2009-2010 Vanderbilt University Application Thread

Discover Your Odds of Getting into Medical School
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Just got the invite today! I'm so psyched cuz I was expecting a flat-out rejection since I still need a Phy class to fulfill the prereqs. kStephan, would you let us know when you find out? And you mean this fall semester as in right now? Oh boy!
 
8/4 email

got the letter today , very unexpected =)
 
Kneige said:
Just got the invite today! I'm so psyched cuz I was expecting a flat-out rejection since I still need a Phy class to fulfill the prereqs. kStephan, would you let us know when you find out? And you mean this fall semester as in right now? Oh boy!
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Yeah I'll keep you guys updated on what I find out. I'm planning on calling first thing Monday morning because I'm absolutely sure I need to add a class for this semester to meet their requirements. I'm pretty sure they probably don't check this before they send you the secondary.
 
Quick Question for everyone who interviewed already...did you guys have a black portfolio or notepad of some type and if so, did you actually use it all through the interview or tours or anything? and what would you recommend for others to take? thanks!!!
 
don't take anything except maybe a pen. if you really need to write something down, you can just write on their handouts.
 
lalala445 said:
Quick Question for everyone who interviewed already...did you guys have a black portfolio or notepad of some type and if so, did you actually use it all through the interview or tours or anything? and what would you recommend for others to take? thanks!!!
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I took a black portfolio thingy to write stuff down. It ended up being pretty useful because like 5 current students wanted to give us their email addresses/phone numbers and really wanted us to get in touch with them if we had any more questions. I also kept my interview prep stuff in that portfolio - maps, directions, and the booklets we got at the admissions office.
 
Elijah05 said:
Ill post so you have company 🙂. I wish more schools did what vanderbilt did. Instead of stealing our money and wasting our time they give interviews to all who gets 2ndaries its awesome 🙂. Im applying but i know i have no realistic shot...
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Quite the opposite. They accept a far lower percentage of students from their interview pool, so while it's less likely that you'll waste $100 on the secondary, you're more likely to waste ~$500 on traveling+secondary.
 
It looks like people with the 8/4 email got interview invites starting Friday. I got an 8/4 notification, but I have not heard anything (and my mail came today), so I am assuming I will be rejected.

It looks like for the 7/4 people, they got invites all around the first two days, and rejections spread out for the weeks following...

Sorry, if I am being pessimistic. If anybody else has an opinion towards this, I would be curious to hear it.
 
dingyibvs said:
Quite the opposite. They accept a far lower percentage of students from their interview pool, so while it's less likely that you'll waste $100 on the secondary, you're more likely to waste ~$500 on traveling+secondary.
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Hm, I'm calculating it to be about 1/3, based on 2007's numbers of
5032 apps
906 interviews
284 acceptances

(from https://medschool.vanderbilt.edu/admissions/school-quick-facts and https://medschool.vanderbilt.edu/admissions/interview-statistics). I think 1 in 3 is pretty good for once you get the secondary/invite. Although maybe that's a combination of wishful thinking and psychological stuff.
 
Wheee said:
Hm, I'm calculating it to be about 1/3, based on 2007's numbers of
5032 apps
906 interviews
284 acceptances

(from https://medschool.vanderbilt.edu/admissions/school-quick-facts and https://medschool.vanderbilt.edu/admissions/interview-statistics). I think 1 in 3 is pretty good for once you get the secondary/invite. Although maybe that's a combination of wishful thinking and psychological stuff.
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Assuming nothing has changed, I think that's fairly reasonable. At any rate, even if some schools give more interviews and accept less percentage-wise, it is not necessarily a bad thing since it gives people who don't look as good on paper a better chance. It's quite a balancing act.
 
