2020-2021 Vanderbilt

Started by TheDataKing
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Email automation is probably just not calibrated perfectly based on the second receipt and some people not getting it. I wouldn't worry too much if you haven't gotten it.
 
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fadeinandout said:
What do you mean by this?
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That it has been reported that the number of applicants apparently increased from around 53,000 to around 55,000, while the number of applications at many schools are reported to be up around 25%. A 5% increase in applicants (55,000 = 104% of 53,000) did not produce a 25% increase in applications by themselves, so everyone must be applying to more schools than before.
 
DeweyW said:
Evidence? I would guess this is true but I personally have not seen any corroborating data.
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This is my evidence, for better or worse. 😎

Knowing that many folks won't get accepted in their first try, is it better to start with a smaller school list?

@gonnif is pretty well plugged in when it comes to this type of data, so I trust that he's probably spot on regarding the increase in the number of applicants. As for the number of applications, many schools, including Vandy itself, are reporting applications up around 25%. What more evidence are you looking for? Definitive numbers won't be published until this time next year, after the cycle is complete and AAMC compiles and disseminates the data..
 
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ChemEtoMD23 said:
This source from the AAMC (published on October 22nd) says that the number of applicants is up by 17%.

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Thanks for the link! Definitely more authoritative than @gonnif's guestimate. 😎

It looks like apps/applicant are up, but not nearly as much as was assumed. The issue still remains, and Vandy is clearly addressing it by offering more IIs, which will help everyone applying this year by somewhat mitigating the fact that the pool is significantly larger than expected.
 
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Submitted mid Oct due to writing the autobiography but based on the number of IIs so far and how far they've reviewed, I guess there's little hope.
 
hola1997 said:
Submitted mid Oct due to writing the autobiography but based on the number of IIs so far and how far they've reviewed, I guess there's little hope.
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Keep your head up! They will be reviewing apps/sending IIs throughout Jan according to their email!
 
Weihua said:
When is it appropriate to send a letter of interest?
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I interviewed in September and was told that sending a letter in November is a good time as that’s when the committee meets for December decisions and enough time will have passed to be able to say that Vanderbilt is one of your top choices compared to other schools. They said they didn’t want to hear back before you’ve had time to compare them to other schools and that sort of thing
 
purple_jpg said:
I interviewed in September and was told that sending a letter in November is a good time as that’s when the committee meets for December decisions and enough time will have passed to be able to say that Vanderbilt is one of your top choices compared to other schools. They said they didn’t want to hear back before you’ve had time to compare them to other schools and that sort of thing
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Is a letter of interest sent before II or after an interview?
 
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User1803 said:
Is a letter of interest sent before II or after an interview?
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You can send it before an II to help your chances. I think the rule of thumb is waiting 6-8 weeks after submitting your secondary, but at that point I think it would be considered more of an update letter than a letter of interest. The letter of interest they were referring to was specifically post interview
 
purple_jpg said:
You can send it before an II to help your chances. I think the rule of thumb is waiting 6-8 weeks after submitting your secondary, but at that point I think it would be considered more of an update letter than a letter of interest. The letter of interest they were referring to was specifically post interview
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I agree. I personally think pre-II letters of interest are pretty useless and potentially can be seen as annoying. I suggest doing a kind of hybrid letter of interest/update. Give meaningful updates and also express your interest in the school in the same letter. Just my opinion though.
 
blueberryscone said:
dang, sorry to hear that. but from the look of things, you've earned As at some stellar places - congratulations! sorry it didn't work out here

i am literally shaking & rechecking my email. i wonder if that wave, or mini-wave, of IIs and Rs is over? no response yet
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It's all good. I appreciate it though! Yeah, yesterday was an up and down day, but I'm in a good spot overall. Vandy would have been cool, but I have some cool options already. Good luck to you, I'm sure you'll do great!
 
blueberryscone said:
The interview tracker says they've already sent out 521 invitations. I think they aim to interview 550 (but I could be wrong about this). Since they're extending the review of applications, does that mean they will be offering more IIs compared to previous years?
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someone asked this question during my interview day and it does! however they told us that the # of extra interview days they could add would depend on how many faculty they can get to interview and their availabilities I think
 
CowBoy98 said:
If they already sent out 521 II out of 550 then why do they accept secondaries till Nov 22 . This is not fair for students who apply late in cycle due to other commitments. Looks late applications will not be considered for admissions.
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They said on my interview day that they were going to interview more people than they have in previous years.
 
futuremd0110 said:
I'd strongly recommend sending letters of interest/updates after your interviews. From what I know talking to friends here, they seem to value genuine expressions of interest very highly. I sent a pretty long letter and a couple updates after my interview
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How long was your letter?
 
Also, does anyone know if they prefer we send updates via the portal, or by directly emailing the admissions office? (sorry if this has been asked before)


Edit: I'm dumb, it just crossed my mind to check the portal to see if there was any info there...the FAQ says either is fine!
 
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atrmnky said:
Also, does anyone know if they prefer we send updates via the portal, or by directly emailing the admissions office? (sorry if this has been asked before)
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Definitely upload to portal, but I am wondering if we should email admissions letting them know that we uploaded something
 
CowBoy98 said:
If they already sent out 521 II out of 550 then why do they accept secondaries till Nov 22 . This is not fair for students who apply late in cycle due to other commitments. Looks late applications will not be considered for admissions.
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Exactly!
 
CowBoy98 said:
If they already sent out 521 II out of 550 then why do they accept secondaries till Nov 22 . This is not fair for students who apply late in cycle due to other commitments. Looks late applications will not be considered for admissions.
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I would say this is pretty normal for most schools, the later in the cycle someone applies the fewer number of slots they’re competing for, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible to get an II, it just makes it a lot harder numbers-wise
 
blueberryscone said:
if you read through the thread, you'll see that there were people who submitted in sept & oct who snagged IIs pretty early on. since vandy heavily screens, i'm sure they place applicants in different piles based on who they really want. i think that the only people who can get away with submitting late are those with stellar stats & ECs

while applying late places you at a disadvantage, take comfort in knowing that they're going to interview more people this year ( I know i am!!!)

i hope you have a successful cycle
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Hoping the best 🙂 Vandy was not on my initial list , but later I added in October . Don't know whether I have stellar EC. Have good amount research and clinical experience. MCAT is 526 and cGPA is 3.85 (chem engineering major). It's based on school on how they weigh/score my application. Good Luck to you ..
 
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General question, how long after the interview do you guys think its best to send letters of interest/updates. Also, is getting back grades/ increase in gpa a good enough update or should it be something more substantial?
 
Hi Everyone! I am interviewing on Monday November 30th and haven't received my Zoom links for the pre-interview social hour or the interview day, and I see on the portal it says I was supposed to receive this three days before my interview. I emailed the admissions office but received an automatic reply stating they are out of office and not back until the 30th. I do not want to miss the social hour but not sure what to do at this point. Anyone in a similar situation? Did anyone receive the link for either? Thanks!
 
Last year, it looks like they called the December acceptance wave in the afternoon on December 20th, the Friday before they start winter break. If they continue this pattern (never a guarantee) then this year, it would be December 18.
 
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