Anonymous wrote:Current Vandy parent here - I didn’t read everything but baseline you need a prestigious national award and basically like 4.0UW. TO only for hooked these days it seems. 1530+ if submitting.

We usually get 3-4 admits annually from our private and last year we had 0 (my younger rejected) with like a bunch of ED1 and ED2s. All rejected, no waitlists, high stats kids not unlike prior years. Vandy does seem to be a crapshoot these days, I don’t see how ED1 even makes sense because anyone getting in could get into a top/better school. May as well shoot your shot at a higher ranked school.

Anonymous wrote:

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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.

Which makes it a good target for high stat kids shooting for Duke and Vanderbilt in part because of their campus culture and southern location.

No, the schools are not at the same level. But we all recognize the unpredictability of the process these days.

(Even further off topic - what’s the true safety in this sequence: Duke, Vanderbilt, Wake, and ???)

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Name 5 T30 schools where this is currently an issue.

Anonymous wrote:What does Vanderbilt value in applicants and how do they evaluate fit? Kid really wants to ED but school counselor steering my kid away from vanderbilt ED, indicating high rejection rate of top students in past and unpredictable outcomes. Strong ny private school with excellent college placement but few kids accepted by vanderbilt in past, relative to other top schools. Kid has strong grades/test scores/EC in academic area of interest (although u don't apply by major there). Maybe my kid reflects what they want, or maybe not? Trying to assess if worth the ED or try for somewhere else with more predictable track record from our school. Appreciate any insight and experience from others.

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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.

Which makes it a good target for high stat kids shooting for Duke and Vanderbilt in part because of their campus culture and southern location.

No, the schools are not at the same level. But we all recognize the unpredictability of the process these days.

(Even further off topic - what’s the true safety in this sequence: Duke, Vanderbilt, Wake, and ???)

Elon?
Richmond?
Dickinson?

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

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 wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Name 5 T30 schools where this is currently an issue.

Columbia
Northwestern
Yale
Penn
Harvard

Anonymous wrote:

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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.

Which makes it a good target for high stat kids shooting for Duke and Vanderbilt in part because of their campus culture and southern location.

No, the schools are not at the same level. But we all recognize the unpredictability of the process these days.

(Even further off topic - what’s the true safety in this sequence: Duke, Vanderbilt, Wake, and ???)

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Name 5 T30 schools where this is currently an issue.

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.

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 wrote:

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 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

No one asked for this Vandy mom. The question is about what students Vandy is admitting and whether that’s changed in recent years.