<p>what were your test scores, ec's, gpa, etc? i am trying to get a "profile" of a c.v. scholar since only half with above 34 or 1500 get the scholarship</p>
<p>wait... only ED people have gotten it so far right? I'm RD so how much longer do I have to wait?</p>
<p>Nobody's gotten it yet is my understanding...</p>
<p>it doesnt have to be this year...just within the last 6 or 7 years</p>
<p>midmo posted earlier on another thread this scholarship program has been completely changed since last year. It may be that previous years' info is no longer applicable. If you have a question, it might be best to contact admissions to ask.</p>
<p>^^^What I gathered from reading the scholarship pages this year is that there is no longer mention of the "honor awards", or unnamed merit scholarships, that did not require any formal application in past years. It seems that all students hoping to get a large merit award must file formal applications now. I have no idea if that means there are fewer total awards or not, or if the actual method of selecting winners is completely different than it was in the past. Also, I must emphasize that I have no special source of information. I just don't see the same information on the web site that was there in the past. The discussion of the C. Vanderbilt scholarship makes it sound like several different programs were combined into one, perhaps for more standardized selection procedures. Just a guess.</p>
<p>As for lulumobile's request for details about merit award winners, I don't really think it will serve any purpose to get details about specific winners. You can assume the test scores are very high and the rigor of the courses is considerable. gpa does not have to be perfect if the rest of the record is impressive, but it does have to be good. As for ec's, I think that depends partly on which school you have applied to (i.e. engineering will be impressed by different activities than arts and sciences, etc.) and also on just what the scholarship committee is looking for in any given year.</p>
<p>There really is no predicting the award decisions at schools like Vanderbilt. The rule of thumb that gets repeated here on cc is that full tuition awards at Vanderbilt and similar schools are offered to students whose records would make them viable candidates for very top-ranked schools. That is probably about right. (In fact, that is essentially what a dean said to the group of scholarship winners that included my son when they were getting the "come to Vanderbilt" pep talk in April.)</p>
<p>lulu and others: my personal recommendation is not to count on a big award anywhere, but stay flexible and open to attending whatever school offers the best overall package, not just financial, but also opportunities to pursue programs that interest you, etc.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Mission and History
The Cornelius Vanderbilt Scholarship Program began in 2007 with a gift from the Sartain Lanier Family Foundation of Atlanta designated to unite and strengthen Vanderbilt’s existing full-tuition academic merit scholarships under the aegis of a coordinated and cohesive scholarship program.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>lulumobile, the scholarship of this name is new. Perhaps that is why no one has responded. It is hard to know how much things like "community service" matter, for instance.</p>
<p>^^^ Interesting find, Midmo. Can you provide the link? The Lanier used to be a separate scholarship with a separate application until this year. Now it has been folded into the Cornelius Vanderbilt. I don't know how that will play out. The Lanier used to be only for residents of certain metro Atlanta counties, but I don't know, now that it is part of the CV, if this is still true. Anyone know???</p>
<p>^^^ Found the description of the CV scholarship you described above on the website. However, I still can't tell if they will be rolling all the scholarships into one big pot, or if , say, the Lanier will still be earmarked for metro Atlanta students, just as there are some specific scholarships for residents of other cities (e.g. Houston). Brad (Vandyadmissions) can you clarify??? Thanks!</p>
<p>I know everyone is anxious to know how the scholarships work & whether or not they "might" get one. Frankly, I don't think it does any good to ask or to worry. It is what it is. Write your best application & let it go at that.</p>
<p>Just so that those with financial concerns can feel better, I want to assure you that Vanderbilt has excellent need based aid. While my D, a student with very high stats who received large scholarships at other schools, did not receive a merit scholarship from Vandy ... she got more in need based grants at Vanderbilt than she got in scholarships at other schools. If you are worried about affording Vanderbilt, they really do help out.</p>
