.
Thanks
February 18th, 2016
The letter of admission and other welcome materials will be mailed by April 1. The t-shirts for ED students will be mailed in batches and will hopefully arrive soon. Thanks!
February 18th, 2016
Can you give me an idea of what goes into a decision other than ACT, GPA, and extracurricular? For example if two students have similar statistics what makes you choose one over the other?
February 19th, 2016
Thanks for the question, Thomas. We use a holistic admissions process, which means we use all parts of the application to get a sense of the whole applicant. We look at a student’s academic record as well as the context of the student’s high school offerings. We look at activities outside the classroom in terms of depth of involvement, responsibilities, and leadership. We consider each applicant’s writing. We also look at recommendations to learn more about each student both academically and outside of the classroom. This holistic approach allows us an individual look at applicants that goes well beyond statistics.
February 19th, 2016
So if a student with ACT, GPA, and extracurricular activities on par with other applicants could be denied acceptance because their writing skills are not the best or their teacher recommendations are not of the highest praise?
February 19th, 2016
Our approach is to look for the reasons to admit a student rather than looking for reasons not to. It’s important to keep in mind that there are many more qualified applicants than there are available places in the first-year class. As a result, there are many well-qualified students we are not able to admit. It is a very competitive applicant pool.
February 24th, 2016
What significant achievements or leadership positions would you be looking for from a homeschooled student?
February 25th, 2016
All other things being equal, how much does being designated a National Merit Scholarship Finalist help with the admissions process? Not for merit aid but for actual admission to Vanderbilt?
March 24th, 2016
What was the breakdown for admit stats between ED1 and ED2? I assume the summary combines them, so what are the two individual ones
March 24th, 2016
Thanks for your question. We do not publish a breakdown of stats between EDI and EDII – they are two parts of the same admissions phase and the statistics we publish are for the overall phase.
August 29th, 2016
Was also curious about the breakdown for admit stats for ED1 and ED2
September 2nd, 2016
Thanks for your question, Janeg. ED1 and ED2 are just different parts of our Early Decision round. We report the combined admission statistics for the ED round as a whole.
March 27th, 2016
I looked at both regular decision and early decision summary statistics. To me, it seems like there is a lower bar for early decision students. Why is that? Or is that true at all?
March 29th, 2016
Thanks for your question, Julie. The pool of applicants is different between early and regular, and that reflects the kind of commitment applying early requires. Students who apply early sign a binding agreement that they will enroll at Vanderbilt if admitted. That commitment is significant, and it’s something that we consider when making decisions.
March 30th, 2016
Oh. I see! Then if you do get admitted to Vanderbilt, do you not apply to other schools for regular decision at all?
April 6th, 2016
Yes, that is correct. Students admitted through early decision at Vanderbilt are expected to withdraw their applications from all other universities and enroll at Vanderbilt. Each university has its own policies, so my advice is to check anywhere you are applying early.
March 29th, 2016
please tell me do you offer any scholarships?
March 29th, 2016
Yes, we do! Check out the site for the Office of Student Financial Aid and Scholarships for more info.
http://www.vanderbilt.edu/financialaid/
April 6th, 2016
Does early decision acceptance affect financial aid, scholarships, or grants at all? Namely, if you know someone is committed to attending, are you less inclined to offer any carrots (enticements)?
April 6th, 2016
Thanks for the question, Craig. Students admitted through early decision are considered for financial aid, both need-based and merit-based, in the same manner that students admitted through regular decision are considered. We are committed to meeting 100% of demonstrated need for all admitted students, through financial aid that does not contain loans. In addition, all students may apply for merit scholarships and students admitted through both early and regular decision are considered for those merit scholarships. Every year, we award merit scholarships to students admitted through both early and regular decision plans.
April 12th, 2016
I got in ED 2 to Vanderbilt and am super excited! I was just wondering when I will be receiving my Barnes and Nobles t-shirt? I thought that perhaps Vandy was waiting to send them until regular decisions came out, but now I’m worried it is lost. Do you mind giving me an update? :)
April 18th, 2016
Hi Sarah, I’m sorry you haven’t received your shirt yet. Please check with your admissions officer to make sure that the address we mailed to is correct. Again, I’m sorry your shirt hasn’t made it to you yet – but congratulations and welcome to Vanderbilt!
April 23rd, 2016
For Early Decision, can applicants be waitlisted, or is it a yes or no response?
April 25th, 2016
Thank you for your question. For Early Decision students are not waitlisted. Part of Early Decision is that students receive a final decision at the early notification date.
April 28th, 2016
If a student isn’t accepted through early decision, is there a possibility of he or she being reconsidered through the regular decision application process?
May 2nd, 2016
Thanks for your question. At Vanderbilt, students who apply through Early Decision I or II receive a final admission decision and are not considered during the Regular Decision phase.
July 6th, 2016
If you have been accepted for early decision but the aid package is not enough to make the total cost affordable are you able to withdraw your application?
August 3rd, 2016
Thanks for your question. First, we suggest that applicants and their families use our Net Price Calculator to get a good idea of the financial aid package they may receive. While the NPC is just an estimate, it is usually a good estimate as long as the information you put in is accurate and complete. Second, we suggest you talk with someone in our Financial Aid office. They can give you even more details regarding your personal situation. Finally, we suggest you consider all of this information before you decide to apply early. If your financial situation changes between when you apply and when you receive your financial aid offer, then you can certainly discuss withdrawing your application with your Admissions Counselor.
August 17th, 2016
Is there a higher acceptance rate for ED1 rather than ED2? What are the benefits of ED1 vs ED2 (if any)? Also, how far in advance should interviews be done if applying early?
September 2nd, 2016
Thanks for your questions, Olivia. Think of ED1 and ED2 as two parts of the same Early Decision process, with the main difference being the application deadline and notification date. For a variety of reasons some students aren’t prepared to apply ED until after the ED1 deadline. For alumni interviews this year students must request an interview by November 9 for ED1 and January 11 for ED2. Because ED1 and ED2 are both a part of the same round of admissions, we report the total admission statistics for the entire round. Again, thanks for your questions!
October 30th, 2016
Attending Governor School is like a state honor! Does the admission take that into consideration when reviewing the application?
October 31st, 2016
Yes, absolutely! Attending Governor School is certainly something we consider as a part of student’s application. Thanks for your question.
December 16th, 2016
When you apply Early Decision 2, do your applications at other schools not exist anymore upon submitting early decision 2 application or is it just if you are admitted?
December 16th, 2016
You should carefully read the application expectations of each school you consider – at Vanderbilt, we expect students who apply through ED I or ED II to enroll if offered admission. If you are admitted to VU through ED, we expect you to withdraw any applications you have with other schools. Since our process is binding in this way, you should not apply to another school with a binding agreement if you are already applying to VU through ED II. Again, check with each school to make sure you understand their policies and expectations.