Please chance at Vandy

Colleges and Universities A-Z Vanderbilt University
1

<p>My son will be a rising Junior next year and I would like to gauge his school preference to Vandy with a realistic eye. Any and all comments regarding his chances based upon this info. would be greatly appreciated. </p>

<p>White Male, from South Florida</p>

<p>He plans to pursue PreMed Studies (ultimately Med School). He’ll be a Junior in the Fall Junior, so I'll make reasonable estimates for that and his senior year.</p>

<p>Stats. as of now:</p>

<p>GPA UW: 3.93 (Core Only)
GPA W: 5.12 (School weights +1 pt. for Honors & 2 pts. For AP Classes)
Class Rank: 2 of 110
Counting senior year, 9 AP classes will have been completed</p>

<p>Freshman Year: AP Human Geo (5)
Sophomore Year: AP Biology (just taken-very certain a 5)
Junior Year: APUSH, AP Environmental Science, AP Lang and Comp.
Senior Year: AP Physics B, AP Chemistry, AP Lit and Comp., AP Stats.</p>

<p>All Honors or AP level courses - Medical Professions Track at his school is heavy on the Sciences, has or will complete: Medical Terminology, Embryology, Anatomy & Physiology,
Forensic Science, Pathology, Medical Internship, Medical Exam, Biology (Honors & AP),
Chem. (Honors & AP), AP Physics B, Microbiology, AP Environmental Science.</p>

<p>PSAT: 214 as a 10th Grader (Intensive tutoring for PSAT and SAT continuing up until October Test date – School provided scholarship for tutoring 20 high achievers at his school) Shooting for 230's in October.</p>

<p>Sat Testing with tutor in timed test conditions is yielding CR 770 M 740 W 720</p>

<p>Extracurriculars:
National Honor Society (Secretary)
National English Honor Society
National Spanish Honor Society
PreMed Honors Society (2 Years)
Key Club
Community Service 450 hrs. to date (YMCA, Fundraising for various overseas causes, Acting Camp mentor at local County Playhouse)
Physician Shadowing
Tutored Middle School Students in grade specific math</p>

<p>Dual Citizen- USA/Italy
He researched, applied for and was awarded his dual citizenship. He would like the option of living/working overseas after college.</p>

<p>Awards:
• Palm Beach Regional Science & Engineering Fair 2nd Place Physics Category (2012)</p>

<p>• Florida State Science & Engineering Fair Finalist – 2nd Place Engineering Category (2013- only student in school history to make it to and place at State Level).</p>

<p>• The Stiles Nicholson Foundation “MAD Scientist” Junior Achievement Award.</p>

<p>• ASCE American Society of Civil Engineers & Florida Foundation of Future Scientists- Outstanding Project Award – State of Florida 2nd Place Senior Division.</p>

<p>• Received a Full 4 year Academic Scholarship to attend his Competitive Private School from amongst 250 competing Highest Academic achieving Middle School students in South Florida.</p>

<p>Outstanding Academic Achievement Awards: Biology, Pre Calc, Anatomy & Physiology, World History.</p>

<p>AP Scholar with Distinction (as of next year)</p>

<p>Recommendations:
Honors & AP Biology teacher (was also his State Science Fair Coordinator)
Medical Professions Program Chair
School Headmaster</p>

<p>All three will be outstanding recs.</p>

2

<p>Assuming that he does in fact get just over the 2200 on the SAT, I’d put him as a low reach/ reach. I say this, because although he has a strong application, Vanderbilt is quickly becoming one of the nation’s most competitive schools. His grades and everything are great, and there seems to be a lot of AP classes, which is good. For extracurriculars, I see that he has a lot of volunteering, but not much else. Assuming that English and Spanish honor societies have a similar function to the National Honor Society, he gets involved in the community, but not really in any academic or sports teams. I’d encourage him to possibly join a club/team of some sort. Perhaps he is super involved with those societies, and I am wrong. But anyway, if he really wants to go to Vanderbilt, have him consider early decision.</p>

3

<p>Thank you for the insight and reply</p>

4

<p>I think his chances are good but no one is a sure bet anymore. If he can get NMS that would help. Academics, tests & awards are solid, community service is good, but leadership could be better. ED is the way to go if he is sure Vandy is his first choice.</p>

