Chance me for Vanderbilt?

HI! I would like you to chance me for Vanderbilt University if you have a chance. My stats are

1550 SAT 800 Bio E 800 Chemistry
3.9 UW 4.6 W
AP scores: five 5s 3 4s

*ALL STATE Music two years in a row

  • Group performance at Carnegie hall twice.
  • A few school performing groups as section leader/drum major.
    *Music club VP
    *State level for DECA
    *Research internship for two summers
    *Scio state level
    *Regional science fair winner
    *Hospital Volunteering
  • French Club secretary

I don’t really have any hooks.
I want to be a STEM major

Please let me know if I am missing something. I feel like that list is really short.

I would say that you are a strong candidate for any college out there, assuming that your course set is of the most rigorous provided by your high school.

It is, of course, a reach for anybody, but you are competitive for Vanderbilt, and it would be a good reach school for you.

Thanks for the feedback. Any ideas for match schools?

You have strong stats and extracurricular activities that align with your STEM interest, which is beneficial. When I applied last year, Vanderbilt only had 1 supplement about an extracurricular activity or work position, but you’ll be required to submit additional essay(s) if you apply for one of the full tuition scholarships. I’d recommend interviewing as well; the form to request an interview should be accessible via your MyAppVU portal.

If Vanderbilt is your top choice, I would strongly recommend applying ED, as long as you can afford it (Vanderbilt FA is extremely strong, but don’t count on receiving a merit scholarship-----if you’d require one to attend, apply RD not ED.)

Thanks for the feedback. I am so happy to be getting replies on this thread I just started today. I have heard that the full tuition scholarships are very competitive at Vanderbilt. What do you think?
Unfortunately I would not be able to apply ED.
I have heard they have great FA. Correct me if I am wrong, but I don’t think Vanderbilt requires non custodial parent income/info.
Do you know of any other good schools that don’t require non custodial parent info for FA?

Yes, they are extremely competitive----they’re offered to ~1% of the entire applicant pool. but it’s definitely worth applying as you’re already paying the application fee lol. Vanderbilt does have a strong FA program (Opportunity Vanderbilt) that meets full need (as the university calculates it) without loans. However, NPC calculators tend to break down for unusual financial circumstances (non-custodial parents, business owners, international students etc,) so keep in mind that they are ESTIMATES, not guarantees of aid.

@thumper1 is familiar with financial aid applications and would likely be able to provide some advice.

Thanks for the info.

I am wondering what College Confidential thinks about my chances for UNC Chapel Hill. Should I start a new thread to ask this or just keep my question here?

I am also out of state for UNC Chapel Hill. My stats are in my first post in this thread.

How much would being out of state lower my chances of admission?

Quite a bit. In 2019, in-state acceptance rates were around 41%, while OOS are around 13%. They do not consider legacy status for in-state applicants, but OOS legacies had acceptance rates around those of in-state applicants.

For match schools - what are you looking for in a college, what major, what can you afford, and what is your state of residence?

Thank you for those stats, MWolf. You have been very helpful. I am looking for a research university to major in a biology related field. Unfortunately one of my parents makes a lot more than my other parent. The parent that makes less is my custodial parent. Even though one of my parents makes a decent amount more than my other parent, we still would need more FA than is traditionally given to people of this income. This is where it gets complicated because there aren’t that many schools that don’t require non custodial parent info for FA purposes. Obviously I will be applying to merit scholarships too. I would rather not mention my state, but I plan to apply to one of my state schools as a safety.

@Ryan15 I am in the same situation where I can only attend a school that does not require the noncustodial parent information.

The 3 top schools that do not require it are Vanderbilt, University of Chicago, and Princeton!

Honestly, those are the only top 50 private schools that I could find that don’t require it. I’m just gonna have to go to my state school with a scholarship, and then try to go to a T20 for grad school. Even though I have a strong application, my chances of getting into one of those schools isn’t very high.

You should look into Drexel University. It’s a private school in Philadelphia that has been getting better tremendously recently, and it’s co-op program is second only to Northeastern University. I’m sure you’ll get substantial merit aid to go.

I greatly appreciate your comment, @fizzile. I will definitely look into Drexel.
I was not aware that Princeton does not require the noncustodial parent information. I looked online to see whether or not they really require it and I found this on the Princeton website.
" It is Princeton’s policy to require both parents to contribute to college costs to the extent they are able. … A signed copy of the non-custodial parent’s 2018 federal income tax return, along with W-2 statements, is also required. Please contact us if problems providing this information are anticipated."
Maybe I am interpreting this wrong, but I think Princeton may require the information.
Good luck on your application to college and grad school.

@ryan15
No problem!

I should have clarified about Princeton. They do not require the noncustodial parent information IF your custodial parent has remarried.

I thought that the website was unclear, as it said different things on different pages, but I emailed the financial aid office.

They said, “If your custodial parent remarried you don’t have to provide the NCP information.”

@Ryan15 - The only other private university I’m aware of that doesn’t require financial information from NCP is U. Chicago (I guess if your custodial parent is remarried you could try Princeton as well). Given your interests, I think you should submit an application to U. Chicago but make sure to really work on your essays and get some feedback. Are you sure you can’t ED to Vanderbilt? If the financial aid doesn’t work out, you would be allowed to back out of the deal, but if you do the net price calculator with just your mom’s financial information, you should be able to get some estimate of the costs to see if it would be doable. The ED application would definitely boost your admission chances.

Thanks for your post, @elena13. I was will definitely work very hard on my essays. I was not aware that someone can beck out of an ED if FA doesn’t work out. Is this the same with all schools or just Vanderbilt?

I am sorry I posted my question before looking my question up online. The usnews website says that most colleges allow. That answers my question.

Yes, I think you should really think through if you would definitely attend Vanderbilt if the financials are workable. So, if you run the NPC you could call financial aid at Vanderbilt and ask any questions and clarify if they think the NPC results are accurate. If that amount works with your budget, you can seriously consider ED2.