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2011-2012 Vanderbilt University Application Thread
Started by Sammich117
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Rejection received this morning. It was fun to dream. Good luck to all.
Rejected. Oh well, I am very appreciative that they don't take your money before deciding you suck. 🙂
Miranda Lambert! Such a good album. Sorry to hear about the rejection 🙁
Rejection in the mail today. Stung the least since I didn't have to give them any money. 😛 Good luck, everyone!
Im writing up my interview experiences so I dont forget them, and thought Id share. These are just my thoughts, so dont take them as gospel.
I applying for student hosting but didnt get it, so I ended up at a local hotel, and took a free shuttle to Light Hall in the morning. Breakfast = coffee, juice, muffins, and pastries from Au Bon Pain. About 15 applicants. Everyones schedule was a little different, but we each had a long interview and a short interview. The long interview (1+ hours, open file) was very laid back and conversational, no stress. The short interview (closed file), I believe a new format this year, was much more intense, with rapid-fire questions similar in tone to secondary prompts. Nearly everyone, including myself, was a little thrown off by this, especially after the chill long interview.
Besides the interviews, we heard about the curriculum changes. For those starting next year, there will be only 1.5 years of basic sciences, then a year of core rotations, then 1.5 years of electives, research, etc. The next class will transition to a Dukesque system with only 1 year of basic science. Vanderbilt is really pushing integration of basic science and clinical stuff during all four years, with lots of freedom to create a niche for your interests. Seems pretty cool, and a big advantage to have more time for research and rotations before residency apps. We also heard from financial aid, nothing out of the ordinary though. We met with two M2s for lunch (sandwiches, chips, cookie) and Q&A. They were very candid and excited about the school. Lots of ECs, student-run clinic is very popular and well organized. Student lounge has pool, ping-pong, and foosball. Didnt get to see anatomy lab, but its supposed to be quite nice and modern. A few of us sat in on M2 class, which was actually pretty funny and informative. Attendance was pretty good, but apparently decreases throughout the year. The M1s got an angry e-mail last year about their attendance, despite being told it was optional. Everything is streamed and/or recorded, IIRC.
I cant really talk about Nashville, as I only saw it on the way to and from the airport. Seems like a nice city, and everyone we met with assured us that we didnt need to like country music. Rent is pretty affordable; most students live close to the med center. All of the hospitals and med school buildings are in one place, which would be convenient. We didnt see much of the hospitals aside from a brief excursion the childrens hospital (Ben and Jerrys!). We also saw their simulation facilities, which seem extensive and well integrated into the curriculum. Great match list. AOA based on grades, community service, leadership, etc. if anyone cares.
Overall, Vanderbilt seemed like a really solid institution, with great opportunities for research and community service. Nice people. Nashville is +/-. Would be very happy ending up there.
I applying for student hosting but didnt get it, so I ended up at a local hotel, and took a free shuttle to Light Hall in the morning. Breakfast = coffee, juice, muffins, and pastries from Au Bon Pain. About 15 applicants. Everyones schedule was a little different, but we each had a long interview and a short interview. The long interview (1+ hours, open file) was very laid back and conversational, no stress. The short interview (closed file), I believe a new format this year, was much more intense, with rapid-fire questions similar in tone to secondary prompts. Nearly everyone, including myself, was a little thrown off by this, especially after the chill long interview.
Besides the interviews, we heard about the curriculum changes. For those starting next year, there will be only 1.5 years of basic sciences, then a year of core rotations, then 1.5 years of electives, research, etc. The next class will transition to a Dukesque system with only 1 year of basic science. Vanderbilt is really pushing integration of basic science and clinical stuff during all four years, with lots of freedom to create a niche for your interests. Seems pretty cool, and a big advantage to have more time for research and rotations before residency apps. We also heard from financial aid, nothing out of the ordinary though. We met with two M2s for lunch (sandwiches, chips, cookie) and Q&A. They were very candid and excited about the school. Lots of ECs, student-run clinic is very popular and well organized. Student lounge has pool, ping-pong, and foosball. Didnt get to see anatomy lab, but its supposed to be quite nice and modern. A few of us sat in on M2 class, which was actually pretty funny and informative. Attendance was pretty good, but apparently decreases throughout the year. The M1s got an angry e-mail last year about their attendance, despite being told it was optional. Everything is streamed and/or recorded, IIRC.
