<p>This is for a friend</p>
<p>2190 SAT
34 ACT</p>
<p>4.2 GPA</p>
<p>Native Hawaiian</p>
<p>3 Captain positions
USAMO qualifier</p>
<p>I’m a current freshman. One of the people I know with a Cornelius had a 36. I don’t know how another one of my friends got it, but she said it was her SAT, but she didn’t say what it was. (Those things matter a lot less in college)</p>
<p>The Cornelius and the Chancellors are not “full rides” …nor is the Ingram. They are full tuition scholarships and you are assessed on your room and board based on your FAFSA and CSS Profile.<br>
A 34 ACT is barely top quartile at Vanderbilt.
So it really isn’t about the test scores after a certain point. My advice is to apply to ALL the merit scholarships including the Chancellors. Do all the essays. It gives the adcoms more windows into knowing the applicant. Vanderbilt is now a school of “equals” in many respects when it comes to grades and test scores. It is the intangibles that get the merit offers once the test score benchmark is passed. Your friend has the test score he needs. He needs references and essays that are compelling. Make sure he gets across who he is and how he would add to his class at Vanderbilt and where he would use Vandy’s resources for his own education.<br>
best of luck and hope he/she stays interested in Vandy…that Hawaii location won’t hurt anything! :)</p>
<p>GREAT SAT scores, i hope to get that score when I’m in highschool!!! 
I think that a 34 ACT is good, but im not sure if its average at Vanderbilt. Good job with the leadership roles, Vanderbilt likes leadership. I have no idea what USAMO is but good job with it!!! Have more ECs and community service hours. Great Job!! :)</p>
<p>^this is my friend, and Faline2 i meant his race is native hawaiian.</p>
<p>According to the common data set for 2009/10 - a 34 ACT would put you in the top 25% of those admitted who submitted ACT scores. 58% submitted ACT, and 54% submitted SAT scores - obviously some submitted both.</p>
<p>Well, sic_infit, your friend has a wonderful set of scores and should have some equally great open doors for admissions. re Odds of merit scholarships at Vandy …you have to realize now that there is less and less difference between the “merit” winners and the “merits” of all students admitted to Vandy than in the past. That is my only point. Money at Vandy or Wash U that is merit based, is often awarded based on the total package a person presents rather than because they are notably more capable than the average student…this is what happens when your applicant pool is heavily weighted towards high achievers.
Please tell your friend also that Vandy is also popular because it awards very generous need aid based on FAFSA and CSS Profile so get a good handle on your EFC and then see if Vandy is going to be surprisingly affordable…could be.<br>
Also, Vandy does award other random merit offers which I don’t know much about but even if you don’t get a signature scholarship, there are students who receive some other significant merit dollar awards. </p>
<p>The point is…Don’t be a Stranger in your application…be transparent…show who you are and what your dreams are and communicate well with your references on Why Vandy could be the right place for you. Make sure to convey what matters to you and to share what you bring with you when you come to college to share with others.</p>
<p>And if merit money is important to you, don’t only apply to Vandy. Apply also to colleges where you may be more unusual in the applicant pool. I hope everyone that wants to come to Vandy is admitted, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t many other fine institutions that can deliver a great four years in the USA. I just think Vandy has a lot to offer in terms of academic breadth, quality of life, and variety of people and experiences in the context of a warm and friendly medium sized research institution.</p>
<p>I scored a 34 on the ACT and have a 4.0 UW GPA, and I asked an admissions representative about the Cornelius Scholarship. She said that I would be a “very competitive” applicant for the scholarship, so I think your friend is in a good position.</p>
<p>I agree with what everyone else is saying. The only way to find out is to apply for the scholarship and see what happens. Even someone with a perfect ACT/SAT score might not necessarily have an advantage over someone in your friend’s position if he/she does not have great essays, recommendations, etc.</p>
<p>I think Faline really hit the nail on the head with this one… pretty much everyone who applies to the three merit scholarships has “perfect” scores/gpa. It’s the rest of your application that will set you apart - you need that something special. I had the “perfect” scores and GPA (35 ACT, 4.0 UW, 2310 SAT), but the only money I got from Vandy was $5k/yr for National Merit. I really wouldn’t count on your scores/gpa at all. They will simply get your foot in the door for these scholarships. If you want an idea of the competition you’ll have, take a look at the results thread from last year. Many, many people with great stats were refused for the scholarships (and not only that, take a look at the admissions results - some with similar stats were waitlisted).</p>
<p>All right, I’m a Cornelius Vanderbilt Scholar, and I’m here to tell you that you definitely need something… out of the ordinary in your application - I mean your CommonApp. My scholarship app definitely wasn’t any crafted masterpiece. I had good grades (2390 SAT, 36 ACT, 5’s on 8 AP’s at the beginning of Senior year, etc.) but that doesn’t cut it here. Everyone that I know that’s a CV Scholar has some experience or another that’s … just plain cool. I mean, you don’t have to be the person that’s gone on Oprah or written for the NYTimes’ college blog. But seriously, make yourself distinguished. Wax poetic on your USAMO qualification - did you think you did well on the AIME? Do you do ARML? What other outside math do you do? Just tell Vanderbilt about your passions.</p>
<p>^I’m just a parent of a prospective student, but I’m going to second anotherazn’s comments. There are so many high-scoring applicants to Vanderbilt that you’ll need something unique on your application, aside from excellent scores and grades, to get the Cornelius Vanderbilt scholarship. No harm in applying for it. But it is very hard to get. Also, when we visited, we were told by the engineering administration/faculty that the Cornelius most typically goes out to those in the very tippy-top 1/2 to 1% of scores. Scores like anotherazn’s – close to, or at, 2400 and 36. I’m sure there are exceptions. But the general rule is that the recipients of those awards are at the VERY top of the admit pool. PLUS they have something else that’s special and unique. My son’s going for it – but he’s aware that it’s not anywhere near the realm of “likely!”</p>