S is debating Between Penn and Vandy. Vandy has ED2 and Penn does not. It was suggested that he try Penn ED1, then if he does not get in, tries ED2 Vandy. He has a 2250 SAT, 800 Math Subject test. 4.35 Weighted GPA, with a 4.83 Junior year GPA. Good EC’s. ASB President, Jobs, and plenty more. Based on years past, his HS gets 1-2 kids in every year. He over indexes the prior year admits. I believe only two will go ED this year t. o Vandy. The question is how much harder is ED2 than ED. I assume that 2 is harder, as higher stat kids who are rejected from Ivy and such, then go for Vandy. Does anyone have knowledge of statistical differences? I could not find acceptance rates broken out separately, nor could I find scores and grades. Any facts or opinions would be appreciated.
That’s a fine plan. Don’t try to game this system by numbers. Apply to schools in order of preference and see what happens. If he’s meant to get in, he will. If he prefers Penn, apply ED to Penn. If he prefers Vandy, then why not apply to Vandy ED I. Again, preference should reign supreme here, not numbers.
Good luck to your son.
It’s certainly a gamble. Penn is a possibility although not likely unless legacy, athlete, first gen or URM.
Then you roll into Vandy ED2. You don’t know how many Vandy selected in ED1 and how strong the pool in ED2 is for a perhaps limited number of spots.
seems like you can get neither by shooting for both
I tend to agree with Senior2016. Use your ED card at the school you A. Are in the solid range for admittance! and B. Where you most wish to attend. Vandy and Penn are very very difficult to predict. They offer similar quality in education (with a few departments of one school being superior in rank to the other). They offer similar talent pools in the class of peers you would be joining. But Nashville and Philly are not similar. Penn is an Ivy etc. Don’t let anyone fool you into thinking that all deserving students (like your son) with the right scores are going to get in ED. Always work on your RD game plan as well. (type in Common Data Set to see actual number of applicants for each round last year at each school’s website). Another thing to do is to “read backwards” on this board for Penn and Vandy to get a sense of both the ED outcomes and the RD outcomes. With a strong student like your son, it is very important to play your long game, follow the money (if any need aid offered), and open your mind and heart to more than one school even when playing your ED move. enjoy this time with your son.
Thank you. Many good points made here. I agree that his best shot is Vandy ED1, but hard to tell him not to pursue his dream. Vandy is a very close second. We are taking a longer view. He will apply to 8-10 backups. Some are financial safeties(in state UC’s, and full tuition merit OOS), a few other safeties and mid range, and a 4-5 longer shots RD. I know this is a long hard road. Also know, that there are many schools that one can attend and get a lot out of. Hoping Penn or Vandy will provide, but prepared for other options. Just trying to compare ED1 Vs. ED2 difficulty. Thanks for the perspectives…
ED2 is definitely a harder round. He would probably be a good candidate for EDI admission, but EDII and RD are a lot harder to predict, and it’s easy for kids with good apps to get hit with a WL decision in later rounds.
However, preferences really need to be taken into consideration. If he really wants to go to Penn, but goes EDI to Vanderbilt, there will always be that lingering question - “what if? is this the place I really want to be?” - which is not a good ideological seed to be planted or watered in the mind of a new college student. Especially when freshman year can be really difficult at rigorous schools, and it’s already hard enough to feel like you’ve “found your place.”
If he’s split down the middle between the two, or prefers Penn only for its marginally higher academic ranking/Ivy league status, then it would be worth mulling over more.
To answer your specific question, to my knowledge, Vanderbilt does not release the admit rate for ED1 and ED2 separately - only in the aggregate. There is speculation that ED2 is harder. but that has never been confirmed to my knowledge.
There are the soft factors that come into play in the ED (and RD) round. And busy seniors change so much. For our sons, favorite dream colleges changed names and sizes as they got closer to age 18. How your son proposes to make use of his university if admitted is a soft factor that you must do your best with matching to the university itself…and each college is its own world. Without forcing him into any declarations, if he has any pathway in mind-- be it his major or other goals he has for college–, it is best to connect them up with the specifics of each college. Penn and Vandy get so many applicants with the test scores. They want people who will be a pleasure to have on campus and who will put their heads down and pursue an academic resource. Glad you have a broad plan for phase two of you end up in the RD round. We love Vandy/Nashville —but follow your own dreams! The USA has some major wealth in great colleges.
My words to any parent: Treat this complex, stressful season as a learning chapter about how open and flexible and determined they have to be to find a place not only in a college classroom that feels like a good fit…but in the work force. I had one son with a big crush on Dartmouth who was so disappointed when he wasn’t admitted and he ended up going to a school he had not liked much after touring it. He loved it from day one. He is the kind of person who attaches to his school. My Vandy son did an incredible last minute effort in the season of the recession of October 2008 when his parents lost their confidence in the wisdom of paying for a private undergrad school. He was not a particularly sophisticated person but he wrote very good essays and entered many “possible” pathways, and toughed it out and he often told me later that this difficult season of “dating” a ton of colleges was crucial to his ability to interview for things at Vandy later–where he was rejected as often as he was chosen. He was raised in a smallish city and barely understood the college histories of the schools on his list but he tried. Parents, be grateful for the complexities of this process…it will help your son or daughter absorb more about taking initiative in the reality ahead than you can guess now.
The process of what you are doing with your sons and daughters re supporting them in their efforts is the heart of the matter. Make sure they know you will be thrilled with many different outcomes. I have been around just long enough to see the students in my state who chose Virginia Tech or UVA doing just as fabulously well as those who went to private institutions.
Well said @Faline2. Thanks everyone for the perspectives and info
With one child who finished at an Ivy and one currently at Vandy, I strongly agree with @Senior2016M. Love Vandy, but it’s not an Ivy. Just or unjust, there are just some networking and career perks that go along with the Ivy colleges in our country.
I agree Vandy isn’t an Ivy. Nor should it be. It’s way better in my opinion, but I think that’s a matter of personal fit. I was in your shoes a while ago - I know what it’s like to go after the prestige over the fit. Thank goodness I chose correctly. Harvard was my first choice (just like almost everyone else’s). I thank god every day that I didn’t get in, because I would have gone if I had, and what a shame that would have been to miss out on all I’ve accomplished here already in my first WEEK! Apply by preference. Let fate take care of the rest. Trust me, you’ll end up where you are meant to. Again, good luck!
@Senior2016M, Thank you for your perspective…Good to hear how happy you are…