Do I even have a chance at getting into Vanderbilt?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Vanderbilt University
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<p>I realize that the middle 50% of Vanderbilt's accepted students have scores of 1400-1580. I, however, only have a 2070/2400 or a 1350/1600. What I would like to know is do I even have a chance at getting into Vanderbilt with my score? Should I just expect rejection because of my score or is there another weak point on my application that will also affect my admission decision? Does anyone think I have a chance at getting in? Here are my stats. </p>

<p>School:
I am a senior and I attend a very small Catholic college preparatory high school in a rural area that has like 46 students total. My own senior class has only 11 students. My school offers very little AP's and no honors classes. I've been offered only AP US History (junior year) and AP Calculus AB (senior year) both of which I have taken or am taking. In order to challenge myself I took AP US Government and Politics through an online independent course my Junior year. In my senior year I am taking both AP Microeconomics and AP Macroeconomics through an online independent course (I'm interested in business. I am also taking three classes through a dual-enrollment program (between my high school and a local community college). They are Principles of Biology, Biology Lab, and Basic Public Speaking. In addition, I am taking College Web Design and Development independently online through a community college. In high school I have also taken College Algebra and Writing I.</p>

<p>Course Load:
Junior Year: AP US History and AP US Gov (apart from the other regular classes I take)
Senior Year: AP Calculus AB, AP Micro, AP Macro, College Web Design and Development, College Bio, College Speech (apart from the other regular classes I take)</p>

<p>GPA:
around a 3.94 (UW) and 4.0 (W) This is only freshman through junior year.
Freshman Year: 3.77 (I got a couple B+'s. :)
Sophomore Year: 4.0
Junior Year: 4.21
Senior Year: With all A's at the end could be like a 4.3 I think. </p>

<p>Recommendations:
Getting one from a history teacher who I think really likes me and Literature teacher who said she'd love to write me one. I'm also sending in one from the manager of a local brokerage firm I interned at.</p>

<p>Essay:
About a very close family friend who recently passed away. I didn't make it a sympathy story, but rather how he was like a wise and funny grandfatherly figure in my life. I also explained some hardships he overcame and how he overcame those hardships and how I should be able to overcome hardships too. (Btw the 500 limit is really hard to stay in)</p>

<p>Class Rank:
1/11 (Like I said my school is tiny)</p>

<p>Scores:
SAT: 2070 (670 CR, 680 M, 720 W)
SAT Subject Tests: 760 US History (because of background from AP US history) and a really really bad Bio score (no AP Bio was offered to me and it really made SAT Bio tough for me) I don't plan to send.</p>

<p>AP Exams:
AP US History (4), AP Gov (3), AP Euro (3)</p>

<p>Leadership:
Captain of JV academic Team (10th)
Captain of Varsity Academic Team (12th)
Captain of the JV History Bowl Team (10th)
Captain of the Varsity History Bowl Team (10th)
National Honor Society Treasurer (11th)
National Honor Society President (12th)
Student Council Class Representative (9th and 10th grade)
Student Council Treasurer (11th and 12th)
Y-Club President (11th grade)
Quartermaster of Boys Scout Troop (9th grade)
Troop Guide of Boy Scout Troop (10th grade)
Assistant Senior Patrol Leader of Boy Scout Troop (11th grade)
Webmaster of Boy Scout Troop (12th grade)
Order of the Arrow Section Secretary (10th-12th grade)</p>

<p>Extracurriculars:
Academic Team (9th-12th grade)
History Bowl (10th-12th grade)
History Bee (10th-12th grade)
Student Council (9-12th grade)
National Honor Society (10th-12th grade)
Y-Club (9th-11th grade)
Science Olympiad (9th-12th grade)
Boy Scouts (I've been doing boys scouts for like 6 years)
Summer internship at a local brokerage firm (due to my interest in business and finance)</p>

<p>Volunteer Work:
Local Hospital: Worked in the Pharmacy Department. Stocked newly shipped medications, filled out Pixus orders, and delivered the medications from the order to each floor’s Pixus machine
Helping Hand thrift store: Assorted donated clothes and shoes, guided shoppers around the store, and cleaned the store after office hours
Math and Science Camp: Assisted kids with the science projects and experiments that were being demonstrated by teachers
God’s Appalachian Project: Stocked new shipments of food, guided and aided shoppers around the store, and organized clothes
Relay for Life: Participated in through Boy Scouts. Put together hundreds of candles in bags and placed the, around a track in honor of those who had passed away with cancer or had been fighting it
Habitat for Humanity: Help put up the foundations and walls off houses, and unloaded trucks full of supplies for the houses</p>

