<p>I am a rising senior at a very strong public high school in New Jersey</p>
<p>GPA: 4.42 W ~8 out of about 220</p>
<p>SAT I : 2070 m:730 cr:620 w:720 -taking them again in oct. and studying!</p>
<p>SAT II: US History: 750 Math II: 740 Physics: 750</p>
<p>Junior Year: AP Stat, APUSH, AP Physics
Senior: AP Psychology, AP Gov, AP Lit, and AP Calc </p>
<p>ECs: officer in Key Club, co-president/ co-founder of Special Olympics Club, HS soccer, golf, winter track, principals council, freshman orientation, peer group connections, NHS, FLHS, Harvard Model Congress, American Leigon Boys State, People to People trip to Europe, Outward Bound to Costa Rica</p>
<p>Your stats look good for ED and a strong possible for RD (just my opinion). The cr is low for the top schools, I would suggest you concentrate on this when studying for the SAT (you probably know this, the schoos will take the highest combination from all your tests). My children love Vandy and think they made a great decision to attend. Having said that, make sure you are 100% sure that Vandy is your #1 choice before applying ED. Best of Luck!</p>
<p>I would be more cautious in expectations so that you are happy in April. Make sure you love a college less selective than Vandy that will be thrilled to get you. Consider Vandy to be a reach only due to numbers of applicants unless you have a big factor that makes you a recruit. This is the secret to staying sane this coming year. Vandy of today is a whole new world and we have had posters who were waitlisted with 2250s last spring. I personally have a friend whose son tested top quartile at Vandy and was a National Merit Scholar and was waitlisted…</p>
<p>My advice, besides supporting your determination to SAT retest (nice scores! don’t get me wrong…you deserve to be in many schools and you can do the work at Vandy…getting a chair is the issue tho)</p>
<p>Take the ACT in October. Actually buy the red ACT prep book and do three of the tests since the pace and the scoring is different. My son at Vandy now did best on his ACT to his surprise…it is not a common test in our state (VA). </p>
<p>Lastly, everyone that makes it to the final pool of consideration at Vandy has decent ECs. So …you must stand out in your essays. Be yourself but show yourself. You don’t have to be anything but who you are but make who you are sing. Illuminate yourself and your outlook, culture and how you would add to Vandy and how you would educate yourself at Vandy. Make sure your references understand specifics on why you would thrive at Vandy and at your other favorite colleges. </p>
<p>Your essays and references matter a lot when there are over 20 thousand applicants.</p>
<p>yeah. my scores in CR have been getting better in the practice tests that i have done, and i know i can do significantly better in the math (i made 3 horrendous mistakes and that brought me from an 800 to a 730). And after visiting vandy and talking to numerous students and alum, i really love everything about it. My essay is pretty good, and i do realize, especially with the rising number of applicants there that its getting increasingly harder to get in. </p>
<p>A few questions - how much of an advantage does applying early decision give you?</p>
<p>and faline 2, were those applicants ED or RD?</p>
<p>the persons I know with 2250s were both RD. The stats for ED (32% I think) are posted on the Vanderbilt admissions blog in an earlier discussion…I saw today…so take a gander at that. Keep in mind that the general qualifications of all applicants are very high.</p>
<p>I am glad you liked Vandy. My sons both liked Vandy very much, too, although one went to Duke instead (although he was really much fonder of Nashville than Durham). I want you to know that my sons considered Vandy to be a Reach with top quartile scores, and this is what I think is wise without a hook. </p>
<p>The son who went to Duke was a lot like you on paper re critical reading being lowest in his test scores. In October of his senior year his CR went up significantly to his surprise. This has to do with his determination and the fact that he did a lot of practice tests…on the CR sections till he suddenly did better. </p>
<p>My son at Vandy did best on the ACT so I really am hoping you will give it a whirl. It has many sections and is a different type of test so you just never know. </p>
<p>Even so, I don’t think test scores are the beall and endall.</p>
<p>The MOST important thing you can do is to love your Match College…truly to respect it and to realize you will get a very tough education that will get you far in life at a match college. Duke son would have been perfectly happy at Wake Forest and at UVA or WM and Mary…seriously. Vandy son had other offers from liberal arts colleges and our state schools above and would have been grateful and happy at any of them. Vandy was at one time “his least favorite” college. Duke son never warmed up to Duke and expected waitlist there.</p>
<p>the fact is you must give your all to your favorite schools and that should be Plural. More than one. </p>
<p>Re Vandy…find a local alum and chat them up. Sign up for alum interviews. Attend classes if circumstances permit.<br>
Best wishes. You should be proud of your high school record. Vandy is a wonderful university but there are a score of wonderful places with great teachers and fine peers. </p>
<p>stay open hearted and go after your favorite places…good luck! I hope your find the right door open for you.</p>