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‘Nashville’

How We Read a File

Nov. 19, 2010—In a previous post I walked readers through how all of our mail makes it into a complete application file.  I ended with the file landing in the “Read me!” bin of my office.  The question begs, then what?  How does an admissions counselor actually read a file, what are we looking for, and where...

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Not an Ivy in the South

Nov. 2, 2010—Vanderbilt is not an Ivy League in the South.  No, I’m not going to be one of those naïve jerks who tells you the Ivy League is just a sports conference.  I understand it means more than an athletic schedule.  Wikipedia (the authority on all things pop culture) says the Ivy League has a “connotation...

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Meet Sarah Quin

Oct. 25, 2010—I am the admissions counselor responsible for Pennsylvania, Delaware, Virginia & West Virginia. I work as the AmbassaDores coordinator in the office.

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Wrapping Up Travel Season – What Comes Next?

Oct. 11, 2010—Hopefully, you’ve had the chance to meet an admissions representative from our office in the past few months.  Officers (including myself) from Vanderbilt traveled extensively this fall in order to meet prospective students in their hometowns.   If you didn’t get to meet one of us in your region, come visit us! OUA is open six...

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Meet Thom Golden

Oct. 8, 2010—My  hometown is Snellville, GA by way of Nashville, TN. I am the admissions counselor responsible for the areas of Chicago, Mexico & the Caribbean.

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Meet Harper Haynes

Oct. 1, 2010—Anderson, South Carolina is my hometown. I am the admissions counselor responsible for Northern and Central Florida and South Carolina.

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Meet John Nesbitt

Sep. 24, 2010—My hometown is Winston-Salem, NC. I am the admissions counselor responsible for Westchester County, NY, San Francisco and the Bay Area, the Middle East and India.

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Letters of Recommendation

Sep. 22, 2010—One night last year I was pouring over Sam’s application for admission to Vanderbilt. In terms of Vanderbilt’s applicant pool, he was fairly average. Solid academic achievement with test scores in the 90th percentile, but nothing about the numbers jumped out at me as extraordinary. I don’t remember Sam’s essay, but I’m sure it was...

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Extracurriculars

Sep. 20, 2010—The well-rounded student vs. the well-angled student.  Which does Vanderbilt prefer?  Both!  We need generalists and specialists in our class of 1,600.  What really matters to us is that you love what you’re doing.  Passion is hard to fake.  If you’re just choosing activities to fill a resume, it shows.  Stop worrying about what each admissions...

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Secrets from the Admissions Office

Sep. 15, 2010—While I know everyone reading our Vandy Admissions Blog loves hearing from me, I want to point readers today to a Newsweek Education article.  Our Dean of Admissions sat down with Newsweek Education and answered critical questions we hear everyday in OUA.

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Meet Andrew Moe

Sep. 10, 2010—My hometown is Janesville, Wisconsin. I am the admissions counselor responsible for Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, North Carolina, Central America, and South America.

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Theme Words

Sep. 9, 2010—I hear about colleges all day long.  It’s (obviously) what I do for a living.  I know from my own college search experiences and my day-to-day job that many institutions begin to blend together and sound exactly alike.  Students and families seek to understand what’s different about Vanderbilt.  How does Vanderbilt set itself apart from...

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