How many people get waitlisted and how many make it off the list each year usually?
chrishh4, the information you want can be found at the link below in section C.
Maybe someone here can help clarify some things for me.The waitlist information says that admission offers will begin to be sent out early May, and will continue through June. If I must submit my deposit to another college where I have been accepted before May 1, how would I be able to attend Vanderbilt? Furthermore, if I am offered admission, am I required to attend Vanderbilt?
Not required to attend vandy, but you do lose the deposit on the other school should you decide to attend the school that accepts you off the waitlist. (this is confusing since typically only 1 deposit down, but waitlisted people are allowed to put in down to ensure they have a college to go to in case they don’t get off the waitlist, if that makes sense)
@TP2525‌ So I obviously need to deposit somewhere by May 1. Then, should Vanderbilt decide to admit me, I have the option - but am not required - to attend Vanderbilt. The only negative is I would lose the money from the original deposit. Does that sound right?
Yes, you’re good. (Obviously, changing plans is an inconvenience as well, telling a roommate sorry if you already have one lined up, etcetera.) Good luck!!
Side note in case you’re looking at other schools: some schools that waitlist are disadvantageous to waitlisted kids in terms of financial aid, course selection, rooming, but Vanderbilt tells those on the list they are admitted early enough so that these things are not a problem.
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@TP2525‌ Awesome, thanks for the help! And good to hear about the financial aid part - that’s one of the best parts about Vanderbilt for me.
After looking at the common data set, I’m little confused. It says 4,536 people accepted a place on the waitlist, but according to the College Board (Big Future), only 1,736 people acccepted a place. Does anyone know which one is true?
Also, what would happen if one school accepts me off the waitlist and I decide to go there, but then Vanderbilt accepts me later? Would I still be able to go to Vanderbilt and just lose the deposit from previous two schools (one from RD and another from waitlist besides Vandy)?
While Vanderbilt is need blind in terms of admissions through ED & RD, it is my understanding that they do consider ability to pay in pulling from the waitlist depending on how the class profile is shaping up. In other words, if a significant number of admitted students are receiving financial aid, it is to their advantage to take a student who can pay full freight or close to it from the waitlist.
@aguileon They’re probably not referring to the same admissions cycle. Collegeboard’s data is older. According to the CDS, in 2014, so last year, 6000+ were waitlisted, and yea, 4536, accepted a position.
To my understanding, that’s fine.
edit: on a sidenote, 75% accepting a position on the WL is incredible. Just a couple of years ago, in 2011, only 1733/5000 accepted a position. wow. And, on the bright side, for those waitlisted, Vandy has admitted 200+ (range of 210-323) off the waitlist almost every year for the past 5 years.
@hagzzz‌ That’s what I thought at first, but CollegeBoard’data for the waitlist was not similar to any of the past 5 CDS. However, the number of applicants and number of accepted students from College Board and the most recent CDS are the same. 1700 seems too small, but 4000 seems too large because that is about 100% increase in 2 years.
Looked at CB’s data. They match 2014-15 CDS, except for the 1736 figure. Hmm, not sure. 29% accepting a position on WL rate seems low. Weird.
My D was waitlisted four years ago. She immediately contacted her admissions counselor to tell him how disappointed she was and that she would definitely take a spot if one was offered to her from the waitlist. Then, she put Vandy out of her mind and accepted a spot at USC, paid the deposit, and found a roommate on facebook. On the first day that Vandy started making waitlist call, she got the call. She had one week to decide whether to accept the spot. It was a very difficult decision, since she was already all in at USC, having already found a roommate at USC and having scoped out the sororities and clubs and such. In the end, however, she decided to take the spot at Vandy, and she has never looked back. She is graduating this semester and has had a great experience there.
We are wondering whether Vanderbilt waitlists so many so that they can drive down their RD admission rate (and maybe drive down their ranking), while still keeping enough waitlist students in the mix to fill the freshman class? A 9.5 percent admission rate seems awfully low.
I think the total admit rate is 11%(including early).
Even if there are 4,500 +/- on the waitlist right now, that number might drop significantly after April 1st when other colleges announce their decisions. By the time May 1st rolls around, it should drop even more because many people will put down their deposits at other schools and move on with life. In addition, of those still on the list after May 1, many will not have been proactive regarding their status and will fall to the bottom of the list (the “wait and see” group). In other words, I think the “total amount of students on the wait list” is much lower than 4,500+/-. Of course, this is coming from a mom of wait-listed D.
OK, everyone, I don’t go on CC much anymore, but I came on today to address this very question.
I am a member of the Vanderbilt Class of 2018, and I was in your shoes as a waitlisted applicant last year. If 10% of the class or 160 students come from the waitlist and another 80 turn down waitlist admission, there will be 240 students accepted. You figure that Vanderbilt waitlists no more than 2,000 applicants (most schools are under 1,000) and maybe half don’t take the spot on the waitlist. So, my estimate is that you have a 1/4 chance to get in- more if you remind Vanderbilt how much you want to go there, and, unless things have changed since last year, if you don’t need financial aid.
In my experience on the waitlist, I filled out all of the forms they wanted me to, I submitted an extra recommendation, and I emailed them a couple times. That worked for me, and I got in on the first wave on May 3, but there is no fool-proof system to “beating” the waitlist. I advise you all to be happy with the school that you commit to before May 1 and continue to hope that Vanderbilt will work out, but be satisfied with that other option.
Anchor Down!
Estimating yield out of those admitted is always a crap shoot. This year, I see an implied yield of 46%. This is high, so I would anticipate more than 250 admits off the wait list. Last year the yield was 41.5% and 210 were pulled of the wait list. I could be quite wrong. For example, this year’s yield of 46% may indicate that more ED admits have indicated that they are coming to Vandy.
Do those on the waitlist get the FA packages now or only when they’re offered admission off the list? Is it the same for most schools?
When I was on the wait list, I didn’t get an FA package until I got off. @Benchmark236‌