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‘Vanderbilt Early Decision’

Family and the College Search Process

Sep. 27, 2010—The college search process is a family affair.  I have no problem with significant parent involvement because many times the parents make a large financial investment in the student’s education.  Plus, I want Vanderbilt to be a place where the whole family feels at home – a sort of home away from home.  As a...

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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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Writing a Personal Statement

Sep. 13, 2010—Last year I was responsible for approximately 1,000 applications.  Numerically, far too many of my students look identical.  It’s the intangible pieces: essay, letters of recommendation, and extracurriculars that set one student apart from another.  The essay is my personal favorite.  I love a good story.  I know, though, that this can be a stressful...

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Meet Maria Ornelas

Sep. 3, 2010—My hometown is Denver, CO. I am the admissions counselor responsible for Eastern and Middle Tennessee (except Davidson, Williamson, Rutherford, and Montgomery Counties) and Ohio (except Cincinnati/Dayton).

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Early Decision Quiz

Aug. 23, 2010—I am frequently asked by students whether or not they should apply Early Decision.  Below are some basic questions to ask before making that decision.

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On the Road

Aug. 16, 2010—This week marks my first official recruitment trip of the Fall 2011 admissions cycle!  Thom and I are Road Show buddies for the week and we will be visiting Chicago, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, and Indianapolis.  What exactly is the Road Show about?  Essentially, it’s us bringing Vanderbilt to you.  At these events we host an information...

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Vandy Snow Day and EDII 2010 Update

Jan. 31, 2010—Nashville got blanketed with 4-6" of snow over the weekend. Vandy students promptly went B-A-N-A-N-A-S. Early decision II committee started Friday and it will likely conclude this Tuesday. Last year we mailed EDII letters on February 6, 2009, and we will shoot for a similar early mailing date (early from our publically stated February 15 EDII notification date) as is our general practice. As we did last year, I will make sure to let everyone know when the letters have left the building.

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Deadline Weekend 2010

Jan. 1, 2010—Our postmarked deadline for ED 2 and RD is January 3, 2010. If you are submitting online with the Common Application, I highly recommend you finish and submit prior to 11:59 am on the 3rd - just a thought.

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The Road to Resilience: Next steps no matter what letter you received

Dec. 24, 2009—What to do if you were admitted at ED1, not admitted at ED1, incomplete at ED1, or are still pulling together your application materials for ED2 or Regular Decision to Vanderbilt.

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ED1 Decisions for VU Class of 2014 Are Out the Door

Dec. 15, 2009—At 7:30 AM this morning, the US postal service carried the first decision letters of the Vanderbilt class of 2014. The momentum that Vanderbilt has been on for the last five years keeps on rolling, due at least in part to The Commons, our Expanded Aid program, and our increasingly national and international reputation.

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