2009-2010 Vanderbilt University Application Thread

[LAman10]

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I suppose this may be relevant now that we are taking about waves. A few people said there letter was postmarked on July 31st. Mine was postmarked on the 30th. Looks like a wave-ish thing to me.

you know, sometimes I just wanna kiss you <3

 

[GoBeers]

yeah seriously... if schools have to send out waves of EMAILS, then I'd expect the same thing with snail mail (which is a lot tougher to send)

LAman...when did u receive receipt of notice by Vandy?

I'm from LA too so I imagine that we'll get one around the same time... if we do get one at all that is.

 

[w8ting2exhale]

I suppose this may be relevant now that we are taking about waves. A few people said there letter was postmarked on July 31st. Mine was postmarked on the 30th. Looks like a wave-ish thing to me.

Yea, I imagine it might be unfeasible to actually mail letters out to EVERYONE on exactly the same day. This means i should probably stop worrying too much about the mail lol. Who knows if mine was even mailed yet! I still havent gotten anything here in NY.


Btw, I was wondering if it's possible to find a link to the secondary (since it's somewhere online) and do a "forgot password" thing to check? 😳 haha. Boy, that sounds desparate. I dont even think it's possible 👎

 

[Food]

So nobody has received their secondary/interview invite yet? Do you guys think it will take the full 4 - 6 weeks? Or could I perhaps hope for 2-3 weeks like the AMCAS verification.

 

[tralu]

Any Canadians or internationals received any mail (invite/rejection) yet?

 

[trueBelief]

So nobody has received their secondary/interview invite yet? Do you guys think it will take the full 4 - 6 weeks? Or could I perhaps hope for 2-3 weeks like the AMCAS verification.

Read the previous couple pages on this thread. Several people from all over the country have gotten interview invites.

 

[ksmi117]

Yea, I imagine it might be unfeasible to actually mail letters out to EVERYONE on exactly the same day. This means i should probably stop worrying too much about the mail lol. Who knows if mine was even mailed yet! I still havent gotten anything here in NY.


Btw, I was wondering if it's possible to find a link to the secondary (since it's somewhere online) and do a "forgot password" thing to check? 😳 haha. Boy, that sounds desparate. I dont even think it's possible 👎

There's no "forgot password" link on their webpage.

 

[trueBelief]

Any Canadians or internationals received any mail (invite/rejection) yet?

I am international but currently in the US and no rejection/invite yet. I gave myself till today and now its time to stop thinking about it and wait patiently. 🙂

 

[delicatefew24]

So I highly doubted I had an interview since my GPA is <3.5... randomly had someone check my mail today - vanderbilt secondary/interview!!!!!! the mail was dated july 31. Is scheduling online?

 

[NoMoreAMCAS]

So I highly doubted I had an interview since my GPA is >3.5... randomly had someone check my mail today - vanderbilt secondary/interview!!!!!! the mail was dated july 31. Is scheduling online?

Yeah, that always stops interviews lol. Dam high GPA, always ruining ****.

 

[red10]

Yeah, that always stops interviews lol. Dam high GPA, always ruining ****.

I think they switched their little < symbol cause their MDapps says less than 3.5
When I first read it though I was like wtf another crazy premed being like "omg my GPA is above 3.5 but not a 4.0 I'll never get in!"

 

[osumc2014]

I think they switched their little < symbol cause their MDapps says less than 3.5
When I first read it though I was like wtf another crazy premed being like "omg my GPA is above 3.5 but not a 4.0 I'll never get in!"

 

[delicatefew24]

So I highly doubted I had an interview since my GPA is <3.5... randomly had someone check my mail today - vanderbilt secondary/interview!!!!!! the mail was dated july 31. Is scheduling online?

EDIT: omg!!! absolutely less than 3.5, sorry!

 

[LAman10]

LAman...when did u receive receipt of notice by Vandy?

I'm from LA too so I imagine that we'll get one around the same time... if we do get one at all that is.

notification of receipt on 7/14, verified 6/25.... so i guess it's later than the people who have already received invites

 

[MDplease123]

gpa< 3.5 translates to gpa less than 3.5...it was correct the way it was said. 🙂

still no letter 🙁

 

[LAman10]

gpa< 3.5 translates to gpa less than 3.5...it was correct the way it was said. 🙂

still no letter 🙁

lol he/she edited it.

for the people who got invites, when were you guys notified that they received your AMCAS app?

 

[brooklynblunder]

july 14th.

 

[ksmi117]

lol he/she edited it.

For the people who got invites, when were you guys notified that they received your amcas app?

7/14

 

[Aggro]

That's when they got mine and I haven't heard anything.

