Anonymous
06/23/2025 17:36
Subject: Schools more difficult to get in than their rankings appear to indicate
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:As for the talk about Vanderbilt, it’s tough admit shouldn’t be a surprise. It’s a simple combination of great academics, great social scene, great city, and increasingly good sports. Basically, it’s has it all in a great environment. The recent slippage in the ratings is a shrug. Also, it hadn’t had the political craziness that many elite campuses in the NE have experienced.
Upthread, there was a comparison to Duke. While Duke has a great campus, academics, and basketball team, Durham is terrible and the campus is segregated from the city. Also, while old campus is very collegiate, but the rest of campus feels very corporate. Not a great vibe.
It’s astonishing that Vandy has gone from an acceptance rate of 70% 35 years ago to less than 5% now. Wow.
Vanderbilt has that hard to find combination of urban, warm weather, athletics, Greek life, and prestige. Hard to beat.
Yes, and it is not dominated by Asians and Internationals. Look at their accepted student Instagram--it is an entirely different demographic then any other top20 school.
Similar look at Notre Dame, which is (unfortunately, IMO) only 9% Asian American and 8% international. But I suppose there aren't a huge number of Catholic Asian Americans?
Almost all LACs are like Vanderbilt, less than 20% Asian (except the ones in California).
If you cannot compete with Asian, consider LACs, or Vanderbilt, or Notre Dame. :P
I’ll bite! as the parent of a current very high stats and — this is the key — well round Vanderbilt student. Vanderbilt is not looking for grinders and box checkers (1st chair violin? Check! Fencing regional placement? Check! 4.0 unweighted vs. 3.86? Check! Natl debate regional winner?)
They do a good job in sniffing out natural leaders vs tiger-mommed grinders with impeccable and highly predictable portfolios
Vanderbilt doesn't have natural leaders, just good test takers.
Anonymous
06/23/2025 17:35
Subject: Re:Schools more difficult to get in than their rankings appear to indicate
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Demand by the high stat applicants are the real ranking.
That's a combination of Acceptance Rate + Yield Rate + Student Quality + additionally Retention Rate & Graduation rate
YES. I totally agree.
Can someone please help us understand Vanderbilt through this lens? We’ve always viewed it as a “target” for super high-stat kids compared to the reach/“lottery” of Duke, Stanford, and Northwestern. Comparable to Wash U and Emory, assuming the kid visits and shows DI? But maybe not these days?
(Our school doesn’t show Naviance data for Vanderbilt. It’s a strong public school in New England. Plenty of data for the other schools I mentioned, but because so few kids apply to Vandy, there’s nothing up on Naviance.)
It depends how you define target, and high stats? Is target a 50% chance or 20% chance? Is High stats 1450, 1500, or 1550? If you haven't won any state level awards then no, I don't think Vandy, Emory, or WashU. Also I don't think Vandy is as difficult to get into as meets the eye. Vanderbilt has a Northeastern-ness about it where students throw applications at despite not being close to qualified unlike Emory, WashU, or even Duke. I think Emory and Vandy get similar amounts of higher stat applicants because their acceptances and rejects overlap a lot from what I can see year to year.
Anonymous
06/23/2025 17:32
Subject: Re:Schools more difficult to get in than their rankings appear to indicate
Caltech as previously mentioned.
The admissions rate itself is vanishingly low PLUS a lot of people are scared away from even applying since they hear about how it's so tough. A lot of seriously smart kids there.
The admissions rate itself is vanishingly low PLUS a lot of people are scared away from even applying since they hear about how it's so tough. A lot of seriously smart kids there.
Anonymous
06/23/2025 17:31
Subject: Schools more difficult to get in than their rankings appear to indicate
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:As for the talk about Vanderbilt, it’s tough admit shouldn’t be a surprise. It’s a simple combination of great academics, great social scene, great city, and increasingly good sports. Basically, it’s has it all in a great environment. The recent slippage in the ratings is a shrug. Also, it hadn’t had the political craziness that many elite campuses in the NE have experienced.
