<p>I'm a junior in high school and Vanderbilt is my dream school.</p>
<p>I haven't taken the SAT this year, but my PSAT score last year was in the 98th percentile. My weighted GPA is 3.90. I had some family struggles freshman and sophomore year, and honestly I'm glad I got through it with that GPA, but I understand I need to step my game up this year. I'm taking 3 AP's and currently have all A's. My sophomore year I was only allowed to take 1 AP and I got a 5 on the exam. I am also in the top 10% of my class.</p>
<p>My high school is huge and super competitive, it was ranked pretty high nationally for a public school. I'm currently in three of its selective programs: a performing arts program (creative writing), an honors program, and a student leadership program. </p>
<p>I have over 100 hours of community service, am an active member in a local youth group, participate in Model United Nations, and help to organize my school's literary magazine.</p>
<p>Vandy is such a huge dream for me. If I apply Early Decision, what are my chances?</p>
<ol>
<li>Visit the school.</li>
<li>Visit Admissions.</li>
<li>Talk FACE TO FACE to as many people as possible. Vandy is ALLLLL face to face.</li>
<li>Email professors. Show them you are interested.</li>
<li>In your essay, MAKE SURE YOU MENTION THOSE FAMILY STRUGGLES. Vandy likes sappy stories.<br></li>
<li> Fit in some sort of sport in your activities list. Vandy likes fit people.</li>
</ol>
<p>Other than that you look really good on paper.</p>
<p>If you don’t get in, ITS OK! Just do really well at the school you do go to, and TRANSFER! I did, and it is the best decision I ever made.</p>
<p>The thing is, I live a couple states away and my family cannot afford to travel. They don’t seem willing to either even if I came up with all of the money.</p>
<p>Thank you so much for everything you said, though! I will definitely keep that all in mind. If it turns out that I don’t get accepted, I won’t be opposed to going to another school, putting my all in, and then transferring. </p>
<p>Keep your dreams, but spread them out. Get on Ebay and buy a used copy of the latest A is for Admission or Hernandez book and don’t freak out that some families spend thousands on consultants like her. Just get the gist of what is required. Get a copy of Harry Bauld’s college essay book. It is slim but all you need! That is if you do the exercises. Embrace your own age and your uncertainties as normal! Have a crush on Vandy and be fickle. Develop “feelings” for four or five other colleges. Frankly they will all deserve your admiration, hopes and respect just as much as Vandy. Apply only to colleges in this economy that can meet your financial aid need so go on and do your FAFSA online and do the work for your parents, and everyone digest it. (It might be very good news ie…you might not have to pay a lot). Vandy is a need blind no loan financial aid college…this is the perfect private school scenario. Don’t court colleges that give big fat loans for you to bear. ALWAYS be ready to attend your state’s flagship college and aim for their honors program if you are qualified…at least your dorm may be full of students who are focused and ready to roll.<br>
If funds are limited, you have a couple purchases that are important. A new current copy of the Red Book of Real ACTs (yes, you might do best on the ACT, who knows if you don’t try). A new current copy of the Blue Book of Real SATs, although used copies of recent vintage can be very useful.<br>
One thing under your control is your test score performance. Aim for your best and quit when you sense you did your best. Best means very prepared.<br>
Other things in your control: getting alum interviews where offered in your region, talking frankly and lucidly with your letter of reference writers, and PREPPING for AP exams by actually buying the prep books and doing the practice exams and learning from errors. Do some tests timed, some open book.<br>
Lots of families separate in the high school college years, lots of families are suffering financially now. So focus on what you can control. I was very naive about college admissions (first woman to go to college) and applied to a college that was admitting very few OOS women unless they had higher stats than mine…a state college where I was not a resident. This wasn’t a very smart plan. Also I was very hurt when not admitted. Information helps perspective.<br>
You will do WELL in college. Chin up and believe in yourself. You do not need Vandy to succeed, but let your interest in Vandy spur you on to becoming very informed and prepared. And all your applications will be stronger because of it. Good Luck!</p>
<p>I don’t know that I agree with VandyGirlEE2013’s advice. Visiting can help you make a decision but isn’t incredibly important. Definitely don’t e-mail professors, I don’t know how that could possible be helpful. You certainly don’t need a sport on your resume and your essay can be about whatever you want… Family struggles affecting grades might be something to mention in the “extra information” section of CommonApp (if that still exists), but your GPA/rank seems right on par for Vanderbilt.</p>
<p>Get 98th percentile on the real SAT and you’ve got a VERY good shot.</p>
<p>Are you kidding? You will definitely get in, especially if you apply ED. I have friends here who had GPAs below 3.6 and still got in. I also know people who got in with around 2100 on the SAT, which is pretty bad. Honestly, Vanderbilt is not as selective as it would like to think it is. The only reason it has such a low acceptance rate is because people apply on a whim as there is no supplement on Common App. My only concern is that Vanderbilt is your dream school… You could probably do better.</p>
<p>2015vandy: what schools do you think I could do better with? I feel like Vanderbilt is the best school I’ll be able to get into because the Ivy Leagues seem unreachable for my stats and EC’s. I did want to go to Columbia, but I don’t even think being a legacy would help me.</p>
<p>I don’t think you will “definitely” get in if your grades stay where they are, but I think you have a shot. I know someone with similar grades who did NOT get in and another person who eventually got in off the waitlist. Even for people with seemingly perfect scores and grades, there is no “definite”. The percentage of students who apply and are accepted at Vanderbilt is something like 15-17%. So it is good to be realistic, but you shouldn’t write it off either. Faline2 has very good advice about what factors are under your control. My advice at this stage is something you already know – do as best you can in your classes. Also, from watching videos by the admissions director, Vanderbilt values leadership in its many forms. Think about how you are a leader and the tangible ways in which you contribute to your activities (rather than just being a member of a club, etc.).</p>