Why Is Vanderbilt So Hot Right Now With DMV Families?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s hot everywhere.
It’s the new Duke.
Beware of some of the social vibe if a girl though.

Can any parents of current kids (or recent grads) from Vanderbilt comments on this? What does this mean?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is it popular? Gorgeous campus, top 20 university, test optional, in a fun city (Nashville), not as geeked out as many other top 20 schools. How is this even a question?

A school as selective as Vanderbilt should not be TO.

Agreed. But the question is “Why is Vanderbilt so hot?” Test optional and ranked in the top 20 (really important to many families) is the main reason. The entire debate about whether a test optional school should be in the top 20 is another thread.

Agree. This is your answer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:ROTC is a good way to leverage admissions at Vanderbilt, Duke, etc.

agree

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is it popular? Gorgeous campus, top 20 university, test optional, in a fun city (Nashville), not as geeked out as many other top 20 schools. How is this even a question?

A school as selective as Vanderbilt should not be TO.

Agreed. But the question is “Why is Vanderbilt so hot?” Test optional and ranked in the top 20 (really important to many families) is the main reason. The entire debate about whether a test optional school should be in the top 20 is another thread.

I don’t think so. Most of the T20 were still test optional this cycle. And pre-covid, Vanderbilt had among the highest test scores in the country.

Whatever surge happened this year was more likely due to viral videos of Vandy students taking the goalposts down Broadway after their football team beat Alabama. Don’t underestimate the appeal of that among 18 year olds. There are very, very few T20 schools where it looks like students are having a good time. I’m sure Michigan, Duke, and Notre Dame experience surges in apps whenever their teams do well. Because it looks like a fun experience for students, which is something this generation of students really yearns for.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:ROTC is a good way to leverage admissions at Vanderbilt, Duke, etc.

Yes. Vanderbilt, MIT, Princeton, Duke, and Notre Dame are the top schools with on campus ROTC. And an applicant with a 4 year ROTC scholarship is almost like a recruited athlete for them. It’s a definite hook. But you need the scholarship first, which is difficult to get.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:TBH the kids go down to Broadway and I would be terrified of my kid going there as opposed to college bars in a college town. Frat scene not what it used to be now that the school is so hard to get into. The frat houses are on campus and most students live on campus. If my daughter were going downtown regularly to drink on a fake ID amid drunk tourists and all the other stuff that goes on down there, I would be very concerned.

Nashville bars on Broadway have a problem with drinks being spiked. It’s happening way too frequently to people of both genders regularly. Google.

[Anonymous]

I feel like we are going to find out that Vanderbilt messed with their data to make it seem more exclusive than it actually is.

Just a feeling.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I feel like we are going to find out that Vanderbilt messed with their data to make it seem more exclusive than it actually is.

Just a feeling.

Do you mean the acceptance rate?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is it popular? Gorgeous campus, top 20 university, test optional, in a fun city (Nashville), not as geeked out as many other top 20 schools. How is this even a question?

A school as selective as Vanderbilt should not be TO.

Agreed. But the question is “Why is Vanderbilt so hot?” Test optional and ranked in the top 20 (really important to many families) is the main reason. The entire debate about whether a test optional school should be in the top 20 is another thread.

I don’t think so. Most of the T20 were still test optional this cycle. And pre-covid, Vanderbilt had among the highest test scores in the country.

Whatever surge happened this year was more likely due to viral videos of Vandy students taking the goalposts down Broadway after their football team beat Alabama. Don’t underestimate the appeal of that among 18 year olds. There are very, very few T20 schools where it looks like students are having a good time. I’m sure Michigan, Duke, and Notre Dame experience surges in apps whenever their teams do well. Because it looks like a fun experience for students, which is something this generation of students really yearns for.

Dp, but there was a clear trend this year in f test optional schools receiving increased apps and the opposite of those going back to test required. Vandy is an outlier for how many they accept test optional compares to schools ranked similarly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We were gossiping about upcoming college applications for next year's seniors, and so many kids want to apply to Vanderbilt. Does anyone have any clue why it has gained so much popularity and traction with families in this area?

It is just to make B students feel better

Sorry, B students are not admitted to Vandy.

If they are 6-foot-10 and can consistently drain threes they are

Sadly, the 6’10 guy who can consistently drop 3s and maintain a B average at a top school is still choosing Duke. Maybe one day Vanderbilt basketball can get these unicorns, but that day is not today.

Big men who consistently drain 3s haven't been unicorns in a long time. Most of them don't even get drafted. Duke isn't recruiting a player who does only that but can't rebound or play defense. They may still be valuable to fringe tournament teams though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is it popular? Gorgeous campus, top 20 university, test optional, in a fun city (Nashville), not as geeked out as many other top 20 schools. How is this even a question?

A school as selective as Vanderbilt should not be TO.

