2012-2013 Vanderbilt University Application Thread

[Soapybubbles]

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Just as in after 1:00 am, or you just saw the e-mail that came earlier?

An hour after the e-mail that came earlier.

 

[dhanna1]

for anybody that didn't get a secondary yet, did you get an email saying that you've been screened out?
>3.9, 31.
i figure the mcat score did it for me.

 

[yellowfish]

for anybody that didn't get a secondary yet, did you get an email saying that you've been screened out?
>3.9, 31.
i figure the mcat score did it for me.

Seriously, too early to be assuming that you've been screened out if you're not one of the very first people to get the secondary email.

 

[DrDestroyMD]

Received secondary yesterday.

Stats: 3.94 cGPA/3.96 sGPA, 40S MCAT
OOS

I wouldn't worry right now if you didn't get one. They are still probably going through apps.

 

[uva11]

Received secondary yesterday.

Stats: 3.94 cGPA/3.96 sGPA, 40S MCAT
OOS

I wouldn't worry right now if you didn't get one. They are still probably going through apps.

regular MD?

 

[Tots]

I got a regular MD secondary invitation yesterday. Similar stats to DrDestroyMD.

Since they are reviewing every application before they send out secondaries I would just hold tight, my guess is it is way too early to start worrying.

 

[carramrod06]

Just got secondary this morning too. MD Only Applicant.

AMCAS received July 11th.

Stats: 3.9+cGPA; 3.9+sGPA, 38Q

Edit: OOS

 

[riddler]

Just got secondary this morning too. MD Only Applicant.

AMCAS received July 11th.

Stats: 3.9+cGPA; 3.9+sGPA, 38Q

Edit: OOS

You mean you were verified on July 11th and you received a secondary today? 😱

 

[Frazier]

It appears vandy only likes 'dem fat stats. 🙂

 

[collegestud2013]

My best guess is that Vandy gives auto secondary invites to those with high stats without even looking at the rest of their app, which is why they are first to get the invites. For people with lower stats they will look through their ECs and PS to determine if they get one, so it's taking a bit longer for these people. The average accepted stats are 3.80/34.8 so about half those that are accepted (never mind just receiving a secondary) will be below that. Right now it seems like everyone who has gotten the secondary is above that.

 

[endowed]

My best guess is that Vandy gives auto secondary invites to those with high stats without even looking at the rest of their app, which is why they are first to get the invites. For people with lower stats they will look through their ECs and PS to determine if they get one, so it's taking a bit longer for these people. The average accepted stats are 3.80/34.8 so about half those that are accepted (never mind just receiving a secondary) will be below that. Right now it seems like everyone who has gotten the secondary is above that.

3.9+ and 35+ no secondary. i was verified 6/06.

 

[topper34]

Not a huge fan of this 1200 word autobiography

 

[carramrod06]

You mean you were verified on July 11th and you received a secondary today? 😱

I was unclear, my bad. Verified 06/08. Vanderbilt sent an email saying that they had my AMCAS July 11th.

 

[Guero]

It appears vandy only likes 'dem fat stats. 🙂

This has been true since the late 90s. Those without the fat stats and reflexive offers of admission tend to come in off the waitlist near the end of the cycle. They do exist, do land interviews, and do matriculate. So don't panic. I know several such students; and they rock.

Hang in there. After being here so long and a deepening homesickness for the West, I'm not sure I'll be throwing my hat into the running this year...

*replaces nose into mounds of MCAT materials in a lonely room lining the bowels of the Jean Alexander Heard Library*

Good luck.

 

[jrut73]

This has been true since the late 90s. Those without the fat stats and reflexive offers of admission tend to come in off the waitlist near the end of the cycle. They do exist, do land interviews, and do matriculate. So don't panic. I know several such students; and they rock.

Hang in there. After being here so long and a deepening homesickness for the West, I'm not sure I'll be throwing my hat into the running this year...

*replaces nose into mounds of MCAT materials in a lonely room lining the bowels of the Jean Alexander Heard Library*

Good luck.

Aww, Central Library. Now I'm homesick. <3 Vandy
You might miss it once you leave...I would kill for a chance to come back!

 

[yellowfish]

Got my secondary yesterday morning. MD only applicant. AMCAS verified early.

Stats are 4.0/41.

Definitely not looking forward to actually writing this beast though!

 

[saveourpens]

Anyone with stats around 35 and 3.8 get a secondary yet? Seems like only those with scary good stats have gotten them so far.

