Gpa 3.6 unweighted
3.83 junior year(upward trend)
Sat- 1550, 800 math, 750 english
APUSH-5
AP Physics 2- 5
Extracurricular- Youth Program and Math Team, 9,10,11, and 12
50 Volunteer hours at Newton Wellesely Hospital
Harvard Summer School course
Should have good essay and recs
Where do you stand in your high school (i.e rank, percentile)? and how many usually go to Vandy in your high school? Furthermore, did you win any awards with the math team? I’d say that at RD might be difficult for you but depending on your answers to these questions ED might not be that bad.
Top 15 percent and no awards
Warning: Vandy either accepts or rejects you ED, so if you want to risk getting rejected then you can apply ED (Vandy does not defer applicants).
One thing you need to do is take more APs. Also, you need subject tests. Without those, you have nearly a zero percent chance of getting in (unless you are a URM or have a big hook or something).
3.6 unweighted is actually really low for Vandy; this school has one of the highest average stats (I think they’re ranked 7). Raise your gpa asap.
You also need more ECs. 50 hours of community service does not do anything; basically most students do that plus a lot more. You need to be more involved with your school and with the external community and enact change, something that is worth writing on your essay. Work hard to get more achievements.
The first question adcom’s will have is, with your test scores why are you not giving a speech on graduation day? You have top 1% test scores but your HS performance does not match your scores. There may be a good reason for this but it screams underperformance in high school. ( If you are not in the top 10% it hurts a a schools USNWR…I know it is not fair but it’s life).
Next 100% of VU admits received major awards, held significant leadership positions, or excelled in sports or the fine arts.
I go to one of the most competitive high schools in the country and other than Spanish I have nearly all a’s. Will that one class kills my chances and what other colleges would you all recommended
That is a good reason if you come from a magnet school full of gifted students and one bad grade should not kill your chances. The top U’s know which high schools are the most competitive and take that into account when reviewing your GPA. Coming from an elite high school is a mixed blessing: You have an enriched environment, excellent guidance counselors, a school with success in placing students into elite U’s (they know how to play the admissions game), bright classmates that push you, and even need blind schools know where the well funded students come from. On the other hand you have to compete with a class full of bright overachieving classmates.
If you’re coming from a super competitive high school your grades/rank will be fine. However, if you’re coming from a a top school is there a reason you only have two APs listed? If you just listed the ones from your sophomore year that you have the scores back for that’s fine, but if you’ve only taken two APs through your junior year that’s not a great look. To get the benefit of the doubt for going to a tough prep school, you need to have taken the most rigorous course offerings.
Test scores are good enough for RD, but your EC’s are on the light side if that’s their full extent. I would do EDI if you really want to come here; RD is pretty tough and might not be likely, unless you come up with some truly exceptional essays and recs.
@fdgjfg : Apparently we think alike. However, I do not trust that those scores are particularly impressive given VU’s sensitivity to them. I am willing to bet that the light ECs and AP load may make the admissions officers bored by time they read the application, especially in RD. If they like really high scores than they will take those with at least a little more “umph” in the file. If any other less stats oriented school would look at that and say “I think I am bored or don’t trust this person’s ability to challenge themselves” than what will the VU AOs do when those scores are super common?
@bud123 : Sounds like…medical and law school admissions…sigh.