 

[LAman10]

That's when they got mine and I haven't heard anything.

yeah I'm an idiot haha that's not what I meant to ask... everyone was notified on the same day. what I MEANT to ask was about amcas verification dates

i'm not paranoid; just curious 😀

 

[Aggro]

Ah, well I imagine everyone verified before 7/14 got it that day.

 

[ksmi117]

6/2

 

[brooklynblunder]

6/3

 

[rockaction]

7/2

 

[jla314]

Interview invite received today!! I'm in the Boston area.

AMCAS verified on 6/12, Vanderbilt confirmation 7/14.

Good luck to all of you still waiting! Don't let the thin envelope scare you...

 

[vette2k10]

Hey, I just applied to Vanderbilt through AMCAS today. Do you think its early in the cycle anymore?

 

[GoBeers]

yeah I'm an idiot haha that's not what I meant to ask... everyone was notified on the same day. what I MEANT to ask was about amcas verification dates

i'm not paranoid; just curious 😀

arite chill. i received receipt of notice too on the 14th, but my amcas wasn't verified until july 9th.

 

[trueBelief]

Given the fact that the verification dates don't seem to have any effect on who got interviews, I think it means a rejection for those of us who also got the email on July 14th?

 

[red10]

Given the fact that the verification dates don't seem to have any effect on who got interviews, I think it means a rejection for those of us who also got the email on July 14th?

from what I've seen they are going by AMCAS confirmation date. The only exception I've seen was someone from Vandy which I assume is because Vandy undergrads get preference and jump the line a little.
I haven't seen anyone much past mid june verification yet

 

[trueBelief]

from what I've seen they are going by AMCAS confirmation date. The only exception I've seen was someone from Vandy which I assume is because Vandy undergrads get preference and jump the line a little.
I haven't seen anyone much past mid june verification yet

Yes that does make sense. My application was verified around 15th so maybe I will hear back soon.

 

[onb2014]

6/2

ksmi, you finish your secondary and sign up for an interview date? for us who are still filling out the secondary, which dates are available for interviews at the moment?

 

[ksmi117]

ksmi, you finish your secondary and sign up for an interview date? for us who are still filling out the secondary, which dates are available for interviews at the moment?

I'm actually gonna submit tonight. I'll post what I find. 🙂

 

[itsalovestory]

I'm actually gonna submit tonight. I'll post what I find. 🙂

I'm submitting tonight too. Maybe I'll see you at Vandy! 🙂

 

[jla314]

Interviews are being offered starting August 11, every monday, tuesday, thursday and friday. you have the option of scheduling morning or afternoon interviews. you even find out who your interviewer will be right after scheduling!

 

[greenbeans08]

Just got it today in tiny little white envelope here in northern California. Could not have come at a better time. 🙂

 

[ksmi117]

Interviews are being offered starting August 11, every monday, tuesday, thursday and friday. you have the option of scheduling morning or afternoon interviews. you even find out who your interviewer will be right after scheduling!

This.

 

[HereGoesNothing]

Interviews are being offered starting August 11, every monday, tuesday, thursday and friday. you have the option of scheduling morning or afternoon interviews. you even find out who your interviewer will be right after scheduling!

So does that mean we can pick dates anywhere in the interview period, including later months? Or are the only dates available those near August 11?

 

[ksmi117]

So does that mean we can pick dates anywhere in the interview period, including later months? Or are the only dates available those near August 11?

They go all the way until 11/4.

 

[barefootmoses]

you may want to keep an eye on your status, cause the email said they will not send another email if you do get offered a secondary. just so you're not expecting it. 🙂

 

[nonamesleft]

Does Vandy screen secondaries for MSTP the same way it screens for MD?

help?..anyone?..

 

[jla314]

help?..anyone?..

No, all MSTP applicants are invited to submit a secondary:

https://medschool.mc.vanderbilt.edu/mstp/prospective_students?q=node/3&tp=1

 

[arrivee]

Don't people have to dress up to go to football games? or am I mixing that up with some other school

Yes we do -- dresses for the ladies...oxfords for the boys, and usually with a tie...

 

[vandyland10]

Yes we do -- dresses for the ladies...oxfords for the boys, and usually with a tie...

Please tell me you're not one of the them 😱. I wear black and gold to every game in a crusade against this "tradition".

 

[greenbeans08]

Anyone know how many they interview and how many applications they get? I guess what I'm really wondering is if they interview more applicants than other schools. Do we know?

It'd be nice to know where I stand in this wonderful obstacle course. 🙂

 

[arrivee]

Please tell me you're not one of the them 😱. I wear black and gold to every game in a crusade against this "tradition".

