<p>I am, like so many of my fellow junior peers, putting together my list of reaches, matches, safeties, etc. I have done some of my research on schools that offer generous merit aid and Vanderbilt has gotten good reviews, both here on CC and with a few families we know whose students attend. It would be a reach for me obviously. But, what I am unsure of is the way the school looks at its applicants. I have good credentials as far as my GPA (4.5), my rank (6/344), rigorous AP and Honors classes (7 by graduation) my ECs, and even maybe a "hook" because I wear a cochlear implant, but my SATs aren't great. I am hoping to improve this area next week when we get our scores back. (wish me luck, too, pancaked :) I read you did on another thread!) </p>
<p>In reality, though, is less than 1300 a deal breaker? Or, do they look at an applicant more holistically and could I offset my test scores by writing good essays and have a standing chance with the other areas of my application? I really like the looks of the school and what it offers. </p>
<p>On a side note, does anyone know anything about the History department there? I have read a lot about the Poly Sci department, but not so much about the History dept. Any thoughts on either of these questions would be greatly appreciated!</p>
<p>1300 is not necessarily a deal breaker, but it will cause the other parts of your application to be looked at much more closely. Your grades sound good, but it depends on how competitive your high school is. If 100% of your 344 classmates go to four-year colleges, then it would work in your favor. Similarly if 30-40 of your classmates will be recognized by the National Merit Corporation, you will look stronger.</p>
<p>Also, your rigorous curriculum includes 7 “AP and Honors classes”. However, I was told by an Adcom that most competitve candidates have 5-7 AP classes. Perhaps your school has such demanding Honors classes that they are equivalent to an AP, but they are usually less. Do your 7 classes reflect the highest level offered by your school in all academic areas, or are they all in Social Sciences and English? Good scores on AP during your junior year will also indicate a high level of proficiency.</p>
<p>I agree that describing the impact of your cochlear implant could be a way to effectively demonstrate your character, but you will need to be sure to carefully craft your essays for maximum impact.</p>
<p>Finally, never underestimate the importance of recommendations. Work with your teachers to ensure that these will help your cause.</p>
<p>Less than 1300 is not a deal-breaker (assuming that you mean the 1600 scale). I’ve met a few people here who scored below 1800 on the 2400 scale. The admissions process at Vanderbilt is arguably less holistic than the admissions processes at peer schools. The argument in favor of this notion is that Vanderbilt students have extremely high test scores, but are presumably choosing Vanderbilt because they were not admitted to “superior” schools; thus, they must not have had the EC’s to get into better schools. I personally find the argument to be utter crap because there’s no evidence at all that this is the case. For one, scoring well on the SAT does not preclude being a passionate, motivated individual. Also, there has not been a cross-admit study done in years, but I can speak from personal experience and tell you that it’s not at all uncommon for students here to choose Vandy over higher-ranked schools. This is probably a result of Vandy’s very generous financial aid as well as the non-academic factors that it offers that make it a very attractive destination for undergrad. Anyway…</p>
<p>It is in your best interest to re-take the SAT so long as you think you can do better on it (unless you come within maybe 100 points of a perfect score, at which point I think schools stop caring about how high the score may be). This isn’t so much because Vanderbilt’s admissions aren’t holistic, but rather, it is because it is in your best interest to have high SAT scores when applying to any competitive university. Schools of Vanderbilt’s caliber have their pick of thousands of applicants who have the EC’s and grades to rival yours as well as high test scores. Admissions at any top university are so unpredictable nowadays that anything that can be done to strengthen your profile should be. </p>
<p>Lastly, don’t let anything that I have told you discourage you. You’re very well-spoken and you appear to have the character that universities dream of instilling in their students. If you are interested in Vanderbilt, then apply to Vanderbilt. Having below a 1300 is by no means a deal-breaker. Best of luck.</p>
<p>Middle SAT range for class of 2016 is 1470 – 1590. Means only 25% of admits scored under a 1470. You can imagine there are few under 1300, and several of them are likely recruited athletes. Admissions is certainly holistic, but there are just a LOT of applicants that have the GPA, ECs AND the scores. Plus, it would be very difficult to get merit aid with a 1300 (assuming you need it and don’t qualify for much need based aid).</p>