 

[riddler]

Anyone with stats around 35 and 3.8 get a secondary yet? Seems like only those with scary good stats have gotten them so far.

I think it's been mostly high MCAT scores (>36 or 37 maybe?) that's been the decider, but the SDN sample size is pretty small relative to the applicant pool, so it's hard to say.

 

[topper34]

For the "Required Courses by Subject" page, it says "list only the courses which are minimum requirements for vums"

Does that mean that I only list 8 credits of biology that I've taken? Or should I list every single biology course?

Thanks

 

[DrDestroyMD]

Vandy's secondary is a beast. I keep putting it off because others one I have to do are so much easier/shorter...

 

[PreMedOrDead]

I've gotten IIs from Stanford, WashU, Yale, etc, but Vandy is a bit slow it seems.

GPA: 3.8+
MCAT: 35+
OOS

This is likely going to be my last II to submit anyways, considering its absurd length.

 

[Nymphicus]

I wonder how stringent the screen is.

 

[3rdarmageddon]

I received the secondary earlier this week.
Stats:
GPA: 3.85
MCAT: 36

 

[yellowfish]

Just submitted my secondary... pretty sure it was terrible, but I was getting tired of writing about myself 😛

 

[yellowfish]

Interesting, looks like Vanderbilt doesn't even look at LORs until you've been offered an interview - and they interview a high number of applicants, 1087 out of 4892 applicants were interviewed in 2009!

 

[sean842]

I received the secondary earlier this week.
Stats:
GPA: 3.85
MCAT: 36

3.84
35

No secondary, must be just under the cut off...

 

[endowed]

3.84
35

No secondary, must be just under the cut off...

bro..i feel you. 3.95 35

 

[ccfman1991]

there's no way their cutoff is anything that absurd. 35 mcat cutoff? hhahahaha....or maybe i'm just being naive 🙁

 

[DrDestroyMD]

there's no way their cutoff is anything that absurd. 35 mcat cutoff? hhahahaha....or maybe i'm just being naive 🙁

Yeah that would be ridiculous if their cutoff was above a 35. A 34 is already 90th percentile on the MCAT...

 

[dogday]

3.8, 3.9 BCMP, 38 MCAT and no secondary so I have no idea what the cut off is

 

[sean842]

there's no way their cutoff is anything that absurd. 35 mcat cutoff? hhahahaha....or maybe i'm just being naive 🙁

Sorry, not there admissions cut off, but the cut off for where they are this early in the season. Poor wording on my part.

 

[jlescher]

I wouldn't worry too much if you didn't get one, I haven't. My friend got interview 2 years ago with a 3.9 GPA and a 31 so if you are in that range I'm sure you'll get a secondary and odds are an interview. I'm pretty sure Vandy only gives secondaries to those they plan to interview. If you're worrying already you are essentially stressing because one of the best schools in the country hasn't offered you an interview yet, just relax.

 

[collegestud2013]

I wouldn't worry too much if you didn't get one, I haven't. My friend got interview 2 years ago with a 3.9 GPA and a 31 so if you are in that range I'm sure you'll get a secondary and odds are an interview. I'm pretty sure Vandy only gives secondaries to those they plan to interview. If you're worrying already you are essentially stressing because one of the best schools in the country hasn't offered you an interview yet, just relax.

According to their admissions website Vandy changed their policy this year so that getting a secondary no longer guarantees an interview. If that's the case I'd expect them to give out a lot more secondaries, which makes no sense since the only people here who've gotten have had 36+ MCATs and 3.85+ GPAs. Vandy's accepted average is 3.80/34.8 so when do the bottom half of the class come in? My guess is that for these people they review their apps much more closely to find another reason besides your stats to give you a secondary. This may be why these people haven't gotten it yet.

And my stats are 3.91/3.90/34S, no secondary so I'm in the same boat here...

 

[PreMedOrDead]

They sent me an email today saying that they've received my primary and are going to screen my application.

If the screening committee approves your application, an invitation to complete our secondary application and submit your letters of recommendation will be emailed to you. After both items have been received the interview committee will select applicants to be invited for an interview. A letter will be sent to the preferred address listed on your AMCAS application notifying you of the interview committee decision. You can expect to hear from us regarding your application six to eight weeks from the date of transmission of your verified AMCAS application to Vanderbilt.

