2009-2010 Vanderbilt University Application Thread
Started by shemarty
Get help with your application
Use all the free resources available to you from SDN: articles, guides, expert advising, forums discussions, and school research.
- Status
Four weeks is still only August.
Advertisement - Members don't see this ad
I was fine with it... and then I looked at the secondary essay prompts. Those are going to be awful, and I don't want to do them until I absolutely know I will have to.
I think every third applicant is invited for an interview. You have 30% chance, you might as well start drafting.
Luckily, the "diversity" essay is common, so if you've done a secondary with one of those you can work with what you've already done.
Thankfully, the "overcoming a challenge" essay is hardly as bad as say OSU's "altruism" essay or any of the number of crazy "moral dilemma" essays.
But the autobiography is killer.
Thankfully, the "overcoming a challenge" essay is hardly as bad as say OSU's "altruism" essay or any of the number of crazy "moral dilemma" essays.
But the autobiography is killer.
luckily my school's internal application had us write a short autobio (about a page and a half long). I think I have already done the diversity essay a lot, the adversity one is going to be a bit challenging to write.
Here's hoping for a positive snail mail from Vanderbilt!
Here's hoping for a positive snail mail from Vanderbilt!
True that. I feel like Vanderbilt is doing it the way every medical school should. It shows some sympathy for the poor pre-meds who have to shovel out all kinds of cash to even have a shot at a school.
I loves me some Vanderbilt......even if they shoot me down.
Yeah, I know. And they pay for flights and hotel and stuff for second look peoples. My ex was all set to go to Vandy for c/o 2012 but got off the waitlist elsewhere, so I know a lot about how Vandy does this stuff.
Yay SEC! So funny story... when I was applying to college, my father told me that the only other SEC school I could even consider was Vandy because their football team is the only one that always sucks.
Not too bad recently... we've lost them two years running. 🙁
oy . . . just read the part on the website about how you have to have everything done by this fall in order to be considered. I hope they will take a semester of biochem in place of Orgo 2 . . . anyone know? (I know, I know, i will probably have to call and ask.)
That would suck . . . if they don't i'll have to take orgo 2 this semester. bleh.
That would suck . . . if they don't i'll have to take orgo 2 this semester. bleh.
where do you see that? link?
I feel like i heard they do accept biochem but maybe I'm mixed up. If you find out let me know since I'd need to take Orgo 2 too. Luckily the screen BEFORE secondaries so if you have no shot you don't need to take the class
https://medschool.vanderbilt.edu/admissions/amcas-application
yeah, that little tidbit of info is listed under the "amcas" page of the website . . . could screw you over if you didn't look at it! i found the whole website to be really confusing, and their admission procedures are confusing enough 🙁 i still dont quite get it . . . so you only get a secondary if they want to interview you . . . and they decide whether they invite you for an interview before they get your LORs?? so basically the interview decision is made before you even fill out a secondary and have LORs? someone please correct me if i am wrong.
i just called the office about the biochem thing too but the girl i talked to didn't know, so she gave me someone's email address . . . who i will go email now.
Advertisement - Members don't see this ad
Well I suppose the upside is that I should be hearing from them before classes start since I got my app in early, so if I need to I'll be able to take Orgo 2.
And you are correct about the secondary and LORs thing. They don't see anything but your primary before asking for more info and offering an interview.
if you get one they send you a letter "4 to 8 weeks" after recieving your primary.
Last year - 8/3
Year before that - 8/6
So, soon...
crap. I'll be on vacation that week so if I get a letter I'm going to have to make my dad open it and read it to me over the phone. I'm not sure I could handle that.
If I were reading it myself I'd just scan it for the link the secondary before reading the opening lines which never really tell you anything.
EDIT: Just looked it up 8/3 is the first sunday(?) of august and 8/6 is the first monday. So I'm assuming people should start hearing this year on the 3rd or so.
