The situation this year only helps the test optional people. Suddenly a big barrier has been removed. Those with the highest test scores now have to compete against students who would not even have been in contention in the past, esp with the loss of standardized test scores as a check against grade inflation. You’re in better shape this year. GL!
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Yes, you have a chance! Never give up hope.
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Good luck to you too. I hope everyone gets good news at 5 pm today!
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I’m in the same boat… guess we’ll find out soon enough !
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I’m not an expert by any means but I got into U of Rochester and am wondering a similar question- the only input I can provide is that (if I remember correctly) Vanderbilt’s medical school does not favor vanderbilt undergraduates. Again, could be totally wrong.
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IMO, I think colleges know which high schools have grade inflation and which are academically rigorous. So if you get good grades at a rigorous HS, and your course load was challenging, your standardized test scores would probably have reflected that too. They’re approach is more holistic this year.
Also they are probably taking into consideration that areas like NY/NJ/CA which were locked down for quite a bit last year, probably most kids from those schools wouldn’t have tested. They might question why you didn’t submit scores if you were in an area where you would have had an opportunity to test. (BTW my daughter submitted test scores.)
Oh, my God, 6.7%!!! I am so nervous
I’m not sure about that. They might acknowledge that some people aren’t comfortable testing during this pandemic.
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6.7% !! That’s actually crazy. I don’t even want to see the acceptance rates for the Ivy’s this year ://
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That 39% were admitted without test scores to a school like Vandy is really stunning…potentially a seismic-shift level disruption to the college admissions process. I wonder if these tests will ever become mandatory again.
Keeping them optional is a win-win for the colleges (10K more applications = $750,000 in application fees!) and for the college board; everyone will still be paying to take the tests but will only send if scores are considered high enough.
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I hope everyone on here achieves amazing success! But I would caution folks to be really happy with all the schools you’ve already been accepted. The acceptance rate at V is 6.7%. Meaning 93.3% of applicants get rejected. And primarily, the only students who even apply to Vanderbilt are students with perfect or near-perfect standardized test scores, perfect GPAs, and leadership positions on several ECs, etc. So - even 93% of these “perfect” students are getting ejected here.
Not trying to be a downer - but you will likely be rejected (as will my S). Even with all that - I wish everyone the best. And don’t let the decision ruin your day/week, etc. it’s just not worth it.
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Will we see the decision right when we log into the portal or will we have to click a status update button? Anyone know how it was for previous years?
you just logged in
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and the decision was there
Exactly! Don’t forget increased demand for college admission consultants who are almost all former admission officers. Test optional was sold as a way to equalize the field for those who couldn’t afford test prep etc. Now test prep gets supplemented by consultants/coaches for essays and resume building. Elite prep schools and the wealthy can a afford private consultants and/or have low-ratio of counselors to students in their buildings. The poor and public schools can’t afford this. The Admissions Industry reminds me of the First-time baby market. Remember when our seniors were born and we we were told to buy motion-detecting crib matts, sound-activated monitors, and Baby Einstein videos?
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Thanks for the reality check.
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Yowzers, from 9% to 6.7%, does anyone know what their ideal class size is? Their yield has typically been around 45 to 49%, which is really high.
Yeah the acceptance rate is crazy. Vanderbilt is one of my top choices. I fell in love with it this past summer when I participated in one of their research internships. I didn’t get to see the campus since it was moved virtual, but I really liked the staff members we worked with. I know one of the participants got in via mosaic already which is why I’m guessing I don’t really have a chance.
Oh well. Wishing the best for everyone here!
The freshman class size is usually around 1600.
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When my son applied back around the end of October we never in a million years would have thought the acceptance for RD would be 3-5%. Hindsight, he certainly would have applied ED. This is his second choice next to Notre Dame which he was waitlisted at. His third choice is WashU also a waitlist. He has been accepted into others for which we are grateful. It’s just the community for ND and Vandy are so a perfect fit for his personality. I know that if this is God’s will the door will open if not he has been blessed with other great options.
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