Anonymous
02/18/2026 22:22
Subject: How much will Vanderbilt move up rankings?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:50% Test optional
Do you think my DC’s 35 ACT will help with RD admissions? Or are they rejecting the 1550/35+ kids for TO kids?
95 percent of the Vandy ED admits came from the top 10 percent of their classes. Presumably, the other 5 percent were mostly athletes. Vanderbilt is a big sports school these days. I'm not sure why Vandy is still officially TO. They obviously get great students. For RD, it looks like it will be about a 2 percent acceptance rate this year. I don't think test scores are a huge factor one way or another when 98 percent of applicants are rejected.
When people quote these figures, they neglect to mention that MANY high schools do not report class standing (ours certainly doesn't, nor does any other ISAAGNY school). our school also does not report weighted GPA, though Vanderbilt (and many other colleges) recalculate to weighted. and of course there is TO. so when you look at their Class of 2030 data and it looks like everyone was in the top 10%, had a 3.95 GPA, 1550 SAT, that is why. from our school, a 3.6, solid ECs and 1400+ SAT will get you into Vanderbilt ED.
Not this year.
Anonymous
02/18/2026 22:19
Subject: How much will Vanderbilt move up rankings?
Anonymous wrote:Rankings aren’t based on selectivity.
Exactly, though I bet Tulane wishes they were.
Anonymous
02/18/2026 21:42
Subject: How much will Vanderbilt move up rankings?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:50% Test optional
Do you think my DC’s 35 ACT will help with RD admissions? Or are they rejecting the 1550/35+ kids for TO kids?
95 percent of the Vandy ED admits came from the top 10 percent of their classes. Presumably, the other 5 percent were mostly athletes. Vanderbilt is a big sports school these days. I'm not sure why Vandy is still officially TO. They obviously get great students. For RD, it looks like it will be about a 2 percent acceptance rate this year. I don't think test scores are a huge factor one way or another when 98 percent of applicants are rejected.
When people quote these figures, they neglect to mention that MANY high schools do not report class standing (ours certainly doesn't, nor does any other ISAAGNY school). our school also does not report weighted GPA, though Vanderbilt (and many other colleges) recalculate to weighted. and of course there is TO. so when you look at their Class of 2030 data and it looks like everyone was in the top 10%, had a 3.95 GPA, 1550 SAT, that is why. from our school, a 3.6, solid ECs and 1400+ SAT will get you into Vanderbilt ED.[/quote
Are you in DC or NY?
Anonymous
02/18/2026 19:29
Subject: How much will Vanderbilt move up rankings?
Anonymous wrote:Trust me they are doing anything and everything to move up whenever possible. I worked there and they seemed obsessed with the rankings. Felt thirsty.
Is this the school whose president wrote a whiny complaint letter after being demoted in the rankings a couple of years ago? Pretty offputting.
Anonymous
02/18/2026 19:25
Subject: How much will Vanderbilt move up rankings?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:50% Test optional
Do you think my DC’s 35 ACT will help with RD admissions? Or are they rejecting the 1550/35+ kids for TO kids?
95 percent of the Vandy ED admits came from the top 10 percent of their classes. Presumably, the other 5 percent were mostly athletes. Vanderbilt is a big sports school these days. I'm not sure why Vandy is still officially TO. They obviously get great students. For RD, it looks like it will be about a 2 percent acceptance rate this year. I don't think test scores are a huge factor one way or another when 98 percent of applicants are rejected.
When people quote these figures, they neglect to mention that MANY high schools do not report class standing (ours certainly doesn't, nor does any other ISAAGNY school). our school also does not report weighted GPA, though Vanderbilt (and many other colleges) recalculate to weighted. and of course there is TO. so when you look at their Class of 2030 data and it looks like everyone was in the top 10%, had a 3.95 GPA, 1550 SAT, that is why. from our school, a 3.6, solid ECs and 1400+ SAT will get you into Vanderbilt ED.
Anonymous
02/18/2026 19:17
Subject: How much will Vanderbilt move up rankings?
Anonymous wrote:We finished last season #15 and signed the top QB in the 2026 graduating class. Top 10 is definitely in reach.
No it's not
Anonymous
02/18/2026 19:04
Subject: How much will Vanderbilt move up rankings?
We finished last season #15 and signed the top QB in the 2026 graduating class. Top 10 is definitely in reach.
Anonymous
02/18/2026 19:02
Subject: How much will Vanderbilt move up rankings?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Expect Vanderbilt to place in the #13 to #23 range in its U.S. News category.