Upthread, there was a comparison to Duke. While Duke has a great campus, academics, and basketball team, Durham is terrible and the campus is segregated from the city. Also, while old campus is very collegiate, but the rest of campus feels very corporate. Not a great vibe.
It’s astonishing that Vandy has gone from an acceptance rate of 70% 35 years ago to less than 5% now. Wow.
Vanderbilt has that hard to find combination of urban, warm weather, athletics, Greek life, and prestige. Hard to beat.
Yes, and it is not dominated by Asians and Internationals. Look at their accepted student Instagram--it is an entirely different demographic then any other top20 school.
Similar look at Notre Dame, which is (unfortunately, IMO) only 9% Asian American and 8% international. But I suppose there aren't a huge number of Catholic Asian Americans?
Almost all LACs are like Vanderbilt, less than 20% Asian (except the ones in California).
If you cannot compete with Asian, consider LACs, or Vanderbilt, or Notre Dame. :P
I’ll bite! as the parent of a current very high stats and — this is the key — well round Vanderbilt student. Vanderbilt is not looking for grinders and box checkers (1st chair violin? Check! Fencing regional placement? Check! 4.0 unweighted vs. 3.86? Check! Natl debate regional winner?)
They do a good job in sniffing out natural leaders vs tiger-mommed grinders with impeccable and highly predictable portfolios
They are also looking for those wanting to pay that high tuition and willing to apply through their heavily focused early decision.
And because they know the so-called grinders are headed to Ivies!
Anonymous
06/23/2025 17:27
Subject: Schools more difficult to get in than their rankings appear to indicate
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Rank of 90 is good for such a new program. Gatech's Neuroscience program is ranked 305, and its been around for a while now.
Dude had to dig down into Neuroscience to go at Tech. As if anyone gives a sh*t. lol
Congrats on your second tier school, 3rd best in the state of Georgia.
lol Huh?
https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/georgia-tech-tops-list-best-college-georgia-emory-uga-follow
https://www.niche.com/colleges/search/best-colleges/s/georgia/
https://www.reddit.com/r/ApplyingToCollege/comments/1js3k6p/20250326_the_new_ivies_2025_20_great_colleges/
Niche thats pathetic. Also public new ivys don't mean much of anything.
Anonymous
06/23/2025 17:13
Subject: Schools more difficult to get in than their rankings appear to indicate
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:As for the talk about Vanderbilt, it’s tough admit shouldn’t be a surprise. It’s a simple combination of great academics, great social scene, great city, and increasingly good sports. Basically, it’s has it all in a great environment. The recent slippage in the ratings is a shrug. Also, it hadn’t had the political craziness that many elite campuses in the NE have experienced.
Upthread, there was a comparison to Duke. While Duke has a great campus, academics, and basketball team, Durham is terrible and the campus is segregated from the city. Also, while old campus is very collegiate, but the rest of campus feels very corporate. Not a great vibe.
It’s astonishing that Vandy has gone from an acceptance rate of 70% 35 years ago to less than 5% now. Wow.
Vanderbilt has that hard to find combination of urban, warm weather, athletics, Greek life, and prestige. Hard to beat.
Yes, and it is not dominated by Asians and Internationals. Look at their accepted student Instagram--it is an entirely different demographic then any other top20 school.
Similar look at Notre Dame, which is (unfortunately, IMO) only 9% Asian American and 8% international. But I suppose there aren't a huge number of Catholic Asian Americans?
Almost all LACs are like Vanderbilt, less than 20% Asian (except the ones in California).
If you cannot compete with Asian, consider LACs, or Vanderbilt, or Notre Dame. :P
I’ll bite! as the parent of a current very high stats and — this is the key — well round Vanderbilt student. Vanderbilt is not looking for grinders and box checkers (1st chair violin? Check! Fencing regional placement? Check! 4.0 unweighted vs. 3.86? Check! Natl debate regional winner?)