Agreed. But the question is “Why is Vanderbilt so hot?” Test optional and ranked in the top 20 (really important to many families) is the main reason. The entire debate about whether a test optional school should be in the top 20 is another thread.

I don’t think so. Most of the T20 were still test optional this cycle. And pre-covid, Vanderbilt had among the highest test scores in the country.

Whatever surge happened this year was more likely due to viral videos of Vandy students taking the goalposts down Broadway after their football team beat Alabama. Don’t underestimate the appeal of that among 18 year olds. There are very, very few T20 schools where it looks like students are having a good time. I’m sure Michigan, Duke, and Notre Dame experience surges in apps whenever their teams do well. Because it looks like a fun experience for students, which is something this generation of students really yearns for.

Dp, but there was a clear trend this year in f test optional schools receiving increased apps and the opposite of those going back to test required. Vandy is an outlier for how many they accept test optional compares to schools ranked similarly.

When the common data sets come out we will know how test optional affects apps.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is it popular? Gorgeous campus, top 20 university, test optional, in a fun city (Nashville), not as geeked out as many other top 20 schools. How is this even a question?

A school as selective as Vanderbilt should not be TO.

Agreed. But the question is “Why is Vanderbilt so hot?” Test optional and ranked in the top 20 (really important to many families) is the main reason. The entire debate about whether a test optional school should be in the top 20 is another thread.

I don’t think so. Most of the T20 were still test optional this cycle. And pre-covid, Vanderbilt had among the highest test scores in the country.

Whatever surge happened this year was more likely due to viral videos of Vandy students taking the goalposts down Broadway after their football team beat Alabama. Don’t underestimate the appeal of that among 18 year olds. There are very, very few T20 schools where it looks like students are having a good time. I’m sure Michigan, Duke, and Notre Dame experience surges in apps whenever their teams do well. Because it looks like a fun experience for students, which is something this generation of students really yearns for.

Dp, but there was a clear trend this year in f test optional schools receiving increased apps and the opposite of those going back to test required. Vandy is an outlier for how many they accept test optional compares to schools ranked similarly.

When the common data sets come out we will know how test optional affects apps.

Isn’t there a 12-15 month lag?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is it popular? Gorgeous campus, top 20 university, test optional, in a fun city (Nashville), not as geeked out as many other top 20 schools. How is this even a question?

A school as selective as Vanderbilt should not be TO.

Agreed. But the question is “Why is Vanderbilt so hot?” Test optional and ranked in the top 20 (really important to many families) is the main reason. The entire debate about whether a test optional school should be in the top 20 is another thread.

I don’t think so. Most of the T20 were still test optional this cycle. And pre-covid, Vanderbilt had among the highest test scores in the country.

Whatever surge happened this year was more likely due to viral videos of Vandy students taking the goalposts down Broadway after their football team beat Alabama. Don’t underestimate the appeal of that among 18 year olds. There are very, very few T20 schools where it looks like students are having a good time. I’m sure Michigan, Duke, and Notre Dame experience surges in apps whenever their teams do well. Because it looks like a fun experience for students, which is something this generation of students really yearns for.

Dp, but there was a clear trend this year in f test optional schools receiving increased apps and the opposite of those going back to test required. Vandy is an outlier for how many they accept test optional compares to schools ranked similarly.

When the common data sets come out we will know how test optional affects apps.

Isn’t there a 12-15 month lag?

There is a long lag.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is it popular? Gorgeous campus, top 20 university, test optional, in a fun city (Nashville), not as geeked out as many other top 20 schools. How is this even a question?

A school as selective as Vanderbilt should not be TO.

Agreed. But the question is “Why is Vanderbilt so hot?” Test optional and ranked in the top 20 (really important to many families) is the main reason. The entire debate about whether a test optional school should be in the top 20 is another thread.

I don’t think so. Most of the T20 were still test optional this cycle. And pre-covid, Vanderbilt had among the highest test scores in the country.

Whatever surge happened this year was more likely due to viral videos of Vandy students taking the goalposts down Broadway after their football team beat Alabama. Don’t underestimate the appeal of that among 18 year olds. There are very, very few T20 schools where it looks like students are having a good time. I’m sure Michigan, Duke, and Notre Dame experience surges in apps whenever their teams do well. Because it looks like a fun experience for students, which is something this generation of students really yearns for.

Dp, but there was a clear trend this year in f test optional schools receiving increased apps and the opposite of those going back to test required. Vandy is an outlier for how many they accept test optional compares to schools ranked similarly.

When the common data sets come out we will know how test optional affects apps.

We don’t need the cds, that info is already public.

[Anonymous]

23% of students at Vanderbilt come from families in the top 1% of household income in the United States. That is probably appealing to some.

In case you're wondering, other high fliers include (from 2017, would like to see newer data):
Trinity College (CT) - 26%
Colorado College - 24%
SMU, Middlebury, Colgate - 23%
WashU, Wake Forest - 22%

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/projects/college-mobility/