Please chance me!!

Colleges and Universities A-Z Vanderbilt University
1

<p>I would really appreciate if you guys would chance me on being accepted Vanderbilt!</p>

<p>some facts:
17yrs
Asian
Female
Rank: 9/341
SAT: 740 CR/600 M/660 W ( i'm taking it again this weekend!)
ACT: 29 (Im taking it again OCT 24th. I seriously had major text anxiety:( On my Barrons practice test i consistently made 32-34s. pretty confident i can get in the 30s
GPA: 3.87/4 UW 4.89/5 W</p>

<p>Senior schedule:
AP Calc AB
AP GOvt/econ
AP Eng Lit
Teacher Assistant piano
Teacher Cadets (college credit)
SPanish 4 honors</p>

<p>6 Total Aps:
-APUSH 4
-AP Eng Lang 5
-AP Psych 5
*others are current
Extracurriculars:
-Spanish club 4 years; Vice-President
-Varsity Tennis 4 years
-NHS 4 years
-Environmental Club 2 years
-Tutoring at local elementary school 2 hrs 3 times a week senior year
-Pianist for church 4 years
-pianist for chorus class at school (voluntary)
-Chamber Orchestra 2 years; principal violinist
-Mu Alpha Theta 1 year
-Spanish National Honor Society 2 years
-Carolina Youth Symphony 1 year (competitive state orchestra)
-Clemson Science & Enginnering Summer Program two years
-Crescent music club 1 year
-Future Educators of America 1 year
-Rotary Club 2 years
-Church missions to Mexico 08</p>

<p>Honors:
-Clemson Biology Merit Exam 2005 Honorable Mention
-Ruth Young Piano Scholarship Winner 2009
-Solo & Ensemble Violin 4 years Superior
-Best of class 4 years
-Chamber Orchestra scholarship 2005
-SC Junior Scholar
-$500 scholarship for Clemson Science Program
-Pre-college piano audition -excellent
-Furman Scholar ($5000/yr renewable scholarship)
-Wofford Scholar
-Rotary Scholar
-National Spanish Merit Exam Honorable Mention
-All Country Orchestra 5 years (1 year principal violinst; 1 year second chair)
-All Region Orchestra 1 year
-AP Scholar
-High school musical excellence award 09</p>

<p>i would really love to go to Vanderbilt U. (its my ED)
some reaches are: Vandy, Emory
and the rest are: College of William and Mary, USC-Columbia, Furman University, and UNC CHapel Hill</p>

<p>Please chance me! :D</p>

2

<p>Get that SAT/ACT score up and you should be right in there, expecially because your applying ED. Be sure to write a good essay.</p>

3

<p>what AP is APUSH? I can not figure it out for the life of me!</p>

<p>Thanks</p>

4

<p>AP U.S. History</p>

5

<p>haha. oops. everyone at my school calls AP US History APUSH. I thought it was universal. :slight_smile:
is it better to apply Early Decision? I need a lot of financial aid, but I’ve heard that applying early gets you less aid.
Another thought(s):
Do you think a personal essay on the common app-choose your own topic prompt-about
the realization of my identity as a Korean-American would be good? I’ve given it to some of my English teachers to review, so hopefully I get good responses. I think it shows an interesting perspective on both cultures and my maturation as a person…0_o
haha…
and I’m pretty worried that i don’t have enough Extracurriculars…nothing significant or community changing…
I DON"T want to be stuck at a in-state school! I envy my friend who got into Harvard last year…(he deftinately left a legacy behind at our small-town high school lol)</p>

<p>and finally (sorry this post is so long) I am so nervous about the SAT/ACT coming up this month. scary to think how one test can make your future…</p>

6

<p>bump
10char</p>

7

<p>if you chance me i’ll chance you. lol. :))</p>

8

<p>don’t worry about your EC’s at all, no one has to be a superstar in terms of ECs to get into Vandy. Focus on what you can have control over and work on that…</p>

<p>do you have career goals of any kind just yet? Not that anyone should but just looking at your high verbal and lower math profile. If you have career goals, do consider them as you look somewhat at colleges.</p>

<p>I am a Furman grad with a son at Vandy…and the faculty at Furman is amazing…agree it is probably a match for you…as is of course the honors track at USC Columbia</p>

<p>Ditch the Barrons and get a Red Book for the ACT and study the sections you feel you need practice on in timed settings…I bet your ACT will nudge up!</p>

<p>Also, admissions for OOS students to Wm and Mary is pretty tough, harder than admissions for instate students…ditto Chapel Hill, although you have a shot for sure…</p>

<p>If I were you, I might add in another very good match college to my list unless you are already happy with Furman as a match. Match colleges should be very respected in this process as they are often really fantastic colleges. Why not another good match/reach college in a place where South Carolinians are less numerous for a thought…example Colby College in Maine…a fantastic school where there are fewer from your state for sure. Or Rhodes in Memphis or Suwannee in Tennessee.</p>

