Hi,
So, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking. I was denied from Vanderbilt ED1, but I’m curious to know what I could have done differently to get a better chance at getting into Vanderbilt. I was deciding between CAS and Peabody. I wanted to become a high school spanish teacher, so I chose secondary education as my major and Spanish as my alternative major. Would it have been a better idea for me to apply as a Spanish major instead?
I also plan to try to transfer into Vanderbilt as well. I do not really know much about the transfer process either. I really know in my heart that this is the school that I’m supposed to go to. I’m not exactly sure why, since I can’t really explain it, but I also know that I shouldn’t be putting everything into one school. Should I re-apply as a Spanish major or a secondary education major? I hear that it is harder to get into Peabody than CAS.
I have a good list of schools I am considering as well, so I am not choosing a school specifically with the intent to transfer.
I also have been seeing articles everywhere that Asians are at a disadvantage when it comes to applying to elite schools. I am Chinese, so did this put me at a disadvantage? Should I have not filled out the race section on the Common App?
Here are my stats:
Asian Female from the Inland Empire of Southern California
Test Optional (24ACT/1150 SAT before COVID hit)
4.0 UW/4.46 W HS with a 4.0 college GPA
Class Rank: 1/120
11 College Dual Enrollment courses totaling 37 units (taking the highest level of Spanish I could; as mentioned before, my high school does not offer AP or have an IB program, so my only option was to enroll in the local community college)
Honors: 4.0 High School Gold Honor Roll and Phi Theta Kappa Honors Society (Community College Honors Society), plus some more
ECs: Student Council, amazing service project, Chinese School since 9th grade, Middle School Cross Country Assistant Coach 9th & 10th grade, and Varsity Cross Country 9th & 10th grade
I realize my application was not as strong as I originally thought because it does not stand out. Any tips to make it stronger or stand out if I were to apply as a transfer?