<p>If they told you you had until Jan 31 to get it in for ED II, maybe if you can finish it up this weekend they will still let you do RD, I don't mean to lecture, but it is verrry late at this point and I ca't really imagine they're going to go over your ap, like, tomorrow and send you a decision by Thursday. Maybe try to explain the situation and just be happy if they will take it RD. They had to wait, you can wait a little longer (I am lol). </p>
<p>It's obviously not good that you haven't done it yet, BUT I completely understand what you're going through, I applied to more schools that I could keep track of during the application process, wrote pages and pages and pages of essays, finished every application in a crunch, sent them all off, and then I still had Vanderbilt sitting there with a blank screen, and it's by far my first choice and I have soooo many reasons why I want to go there, but I knew that essay could make or break it. It's a lot of pressure. I ultimately got it in for the deadline, but just barely. But honestly, at this point, if they will still take it, just write from the heart, don't worry about it, just sit down, and write. And then you can go back to focusing on all the other irritating stress in your life.</p>
<p>Accept responsibility and stop fishing for consolatory responses for your non-existent "sob story." You already know what you should have done and what you still need to do now. Your presence on this board is entirely unnecessary. Good luck with the rest of your schools.</p>
<p>^^couldn't agree more</p>
<p>TO THE LAST TWO POSTERS:</p>
<p>As my sister and I always say, I ain't got time for FOOLISHNESS, particularly any besides my own. How many times do I have to say I neither want nor need your useless negativity? Again, I KNOW what I did, or rather, didn't do, and again, I don't need you to tell me. You are not my parent and you do not get to tell me to "accept responsibility". Especially when you post an, again, USELESS "I agree" post.</p>
<p>Conclusion: Don't do Ian-sama.</p>
<p>Thank you, and have a nice day.</p>
<p>I really don't understand what you're asking for on this board. You say you want us to tell you whether you still have a chance to get into Vanderbilt, yet when people answer what they honestly think, you deride them for being negative. We really don't know the answer to this question. The only one who can give you a straight answer is the Admissions Office. You need to call them immediately and discuss it with them. One of the posters had a good suggestion about modifying your app to RD to buy you more time.</p>
<p>It is one thing to simply say "No, you have no chance." It is completely different when that is said and then followed up by "You're irresponsible, you have no 'sob story', you should be ashamed...." Because to that, all I can say is who are you to judge? You don't know what I've been through these past four months so don't DARE cast aspersions on that, because you have no right to do so. You have no IDEA what my intent is (when it comes to "fishing for consolatory responses") so just put a sock in it at that point.</p>
<p>but thanks, blackeyedsusan. THAT was actually helpful, without having the tone of an angry parent. :) and I do plan on modifying my app.</p>
<p>the problem is, I'm still writing... during class... while the rest of the class is reading Othello... and it's only the first essay and already the block and anxiety is ssetting in.</p>
<p>I don't mean to cast aspersions, but I do have some very serious advice (and I am definitely old and "wise" enough to be your parent):</p>
<p>Go ahead as has been suggested and call the admissions office. Check to see if they will consider your application to begin with and also I suggest you check to make sure that your sending in a late application (that they might say they will not accept....again, who knows, they might) won't hurt chances should you chose to apply next year or as a transfer. </p>
<p>As for circumstances that led you to this point: I am sure they were very trying and stressful and I am sorry for that. But I also assure you that, no matter what they were, others have experienced similar or worse and still met the deadlines. So please, no matter the outcome of this, don't attribute it to something other than decisions you made and actions you did or did not take. All of this experience will have been for nothing if you rationalize it that way.</p>
<p>I am not trying to put you down...just trying to encourage you to learn from this. I think you already have, and that is a good thing.</p>
<p>Best to you...</p>
<p>I just called. They said that I could either email the app in ASAP (the counselor said that the next 10 mins would be best) but that's impossible. So I get to reverse my app to RD. </p>
<p>Thanks everybody. Now I just have to write the bloody essays.</p>
<p>EDIT: There is, however, one thing: in three days my ED will automatically be changed to RD. If I can get my essays done before Thursday (3 days), which I'm sure I can, should I really call my admissions counselor and tell her to change it if I could still be considered for ED by then? The trouble is, I think they'd be easier on me if I were RD at this point...</p>
<p>I think I would go RD at this point. That is very good news.</p>
<p>You CAN do this! Just write...get something, anything down and go back to it in a while.</p>
<p>this is what I've got so far: </p>
<p>I’ve been heavily sheltered all my life; by my parents, teachers, and even myself. The adult figures in my life often seem to feel the need to protect me from new and possibly dangerous experiences, and I’ve just done what they told me to do. This practice caused me to live the life others wanted me to live without even thinking for myself, a way of living that I now know is dangerous. Thankfully, in recent years I’ve made conscious decisions of my own, one of which is to break free of the shell others have sealed me inside. Now, I’ve begun looking for opportunities that I find appealing and seizing them. My mission: to become a dynamic person in the world.
