<p>hey guys, I'm a junior looking for a few reach schools to apply to this summer, and i'm interested in vandy.
I have a 29 ACT, retaking in september to hopefully get a 30 or 31.
my weighted gpa is 4.04, not sure what it is unweighted.
i'm ranked 25 out of over 900.
i take very rigorous courses (multiple APs and honors).
i have a part time job.
i have various extracurriculars.
won some awards and such.
thanks if you can help!</p>
<p>can anyone help me out?</p>
<p>It’s just kinda hard to tell with Vandy. I would say it’s a reach for you, but that’s without any extra details about your ECs and awards and courseload and whatnot.</p>
<p>demographics please and ED or RD?</p>
<p>thanks for your help guys.
I’m a white female. no hooks really.
i’ve taken honors english, AP lit, honors bio and chem, medical interventions and human body systems, APUSH and honors social studies, honors math (AP calc next year), and 3 years of Latin.
i’m involved with NHS, varsity girls golf, Latin Club, and band.
i’ve won academic awards like highest GPA and honors awards.
i’m going to apply to every college that i decide to apply to before November 1st because of scholarships and whatnot.</p>
<p>I’d say if you get your standardized test score up then you’ll have a much better shot.</p>
<p>yeah, i’m hoping to get a 30 or 31 the next time i take the act.</p>
<p>i’m kinda wondering about early decision too. with my stats, i should probably apply regular decision right? the only thing i’m worried about is binding. vandy is expensive and i think i can only go there if i get really good financial aid. any thoughts?</p>
<p>Vandy offers fantastic financial aid but I don’t think ED plays a role in that. Your stats describe the average vandy student so I’d say you have a good shot at getting in.</p>
<p>thank you very much! can’t wait to apply!</p>
<p>I think you should definitely apply. It couldn’t hurt. Vandy doesn’t require much of a supplement to the Common App, so as long as you have $50 to spare and are filling out the Common App anyway, you really have nothing to lose.</p>
<p>As far as your chances, the only things I can really suggest are things you probably know already. Your ACT score is on the low end (compared to this year’s admitted class). Even a 31 would be in the bottom quartile. I’m not trying to scare you, but take a look at the class of 2015’s stats:</p>
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<p>(Source: [Vanderbilt</a> Class of 2015 Admission Decisions Mailed Today | The Vandy Admissions Blog | Vanderbilt University](<a href=“http://admissions.vanderbilt.edu/vandybloggers/2011/03/vanderbilt-class-of-2015-admission-decisions-mailed-today/]Vanderbilt”>Vanderbilt Class of 2015 Admission Decisions Mailed Today | The Vandy Admissions Blog | Vanderbilt University))</p>
<p>Please don’t be discouraged by these numbers. Your class rank is excellent; your test scores are the only things that are lacking. Just do your best to improve your scores and present yourself as well as you can in a solid application. Vanderbilt, like many other colleges, looks at the application holistically, so even if your “numbers” are on the lower end, you still have a shot at getting in.</p>
<p>Finally, here’s a note about Vandy’s financial aid should you choose to apply ED. Vandy offers only grants (free money) in its aid packages, and in my experience this year, Vandy’s aid is much more generous than most other colleges. I’m going to be going there for about the same price as I could go to an in-state school. Now is a great time to discuss with your parents how much they’re willing to contribute financially to your education. Use one of the many financial aid estimation calculators online to figure out an estimate of your EFC. If it’s within the range of what you’d be willing to pay and you’re certain that you want to go to school at Vandy, then you should consider applying ED. Otherwise, I’d recommend playing it safe and applying RD.</p>
<p>Anyway, best of luck. Vandy is a great pick for a reach school.</p>
<p>lblock, that really helped alot! i’m going to try my hardest to score well and really make my application great.
in the meantime, i’m going to try to visit over the summer and see if i want to apply ED.
i have a quick question about financial aid though. does Vanderbilt meet all needed aid? do they give aid based on tuition minus EFC?
thanks very much for the encouragement and help!</p>