Hi!
I posted on this about two years ago asking for my chances at Vanderbilt and now the time has come to apply! I’m planning on applying ED to Vandy and I also love UMich. My stats are as follows:
GPA : 3.7 (out of 4) UW 4.2 W (out of 5)
SAT : 1400. I know it’s a bit low but I’m taking the August test in 2 days and hoping on getting it to a 1430-1440.
EC : I included on the common app 2 years of school tennis, 2 years of being the lacrosse statistician, 3 years of being the swim statistician, babysitting frequently, tutoring club and tutoring on the side for all 4 years, interning at the local veterinarian office for 1 year, working as a camp counselor, starting a Pen Pals club in my school, maintaining my own blog, and participating in DECA for 2 years
I think my essay is pretty good but I hear that doesn’t matter as much as I thought it did.
Please let me know! 
vanderbilt will be hard. Umich depends if youre in-state or out of state and what major
Essays count a lot so make it unique, personal and interesting. Keep getting great grades for your senior year since being deferred at Michigan is a normal thing. Like 10,000 on the wait list last year and many with better stats and many got it with lesser stats then yours also. Again Essays matter.
https://admissions.umich.edu/apply/freshmen-applicants/student-profile
If you like Vandy you might also like:
Tulane
Davidson
U of Richmond
SMU
If you like Michigan you might also like:
Wisconsin
Minnesota
Illinois
Washington
I am out of state and my intended major is business. I know that Ross is very difficult. I like HOD at Vandy.
essay can become the most important part of your application
Disagree with the above statement. An essay is not going to be the “most important” part of any application. It should certainly be given time and attention but it’s not going to make up for a deficit elsewhere in your application.
It’s going to be tough for both, you have to get the SAT up to 1500 to have a reasonable chance.
Your GPA seems okay, but it depends how your GPA in comparison to others in your school. Your SAT is a bit low for these schools; getting a 1500+ on your next SAT run would definitely give you a big boost in your application. Your ECs are decent, but you are going to need to have a perfect essay to get into either of these schools as I don’t see much uniqueness in your application. Applying ED to Vandy will give you a half chance, but because of the competitiveness of these schools, I would not expect too much. GL anyways!
Everyone always has a chance, even if the stats don’t fall within their standards. These colleges are looking at your application holistically, and one component is not going to result admission/denial- the whole package is important. Also, please take what you read here with a grain of salt. CC can be brutal, and almost none of us are admissions counselors reading applications- we’re just people with opinions. Your school counselor may be helpful, or consider reaching out to your admissions counselors at Vanderbilt and UMich with specific questions. In my experience, they are always willing to help. Best of luck!
I’m in agreement with Orange. Congrats on your efforts. Impressive.
Understand that Vanderbilt is a stats-hungry school. Unless your spike is insanely impressive or your family is low income, you want to raise your SAT score to at least 1500 and then I’d say you have a good shot.
Thank you Orangeclockwork and HowardGradly! I appreciate the kind words!
The essay is extremely important! I’m a current U of M student, who’s SAT was extremely low. I did have a very good GPA but it didn’t really make up for my test score. Your essay is a chance to show more than just your academic side! U of M wants different personalities on campus. Your stats are very good but try and make your essay stand out compared to others if you really want to get in.