I cant really talk about Nashville, as I only saw it on the way to and from the airport. Seems like a nice city, and everyone we met with assured us that we didnt need to like country music. Rent is pretty affordable; most students live close to the med center. All of the hospitals and med school buildings are in one place, which would be convenient. We didnt see much of the hospitals aside from a brief excursion the childrens hospital (Ben and Jerrys!). We also saw their simulation facilities, which seem extensive and well integrated into the curriculum. Great match list. AOA based on grades, community service, leadership, etc. if anyone cares.
Overall, Vanderbilt seemed like a really solid institution, with great opportunities for research and community service. Nice people. Nashville is +/-. Would be very happy ending up there.
Amazing! Thanks for this!
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thanks so much! this is so helpful!
Rejected by mail. So long Vandy. Good luck to the rest.
I'm OOS with a 34R/3.8 and got a rejection. Hopefully you have a better chance because you're IS. Good luck!
Frick. I doubt it. They aren't partial to their own kind. I'll keep you posted, but I suspect I'll get the letter next week. Since when is a 34 not good enough for an interview?? I missed the memo.
Yup. Kind of a downer.
Yeah, it was the same. Except Vandy undergrads have another paragraph after that one offering admissions counseling after rejection...
Ouch. Are you in state? Mind sharing stats? Vandy was one of my top choices, but it doesn't look good at this point.
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No, I'm OOS like most Vandy undergrads (Florida if you care 🙂). My GPA is low, and MCAT mediocre (rounded stats are on my MDapps). So, it was expected despite their preference for VU students. I hope you have better luck than me.
I know!!! I haven't gotten any interviews yet. We just need to keep our heads up, it's going to be a long cycle. I still hope you get an invite though!
They're just numbers bro.......just numbers.
I have a mid to lower 30's MCAT and a mid to upper 3.something GPA and got an invite.
They do look beyond the numbers once you've reached a threshold and that threshold isn't 33 & 3.6. Note I'm not disadvantaged either.
yeah, they're absolutely going off more than numbers.
I'm OOS, did not go to vandy, 34Q, 3.83, non-URM, got an invite
no use agonizing over it, just focus on your other secondaries and interviews now.
I'm OOS, did not go to vandy, 34Q, 3.83, non-URM, got an invite
no use agonizing over it, just focus on your other secondaries and interviews now.
when you look at it, 600 words is like a whole page single-spaced. to me that seems like a completely reasonable length for a concise autobiography (when you're like me and have nothing interesting to write about). I wouldn't try and cram extra in there just to get the word count up. More is not always better.
Although I don't advocate adding stuff just to add it, there might be stuff you don't think is important that the admission committee might find interesting. For example, in my interview I was asked about what growing up in my family was like, and asked to elaborate on experiences in my earlier life. You might find material along this theme to include that you hadn't thought of because it doesn't come up on other applications.
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I was verified june 22nd. I actually did not add Vanderbilt on AMCAS till August 5th, so i got the application received email August 9th and the letter in the mail i guess arrived September 8th. I hadn't picked up my mail in days. I will definitly start checking more often 
Just got my rejection today.
Thank you Vanderbilt for screening your secondary and for not taking my money when you had no intention of admitting me. I also appreciate your prompt response. If every school behaved like this the application process would be more tolerable. 👍
That being said - Vanderbilt rejects make sure you stick in there! There seem to be a significant number of qualified applicants getting rejected. 😳
Thank you Vanderbilt for screening your secondary and for not taking my money when you had no intention of admitting me. I also appreciate your prompt response. If every school behaved like this the application process would be more tolerable. 👍
That being said - Vanderbilt rejects make sure you stick in there! There seem to be a significant number of qualified applicants getting rejected. 😳
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I am planning on submitting tomorrow and I'll post available dates when I do.
False advertising much?
Perhaps your 41R was relevant to you getting an interview.
EDIT
I suspect it is lower than average since they interview 1/5 of the applicants vs 1/10 at most top schools.
Based on data from 2008, it's about 1 in 3.
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Did you mean that the class of 2016 will have 1.5 years of courses and 2.5 years of rotations/electives?
I didn't write the original post, but at my interview the answer to your question was "kind of." Rotations will start after 1.5 years of coursework, but they are trying to integrate more of the basic sciences into the clinical rotations to make them more relevant, and give students a better motivation to learn, since they will be applying the knowledge as they get it.
It was in some information they gave us, I believe, and there was a whole presentation just to explain how it will all work.
YES! It'll be 8 weeks this coming Tuesday.
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