Female URM (Hispanic), from competitive NY High School
Applying to Engineering
SAT: 1510
GPA: 3.97
8 AP’s (4s and 5s) of which 4 are in progress including Calc BC and Physics II
2 Varsity sports (captain of 1). Club sport for 5
Years. Other light ECs.
Some merit would be quite helpful.
Did you apply ED?
Then you might have a chance. But I can’t see why Vandy would give you any merit $.
If merit $ is the goal then you prob need to set your sights a tier or 2 lower than Vandy.
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No application yet. If any it will be RD
Didn’t Vandy have an application deadline of 12/1 for merit consideration? Pretty sure they did.
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It would be helpful but not absolutely necessary per se.
The score/gpa are certainly in range, but there are many thousands with similar stats.
More information will help chancing:
What is class rank or decile if school does not rank(counselors will almost always tell a student what decile they are in)? How many students per year usually get into Vanderbilt or other similar top schools? How does course rigor compare to top kids: in some schools 8APs is very rare, in other schools almost half the kids could have that many.
Students are evaluated based opportunities and achievements in the context of their school so it is difficult to chance without those details.
For merit at Vandy, it is extremely difficult to get: one would have to be well above the average stats of accepted students and stand out in ECs or some other factor.
No ranking but almost certainly 1st decile.
Freshman cannot take APs so her load might not be max but is close.
School has 2-3 kids to Vandy for the last few years- so school is known by Vandy.
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It’s fine if freshman can’t take APs: she will only be compared to what is “rigorous” at her school. If 8 is about what the top kids have, and she has challenged herself with the type of APs(ie, the hardest STEM AP/honors the school offers since she applying to Engineering), and her GPA is in line with previous Vandy admits from her school, she has a good chance!
As others noted, the deadline to apply for merit at Vandy has passed. DS applied for Cornelius Vanderbilt scholarship last year and we THOUGHT he had a chance (a tiny chance, but a chance) - and he ultimately was waitlisted for admission, so was clearly not in the running for merit! GPA 98.3 (out of 100, unweighted; weighted is slightly higher as 2 points are added to honors classes; 4.0 as nothing lower than a 93 unweighted). SAT 1550. NMF. No class rank but believes he was #3. Science Research project (local awards, but nothing regional or national). Also 8 APs (can’t take them til Junior year in our district, though he took Macro on his own sophomore year). Applied to engineering. Lots of ECs, and leadership. One sport. I’m not saying it can’t happen, but the percent of non need based aid at Vandy is tiny. Look, schools at this level are a crapshoot. DS got into Duke, Cornell, Michigan, Purdue Honors, Case Western with a large merit offer, Rochester with merit and Maryland with merit. But he was waitlisted at Northeastern, Vanderbilt, Carnegie Mellon and Rice. On a different day, he could have had different results. DS really liked what he learned about the engineering program at Vandy. Good luck.
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I understand it’s a crapshoot, and the formula is indecipherable. It’s unfortunate kids need to spend so much time applying to 10+ schools as a result. More transparency in admission and $ would save everyone (including their AO’s) SO much time and effort. But it seems with every year the transparency gets less, and the number of apps per kid goes UP. It makes me glad I am nearing the end of this journey with my kids. I shudder to think of what it will become.
Vandy is one of the lower probability bets she will make. But she will make it nonetheless.
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I would encourage you to use the net price calculator as Vanderbilt provides very generous need-based aid which is all scholarships and grants, no loans.
My DD is a composition major there and loves it.
Good luck,
Pam
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Is ed2 a possibility? The rd acceptance rate was only 5 percent last year, so if she is really interested in Vandy, it may make sense.
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Never really considered it. C
Coming into this process, we decided as a family that she would not ED anywhere because
1- it decreases financial package (I know some argue it does not, but I don’t believe it- what school would pay up for someone who has already committed to attend) and
2-It goes against the wisdom that no one should fall in love with one school. Yes, it could be used tactically, but I think once a kid ED’s it becomes, if not a “dream” school, at least their favorite. But something can’t be a practical favorite unless cost is known.
I believe strongly, a kid needs to be admitted to a school and know what it will cost before they can compare it to other schools with those same data points.
Unfortunately, you can only have this data by applying.
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I have played around with the NPC’s and they are really of limited use for families who will not receive need based aid.
Why we don’t qualify for need based aid is a topic for another forum.
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