They do a good job in sniffing out natural leaders vs tiger-mommed grinders with impeccable and highly predictable portfolios
Very unkind with racist overtones. My Asian kid was first chair violin, so I guess they fit that stereotype, and yes, they did not get into Vanderbilt. But maybe it was because they didn’t have a perfect unweighted 4.0 and maybe they would have gotten in if I had tiger -mommed more .
Anonymous
06/23/2025 17:12
Subject: Schools more difficult to get in than their rankings appear to indicate
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:As for the talk about Vanderbilt, it’s tough admit shouldn’t be a surprise. It’s a simple combination of great academics, great social scene, great city, and increasingly good sports. Basically, it’s has it all in a great environment. The recent slippage in the ratings is a shrug. Also, it hadn’t had the political craziness that many elite campuses in the NE have experienced.
Upthread, there was a comparison to Duke. While Duke has a great campus, academics, and basketball team, Durham is terrible and the campus is segregated from the city. Also, while old campus is very collegiate, but the rest of campus feels very corporate. Not a great vibe.
Duke does not have a “corporate” campus feel. What in the world are you smoking
Agree. That’s wrong. It looks like Princeton. And have you been to Durham lately. Good restos etc. DS moved back after going to Duke. People know nothing here. Like the person who thought BU and NYU looked like UCLA. Geez.
Anonymous
06/23/2025 17:01
Subject: Schools more difficult to get in than their rankings appear to indicate
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:As for the talk about Vanderbilt, it’s tough admit shouldn’t be a surprise. It’s a simple combination of great academics, great social scene, great city, and increasingly good sports. Basically, it’s has it all in a great environment. The recent slippage in the ratings is a shrug. Also, it hadn’t had the political craziness that many elite campuses in the NE have experienced.
Upthread, there was a comparison to Duke. While Duke has a great campus, academics, and basketball team, Durham is terrible and the campus is segregated from the city. Also, while old campus is very collegiate, but the rest of campus feels very corporate. Not a great vibe.
It’s astonishing that Vandy has gone from an acceptance rate of 70% 35 years ago to less than 5% now. Wow.
Vanderbilt has that hard to find combination of urban, warm weather, athletics, Greek life, and prestige. Hard to beat.
Yes, and it is not dominated by Asians and Internationals. Look at their accepted student Instagram--it is an entirely different demographic then any other top20 school.
Similar look at Notre Dame, which is (unfortunately, IMO) only 9% Asian American and 8% international. But I suppose there aren't a huge number of Catholic Asian Americans?
Almost all LACs are like Vanderbilt, less than 20% Asian (except the ones in California).
If you cannot compete with Asian, consider LACs, or Vanderbilt, or Notre Dame. :P
I’ll bite! as the parent of a current very high stats and — this is the key — well round Vanderbilt student. Vanderbilt is not looking for grinders and box checkers (1st chair violin? Check! Fencing regional placement? Check! 4.0 unweighted vs. 3.86? Check! Natl debate regional winner?)
They do a good job in sniffing out natural leaders vs tiger-mommed grinders with impeccable and highly predictable portfolios
They are also looking for those wanting to pay that high tuition and willing to apply through their heavily focused early decision.
Anonymous
06/23/2025 16:59
Subject: Schools more difficult to get in than their rankings appear to indicate
Anonymous wrote:Usc, NYU, Northeastern
If you want NYU, I think ED is the best way
Anonymous
06/23/2025 16:51
Subject: Schools more difficult to get in than their rankings appear to indicate
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:As for the talk about Vanderbilt, it’s tough admit shouldn’t be a surprise. It’s a simple combination of great academics, great social scene, great city, and increasingly good sports. Basically, it’s has it all in a great environment. The recent slippage in the ratings is a shrug. Also, it hadn’t had the political craziness that many elite campuses in the NE have experienced.
Upthread, there was a comparison to Duke. While Duke has a great campus, academics, and basketball team, Durham is terrible and the campus is segregated from the city. Also, while old campus is very collegiate, but the rest of campus feels very corporate. Not a great vibe.
It’s astonishing that Vandy has gone from an acceptance rate of 70% 35 years ago to less than 5% now. Wow.
Vanderbilt has that hard to find combination of urban, warm weather, athletics, Greek life, and prestige. Hard to beat.