 

[jlescher]

According to their admissions website Vandy changed their policy this year so that getting a secondary no longer guarantees an interview. If that's the case I'd expect them to give out a lot more secondaries, which makes no sense since the only people here who've gotten have had 36+ MCATs and 3.85+ GPAs. Vandy's accepted average is 3.80/34.8 so when do the bottom half of the class come in? My guess is that for these people they review their apps much more closely to find another reason besides your stats to give you a secondary. This may be why these people haven't gotten it yet.

And my stats are 3.91/3.90/34S, no secondary so I'm in the same boat here...

Interesting, thanks for the update. That makes sense. Nothing to do but wait then I guess. I'm not expecting a whole lot cGPA 3.6 sGPA 3.76 and 32. I haven't heard anything from them yet but I'm hoping my postbac research at NIH will carry some weight and get me one.

 

[Nymphicus]

Don't freak out yet guys, it's just started. I didn't get a secondary until September last year (although, the system is different this year so it might not be a direct comparison).

 

[DrDestroyMD]

Just submitted the secondary! It was quite a beast...

Also, the email you receive once you submit comes from the email [email protected]. Got me excited for a second, but then I realized it was just a confirmation email about them having received your secondary and waiting on your letters to be received/scanned etc...

Good luck all!

 

[byaaaaaaah23]

Just submitted the secondary! It was quite a beast...

Also, the email you receive once you submit comes from the email [email protected]. Got me excited for a second, but then I realized it was just a confirmation email about them having received your secondary and waiting on your letters to be received/scanned etc...

Good luck all!

I didn't even notice that!!

 

[carramrod06]

Just submitted the secondary! It was quite a beast...

Also, the email you receive once you submit comes from the email [email protected]. Got me excited for a second, but then I realized it was just a confirmation email about them having received your secondary and waiting on your letters to be received/scanned etc...

Good luck all!

Submitted today too! Had the same reaction to that email xD

 

[premed414]

For those that submitted:

when I go to application status check, it says my submitted application and my letters (assuming the name of the institution means letters) are both received. However, the status says "We are waiting for your application material(s) before we can process your application."

Is anyone else running into this?

 

[Tots]

For those that submitted:

when I go to application status check, it says my submitted application and my letters (assuming the name of the institution means letters) are both received. However, the status says "We are waiting for your application material(s) before we can process your application."

Is anyone else running into this?

I have the same thing: "We are waiting for your application material(s) before we can process your application." but my letters are checked off and so is my application. I wouldn't worry probably just takes times for them to process everything.

 

[carramrod06]

For those that submitted:

when I go to application status check, it says my submitted application and my letters (assuming the name of the institution means letters) are both received. However, the status says "We are waiting for your application material(s) before we can process your application."

Is anyone else running into this?

same. don't have the letters checked off on status page though.

 

[kettlecorn91]

is it okay if my autobiography is 1320 words...?

 

[Neurophage]

Did anyone else get the following email?

"This is a reminder to have your Letters of Recommendation sent to Vanderbilt University School of Medicine as soon as possible using the AMCAS letter system. This year we are requiring review of your letters of recommendation before granting interviews."

This is confusing because A) I never got a secondary and B) my letters have been in the AMCAS system since May.

Edit: Checked the spam folder and found the secondary. Gmail users beware.

 

[yellowfish]

Did anyone else get the following email?



This is confusing because A) I never got a secondary and B) my letters have been in the AMCAS system since May.

I did as well. I've submitted the secondary, and my letters have been in the system for a while too.

 

[NewYorker9]

Did anyone else get the following email?



This is confusing because A) I never got a secondary and B) my letters have been in the AMCAS system since May.

Edit: Checked the spam folder and found the secondary. Gmail users beware.

I use gmail but didn't have that issue, if I remember correctly it's no different than the one that sent the reminder

 

[endowed]

are there any others who still didn't get a secondary? verified 6/6, got an e-mail saying they received my application on 7/11, and my stats are 3.95/35

 

[ajs08029]

Still haven't received a secondary either

 

[mrbrowncanmoo]

Likewise - verified 6/20 and received email from Vanderbilt saying they received my AMCAS app on 7/11. Nothing since then. Not giving up hope though!

 

[nychila]

I know that Vandy prefers high GPA and MCAT over extracurriculars and uniqueness (comparatively speaking), but does an applicant with amazing extracurriculars coming from a unique background, with a 3.6 GPA and 32 even have a realistic shot here? PS: I have no ties with the university, city, or state, but I have heard very nice things about Vandy, so it is a top choice for me.