Waitlist FAQs 2018
What does it mean to be on the waitlist? How does the waitlist work? When will I hear if I’m in? We know that April is a big month, and that includes the excitement and questions that come along with the decisions you recently received. Today, we bring you our Waitlist FAQ for 2018.
Before we begin, though, I want to congratulate you! If you were offered a spot on our waitlist, we know you’d be a valuable addition to the Vanderbilt Class of 2022. I understand that you were hoping for an offer of admission, but with only 1,600 spaces ultimately available in the class, the competition for admission is particularly keen. We have admitted students from the waitlist for the last 27 consecutive years, so you can feel confident that our enrolled class will include waitlisted students. In recent years, we have used the waitlist to fill up to 10% of the incoming class, so you should know that an offer to join the waitlist is not so much a “no” as it is a “not right now.”
If your interest in Vanderbilt continues, then please read on. If we missed something that you are curious about, questions are welcome in the comments section below.
How do I accept my spot on the waitlist?
This is easy: simply log in to your MyAppVU account and click on the “Claim My Spot” button on the front page. In addition, be sure to respond to each of the Waitlist Update emails you receive from our office throughout the waitlist season to let us know that you are still interested in attending Vanderbilt.
If I was waitlisted at Vanderbilt, do I really have any chance of getting in?
Absolutely. A waitlist offer from Vanderbilt is not a nice way of saying no – it’s our way of saying, “we may be able to admit you, but not right now.” For the last 27 consecutive years , we have admitted students into our incoming first-year class via the waitlist, so if you’re still interested in enrolling at Vanderbilt, hang in there!
I’m on the waitlist at Vanderbilt, but I’ve decided to enroll somewhere else. What do I do?
If this is the case, congratulations! We know you will do wonderful things wherever you have decided to enroll. Please be sure to decline your spot on the waitlist via the electronic form provided on your MyAppVU account.
What are my chances of being admitted?
Just as we cannot predict any one student’s admission chances during the rest of the admissions cycle, we cannot predict your chances of being admitted off the waitlist. However, we can tell you that over the last five years, an average of 8% of our enrolling class of 1,600 has been admitted from the waitlist and we expect this year to be something similar.
Where am I on the waitlist? Can you consider me for another undergraduate school?
Because Vanderbilt admits its incoming first-year students by individual school, we do not have one giant waitlist, but rather four separate lists for each school. We do not rank our waitlists. As places in the class open up, we will evaluate applicants on the waitlist using the same holistic process we used in the initial review, taking into account high school achievement, standardized test scores, extracurricular involvement, and those wonderful intangibles that come through in your essays and recommendations. You will be considered for the school to which you were offered a spot on the waitlist since there are separate waitlists for each of the four schools. You cannot be considered for a different undergraduate school.
How can I increase my chances of admission?
The waitlist is the one instance in our process where we do take into account a student’s demonstrated interest. Please be sure to continue responding to each of the Waitlist Update emails we will send over the next several weeks to let us know that you are still interested in enrolling at Vanderbilt. When we begin making offers, your demonstrated interest may be a factor we consider.
Do you need any new information from me?
While we do not require you to submit new information during this process, we certainly allow it. Feel free to send new test scores, grades, activities, leadership positions, or letters of recommendation, but make sure to focus on that key word: new. As previously stated, your spot on the waitlist is a good sign that your application was pretty spectacular to start with, and sending additional materials for the sake of sending additional materials will not give you a leg up in this process.
Can I come to campus and visit?
Absolutely! We would love to have you on campus if your schedule allows. Keep in mind that you don’t have to come visit in order to be admitted, but visiting over the coming weeks could be a great way for you to finalize your interest in Vanderbilt. You can sign up for an Information Session and Campus Tour on our website, and you can also participate in ‘Dore for a Day. Space is limited in both of these visit opportunities, so be sure to plan your visit ahead of time.
How will you notify me if I am admitted?
If you are offered admission, you will receive an email from the Director of Admissions. If you are still interested in receiving the offer, your admit status and your financial aid package will be made available via your MyAppVU account. You will then have a limited amount of time to accept the offer and pay your matriculation deposit.
When will I find out if I receive an offer of admission? What is the latest I could possibly find out?
We do not have a hard and fast deadline for when we will start making offers of admission or when the waitlist for first-year students will close. We usually start making offers of admission from the waitlist in early May, and we try to wrap up the process by early July. Because this is after the national candidate reply date of May 1, we strongly encourage you to submit a deposit at another school to ensure you will not be left without any options.
If I am admitted, will I still be eligible for financial aid? When will I find out about my financial aid package?
Although we do reserve the right to be need aware when admitting waitlisted students, those who are admitted and have applied for need-based aid will still receive 100% of their family’s demonstrated need, completely loan free. Students admitted off the waitlist are not eligible for merit scholarships.
We hope this answers all of your questions, but as always, let us know if we missed anything in the comments below. Congratulations and best wishes to you all!