I think it’s in that 11-15 range.
In your dreams, yes.
Until Usnwr started valuing pell grants / state schools above all else in 2023, it was reliably #13-14
Anonymous
02/18/2026 18:59
Subject: How much will Vanderbilt move up rankings?
Anonymous wrote:We toured Vandy but my kid crossed it off his list. Campus is meh. Nothing really spoke to him. Easy flight to the dmv though
What campus did you like better?
Anonymous
02/18/2026 18:58
Subject: Re:How much will Vanderbilt move up rankings?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Vandy is trying to mimic UChicago's love of ED - why don't they get bashed also? What makes UChicago so detestable to DCUM? Vandy and UChicago ED take a similar profile of private school kids, except UChicago has a harsh test score cutoff line at 1500.
I agree.
Vandy has started taking private school kids with mediocre stats but BIG donations. They did it last year around here and they're doing it again this year.
It's like Chicago but even more offensive IMO.
You are talking out of your butt.
Anonymous
02/18/2026 18:06
Subject: Re:How much will Vanderbilt move up rankings?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Vandy is trying to mimic UChicago's love of ED - why don't they get bashed also? What makes UChicago so detestable to DCUM? Vandy and UChicago ED take a similar profile of private school kids, except UChicago has a harsh test score cutoff line at 1500.
I agree.
Vandy has started taking private school kids with mediocre stats but BIG donations. They did it last year around here and they're doing it again this year.
It's like Chicago but even more offensive IMO.
PP here; I'm not bashing Vandy or UChicago with my previous comment, just pointing out how it's interesting that Vandy seems to have a shield protecting it from any keyboard warrior moms with a vendetta against certain schools.
And if what you said is true, that would be really disappointing for Vandy.
I think the Chicago ED situation has been going on for enough admissions seasons that anyone who has an upper schooler in at top DMV private knows about it. It's known as the default ED1 or ED2 (when you don't get into your ED1 school) college
Vanderbilt taking a lot ED is relatively knew. So the numbers of posters on here aware of it and/or posting about it is going to be small.
Also, the Vandy money thing is real. It's the chatter at our high school and I've read about it multiple times on here with multiple posters contributing (and none were me). It's kind of obvious when a low performer who is super wealthy gets in. It's almost impossible to be under the radar at small private schools. The kids know their classmates' relative grades and their classmates' wealth.
Agree with all of this.
Anonymous
02/18/2026 18:03
Subject: How much will Vanderbilt move up rankings?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:50% Test optional
Do you think my DC’s 35 ACT will help with RD admissions? Or are they rejecting the 1550/35+ kids for TO kids?
They let nobody in RD essentially. The 35 ACT is not doing the work you think it is - high test scores are a dime a dozen.
Why so rude? I don’t assume the 35 is doing “the work” Some schools really value a high test score on top of that high GPA. I didn’t know if Vanderbilt was one of them. Apparently they like test optional kids that aren’t one of the “dime a dozen” with high test scores…
Your question, "Do you think my DC’s 35 ACT will help with RD admissions?" is said in a way that overstates the importance of the test score. It doesn't matter which college "likes" high test scores more than others; a 35 will get an app read, but nothing more.
It seems like you see kids getting in TO and automatically assume your 35 ACT child will look more impressive. That's not how that works. Be realistic with your kids.
You must not have a kid applying this cycle. High test scorers are getting accepted everywhere this year. It is crazy. So it actually IS how that works.
Anonymous
02/18/2026 17:44
Subject: How much will Vanderbilt move up rankings?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Vandy will let in another 200 transfers this fall though. The whole slevtivity thing is just a deliberate illusion.
It is so easy to transfer into Vanderbilt.
Maybe but why would anyone transfer into Vandy. There are so many more interesting options
Anonymous
02/18/2026 17:26
Subject: How much will Vanderbilt move up rankings?
All of the southern schools have had large increases in apps this year. Vandy is not special in that regard. Other schools have been accused of playing admissions games ehen DCUMs favorite Vandy plays the most games. I think the ibly reason Emory and Rice are still TO is because Vandy, WashU, and Duke are. The former two are 70%+ Test submitters so being optional doesn't help their numbers that much.
Anonymous
02/18/2026 17:21
Subject: How much will Vanderbilt move up rankings?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Expect Vanderbilt to place in the #13 to #23 range in its U.S. News category.
I think it’s in that 11-15 range.
In your dreams, yes.