5

<p>Hello, mom of recent Vandy grad and older Duke grad here. In reviewing your post, I would suggest a few things. You seem to have a highly motivated, very hard working son who already grasps the importance of performance on testing (my Dukie raised his SAT by 200 points October of his senior year…and was not clued in at all to the world of competitive college admissions till he was almost 18.) His application probably had a rustic charm and innocence that often accompanies the application of the first-born when parents are also clueless. He did not get into his crush college (Dartmouth) but got into everywhere else, and didn’t even have a clue Duke would accept him, so he had no warmth to Duke when admitted. I thought he was an introvert but it turns out that Duke had exactly the vibe that brought out his strongest self. who knew? I wanted him to go to Bowdoin where I was sure he would be better served as a son of a small town.
I am impressed that your son won a full tuition scholarship to his private high school and that the high school has very good science courses.<br>
As a mother with a son who already knocks himself out to show his mastery of each class, something few sophomores can pull off due to maturity lags, I would caution you to keep him on track regarding doing his due diligence on SAT Subject exams and AP exams. Personally I think a good showing on subject exams will always add luster to an SAT in the 2200 range. Few juniors understand how much SAT Subject exams and AP scores are wonderful cards to play. Schools like Vandy expect you to enter ready to roll and to take timed exams and to know how to memorize and plan your day. </p>

<p>You should not share your exact location on these boards and should even consider a new ID since you have two years to go IMHO. I have been around here a long time and by the time he is a senior, you will be posting on multiple college boards which is only natural but anonymity is very important. Because you never want your posts to be tied to your child, and your son should/will be applying to a smattering of colleges with low admission rates. And those colleges are not going to be much like each other and are all interested in high yields.<br>
It is too early for you to have a clue where he will be happiest and most soulfully engaged in learning. My sons changed a great deal in their final two years of high school and both ended up places they never expected to attend. </p>

<p>Personally, I don’t think leadership positions matter very much. They are false gods unless you are in a position like Band Leader or Team Captain or First Chair where you are key to establishing morale of a group or a team. </p>

<p>If your son is bicultural or bilingual, that is important to a college if he is intentional about how this defines him. </p>

<p>I believe that academic passion that has some focus helps an application even though a majority of students will alter their curriculum anyway. It is exhausting to read 29 thousand applications at Vanderbilt and they like to fill a class with a smattering of colorful people who will take an academic department seriously. If your son can project how he would use Vanderbilt in a distinctive way, he should do so. It helps if your son or daughter muses themselves this summer by reading college newspapers and college magazines to get a sense of the mission of the college and its research and its global interests. Is science really a passion that will be in his college future as a major? So many premeds major in language, Medical Ethics, and other subjects.<br>
Have him read Harry Bauld’s little book on College Essays. Your job as a parent will be to be patient while he goes through the process of deciding how to introduce himself to a college in a five minute essay. A great deal of mulling over is required. Don’t be a stranger.<br>
My advice to you re Vanderbilt is two fold. You sound like the mother of a senior. Make sure he has time to just “be” in the next 18 months. I found that just protecting my busy juniors and seniors from the constant demands from 7am till midnight was a challenge. So many adults with high expectations can be a spirit killer. He has many emotional growth tasks to accomplish. Those college tours next spring…and those interviews he must arrange with alum or on campus are times that will draw him closer to knowing his preferences. He needs to have something to say about his family values, his home, his culture and about the people that have been in his world that shaped him. So make sure the next two years include time for reflection.<br>
Last advice is to seriously consider doing the essays for merit scholarships. These essays are opportunities to introduce different aspects of who you are and what you might contribute to your class and to campus life whether or not you get a merit scholarship. Vandy son turned in his merit essays at 11:55 pm the night they were due and told me Vandy was “last on his list”. He won a merit scholarship for the Chancellor’s Scholars. This is a scholarship focused on diversity and social justice. Vanderbilt turned out to be a wonderful place for our son to find himself and to grow stronger. Perhaps your son’s dual citizenship and ideas about his future have some meaning that would be useful to get into essays. Your son is very diligent. Just make sure that his soulfulness and emotional happiness is always first in your mind during these next two years of change. Because in two springs, he will look back and be proud of the process you have shared as a family and he will have made a decision for his best right place for his college years. A decision that is sure to have surprises in it and elements of the unexpected.
And above all, don’t apply to colleges that can’t give you loan free aide based on your FAFSA and cost of attendance. Better to attend your state honors college than fall into debt if the COA is not realistic. Match colleges should be treated with great respect always.
Happy outcomes, enjoy the process, it is a time that can be precious between parents and son or daughter as they put forth great efforts and have the privilege of choosing between many “goods” in the end.</p>