<p>I have also been involved with volunteer work with clubs at school. For Y-Club I helped raise $750 for a bake sale for the Haiti Earthquake. I also participated in Safe Trick or Treat Events. I have organized multiple food drives for underprivileged people and delivered food to the families for National Honors Society.</p>

<p>My own Eagle Scout Project:
Collected hundreds of books and various school supplies for “Books for Africa” organization and held a 3k walk-a-thon and raised around $1000 to cover shipping fees to send the books to Africa. </p>

<p>Awards and Honors:
First Honors for 9th grade year
First Honors for 10th grade year
First Honors for 11th grade year
World History Book Award, 9th grade
European History Book Award, 10th grade
Geometry Book Award, 10th grade
General Excellence Book Award, 10th and 11th grade
AP US History Book Award, 11th grade
University of Kentucky “Class of Kentucky” representative, 10th grade
Commonwealth Ambassador, 12th grade
AP Scholar
Eagle Scout
Kentucky Colonel (awarded because of my Eagle Scout but nonetheless the biggest honor awarded by the state)
Outstanding Youth Leadership Award (came from a state representative)</p>

<p>Accomplishments:
Academic Team: I placed in numerous District and Regional competitions throughout my high school career.
National History Bowl: Captained my JV team to the National Competition
National History Bee: placed 4th in state bee in 10th grade and 5th in state bee in 11th grade and advanced and competed in Nationals and have also advanced to Nationals this year.
Science Olympiad: Placed in Regional competitions throughout my high school career
Boy Scouts: elected into service society Order of the Arrow, became Eagle Scout, and have gotten numerous merit badges and nights of camping</p>

<p>Also in case it matters I'm a turbaned Sikh/Indian male.</p>

<p>Thanks in advance for your responses!</p>

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<p>Yes, you certainly have a shot. The Middle 50% with SATs of 1400-1580 means a quarter of the class comes in with something below a 1400. A 1350 isn’t far off and you have a great profile. Best of luck!</p>

3

<p>@Pancaked Thanks for your reply! I just would like to ask a few more things. What type of applicants are usually accepted in the lower 25%? I mean no disrespect to anyone, but aren’t a portion of these acceptances given to athletes who may be so committed to a sport and therefore unable to have such high scores or grades or even people who have not had the opportunities or resources as others? (I do not mean to stereotype athletes, minorities, or anyone for that matter. I know there are plenty who have better scores, grades, etc. than me.) Also, many people have brought up the argument that if your Asian you must have a “high score” or it is almost expected. I would really like what you have to say about all these questions because you are a current Vandy student right? Once again thanks in advance!</p>

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<p>A portion of them are athletes, yes, but recruited athletes do not make up 25% of the student body. I can’t really tell you much about the profiles of the lower 25% other than they are probably better than the typical accepted student, other than SAT score.</p>

<p>There are some schools where Asian students are overrepresented and as such are at a slight disadvantage in admissions. This is not the case at Vanderbilt.</p>

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<p>Also a Vandy applicant.
1350/1600, 2130/2400 (low Critical Reading)
Math Level 2: 780 (although with 6 B’s in Honors Math, and 1 C in AP Calculus - the MAIN reason for my 3.7 UW)
I come from a very competitive high school in Cali.
3.7 UW, 4.0 W with an upward trend.
Hope my scores don’t get me denied immediately.
Asian American
Intend to study Anthropology
No one from my high school goes to Vandy…don’t know if that will work/hurt me.</p>

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<p>I will show my bias with my username…however its important to note–only revenue generating sports (football, basketball, baseball) have “slots” for athletes to get into Vandy that do not have as substantial stats as traditional students. All other varsity athletes get into Vandy the same way as everyone else–with high GPAs, lots of APs, high SAT/ACT scores and good recommendations. There are two differences between these athletes and the traditional candidate: 1) They sign a NLI which binds them to the school and 2) They participate in their sport 25-30 hours a week while getting high GPAs, high SAT/SCT scores, taking 5 APS, etc.</p>

<p>Therefore, the bottom 25% of applicants do not have a substantial number of athletes in the mix. The bottom 25% are simply great students that perhaps do not test well, or bring another stellar attribute (music, theater, public speaking, community service, etc.) to the community as a whole that is not reflected in test scores.</p>

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<p>Thanks for your feedback @Pancaked and @vandyswim. </p>

<p>So @vandyswim do you think my application shows that I can bring anything to Vandy? </p>

<p>And @Love2Travel95 I feel like we have pretty similar situations apart from the fact that you attend a more competitive high school than me. Best of luck to you.</p>