Last edited:
::sigh:: yes its true . . . got the reply email . . . we will have to take orgo 2 this semester if we want to be Vandy-ites. Or, more specifically, if they wants us to be Vandy-ites. 🙁
please excuse me while I go
. So not excited to (maybe) have to take Orgo 2. I guess I just found the silver lining if I get the dreaded "thanks but no thanks" letter
Don't most schools require a full year of ochem?
please excuse me while I go
i know
the worst part is i just submitted my app to them so it'll be '4 to 8 weeks' til i hear anything from them . . . classes start in about 5 weeks . . . so do i register or not??i just hope i hear from them in under 5 weeks, be it good or bad. although the same prof i had from orgo 1 is teaching orgo 2 and he is pretty laid back, if i joined the class a week late he would probably be cool about it and let me make up the assignments. still though it would suck, the only section is offered at 8 am!!
many in the midwest accept biochem instead of orgo 2
many, many schools will let you substitute a semester of biochem. like, i'd say most of them. or at least most of the ones i thought i would be applying to, which are a little bit lower-tier. i just got overly excited about my mcat and added some 'reach' schools right away without doing my homework on them properly.
i didn't do it this way on purpose, i had actually taken biochem first and was planning to take both semesters of orgo . . . until i started reading the fine print on most med school criteria and saw that biochem substitution is OK at so many places. except not at Vanderbilt apparently. But also i kinda figured if any school wanted me to take it, i'd just do it in spring. but they want it this fall which will definitely make my schedule a lot harder.
I see. I had to take it for my major anyway, I guess that's why I didn't know.
i know
i just hope i hear from them in under 5 weeks, be it good or bad. although the same prof i had from orgo 1 is teaching orgo 2 and he is pretty laid back, if i joined the class a week late he would probably be cool about it and let me make up the assignments. still though it would suck, the only section is offered at 8 am!!
Awww poop. Well, for what it's worth, last year I was verified at the end of June (still early, but later than a lot of people), received the "we got your app" email in early July, and got the interview letter in the first batch. The 4 to 8 weeks thing becomes closer to 8 weeks as apps start piling up, but in my impression they're pretty quick with the early batch. Moral of the story: I'm pretty sure you'll find out in a week or two (or a little more, depending on how far you are from TN...I was in Cali and it took like a week for my mail to get there- that's why we have email, people!). Wooo!
i got my UG degree in art, i decided to pursue medicine after that and enrolled in grad school for biomedical science. i had to take most of my 'premed' classes in the evenings/summers to knock them out while also taking my grad school classes. so it ended up being really out of order- I actually took graduate biochem BEFORE i even took undergrad chem 2! and also before orgo 1.
i dont mind taking orgo 2 if vandy says they want me before the deadline! hope they don't mind community college though because my regular university doesn't offer classes in their 'off' semesters (no orgo 2 in fall semester.) plus i applied to Columbia too, so if by some miracle they show interest in me, I will probably have to take orgo 2 for their requirements as well.
My heart leaps whenever I see this thread get posts.
Advertisement - Members don't see this ad
Haha same here, but for some reason, I don't get as excited as I am supposed to get. I guess a letter from Vandy in my mailbox would do the trick.
Just got my interview invite! I thought it was going to be a rejection letter, so it was a REALLY nice surprise 😀
letter in the mail right?
Exciting!!! I shall have to check the mail this evening. Mind letting us know if you are OOS?
Umm, he's profile states TN. Also Vandy is a private school.
Congrats!! Do you know the date they sent you your "we have received your AMCAS application email?"
Can't wait to check my mail!
Doh didn't look at profile... I know it is private I just wanted to see how far away to gauge when my mail might show up.
youre still somewhat close!! Its not coming for at least another week to cali 🙁
I'm bordering TN so either today or tomorrow I hope. Unless it is a rejections then they can keep it 🙄
what are your stats? and when was your amcas verified?
Advertisement - Members don't see this ad
Essays the same?
Are you guys thinking that everyone in the first batch went out already, or just a few random ones?
I figure, I am in Maryland so not getting it today. Its good in a way because I just finished the last secondary that I had gotten so I want no more for a few more days. Though I must I will be jumping with joy if I do get one.
- Status