The first immense opportunity came early in the summer of 2006, when I received an invitation to attend the National Student Leadership Conference in my mailbox. I was intrigued, but only slightly; it was a chance to get away from home for a few days and gain leadership experience, yes, but it was also a five-day trip, from July 5 through July 9, which I wasn’t sure I was ready for. However, my ambivalence changed when I read that the conference would be held at Vanderbilt in Nashville, mainly because my best friend/“big brother” Justin Glenn, a Vanderbilt freshman at the time, was on campus for the summer for an internship, and I hadn’t seen him in nearly a year. He’d gotten me very interested in “Vandy” as he and countless others call it (and as I do, now) and I was hoping that he could show me around the beautiful campus he’d gushed on and on and on to me about. Thinking of this, I decided to go despite the underlying “away-from-home” fear.
So, on Tuesday, July 5, I arrived at the Lupton dormitory at Vandy where all the NSLC participants were staying. I was in awe: I’d never been by out of town without my family before, and I was thinking to myself “If this isn’t ‘breaking out of my shell’, nothing is!” I found my room; the bed was too small for my 6’2” frame, the radiator constantly emitted a hissing sound that was not smothered by my suitcase and several well-placed towels, and the very idea of communal showers instantly inspired paranoid thoughts of contagious diseases in my head. And yet, I felt slightly in place, and couldn’t figure out why.
Once I settled myself in the room, I sat on my tiny twin bed and looked at the schedule. I’d already planned on sneaking out to visit Justin before I’d even come to Nashville, so I just picked Thursday’s “Casino Night” as the time to do so. After I’d settled that issue, I took a look at the map that accompanied the schedule; the seminars and classes were mostly in Buttrick Hall, which was a good distance from the dorms.</p>
<h2>Is This Your Personal Essay or Why Vanderbilt?</h2>
<pre><code> The essay portion of your application is an excellent way for you to convey your personality to the admissions board. Personally, I wouldn’t start off the essay with “I have been heavily sheltered my life”. Perhaps, a better starting point would be where you talk about how you want to be “a more dynamic person”. Avoid vague phrases. What are your goals? What are you passionate about? Try to figure out the direction/focus of the essay.
</code></pre>
<p>Also – Instead of using phrases like “He’d gotten me very interested in Vandy”, try emphasizing “I am interested in Vanderbilt because….”. Being descriptive is good but make sure your descriptions add to the overall context of the essay. The voice of your essay sounds like an online journal entry. Such phrases like “the bed was too small for my 6’2” frame” or “the radiator constantly emitted a hissing sound” aren’t necessarily important. You should be using this space to describe your character strengths or interests. If this is your “Why Vanderbilt?” essay, figure out what you truly love about the school. Does Nashville appeal to you? Is Vanderbilt strong in a department you are passionate about? Would you enjoy studying on an arboretum? Do some research and be specific.</p>