Early Decision or Regular Decision: Please Help!!!

Colleges and Universities A-Z Vanderbilt University
1

<p>Do I have a shot at getting accepted? Any thoughts/advice/questions are welcome!</p>

<p>Grades/Test Scores:</p>

<p>UW GPA: 4.00
W GPA: 4.85
Class Rank: Top 1% of a class of 453
SAT: 2150 (Reading: 640, Math: 770, Writing: 740)
SATII: Math II: 780, Biology: 700
ACT: 33 (Reading: 32, Math: 35, English: 34, Science: 29, Writing: 9, English/Writing: 32)
AP scores: Computer Science I: 5, World History: 5, US History: 5, Stats: 5, Computer Science II: 5, Calculus BC : 5, Calc AB subscore: 5, English Language and Composition: 5</p>

<p>Awards/Honors: All-State orchestra, AP Scholar with Distinction, National Merit Semifinalist (I'm predicting this, since my PSAT of 211 is over the last year's KY cutoff of 209), Kentucky Governor's Scholars Program, 1st place junior varsity in state at TEAMS(Tests of Engineering Aptitude in Math and Science), accepted to 2010 Cornell University Summer College</p>

<p>Activities/ECs:</p>

<p>As a student in the Math, Science, and Technology Center, I have been involved in my own research project with a professor at the University of Kentucky since my junior year. Currently I am working on the design and synthesis of aluminum and tantalum acutated microstructures to function as artificial cardiomyocytes. I will have completed 360 hours of research (without pay) by December.</p>

<p>-Black Belt in Kenpo Karate
-Starting pitcher in my community's babe ruth baseball team. We have won the regular season championship the past two years.
-I went to the Philippines this summer to volunteer at the Quezon City Health Department. I interacted with patients and took vital signs, for 2 weeks (80 hours). Also, I'm half filipino.
-I also volunteered at a local hospital for two summers, 45 hours each summer.
-Leadership Lexington Youth Program: I met monthly with my classmates and interacted with and shadowed business and government leaders in my city.
-I also volunteer once every other Saturday morning at a local middle school. A small groups of high school students and I teach students (classified as at risk for developing drug/violence problems due to their family/community background) chemistry and physics concepts through hands-on activities. The goal is to get them interested in school and academics.</p>

<p>Would you recommend Early Decision or Regular Decision? </p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

2

<p>I think almost any school would be happy to have you. Your stats are really strong and you should make a good candidate for either RD or ED. ED is a definite advantage but I would only recommend this if you are absolutly 100% sure Vanderbilt is the school for you. I have two children at Vandy and they love it. It really is a great school with a lot to offer. Visit lots of place as there will be many options open to you. Good luck and have some fun with the search.</p>

3

<p>You’re a shoe-in at Vanderbilt. Apply ED if you know you’re 100% about going there and want to get the application process done early (by mid-December).</p>

4

<p>Are you aware, camuel, that if you apply ED, and they accept you, you are thereafter committed to Vanderbilt and must withdraw all other applications?</p>

<p>For anybody interested in comparing different schools’ financial aid packages (scholarships) as part of their college decision process, ED is not the best choice. It’s best suited to people who have the money to pay whatever the ED college says you’ll need to pay to attend. If money is a factor for you, it’s best NOT to apply early decision.</p>

<p>Each year that I’ve been reading from CC, there have been plenty of kids who voice a degree of regret for applying ED at any given school. If the school doesn’t accept you, I suppose you haven’t lost anything. But if an ED school accepts you, you may never find out how you did with the other schools or how much merit aid the other schools might have been willing to give you.</p>

<p>Basically, ED is a choice to be made (at ANY school) only if money is not a factor and if you are 100% convinced that your ED school is for you.</p>

<p>You, your guidance counselor, and your parents (if I remember right) will all have to sign a contract, of sorts, saying that you understand and will abide by your commitment if accepted. It’s a big deal to reneg – no matter what anybody else on CC may tell you.</p>

<p>So, in my opinion, your stats have nothing to do with whether you should apply ED or RD.</p>

<p>Good luck with everything!</p>

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<p>[url=&lt;a href=“http://admissions.vanderbilt.edu/vandybloggers/2010/08/early-decision-quiz/]Ta-da.[/url”&gt;Early Decision Quiz | The Vandy Admissions Blog | Vanderbilt University]Ta-da.[/url</a>]</p>

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