<p>Essays matter, so since you are a strong reader/writer…use them to your advantage. Who you are, whatever your heritage, matters and I am sure that would be an interesting topic. Readers only have five minutes to get to know you, so don’t be shy…always tell your story with examples and illustrations…they basically want to build a campus of interesting people that everyone would benefit from calling a classmate.</p>

<p>Use your ED to your advantage…which only works if your Mom and Dad have agreed they can pay your EFC on the FAFSA plus the CSS Profile. That is important.</p>

<p>Vandy’s financial aid is very generous once parents pay their fair share according to these standards. But before doing ED…parents should examine that figure and guess what they will be expected to pay. That said, Vandy might surprise you and expect them to pay less than that or more than they estimated based on other factors in the CSS Profile.</p>

<p>Forecast how you will participate/contribute to campus life. Being in a state orchestra is a good accomplishment…neither one of my sons made that final cut, good for you</p>

<p>Good luck</p>

9

<p>Faline2-
thank you for your assessment! It was quite helpful.
I am wanting to major in English literature (hence the higher verbal)and minor in Asian Studies. My career goal is to be an English professor :slight_smile:
In all honesty, although I consider Furman a respected school and although I’m promised scholarships, I don’t want to attend. I live only 30-40 minutes away, and want to attend a college at least 2 hrs away (like USC Columbia). I only applied as a safety and to see how much aid i would get.</p>

<p>-Can you elaborate on EFC? what is that exactly? I’m assuming that as long as I list on the CSS my financial status and contribution by the ED deadline, I will still be offered aid?</p>

<p>-do you think an optional interview would be helpful? I talked to a friend who was accepted to Vandy (he attends Harvard now) and he said interviews are pretty important.</p>

10

<p>In all honesty, there is no reason to apply to Furman (I am not offended in the least, and hope you won’t be) if you don’t want to go to school within an hour from home…don’t waste their time. Don’t waste your time.<br>
I am sure you are a very able student…that said you could be not admitted to Wm and Mary, UNCCH, and Vandy (although I hope you get some open doors)…so you must expand your match list to include schools that would excite you culturally and geographically if it is change you seek. That said…of those three…only VAndy has a NO LOAN policy in a major recession. You must get more up on each school’s financial aid policy.
I don’t think you are excited about your match list. You gotta love at least two of those matches and be willing to attend if you do not find reaches admit you. All of these schools including Furman are really pretty tough and challenging once you get there and the faculty is good at all of them.
Your parents need to sit down soon and do their FAFSA online and get a good sense of what they will be charged financially…then they get an EFC estimated Family contribution. The CSS Profile is gathered at more selective colleges and will also make your fee higher, lower or the same depending on what you own. Then take into account that each college is different and has its own internal rules.</p>

<p>Have you sought out Asian studies major departments? Have you looked at numbers of students who spend a semester abroad in Asian studies…these things will matter. If you are going to apply to reach colleges that put lots of kids abroad…I would apply to DAvidson…you may get rejected but their financial aid is very good and it is my impression that they don’t have tons of Korean American students. A large number of Davidsonians go abroad and it is further from your home. OK>.that was another reach college…that said…you are getting closer to it being a match if you improve on testing. Don’t stop testing. Re ED…not a bad idea in a college with an excellent financial aid program but ONLY IF YOUR PARENTS agree to pay their EFC.<br>
If Furman is too close to home…look at Wake Forest, look in the Northeast where a girl with a southern accent is a bit harder to locate. Look at top colleges in Midwest towns like Oberlin. best of wishes in your journey</p>

11

<p>re your Vandy application and interest…as you may know, Vandy is proud to house the number one program in the USA in rankings in education and education policy…Peabody which makes it an interesting place for someone who feels that teaching is in their future. I wanted to bring up your talent on piano and violin and the possibility of your auditioning at Blair School of Music. Why not? Have you considered music as a major or minor? The Blair School would be another option at Vandy although I think you have settled more on English. I would explore this since you have two instruments. You (state orchestra chair holder) are likely good enough to audition and get a chair in the Vandy Orchestra…whereas my sons (Regional Orchestra chair-holders) felt that they did not fit in a symphony dominated by music majors who practiced daily. It is a matter of deciding if taking lessons and continuing is part of your vision. There is a great deal of crossover at Vandy between Blair, Peabody, Engineering, arts and sciences and even the graduate schools. That said, in a school with a lesser music program than Vandy’s, your ability is even more valued…ie, my older son who didn’t fit in a conservatory took a serious role in a college orchestra that only played two nights a week and was full of students who had played their instruments all their lives but no longer took lessons. (He actually continued taking lessons for pleasure.) You probably should get a CD of your performance to include at schools without conservatories (Blair only does face to face auditions). My son’s CD at age 18 would not have drawn praise or been an asset or made him a music recruit. Music teachers are sent these to review by admissions officers at other colleges. My son found playing two nights a week to be very therapeutic and meaningful for him in college, but his experience did not compare to that of a conservatory based orchestra in depth. Lastly, follow the Vandy admissions blog and ask to have an interview with the person who does alum interviews in your region.
I would “go for it” at Vandy but same passion for every school on your list is advised. Just make your list only places you would be proud to attend and make sure you build your match list to include other fine institutions. If you are willing to travel as far west as Nashville, you should look that far in other directions as well. Get to know your match colleges, appreciate them, interview there as well.</p>

