‘Vanderbilt Admissions’
Meet Chris Ream
Aug. 13, 2010—Austin, Texas is my hometown. I am the admissions counselor responsible for the areas of Houston and Austin, and East Asia (except China).
Vanderbilt Merit Awards
Aug. 11, 2010—In the past year I stumbled across a news story which reported that many American high school students expected scholarships to cover part or most of their college costs. As a counselor, I find this mentality alarming! While some students will receive smaller denomination scholarships from individual institutions and/or community organizations, only a fraction of...
Need-Based Financial Aid at Vanderbilt
Aug. 9, 2010—Talking about need-based financial aid is one of my least favorite tasks as an admissions counselor. My students and their families hear the sticker price and absorb little of the discussion that follows. But stay with me through this conversation. Those who tune me out are often those who would benefit the most from Vanderbilt’s...
Meet Mary Beth Hettinger
Aug. 6, 2010—This year we’ll be profiling each of our admissions counselors here in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. Through these profiles you’ll see that we’re from all over the world, we specialize in different tasks, and we really love the city of Nashville! This week I’d like to introduce you to Mary Beth Hettinger… My hometown...
Connecting with Your VU Admissions Counselor
Aug. 4, 2010—I just finished a book titled “Don’t Stalk the Admissions Officer” where the advice was average at best, but the humor was timely. Many of my students want me to have a face to put with their name, but in the quest to become real to me, a few students exhibit unreal behavior. Examples include...
What College Admissions Officers REALLY Want You to Know
Aug. 2, 2010—Standing in the reference aisle of Border’s yesterday I found myself both overwhelmed and amused with the plethora of admissions advice displayed on the shelves. One book, in particular, jumped out at me, the subtitle was “What College Admissions Officers Don’t Want You to Know”. As I flipped through the chapters I found absolutely nothing...
Summertime at OUA
Jun. 29, 2010—People I meet throughout life often believe my job is on a 10-month contract with summers off work. Contrary to belief, however, there is a great deal of behind-the-scenes work to be done in the summer months and I am here at OUA year-round. So what exactly do admission counselors do when they’re not traveling...
Music in Music City
Jun. 9, 2010—Summer came to Nashville quickly! It’s been in the 90s all week and despite the hot days and muggy nights, the city is flourishing with activity! This week and weekend is particularly exciting because Nashville will play host to two amazing music festivals: the CMA Festival and Bonaroo. The four day CMA Festival this year...
On Summer Time
Jun. 2, 2010—In the summertime, I sometimes take to walking our campus to get some air and clear my head. Vanderbilt's resplendent campus in the summer morning sun - it's extraordinary.
Waitlist Still Active – Calls Still Being Made
May. 28, 2010—As many of you around the country commence across that stage at your graduation, we here at Vandy congratulate each of you on your accomplishments. Whether you’re a new Commodore in our incoming class, or still hoping to be on our waitlist, hopefully you are getting excited about the next phase of your life as...
Decisioning Down to the Wire – Mr. Commodore Meet Mr. Greshko
Apr. 30, 2010—I started my last post with the understatement “waiting is hard,” but for many students nationwide the greater understatement is more like “choosing is hard.” We do not envy those of you who are now down to the wire with your decisions. Keep in mind that our deadline is a post-marked deadline, and that tomorrow...
Waitlist Update Email Going Out Today
Apr. 23, 2010—Waiting is hard. We know that after starting your college search a year ago (at least) and going through the application process, the last thing you really want to do is wait some more. So for those of you who have agreed to do so by accepting a spot on our waitlist, thank you. The good news is that barring an unforseen circumstance we do anticipate that we will be able to admit students from our waitlist at some point.