Vanderbilt admissions reality check

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Chiming in to respond to the PPs who are wondering why there’s so much interest in Vanderbilt.

For us, it’s not about the Alabama game. It’s that it fits all of DC’s criteria:

- strong academics, including includes majors and programs that interest DC (For us, “strong academics” means it meets our family’s broad cut re academics. From there, we’re focused on fit, not relatively small differences in rankings/prestige);

- beautiful, leafy, “traditional” style campus

- big sports to watch and a good club/intramural sport scene, including DC’s sports (both watching and playing are hugely important to DC)

- good weather/sunny in winter

- “Goldilocks” size (7,000 undergrad)

- not a hotbed of campus politics

- easy access to a navigable city but not actually IN the city

- enough off-campus food/shopping options in case DC ever feels stir crazy on campus

This is actually a huge selling-point for Vanderbilt right now among local Jewish families. Many want their kid to go to a college that won't indoctrinate them with anti-Israel hatred and far-left politics. However, they want their kid to have a more prestigious degree than a random flagship southern school.

Vanderbilt is one of few elite private colleges that isn't hyper-political. In fact, Vanderbilt draws students that want a respected degree without having to be around wannabe activists all the time.

Do you hear yourself? What an insufferable human. Gross.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Chiming in to respond to the PPs who are wondering why there’s so much interest in Vanderbilt.

For us, it’s not about the Alabama game. It’s that it fits all of DC’s criteria:

- strong academics, including includes majors and programs that interest DC (For us, “strong academics” means it meets our family’s broad cut re academics. From there, we’re focused on fit, not relatively small differences in rankings/prestige);

- beautiful, leafy, “traditional” style campus

- big sports to watch and a good club/intramural sport scene, including DC’s sports (both watching and playing are hugely important to DC)

- good weather/sunny in winter

- “Goldilocks” size (7,000 undergrad)

- not a hotbed of campus politics

- easy access to a navigable city but not actually IN the city

- enough off-campus food/shopping options in case DC ever feels stir crazy on campus

This is actually a huge selling-point for Vanderbilt right now among local Jewish families. Many want their kid to go to a college that won't indoctrinate them with anti-Israel hatred and far-left politics. However, they want their kid to have a more prestigious degree than a random flagship southern school.

Vanderbilt is one of few elite private colleges that isn't hyper-political. In fact, Vanderbilt draws students that want a respected degree without having to be around wannabe activists all the time.

Do you hear yourself? What an insufferable human. Gross.

how is this insufferable? I didn't post it, but I do agree with it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Chiming in to respond to the PPs who are wondering why there’s so much interest in Vanderbilt.

For us, it’s not about the Alabama game. It’s that it fits all of DC’s criteria:

- strong academics, including includes majors and programs that interest DC (For us, “strong academics” means it meets our family’s broad cut re academics. From there, we’re focused on fit, not relatively small differences in rankings/prestige);

- beautiful, leafy, “traditional” style campus

- big sports to watch and a good club/intramural sport scene, including DC’s sports (both watching and playing are hugely important to DC)

- good weather/sunny in winter

- “Goldilocks” size (7,000 undergrad)

- not a hotbed of campus politics

- easy access to a navigable city but not actually IN the city

- enough off-campus food/shopping options in case DC ever feels stir crazy on campus

This is actually a huge selling-point for Vanderbilt right now among local Jewish families. Many want their kid to go to a college that won't indoctrinate them with anti-Israel hatred and far-left politics. However, they want their kid to have a more prestigious degree than a random flagship southern school.

Vanderbilt is one of few elite private colleges that isn't hyper-political. In fact, Vanderbilt draws students that want a respected degree without having to be around wannabe activists all the time.

Do you hear yourself? What an insufferable human. Gross.

how is this insufferable? I didn't post it, but I do agree with it.

Yeah, not the original poster but that seems completely reasonable to me as well.

[Anonymous]

Do you hear yourself? What an insufferable human. Gross.

+1. It's the same old anti "woke" commercial every post seems to devolve into now on DCUM. And for the people claiming Vandy is attractive because of top sports, note baseball won a NCAA championship in 2019, but beyond that bowling is the only successful sports program.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is fascinating because our Big3 also told us that Vanderbilt is the most unpredictable top15 school they deal with. They can generally predict the Ivies, Northwestern, Chicago, etc. but Vanderbilt is a complete crap shoot, regardless of how impressive a kid is (and how high their grades are).

My very high stats kid gave him/her 3 schools and he/she advised against Vanderbilt in favor of the other two.

It isnt a top 15.