6

<p>Thank you so much for the thoughtful heart felt post…many pearls of wisdom there and we’ll heed your advice…good luck to you and your family in the future</p>

7

<p>you are most welcome. As your son gets closer to college apps, classmates in his school or local schools will be reading this board, and chatter amps up, sometimes leading to kids being territorial. Ditto young college adcoms who may be meeting your son or interviewing him in groups or solo-- may read pages here (one college staff person met our son twice in local small groups, a college very concerned with Yield.) Very wise to protect your son by only stating what state or size city you are from when talking with other parents. Some college pages here have alums who have been on CC for years who advise and it is perfectly natural for you to be making special inquiries at various colleges without being worried you will offend anyone. Protect your child’s privacy and don’t post anything that identifies him. You can private message people to share more now and then. You should advise your son to keep his ID here private as well as keeping his preferences limited to a top five or ten list he might share with friends. People are relentless about asking your son to rank their dream schools and in general it is best to stay fluid and highly diplomatic as you never know what you will opt to do until that May arrives. I recall a Duke alum who briskly announced in my son’s evaluative interview to name his top five schools in order of his preference! He wanted to write them down as part of his report to Duke. Instant good judgement required from my son who is uber polite and was at a loss (of course he was only human and had a crush college which wasn’t Duke and he also loved other colleges on his list more than Duke at the time). Son replied that Duke was a reach college-- lumped in with his other two reach colleges and stated he had no sure expectation of being admitted so was also putting emphasis on his match colleges.
As I said in my long windy post, other adults really press in on these kids as seniors, and learning to handle people who of course root for their own colleges is a skill when you have no idea where you will be admitted or what you will be able to afford.</p>

8

<p>Wasn’t aware of the need for anonimity, but certainly understand the reasons now…looking forward to reading more of your posts…we’ll be visiting the school in two weeks and I will certainly view things in a different/more expanded light…I’ve thoroughly enjoyed reading your replys…If I have any questions on those two schools, would it be ok to PM you? …Thanks again</p>

9

<p>absolutely. stay open-hearted and help your son to admire every college for its history and mission, even though he can’t help but develop crushes on this one or that one. There are excellent professors and excellent classrooms in scores of colleges out there–more difficult is paying for the privilege. The recession has certainly put finances in first place but always make sure your son’s emotional fit is tied with financial reach as important factor. The undergrad years have different priorities for different kids. My smaller town kids needed immersion in schools with more of a global population to get up to speed on how the world really works beyond our sleepy town. Another young woman we love turned down Harvard for a top liberal arts college in a tiny town because she grew up in a big city and wanted intimacy in college. My Duke son learned as much from his peers as he did from his professors but he seldom experienced intimate classrooms in his four years. Vandy son was independent and incongruent with the Greek life on campus but is probably much better equipped for the workplace having grown up on a campus that had a strong Greek life presence. No college delivers it all and every academic department offers a different experience for majors. Sifting through these permutations is a privilege and a process, and the best fit is so personal to each family.</p>

10

<p>BocaTerp the below link from Vandy ADCOM shares the profile of RD admitted students to the class of 2017. More importantly it gives you an idea of what they are looking for when deciding which qualified students to admit.</p>

<p>[Class</a> of 2017 Regular Decisions Mailed Today | The Vandy Admissions Blog | Vanderbilt University](<a href=“Class of 2017 Regular Decisions Mailed Today | The Vandy Admissions Blog | Vanderbilt University”>Class of 2017 Regular Decisions Mailed Today | The Vandy Admissions Blog | Vanderbilt University)</p>

11

<p>I think yor son has a good chance of being accepted as long as his SATs are in the 2300 range since test scores are very important to Vanderbilt. Leadership is also important since all of the students accepted to the class of 2017 had some sort of leadership role. As long as you have some sort of leadership role in at least one of your activities you should be fine.</p>

12

<p>Thank you Roxy and Bud</p>