<p>Sounds like you have a pretty good shot! it’s so hard to tell because I feel like everyone applying is so smart with so many extra curriculars. I don’t envy the admissions office because they have some super tough decisions to make… In fact, I almost feel like it is truly going to come down to essays and letters of rec because everyone has such high test scores, GPA, class ranks, and rigor of classes, etc…</p>
<p>I think my extra curriculars and research experience will hopefully set me apart!</p>
<p>I think my essay will probably stand out more than anything, as well as some of my extra curriculars.
@mmnp21 What’d you research?</p>
<p>Ya I’m hoping that my essay will stand out too. What did you guys write your about?</p>
<p>I wrote my CommonApp one about my time on my robotics team and its impact on my life. I guess it’s kind of standard so unfortunately, it may not stand out too much. For the Vanderbilt supplement, I wrote about how I lost a lot of weight through running cross country and how it raised my confidence so I wouldn’t be afraid of what others thought about me. This is one hopefully stands out a bit more, but I’m worried because I’ve heard stories such as this convey weakness.</p>
<p>I think that the admissions team will appreciate your vulnerability! I wrote my common app essay about my experiences running in Africa over the summer. I was on an orphanage compound that only had a 100 meters for me to run on so I wrote it about having to run hundreds of miles back and forth on that same short road and how it sort of changed my perspective. My fear with mine is that it will come off as the “cliche orphanage experience” and so I tried to approach it from a different perspective but idk if it’s going to work…</p>
<p>I wrote my common app one about how my house almost burned down this summer and how I completely lost that idea of teenage invincibility and the whole “it’ll never happen to me” thing. Was a pretty terrifying experience having cops show up at my house and say we had to leave because the wildfires were out of control and coming our way and then not knowing if I even had a house to come back to for three days. Everything became extremely real all of the sudden. I wrote the supplement one on this opportunity I had to partner with a local business and innovate for a few days. I realized after I submitted my app that I wrote them on completely different things, so I’m hoping that helps since I don’t have to worry about repeating myself or anything. </p>
<p>I have been interning in a Schizophrenia lab for the past two summers and i did a pilot study for equipment to be put in the fMRI! It’s really interesting and i am actually one of the first people (my lab is one of the first) to put this system in the scanner! One of my recommendations is from the Head of the Psychology Department at the university and he’s pretty well known so thats good! I also presented a research poster at an International Conference in Hamburg, Germany this summer! It was a really awesome experience as well!</p>
<p>Though my common app essay is actually how watching a series on CNN about ending modern day slavery inspired me to get involved with a charity and how that experience of starting a whole fundraiser on my own inspired me further to start a club at my school and how it sparked my passion of service. And that i really to focus my life and career around helping others</p>
<p>That sounds so awesome! Definitely an original EC if I ever heard of one</p>
<p>Yea it really is something great! I definitely want to continue working in labs throughout college though surprisingly i dont want to major in Psychology. I want to major in political science and possibly economics. The more i think about it I would really enjoy getting a minor in psychology as well! </p>
<p>You guys all have such amazing test scores, I’m seriously just hoping my essay (i wrote it about softball, cliche, but i mean i did strike out the last inning of the last out of the championship game and now im the varsity captain) my supplement (i wrote about a natural helpers club) my recs and Ecs will get me in. </p>
<p>I have no shot purely academically, i’m just hoping that when they say they read the whole thing , they mean it. My parents wouldn’t let me tell the school what happened the last few years because they don’t want them to think i will be a handful to have. So my grades stand alone, I hope they’ll overlook it. Fingers crossed. And if I don’t get in, I hope each and every one of you do ! </p>
<p>ya to be honest everyone here (in my opinion) seems more than qualified. I hope that we all get in and I have no doubt that just a few years ago we probably all would have! It’s just getting more and more difficult to get in every year and I honestly don’t even know what they are looking for. I was looking at one of those threads where people say their qualifications and which schools they actually made it into and there was one student with a 2360 SAT who didn’t get in and one with a 2160 that did…so @2cassandra2 grades aren’t everything! Luckily they look at at everything holistically! </p>
<p>You guys are all scaring me with how great you are! I hope the members of this forum are the cream of the crop or I am screwed… 
What are my chances?</p>
<p>Applied ED1 to School of Engineering from high school outside of Philadelphia, PA
White Male
1520 Cr/M
740 Bio
720 Math I
Varsity Water Polo
Robotics is the strongest part of my application:
Came 4th in the world last year (4/11000) and consistently top 10 in other years
Nationally touring A cappella group officer
3.8/4.46 GPA</p>
<p>CA Essay I wrote about my internship in a Biology lab at Drexel University
Vandy essay I wrote about A Cappella</p>
<p>Whether or not I get in I wish you all the best of luck!</p>
<p>@vandyhopeful77 Goodness, you’re scared? You’re more than qualified based on your stats. Like holy elephants, 4th in the world??? I just can’t even-- Haha I would be surprised if you didn’t get in!</p>
<p>@vandyhopeful77 Ah that’s so awesome! Do you want to join the melodores? I went to a concert my freshman year when I visited my sister at Vandy and they are incredible!</p>
<p>Ahhh I so wish I could have visited! I heard they’re so good! Is it even possible to keep track of all the amazing things at Vandy, cause I keep remembering/finding more and more</p>
<p>So off topic but jesus @2cassandra2, you seem so incredibly sweet. I hope we both get in and can be friends </p>
<p>Same goes for all of you guys actually!!</p>
<p>@nerdfighter23 and @rebeccaAnn You guys make me feel a lot better about myself! and Rebecca I am definitely going to try out for the melodores, I mentioned them in my essay. They are by far the best group I have ever heard, just go watch their stuff on youtube and get blown away!</p>
<p>Thanks for the positive feedback guys, I am rooting for both of you!</p>
<p>I agree- everyone on here is so nice and supportive! Rooting for each and every one of us! </p>