It was 2 years ago and will be again when the Pell Grant factor falls away and is replaced again by crazy shit like outcomes, class size, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Same poster, I’ve had four members of extended family attend Vandy within past 15 years or so, different sides of family so only one was legacy. They all really liked school. Outcomes were solid but not amazing (one is in a non-physician healthcare role, two in business jobs, not IB, and one attended a law school outside the top 20). There is definitely grade inflation at Vandy.

Looked at Vandy with my own child, and experienced multiple parents of current students berating admissions officers during info session about sibling legacy and then correcting student tour guides (this was during Family Weekend). At this point in time, I think the school is over rated.

+1
Not really getting the many posts about this school all of a sudden. Is it because they won a game? So bizarre.

No, because it's the only < 10% admission rate elite school that is really fun and social, and also located in a super fun, skewing young, growing business-friendly city. Ithaca? Providence? No wait, south Chicago

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Do you hear yourself? What an insufferable human. Gross.

+1. It's the same old anti "woke" commercial every post seems to devolve into now on DCUM. And for the people claiming Vandy is attractive because of top sports, note baseball won a NCAA championship in 2019, but beyond that bowling is the only successful sports program.

Honestly, it is completely valid to want a college environment that isn't heavily influenced by politics, in either direction. I have political views that I am very vocal about, but my kid who shares the same views would not want a campus environment that is consumed with politics. She can still express them, advocate for them, etc without it being a day-to-day issue on her walk to class. It isn't anti-woke, it is a desire to engage in those "woke" issues/advocacy on her own terms.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Chiming in to respond to the PPs who are wondering why there’s so much interest in Vanderbilt.

For us, it’s not about the Alabama game. It’s that it fits all of DC’s criteria:

- strong academics, including includes majors and programs that interest DC (For us, “strong academics” means it meets our family’s broad cut re academics. From there, we’re focused on fit, not relatively small differences in rankings/prestige);

- beautiful, leafy, “traditional” style campus

- big sports to watch and a good club/intramural sport scene, including DC’s sports (both watching and playing are hugely important to DC)

- good weather/sunny in winter

- “Goldilocks” size (7,000 undergrad)

- not a hotbed of campus politics

- easy access to a navigable city but not actually IN the city

- enough off-campus food/shopping options in case DC ever feels stir crazy on campus

This is actually a huge selling-point for Vanderbilt right now among local Jewish families. Many want their kid to go to a college that won't indoctrinate them with anti-Israel hatred and far-left politics. However, they want their kid to have a more prestigious degree than a random flagship southern school.

Vanderbilt is one of few elite private colleges that isn't hyper-political. In fact, Vanderbilt draws students that want a respected degree without having to be around wannabe activists all the time.

add Duke and Wake.

Wake? It is not even close to the top 20. Different conversation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is it really that great? I thought pretty easy to get into honestly.

+1

This is the issue too. Most people who don't have college aged kids don't view Vanderbilt as being super elite. Very strong? Yes. Ivy level? No.
People who are late 40s assume it has about a 30% admission rate because that was the reality when we were seniors.

We toured it this summer and I think I had 5 different conversations with friends and coworkers about this. I would say "kid loved Vanderbilt but it's as hard to get into as Harvard" and coworkers (all hiring managers in their fields) would say, "huh, I had no idea."

Vandy parent here, in my 50s.

Yes, this is exactly the attitude of my spouse and the majority of my close friends, all of whom were educated in Ivies, WASP, or JHU and Caltech in the case of my 2 high flying research friends. Not coincidentally, this entire group was born and raised along the Acela corridor.

The only friend who immediately got it was the Duke grad friend, now a biglaw partner.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Keep in mind that Vanderbilt is arguably the most transfer-friendly school in the T20. They admit tons of transfers, like 300 per year. They're also expanding the transfer program.

Many, many kids that were rejected as freshmen get in on the second try.

Yes. I know a few DC private school kids who left high school with something like a 3.5/1550 due to deflated grading. They did a year at a top15 liberal arts college, got a 4.0, transferred to Vanderbilt.

+2 I know 3 kids that did this in the last 2 years from DC privates

It has become much more competitive to transfer, even with a larger transfer pool.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Keep in mind that Vanderbilt is arguably the most transfer-friendly school in the T20. They admit tons of transfers, like 300 per year. They're also expanding the transfer program.

Many, many kids that were rejected as freshmen get in on the second try.

Yes. I know a few DC private school kids who left high school with something like a 3.5/1550 due to deflated grading. They did a year at a top15 liberal arts college, got a 4.0, transferred to Vanderbilt.