12

<p>Would doing something you like doing and publishing it in a certain way be unique in the admissions process?</p>

13

<p>UPDATED*
I would really appreciate if you guys would chance me on being accepted Vanderbilt!</p>

<p>some facts:
17yrs
Asian
South Carolina
Female
Rank: 9/341
SAT: 740 CR/670 M/790 W =2200 superscored<br>
ACT: 29. haven’t recieved my October score yet…
GPA: 3.92/4 UW 4.86/5 W</p>

<p>Senior schedule:
AP Calc AB
AP GOvt/econ
AP Eng Lit
Teacher Assistant piano
Teacher Cadets (college credit)
SPanish 4 honors</p>

<p>6 Total Aps:
-AP USH 4
-AP Eng Lang 5
-AP Psych 5
*others are current
Extracurriculars:
-Spanish club 4 years; Vice-President
-Varsity Tennis 4 years
-NHS 4 years
-Environmental Club 2 years
-Tutoring at local elementary school 2 hrs 3 times a week senior year
-Pianist for church 4 years
-pianist for chorus class at school (voluntary)
-Chamber Orchestra 2 years; principal violinist
-Mu Alpha Theta 1 year
-Spanish National Honor Society 2 years
-Carolina Youth Symphony 1 year (competitive state orchestra)
-Clemson Science & Enginnering Summer Program two years
-Crescent music club 1 year
-Future Educators of America 1 year
-Rotary Club 2 years
-Church missions to Mexico 08</p>

<p>Honors:
-Clemson Biology Merit Exam 2005 Honorable Mention
-Ruth Young Piano Scholarship Winner 2009
-Solo & Ensemble Violin 4 years Superior
-Best of class 4 years
-Chamber Orchestra scholarship 2005
-SC Junior Scholar
-$500 scholarship for Clemson Science Program
-Pre-college piano audition -excellent
-Furman Scholar ($5000/yr renewable scholarship)
-Wofford Scholar
-Rotary Scholar
-National Spanish Merit Exam Honorable Mention
-All Country Orchestra 5 years (1 year principal violinst; 1 year second chair)
-All Region Orchestra 1 year
-AP Scholar
-High school musical excellence award 09</p>

<p>i would really love to go to Vanderbilt U. (its my ED)
some reaches are: Vandy, Emory
and the rest are: College of William and Mary, USC-Columbia,and UNC CHapel Hill</p>

<p>Please chance me!</p>

14

<p>congrats on your new SATs! good for you! Very optimistic if you write essays that show who you are and how you will contribute…show the person everyone would love to know for four years on campus…predict where you can participate, evaluate Vandy’s curriculum and do some thinking on which school you would apply to attend and what you would do on campus.</p>

15

<p>Faline2
Thank you so much for your quick replies! You are always so supportive! I’m satisfied with my SAT scores. I wish I could have reached 700 on Math, though. I’ve already sent in my application for Early Decision. There was a slight glitch in my application which I am in the middle of fixing, but hopefully everything will be alright :frowning:
Now, I just have to wait for my Dec 15 notification. If I don’t get accepted early, hopefully I’ll at least be deferred…</p>

<p>Thanks again!</p>

16

<p>While I would not advocate gratuitous contact with admissions, make sure to send in updates in a brief memo if there are new test scores or if there is recognition that is significant. Keep an open heart to other colleges but of course most readers here are rooting for you since Vandy is your first choice. (I don’t know how anyone gets in their apps early!..my sons were always midnight deadline senders–you are it seems very motivated to be a Dore!)</p>

17

<p>just an fyi, Vanderbilt rarely defers in the ED round. I believe their policy is to accept or deny and rarely do they use deferrals to the RD round. (at least that’s how it was in past years)</p>

18

<p>I hope that Vanderbilt no longer defers ED, my daughter was deferred and it was a nightmare- a denial up front would have been much easier in order to move on… it was very hard to for her to put her heart into applying to other schools. She was denied regular decision ( not a happy time in our house ) but eventually ended up at Vandy due to Hurricane Katrina. Vanderbilt was truly the right fit for her, she ended up graduating near the top of her class & Phi Beta Kappa, but the road to get there was a very long and expensive one. It was heartwrenching to watch as a parent and in hindsight we would have definitely made some different decisions.</p>

19

<p>from the Vandy admissions website “Students will be either admitted or denied under the Early Decision Plan although a very small percentage of students may be deferred to regular decision.”</p>

20

<p>i think that with your better SAT score, you’ll have a much better chance</p>