<p>Ranked 6/344 and taking rigorous courses, you certainly sound capable of a high SAT score. Just keep working on it. Study the areas you are weak in. Consider taking the ACT as well- There are plenty of stories of people performing significantly better on one of the tests. The difference between 1300 and 1500 sounds like a lot but is really only a few more correct answers.</p>
<p>You have a pretty low chance sub 1300, but it’s still not a deal breaker. Any improvement you make will greatly increase your chances. Best of luck!</p>
<p>Vanderbilt is highly selective on merit aid - only 8.9% of “no need” students get merit aid. So, you need to be in the top 9% of applicants to have a good chance at merit aid. This takes some pretty extreme stats and/or hooks.</p>
<p>I think you have a good shot. I agree with Pancaked - have you tried taking the ACT? Some people do better on it than the SAT and visa versa. My son did fairly well on the SAT but super fantastic on the ACT. (By the way, my other son has cochlear implants too! Also, did you know that Vanderbilt has the top ranked audiology graduate program in the country? If you go there, I am sure you won’t be short of audiologists in case you need a tune-up or repair to your CI!)</p>
<p>Thanks everyone for your replies. Your thoughts don’t discourage me; I want people to be honest and forthright so I can figure out if this is too much of a reach to even spend the money on applying. :)</p>
<p>To answer a couple of questions, I will have 7 APs by graduation along with other Honors classes. I am going to be taking the SAT once more in Oct. even if I improve dramatically on the June 2 one. I took the ACT once- ugh! Did not care for that format at all, so I am going to shoot for the SAT. My hs is very strong. They jokingly (but it is true) call it the University of _____ around this area because of its rigor. We have something like 90% of our seniors going onto college, so it is fairly competitive. But I know there are thousands of schools like mine and so many really smart applicants to Vanderbilt. I think it is going to be a real stretch, but…</p>
<p>LBowie, That is funny you mentioned the audiology program there! Two of my best audiologists (and the one who really started me out when I was a baby) got their degrees from Vanderbilt. They loved the area and the school.</p>
<p>I guess the real challenge is not only getting in, but being able to get the FA to go there. What BobWallace and patriotsfan said is worrisome. I highly doubt I would be in the top 9% of applicants. Hmmm…Well, I guess I can check in with you all in a few weeks after I get my scores back. Thanks again for all of your help!</p>
<p>If you want merit money, you’ll probably need at the very least 1450/1600. Check out your local flagship or some private schools that are less prestigious. USC (CA) is good with merit money but you’ll definitely need to raise your test scores if you want some.</p>
<p>country4me – that is neat about your audiologists! Do either of them know you well enough to write you a third “character reference” letter?</p>
<p>You may know this already, but Vanderbilt uses only the common application. That makes applying easy. According to the admissions counselor who gave the info session talk at the campus visit, they still actually go through each and every application very carefully. Your school will be sending them a school and community description where they talk about the rigor of the program, and chances are from how you describe it, they probably are already familiar with your school. </p>
<p>Vanderbilt is also a school where “demonstrated interest” works to your advantage. They have an army of admissions counselors for the entire country. Figure out which one is yours and make contact with that person! Obviously don’t be a pest, but write to them once in a while, ask some questions, or maybe send updates on significant achievements that you achieved after submitting the application (emphasis on significant, otherwise you become a pest). </p>
<p>I actually honestly think you have a very decent shot at it. Check out Vanderbilt Admissions blog. The admissions director also has some really nice videos about applying to college in general (not Vanderbilt-specific), and also about financial aid. You can find these on YouTube as well as somewhere on the Vanderbilt website.</p>
<p>FYI, there’s also the Ingram Scholars Program at Vanderbilt, which is based not on academic merit, but rather, on a dedication to community service. It’s full tuition, just like the CV.</p>
<p>Great advice about contacting my area admissions counselor. I will make sure to do that. I think I could definitely ask my audiologist to write something about me even though it has been a few years since I saw her. She has kept up with me a bit through emails with my mom, so I guess that would be OK? I am going to check out the blog, too this weekend. Compared to some of my peers, my community service probably pales in comparison to what they do. I have done some, but probably not enough to rank up there, but I will look into that scholarship anyway. Thanks for mentioning it. Really, thanks so much everyone so far!
You all are a great resource!</p>