<p>Do siblings of current Vandy students applying for admission have an advantage? My son says he knows several students with older siblings at Vandy together.</p>
<p>I can’t speak to current admissions practices, but when younger D applied there was a slight advantage for siblings. The admissions dean at the time, William Shain, spoke at the parents convocation on move-in day and highlighted that there were about 75 member of the class of '09 who had siblings currently enrolled.</p>
<p>I’ve seen several postings (not here) of parents who were upset that the sibling didn’t get in.</p>
<p>I would think it does give you a bump … but only if everything else is equal. (ecs, standardized tests, gpa, etc.)</p>
<p>We have two more students interested in attending in the coming years, but have been told by our adcom member, who we have gotten to know well, that there is an infintessimal assistance for siblings. There are countless, heartbreaking stories on college confidential about super talented siblings with high scores, great grades, wonderful extracurriculars and excellent recommendations that do not get into the school. Getting into Vanderbilt today is truly exceptionally difficult and involves high talent and a little luck too.</p>
<p>There is a sibling advantage…depends how you play it. Sibling applications do get a closer look I believe. So, the trick is to find a way to BENEFIT from the closer look. Have something interesting in the profile that stands out. Have the currently enrolled sibling write a letter on behalf of the applicant, highlighting why he/she would be a good addition to life on campus etc. Some specific personality trait or talent etc that might enrich campus life. Of course, the applicant has to be academically competitive first, but when played right, he/she would get in over other equal applicants. The sibling letter may also explain away some weaknesses in the profile by giving CREDIBLE reasons etc. Overall, being a sibling is an opportunity to exploit the closer look they get, so plan accordingly. A sibling letter must be objective, but would be valuable because who else knows a sibling better?</p>
<p>I think there may be a SLIGHT advantage, like other posters above. It may get an extra “look” by admission counselors. My oldest did not write a letter on her sisters behalf, however in her alumni interview, my middle was able to answer easily “why do you think Vanderbilt is the school for you” due to spending time with her sister on campus, and having seen first hand what it was like to be a Vandy student. My middle was able to go visit my oldest, stayed on overnight visits, went to classes with her, and really knew it was the school for her. But that being said, she had to do all the work… Never made a B, lots of AP classes, and excelled in her chosen extracurriculars, did volunteering in fields that supported her college major desire, and then got the test scores to back it up. I didn’t do any of that for her, and neither did her sister! Now that they are there together though, I feel very, very blessed. They have made great memories, they have had several classes together, and I bet big sis will be greatly missed when she graduates this year!!</p>
<p>Before the advent of the Common App, “Why Vanderbilt?” was a required essay. Like moonpie, I think D was able to easily forecast her place on campus and I thought it was her better essay. It’s a great campus for siblings because it’s large enough that they won’t be bumping into each other constantly and they can establish their own identity, but small enough that they will be having some common experiences and friends, if they choose.</p>
<p>Like many other schools of this caliber, any advantage likely will be more meaningful for ED.</p>
<p>I’ve got a friend with son #1 at Vandy and son #2 (who applied to Vandy and was not accepted) at Johns Hopkins. Go figure.</p>