Admissions Criteria: 

The primary criteria is academic success, as measured by GPA, course rigor, high school standing, and standardized test scores. Vanderbilt wants to ensure admitted students will be able to do the work required of them in college, and uses these factors to determine a student’s abilities. Grades and class rank are evaluated in the context of a student’s high school, so a lower class rank at a more competitive school is easier to understand. In the same vein, students won’t be penalized for not taking AP classes if their school doesn’t offer them. Students are expected to challenge themselves and excel in their academic circumstances, however.

Other factors that admissions deems important include extracurriculars, the personal essay, and letters of recommendation. These help round out admissions understanding of students as people, not just sets of numbers.

Finally, admissions considers the interview, first-generation status, legacy status, talent, volunteer work, race/ethnicity, geographic origin, and state residency. They heavily recruit athletes for their sports teams.

What is Vanderbilt Looking For? 

Vanderbilt’s admissions department focuses on holistic review and positive advocacy. This means each candidate is reviewed as the sum of their parts, and not rejected out-of-hand based on a poor showing in one area. Positive advocacy means each admissions officer is responsible for arguing in favor of admissions for the applications they read. It is, of course, easier for admissions officers to argue in favor of some candidates than others. 

Students who stand out to admissions officers, based on extracurricular involvement especially, are easier to argue for, and make a larger impression. Students who display a deep passion for one subject are more impressive and less generic.

The essay is a further important piece of the process, as it introduces admissions officers to who the student is as a person, and should do a good job of this in order to stand out. While there are myriad ways to write the essay, it should always be personal to the writer, and tell a story only you can tell.

Vanderbilt targets recruitment towards populations of students they want to recruit. While this does not directly affect admissions decisions, it does affect which students decide to apply to Vanderbilt. This recruitment has greatly increased the overall number of applicants, and further increased the number of first-generation and underrepresented students admitted, which was one of Vanderbilt’s goals.

Vanderbilt Strategy: 

While Vanderbilt does not consider demonstrated interest, their admission rates for ED are twice those of RD. Thus if Vanderbilt is your first choice, your best method to increase chances of admission is to apply early decision. They also offer Early Decision II, and while the rates for that aren’t nearly as high as for ED, if you were unable to meet the deadline to apply ED, then consider applying ED II.

Having strong grades and test scores, and taking a rigorous course of study in high school is the best way to ensure your academic preparation does not disqualify you. While Vanderbilt does use holistic review, they only have so much time, and there is less to argue in favor of a student who does not appear academically prepared for the rigor of college.

Vanderbilt fills a number of places off the waitlist each year, averaging 7-10% of each class. While there is no guarantee of getting off the waitlist, students who are waitlisted and consider Vanderbilt their top choice are encouraged to reach out to let admissions know they remain interested. Students admitted off the waitlist will receive need-based by, but not merit-based aid. If you are waitlisted, you should still confirm your place at another school, but it isn’t necessarily the end of your Vanderbilt ambitions.

As Vanderbilt is need blind, a student’s ability to pay is not factored into admissions decisions. Indeed, their recent recruitment efforts for underserved and first generation students show a current push to increase economic diversity on campus.