Yes, and it is not dominated by Asians and Internationals. Look at their accepted student Instagram--it is an entirely different demographic then any other top20 school.
Similar look at Notre Dame, which is (unfortunately, IMO) only 9% Asian American and 8% international. But I suppose there aren't a huge number of Catholic Asian Americans?
Almost all LACs are like Vanderbilt, less than 20% Asian (except the ones in California).
If you cannot compete with Asian, consider LACs, or Vanderbilt, or Notre Dame. :P
I’ll bite! as the parent of a current very high stats and — this is the key — well round Vanderbilt student. Vanderbilt is not looking for grinders and box checkers (1st chair violin? Check! Fencing regional placement? Check! 4.0 unweighted vs. 3.86? Check! Natl debate regional winner?)
They do a good job in sniffing out natural leaders vs tiger-mommed grinders with impeccable and highly predictable portfolios
Anonymous
06/23/2025 16:38
Subject: Schools more difficult to get in than their rankings appear to indicate
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I’m starting to think of Vanderbilt this way. It’s a great school, but it shouldn’t be as hard to get into as Duke.
I have no idea who Vanderbilt is accepting given how “hard” it is to get in
The vandy undergrad kids I have interviewed are way less capable than Georgetown/cmu in terms of being a high performance “cog”
Nor are they “high g” like hypsm
Not saying there aren’t great alums - those that have gone on to grad school elsewhere..
I’d trust a random Georgetown grad over a random vandy grad to perform — seems to be way too much variance at vandy
You post this on every Vandy thread. Thing is, it’s not 1992. Keep up
Anonymous
06/23/2025 16:33
Subject: Schools more difficult to get in than their rankings appear to indicate
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Tufts is one.
WF?
Tulane.
Tulane, Tufts, Chicago are all in the "ED or bust" category. Either much easier or much harder to get into than rankings indicate, depending how you apply.
Middlebury is another "ED or bust" school?
Our school seems sent kids there ED only. But I am not 100% sure, the RD accepted kids may have better option and did not matriculate there.
Yeah, Midd takes about 70% of class ED. Upped the ED percentage dramatically a couple years ago because of their ongoing budget (and related, over-enrollment) issues — the more of a class you admit ED, the more the class is full-pay, to the uninitiated.
Interesting that the percentage of students on financial aid hasn't changed much over the past few years, nor has the average aid amount; it's gone up, actually, along with the cost of attendance.
Anonymous
06/23/2025 15:47
Subject: Re:Schools more difficult to get in than their rankings appear to indicate
Anonymous wrote:Demand by the high stat applicants are the real ranking.
That's a combination of Acceptance Rate + Yield Rate + Student Quality + additionally Retention Rate & Graduation rate
YES. I totally agree.
Can someone please help us understand Vanderbilt through this lens? We’ve always viewed it as a “target” for super high-stat kids compared to the reach/“lottery” of Duke, Stanford, and Northwestern. Comparable to Wash U and Emory, assuming the kid visits and shows DI? But maybe not these days?
(Our school doesn’t show Naviance data for Vanderbilt. It’s a strong public school in New England. Plenty of data for the other schools I mentioned, but because so few kids apply to Vandy, there’s nothing up on Naviance.)
Anonymous
06/23/2025 15:26
Subject: Schools more difficult to get in than their rankings appear to indicate
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:UMD if in state from a W school. 50% does not tell the real picture.
Can you explain what this means?
I assume they mean the 50% acceptance rate does not apply to a number of MCPS schools (the "W schools") where UMD is now taking fewer applicants.
It's true at non-"W" schools as well.
Anonymous
06/23/2025 15:12
Subject: Schools more difficult to get in than their rankings appear to indicate
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Rank of 90 is good for such a new program. Gatech's Neuroscience program is ranked 305, and its been around for a while now.
Dude had to dig down into Neuroscience to go at Tech. As if anyone gives a sh*t. lol
Congrats on your second tier school, 3rd best in the state of Georgia.
This dude is void of reality. lol