FluffyRabbit said:
Assuming nothing has changed, I think that's fairly reasonable. At any rate, even if some schools give more interviews and accept less percentage-wise, it is not necessarily a bad thing since it gives people who don't look as good on paper a better chance. It's quite a balancing act.
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I definitely agree. Obviously I'm biased and filled with all kinds of love for my school, but I appreciate how much weight they put on the interview. For a lot of schools the interview felt a bit more like a convention than a truly important part of your candidacy. At Vandy, they don't really know much about you yet. They really have no idea who they "prefer". Your secondary and letters of rec and interview are dealt with at the same time, which makes your application a lot more "global" than it is for the schools in which the interview is the last step of the process, at which point there is probably already a pretty good hierarchy (and all you have to do is be relatively socially capable).

Anyway, to each his own, but I like the way Vandy does it.
 
I just submitted my secondary, and I'm not really sure when to schedule the interview. Interviewing on a Tuesday requires me taking more time off than on a Monday, but I don't actually have that much leave available, and I really don't want to end up declining interviews later. How much of a detriment would it be to interview 3 - 4 weeks later? This is approximately early October vs early November.
 
Since Vanderbilt is rolling, I would guess interview timing would make a pretty significant difference, and if at all possible I'd go for early October. Schedule an afternoon interview so you can fly into Nashville reeeeally early in the morning on your interview day, and that way you'll only miss one day.

Why would you have to decline interviews later?
 
jla314 said:
Since Vanderbilt is rolling, I would guess interview timing would make a pretty significant difference, and if at all possible I'd go for early October. Schedule an afternoon interview so you can fly into Nashville reeeeally early in the morning on your interview day, and that way you'll only miss one day.

Why would you have to decline interviews later?
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Thanks. I assume if I have an afternoon interview, I have to be there at 11:15am for the information session that starts then?

I'm flying from California, so not only does the flight take long time, I lose two hours going there due to the time zones. I can fly back on the same day and get back at a reasonable time, but flying in on the same day doesn't really work. Unless by early morning you really mean late night, which I try to avoid.

I have to take leave from my job to attend interviews, so either I stop going to interviews at some point, or I have to have this semi-awkward conversation about why I need more vacation time than other people, which may very well not work out anyway.
 
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Havent received anything yet, and I received the confrmation email on 7/27... Think I should call the office and see whats up?
 
millepora said:
It looks like people with the 8/4 email got interview invites starting Friday. I got an 8/4 notification, but I have not heard anything (and my mail came today), so I am assuming I will be rejected.

It looks like for the 7/4 people, they got invites all around the first two days, and rejections spread out for the weeks following...

Sorry, if I am being pessimistic. If anybody else has an opinion towards this, I would be curious to hear it.
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I think I agree with you. I got their e-mail on 8/4 as well and haven't had anything arrive in the mail - I'm anticipating a rejection.
 
interview invite letter came today

posted marked 8/25 but I'm in Canada so it took awhile i guess..

Hope spots are not filled
 
Homoochan said:
interview invite letter came today

posted marked 8/25 but I'm in Canada so it took awhile i guess..

Hope spots are not filled
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Did they use "Air Mail"?

Ugh... I live in a relatively small suburban town, and it takes forever for me to get mail by land. All I got in the mail today was an Economist 🙁. I will keep some hope because I actually really like Vandy.
 
MarinaS said:
Did they use "Air Mail"?

Ugh... I live in a relatively small suburban town, and it takes forever for me to get mail by land. All I got in the mail today was an Economist 🙁. I will keep some hope because I actually really like Vandy.
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No it wasn't Air Mail.. Air mail would arrive within 5 days not like more than a week
 
Homoochan said:
No it wasn't Air Mail.. Air mail would arrive within 5 days not like more than a week
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Okay, I guess I will have to wait... This stinks, but I guess not all hope is lost. If I got an interview, it will arrive in two weeks (the usual lag time between me getting mail and someone in Toronto getting mail). All other schools that sent me stuff have used Air Mail, so I guess I expected it.
 
I haven't received any emails from Vandy yet. My AMCAS was verified end of July. Does everyone who submits an AMCAS get an email?
 
littlebitty022 said:
I haven't received any emails from Vandy yet. My AMCAS was verified end of July. Does everyone who submits an AMCAS get an email?
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You should get an email stating that Vandy received your AMCAS application. After that it's just snail mail for either the invite or rejection.
 
