Do I have a shot at Vanderbilt?

<p>Hi,</p>

<p>I'm a high-school senior interested in applying to Vanderbilt, and I'd greatly appreciate any input regarding my likelihood of getting accepted to this renowned school.</p>

<p>I have an un-weighted GPA of 3.64. This is the result of a pretty rigorous schedule consisting of mostly Honors and AP courses. I took 1 AP class sophomore year, 2 APs junior year, and am currently taking 3 APs. I understand that my class rank is important in judging the strength of my GPA, but my high school does not rank its students. However, I go to a Long Island school that's relatively well-known for its academic excellence and its tendency to produce Ivy League students. I'm not sure if that "counts" for anything.</p>

<p>I got a 2120 on the SAT: 640 CR/770 Math/710 Writing. I haven't received my scores for the SAT2, which I took yesterday in Math (level 2) and Chemistry. Math and Science are my strengths, although I am also interested in government and int'l studies.</p>

<p>My weakness lies primarily in my extracurriculars. I played lacrosse in eight grade, but again, I'm not sure if that "counts". Additionally, I was a member of the debate team junior year and I've been taking piano lessons for three years. Otherwise, my resume does not show much involvement at school or in my community. This is perhaps due to the fact that I transferred (from NC to Long Island, NY) after my freshman year in high-school, and found it difficult to motivate myself to get involved in a town with which I had no connection. I had less difficulty transitioning my social life. It is my belief that the transition I went through gave me experience that will make it easier to transition into college and get involved in many clubs and extracurriculars there. I'm confident that I will become very involved at whatever college I attend.</p>

<p>Any insight as to the probability of my getting accepted to Vandy is much needed and will be greatly appreciated.</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

<p>You may want to check with your guidance counselor to see how students with your stats from your high school have fared at Vanderbilt over the last few years; we are in NJ; my daughter was admitted with slightly higher stats RD two years ago, but not sure if Vanderbilt is still trying to increase it’s draw from NY/NJ…lack of significant EC’s may create an issue…</p>

<p>EDII would definitely help you…RD check with your school…alot is going to depend on it’s recent admission history with Vandy…</p>

<p>rodney,</p>

<p>Thanks for the advice. Perhaps I will consider ED II. I’m not familiar with RD.</p>

<p>The only information I can get from my school’s guidance office (actually, from Naviance) is that from 2006-2009, 20 students at my school were accepted to Vandy, and 13 students are currently enrolled there. From the students who were accepted from my school, the average SAT score that was accepted (2084) is slightly below mine, and the avg accepted GPA (3.74) is slightly above mine. Most likely, the students enrolled there are doing fine.</p>

<p>^^I have a feeling I know what HS you are at based on those numbers…class of 2008 had quite a few students (and we know almost all of them) who are attending Vandy…be careful of the Naviance; if I am right, you have legacy, ED’s and some Peabody admits in there…even if I’m wrong, Vandy seems to really like your school…you should be fine, especially EDII</p>

<p>btw, RD is regular decision…see if your Naviance breaks that out…some do, some don’t</p>

<p>Actually, I’ve heard that it is MUCH harder to get in here going EDII. The EDI rate is generally a lot higher and slightly less competitive; if you really want to go to Vanderbilt, it’s also the best way to show your interest. I myself was admitted EDI to Arts and Science.</p>

<p>Knowing which school you want to apply to will also make a difference. I’m not sure if this is still true, but I was told that the order of the Vandy schools, from lowest admit rate to highest, was: Blair, Engineering, A&S, Peabody. </p>

<p>I think you have a pretty good shot, your stats are definitely in their mid-range. Make sure you definitely have a kick ass essay, as it really can make or break your applications. Good luck!</p>

<p>^ from what i’ve heard, that admit rate between the schools still holds true, but don’t apply to one just to make it easier on yourself to get into vandy and plan on switching later. not to say that it isn’t really easy to transfer should you later change your mind, but it’s needless paperwork, if nothing else. and also from what i can tell, the internal transfer rate is the same as regular applications, with blair being the hardest to switch into and peabody the easiest.</p>

<p>^^ I was told by an admissions counselor at Vandy that CAS had the highest admit rate. I guess the percentage only seems smaller due to the immense number of applicants, although in comparision to the other colleges it accepts more number of students…</p>

<p>you def have a shot. by all means, go for it…it doesnt hurt to try, right?</p>

<p>the application fee^^</p>