<p>On the other hand, if you are looking for a full ride on merit only ... you have very stiff competition at any top school that offers merit scholarships. No one can tell you if you will or will not get a scholarship at a particular school. If they try to tell you they can predict your future, don't listen. As in all matters of admissions and merit aid at top schools, you can only apply with the best info you can put together & hope for the best. In the meantime, try not to obsess too much (yes, I know, that's easier said than done).</p>
<p>Hi kelsmom-
Thanks for your info on Vandy's need-based money. As for the merit money, the scholarship deadlines have passed, as I am sure you know, so the essays are written. And as the process has changed this year, I think the questions posed by midmo and others are reasonable. I don't see it as "obsessing". People (myself included) are just curious about, and wanting more information about the procedural changes this year. I am hopeful that Brad will enlighten us, if he isn't too snowed under with the apps he is reading!</p>
<p>jym, I am glad to hear that you aren't obsessing. In the years I have been reading these boards, I have seen far too many kids who are giving themselves ulcers worrying about what they can't control. I know my own D drove herself nuts thinking "I'll never get in to college X" (she did) and "I don't know which school to pick" (since she got in to more than one she liked). It all works out in the end. And yes, I understand your desire to know more. I just wanted to stress the importance of not stressing!</p>
<p>^^^^ Probably the kids are stressing far more than the parents. However, with the tanking of the stock market these past few days, maybe I SHOULD be stressing!! It would be nice to know more about the change in the scholarship process this year, and what it means in the scheme of things. I hope Brad chimes in.</p>
<p>does anyone know the average household income of vanderbilt undergrad students? im curious cuz it says 60% get financial aid and students who go there r stereotyped to be rich so financial must be generous.</p>
<p>I don't know the average income. I actually think that there was a breakdown in last year's viewbook that told the number of people in various income brackets & the average financial aid award. I could be wrong ... all those schools tend to blend together! As far as the student body, Vandy appears to have a broad spectrum of income levels. Yes, there are plenty of well off families who send their kids there. Unlike some elites that have the "haves" and the "needy kids we're helping out," Vandy seems to have a lot of different income levels in between. That is because their financial aid honestly is really good. That doesn't mean they pay your family's EFC. What it does mean is that they will make up the gap between EFC & cost of attendance with a very generous package that is heavy on grant money (that is, free money).</p>
<p>I got something recently in the mail that talks about need based finaid and it has the breakdowns...</p>
<p>
[quote]
I actually think that there was a breakdown in last year's viewbook that told the number of people in various income brackets
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Plenty of people do not request need-based financial aid, so they do not have information from every family. The most they could report is the distribution of income of those families that are awarded need-based aid--hardly the whole picture.</p>
<p>Financial aid is reputed to be very good, and the numerous merit awards help keep some of the "in between" families (i.e. those who don't qualify for f.a. but can/will not pay full fare) around, so there does seem to be a better income distribution than many other private universities.</p>
<p>Oops, I did mean a breakdown of the families who request f.a., midmo! There is obviously no way of knowing the income brackets for anyone not applying. My point is the same as yours, though ... there is a good income distribution across various levels. This is intentional on Vandy's part.</p>
<p>yea well i'm one of those kids "stuck" in the middle"--don't come close to qualifying for need-based aid, but can't afford full vandy tuition without seriously hurting family budget. trust me, i don't qualify for need-based. we've talked to our school college counselor, vandy admin. officers, etc. either merit scholarship or i don't go. sucks.</p>
<p>i got an email saying that i got the cornelius vanderbilt scholarship. i'm an asian female living in nashville, so i was really surprised i got it. i also applied to the emory scholar and only got past the semi-finalist stage... and emory awards around 100 scholars so i did not expect to get the CV scholarship. however, if it helps, here are some of my stats:</p>
<p>SAT: 2310 (M: 790 R: 740 W:780)
Class rank: 3
GPA: 3.95 (unweighted)
ECs: lots of leadership, tennis, violin</p>