FuSoYa said:
You should get an email stating that Vandy received your AMCAS application. After that it's just snail mail for either the invite or rejection.
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Should I call them to make sure everything is ok?
 
I have a question about the letter of rec part of the secondary.

At my school, we don't get a committee letter. Our career center collects and distributes a letter packet to all the schools. My letter packet contains 5 letters, but the 2ndary app only allows you to write in 3.

Should I just write the name of the person who organized the letter packet at my school as I set it up on the AMCAS? Or should I just write the names of the 3 professors I feel wrote me the best letters?

Thanks guys
 
Just write 3 of the names. I'm sure they'll understand when they receive them. You are allowed to submit 5 letters.
 
I just finished scheduling my interview and surprigingly they told me who my interviewer is going to be (with picture and everything)!!
 
Homoochan, how early were you able to schedule the interview? Have all the Oct spots being filled up?
 
Anyone else in the 8/4 group with no word still? 🙁
 
Kneige said:
Homoochan, how early were you able to schedule the interview? Have all the Oct spots being filled up?
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Earliest date was Oct 22. The next available date was Oct. 27.

No other spots for Oct.

LOTS of spots available in Nov.
 
has anyone from the 8/18 notification group heard anything?
 
So one of the last steps of the Vandy secondary is to say whether or not you waive your FERPA rights (attached below). I'm not sure what this means, and will it hurt me if I decide either way? (side-question: is this something we already waived beforehand, e.g. can't see LORs, or is it different?) I'd greatly appreciate some prompt feedback.🙂

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 gives you the right to review the written evaluation about you which is retained in your academic file once you matriculate, unless you waive your right to such access. Indicate whether or not you waive your right of access to your interview narrative report in support of this application by marking the appropriate statement
 
Rach83 said:
Anyone else in the 8/4 group with no word still? 🙁
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I haven't heard anything - I'm just hoping it wasn't an address issue, since I did update my address on AMCAS once
 
Abdullaah said:
. Indicate whether or not you waive your right of access to your interview narrative report in support of this application by marking the appropriate statement
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It looks like they are saying they don't want you to be able to see the actual report that is made on you after your interview (i.e. what goes to the adcom).

I don't know any school that gives this to applicants anyways, so I'd say waive the right.
 
For any of you who flew in, any recs on a cheap, decent hotel to stay in?

Thanks a lot!
 
I was just looking at MdApp today and saw Vanderbilt started interviewing first week of september..

Mine's third week of october.. so I was sort of worried that I'm just interviewing for waillist spot..
 
Homoochan said:
I was just looking at MdApp today and saw Vanderbilt started interviewing first week of september..

Mine's third week of october.. so I was sort of worried that I'm just interviewing for waillist spot..
Click to expand...

... you've gotta be kidding me...
 
Homoochan said:
I was just looking at MdApp today and saw Vanderbilt started interviewing first week of september..

Mine's third week of october.. so I was sort of worried that I'm just interviewing for waillist spot..
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I guess the people who get interviews for Nov/Dec shouldn't even go then...
 
Interview Invite!! 8/18 acknowledgment group
I also happen to live about 1 mile from Vanderbilt
Letter Dated September 8th, postmarked September 9th

Anyone ever get word on AP Credit? I used AP credit for physics.
 
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Ziff700 said:
Interview Invite!! 8/18 acknowledgment group
I also happen to live about 1 mile from Vanderbilt
Letter Dated September 8th, postmarked September 9th

Anyone ever get word on AP Credit? I used AP credit for physics.
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From their website:
Advanced placement credits, CLEP credits and pass/fail credits are not acceptable in lieu of ANY required courses. Advanced courses in the same discipline may be substituted for the requirements when the applicant has placed out of the entry level course.

  • Biology: A minimum of 8 semester hours, including laboratory.
  • Chemistry: A minimum of 16 semester hours including laboratories, 8 in inorganic chemistry and 8 in organic chemistry.
  • English and Composition: A minimum of 6 semester hours in English literature and/or writing.
  • Physics: A minimum of 8 semester hours, including laboratory.
 
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