+2 I know 3 kids that did this in the last 2 years from DC privates

++ they let in four kids from the same top25 LAC a couple of years ago, all were in the 1300-1400 range on SAT , not top 10% at their school, and the LAC was the best place they got into. All in state, all WL or rejected UVA, so really were not close to a Vanderbilt admit which is typically top 5% , 1500+ back precovid when they were predictable. All had been flat rejected when they first applied. All also full pay. For transfers there full pay is essential, just like it is off their WL. Vanderbilt plays a LOT of games now. The rankings has them very rattled.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Chiming in to respond to the PPs who are wondering why there’s so much interest in Vanderbilt.

For us, it’s not about the Alabama game. It’s that it fits all of DC’s criteria:

- strong academics, including includes majors and programs that interest DC (For us, “strong academics” means it meets our family’s broad cut re academics. From there, we’re focused on fit, not relatively small differences in rankings/prestige);

- beautiful, leafy, “traditional” style campus

- big sports to watch and a good club/intramural sport scene, including DC’s sports (both watching and playing are hugely important to DC)

- good weather/sunny in winter

- “Goldilocks” size (7,000 undergrad)

- not a hotbed of campus politics

- easy access to a navigable city but not actually IN the city

- enough off-campus food/shopping options in case DC ever feels stir crazy on campus

Agree with all your points except the bolded. It's very much in the city, albeit not a city that looks like downtown Boston

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Chiming in to respond to the PPs who are wondering why there’s so much interest in Vanderbilt.

For us, it’s not about the Alabama game. It’s that it fits all of DC’s criteria:

- strong academics, including includes majors and programs that interest DC (For us, “strong academics” means it meets our family’s broad cut re academics. From there, we’re focused on fit, not relatively small differences in rankings/prestige);

- beautiful, leafy, “traditional” style campus

- big sports to watch and a good club/intramural sport scene, including DC’s sports (both watching and playing are hugely important to DC)

- good weather/sunny in winter

- “Goldilocks” size (7,000 undergrad)

- not a hotbed of campus politics

- easy access to a navigable city but not actually IN the city

- enough off-campus food/shopping options in case DC ever feels stir crazy on campus

This is actually a huge selling-point for Vanderbilt right now among local Jewish families. Many want their kid to go to a college that won't indoctrinate them with anti-Israel hatred and far-left politics. However, they want their kid to have a more prestigious degree than a random flagship southern school.

Vanderbilt is one of few elite private colleges that isn't hyper-political. In fact, Vanderbilt draws students that want a respected degree without having to be around wannabe activists all the time.

add Duke and Wake.

Wake? It is not even close to the top 20. Different conversation.

Wake was #25-27 for several yrs before the last two yrs when the rankings became all pell and equity and BS. Just Like Vandy is generally seen as T15-20, Wake is generally seen as T25-30. It is definitely in the ballpark of T20 good grief.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Chiming in to respond to the PPs who are wondering why there’s so much interest in Vanderbilt.

For us, it’s not about the Alabama game. It’s that it fits all of DC’s criteria:

- strong academics, including includes majors and programs that interest DC (For us, “strong academics” means it meets our family’s broad cut re academics. From there, we’re focused on fit, not relatively small differences in rankings/prestige);

- beautiful, leafy, “traditional” style campus

- big sports to watch and a good club/intramural sport scene, including DC’s sports (both watching and playing are hugely important to DC)

- good weather/sunny in winter

- “Goldilocks” size (7,000 undergrad)

- not a hotbed of campus politics

- easy access to a navigable city but not actually IN the city

- enough off-campus food/shopping options in case DC ever feels stir crazy on campus

This is actually a huge selling-point for Vanderbilt right now among local Jewish families. Many want their kid to go to a college that won't indoctrinate them with anti-Israel hatred and far-left politics. However, they want their kid to have a more prestigious degree than a random flagship southern school.

Vanderbilt is one of few elite private colleges that isn't hyper-political. In fact, Vanderbilt draws students that want a respected degree without having to be around wannabe activists all the time.

Do you hear yourself? What an insufferable human. Gross.

how is this insufferable? I didn't post it, but I do agree with it.

same

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Some recent data https://vanderbilthustler.com/2024/04/11/a-steady-decline-class-of-2028-regular-decision-admission-rate-drops-to-3-7-overall-admission-rate-to-5-1/

This article includes an interesting chart showing that test scores comparing applicants (I wonder if that's accurate, vs enrolled students) in ED vs RD. Scores of ED applicants are slightly lower than RD.

I would note that test optional applicants are more likely to enroll, that is, they have higher yield. Vandy may find it a little difficult to maintain the recent high yield if they begin to enroll a lower proportion of test optional students.

Vanderbilt is one of the only D1 schools in a Power 5, that is also a T20. It takes a ton of those many, many, many athletes in ED. The gigantic football roster, the 3 bench deep baseball team, and all the usual soccer and so forth.

I don't need to rehash the special academic consideration that recruited athletes get; it's been discussed exhaustively on DCUM