Illinois female
GPA 3.92/4.0 UW (5.34 W)
31 ACT
5 honors, 8 APs
National Honor Society
Student Council Exec Board
Varsity volleyball Captain
many clubs and leadership conferences
Thank you!
ACT score seems to be low.
ECs look good, and grades seem good as well (as long as you have 4s and 5s on you APs + a solid class rank).
Test scores are probably low for RD, and borderline for ED. You could try a retake (but I think it might be too late to sign up for tests ready for ED unfortunately) maybe the November SAT, but probably not a good idea if you haven’t taken it before.
If Vanderbilt’s your clear first choice and the finances work out, and there’s no other school where the ED would be better used, you could take a shot - it all depends on subjective interpretation by the adcoms (so make sure to have stellar recs/essays), and you’re close enough to the EDI accepted student profile that you getting in is within the realm of possibility.
I don’t think the ED class at Vandy is significantly less qualified on paper/re stats than the RD admittees. If you have a hook of some kind, perhaps. I would probably target a somewhat less selective school if you wish to wrap things up ED. If you need financial aid, shop around and be shrewd before you use up your ED-- which can be an advantage at many colleges. If you are likely going to be paying full price in most private schools, that is a different gambit.