Guilty as charged...we need the "black and gold" wearers too though!

 

[premad]

Just scheduled my interview for late August! Are others planning on wearing full-on suits in the 80-90 degree heat? This sounds utterly unappealing, but I'm wondering if anyone knows if that's what Vanderbilt expects, even in late summer.

 

[ButImLETired]

Hey guys!

Just wanted to check in for a minute and see how things are going. Congrats again to everyone who has gotten the prized interview invites! This definitely makes me feel old, but it's so exciting to watch the process happen from the much better other side. To those who haven't gotten anything yet: no news is just no news. Don't try to over-interpret things cause you're gonna go crazy in this process if you try to read stuff into everything the adcoms do. Just wait for the mail to arrive and see what happens. The one good thing about snail mail is that you don't have to refresh your email all day- the few seconds it takes to open that mailbox are gut-wrenching, but after that, you either have something or you don't, and you can't do anything about it for another 24 hours. Notice how I put a lot of thought into this 😛

Now, I usually get annoyed by all the veteran SDNers gushing about their schools on these threads like "zomg my school is better than all the other schools and there's nowhere better ever!!!". The truth is, I'm a believer in the idea of adaptation, and I truly think that we'd all be quite happy doing what we love just about anywhere. You meet people you get along with, and ultimately study the same stuff, regardless of where you go. So please don't get all upset if your first choice gives you the cold shoulder. It's just not worth all the grief.

That being said, I've been here at Vandy for about a week now (we're in class already!) and so far it's been absolutely amazing. The school emphasized both during interviews and second look that they're unique in the access you have to mentors, the friendliness of the professors, etc. Let's just say that thus far I've been swimming in the vice-chancellor's pool with the dean of students, we have all personally met just about every bigwig in this place, and everyone has been absolutely inordinately kind. I met someone at said pool party who remembered me by name after having read my application, and she told me how excited she was to see me. People absolutely bend over backwards to make your life easier and more pleasant here. They want to maintain the reputation of having the happiest students in the nation, and they do just about everything they can think of to keep us that way. The students in my class are fun, kind, unique people and I can't wait to really watch them in action. It's really a pretty special place, and while I'm sure I would have been happy anywhere, I am really glad I'm here.

And that's my Vandy advertisement for the day!

Now, to address a couple of things in this thread: I have received a few requests for my couch during interview days. I'd be more than happy to do that, but they haven't told us anything about hosting yet. Once we find that out, I'm sure I'll be able to take some of you.

There are pros and cons to the morning interview slot vs afternoon. Morning ones are great if you tend to get very nervous just sitting around before an interview, cause you do get to get it over with before the tour. I did this and I'm glad I did because it was my first interview and I was FREAKING OUT. Basically, you interview in the morning, then you have some downtime when you can sit in lecture, or tour the campus, or do whatever you want, and then you have a lunch meeting with a dean or professor or something who gives you an overview of the school and the admission process, then a tour, then you go home. The afternoon interview people would come in before lunch I believe, do that, then the tour, then an interview, and then go home. I definitely found the downtime for the morning interview to be a tad excessive, although I did enjoy sitting in lecture for a bit, and I got to know some of my co-interviewees and toured the undergrad campus with them, plus I had more time to ask questions of the first and second years. If you're a Vandy undergrad you'll probably want to take the afternoon slot since you can presumably do all that stuff on your own time. Totally up to you, but as I said, there are pros and cons for either option.

And yes, you'll have to wear a suit. I interviewed in the end of August/beginning of September I think (?) and it was painfully hot out and I wore a full suit and everyone else did too. Bring whatever you need to bring to freshen up in between things if you don't want to be a totally sloppy sweaty mess by the time lunch rolls around.

Vandy interviews are notoriously chill (again, remember they have the reputation of being a really nice school...mean interviewers would kinda defeat that) so try not to stress too much. Have fun with it, joke with your interviewer, be a real person. Don't sit there stiffly and mutter a few things about your research. That's why they want to see your autobiography: they want to know who you are, not as a pre-med student, but as a person. Enjoy telling them both through the essays and through the interview. Be yourselves.


Please feel free to PM me and let me know if you have any questions. I'll also check this thread periodically. Good luck!

 

[JJMrK]

Anyone know how many they interview and how many applications they get? I guess what I'm really wondering is if they interview more applicants than other schools. Do we know?

It'd be nice to know where I stand in this wonderful obstacle course. 🙂

I believe they interview more people than average for a given spot.

 

[rockaction]

I believe they interview more people than average for a given spot.

They interview about a quarter of the applicant pool, according to their website. That is probably higher than normal.

Awesome post, LET.

 

[tralu]

oops