2024-2025 Vanderbilt

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2024-2025 Vanderbilt Secondary Essay Prompts: (3 required, 2 optional, but wouldn't you want to opt for #5?)

1. Please reflect on the upbringing, background, and experiences in your life that have shaped who you are as a person and will help define the person you want to be in the future. In other words, what makes you who you are? (Max Word Count 800)

2. Tell us about a time when you interacted with someone who is different than you. What did you learn? What would you do differently?(Max Word Count 600)

3. Everyone needs help at various times in their lives. Describe a time you asked for help and what you gained from that experience that has influenced your approach to asking for help. (Max Word Count 600)

Optional:
4. If you have completed your undergraduate education, please comment on what you have done or have been doing since graduation. (Max Word Count 200)

5. Why are you interested in Vanderbilt University School of Medicine? (Max Word Count 200)

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Last edited:
OOS, submitted 05/28. Just got an email saying they received my primary and my app is being put in a queue to be reviewed before secondary is sent
 
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jrlybob1 said:
OOS, submitted 05/28. Just got an email saying they received my primary and my app is being put in a queue to be reviewed before secondary is sent
Click to expand...
+1 International & MSTP, AMCAS submitted 6/5 & received by Vandy 7/2. Does anyone know how long it will take them to make a decision on whether they send a secondary
 
+1 OOS

Please reflect on the upbringing, background, and experiences in your life that have shaped who you are as a person and will help define the person you want to be in the future. In other words, what makes you who you are? (Max Word Count 800)
Tell us about a time when you interacted with someone who is different than you. What did you learn? What would you do differently?(Max Word Count 600)
Everyone needs help at various times in their lives. Describe a time you asked for help and what you gained from that experience that has influenced your approach to asking for help. (Max Word Count 600)
Optional:
If you have completed your undergraduate education, please comment on what you have done or have been doing since graduation. (Max Word Count 200)
Why are you interested in Vanderbilt University School of Medicine? (Max Word Count 200)
 
does anyone know what vandy screens for? is it more like a mcat/gpa cutoff or do they actually read the primaries
 
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+1 OOS as well. There's no way this round isn't an auto-secondary invite right?
 
il_fullxfull.3978162131_n6ii.jpg
Can someone confirm that the essays posted by @pm-me-tardigrades are correct and complete?

Please and thank you
 
pm-me-tardigrades said:
+1 OOS

Please reflect on the upbringing, background, and experiences in your life that have shaped who you are as a person and will help define the person you want to be in the future. In other words, what makes you who you are? (Max Word Count 800)
Tell us about a time when you interacted with someone who is different than you. What did you learn? What would you do differently?(Max Word Count 600)
Everyone needs help at various times in their lives. Describe a time you asked for help and what you gained from that experience that has influenced your approach to asking for help. (Max Word Count 600)
Optional:
If you have completed your undergraduate education, please comment on what you have done or have been doing since graduation. (Max Word Count 200)
Why are you interested in Vanderbilt University School of Medicine? (Max Word Count 200)
Click to expand...
800 words is the longest I've seen of any single secondary essay. Vanderbilt must really like writers...

@wysdoc these are indeed the prompts, they're on Vanderbilt's website.
 
Mr. Macrophage said:
800 words is the longest I've seen of any single secondary essay. Vanderbilt must really like writers...

@wysdoc these are indeed the prompts, they're on Vanderbilt's website.
Click to expand...
UTRGV puzzlingly has one with a 1500 word limit
 
+1 OOS with a 513, 3.8 cgpa. honestly surprised i even got a secondary, is it really worth applying if you get the secondary with stats so far from their average?
 
chickigold said:
+1 OOS with a 513, 3.8 cgpa. honestly surprised i even got a secondary, is it really worth applying if you get the secondary with stats so far from their average?
Click to expand...
You're just a couple ticks below the 10th percentile MCAT, and you're above the 10th percentile for GPA. It's a longshot but it's not implausible.
 
Any current students in this thread who could offer their thoughts on the school, what they like and don't like about it and why they personally picked it over others? How is the culture? Do they excel at training a particular kind of student?
 
their website says they've sent out 3429 secondaries out of 4209 applications received. seems like the screening is a bit less harsh than the 2/3 they claim?
 
syrupedbacon said:
perhaps earlier applicants tend to be stronger and the eventual number will end up closer to 2/3?
Click to expand...
Yes, it shouldn't be surprising that applicants who are good planners and submit early are also often the ones who have done this in college and performed well.
 
jrlybob1 said:
their website says they've sent out 3429 secondaries out of 4209 applications received. seems like the screening is a bit less harsh than the 2/3 they claim?
Click to expand...
do you mind linking where on their website says that? thank you!
 
Thank you @wysdoc! Also, if we haven't received a secondary (verified & submitted first possible day) until now, is it safe to assume you are pre-screened?
 
Andy412 said:
Thank you @wysdoc! Also, if we haven't received a secondary (verified & submitted first possible day) until now, is it safe to assume you are pre-screened?
Click to expand...
Not at all, don't assume anything this early in the application cycle. If your application is complete, you now wait.
 
What is everyone doing about the word counts? Are you shooting for 600 and 800 words respectively? I don't think I can fill that but I assume that won't be a negative.
 
TheDeadrok said:
What is everyone doing about the word counts? Are you shooting for 600 and 800 words respectively? I don't think I can fill that but I assume that won't be a negative.
Click to expand...
Don't feel obligated to hit close to the maximum. If you can say what you need to say in 450-500 words, it will not benefit your application to pad it to 600 words.
 
Hi guys. I just received the secondary for Vanderbilt. Im kind of conflicted about whether I should apply... I have a low GPA 3.3X but a high MCAT 52X. I know I wasn't screened out, but could I be considered seriously with my low GPA?

trying to save money... but if theres a chance I get in, I'd want to take it 😭
 
ecobio said:
Hi guys. I just received the secondary for Vanderbilt. Im kind of conflicted about whether I should apply... I have a low GPA 3.3X but a high MCAT 52X. I know I wasn't screened out, but could I be considered seriously with my low GPA?

trying to save money... but if theres a chance I get in, I'd want to take it 😭
Click to expand...
If you have a well-rounded application otherwise definitely submit the secondary!
 
Does anyone know how long screening takes? I'm currently inundated with secondaries but I don't want to hold off on adding vandy then be behind the mark because of screening. Thanks in advance!
 
robot_soup said:
Does anyone know how long screening takes? I'm currently inundated with secondaries but I don't want to hold off on adding vandy then be behind the mark because of screening. Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
Took them three weeks to give me mine. Took others ~1.5 weeks. I think it just depends.
 
wysdoc said:
I don't see a 2 week deadline stated anywhere for Vanderbilt.
Click to expand...
It's on MSAR, "The MD deadline is Nov. 17, but VUSM uses rolling admissions. We encourage candidates to submit their secondary no more than two weeks after receipt."

I didn't see it in the secondary portal. Seems like a recommendation, but I would still try to get it done not too far past the 2-week deadline.
 
bro what... I can't believe they didn't put that on their actual website. 😭 Time to scramble to get that done
 
it's day 16 for me now, is it still worth submitting? I didn't realize they had a 2 week deadline...
 
octy123 said:
it's day 16 for me now, is it still worth submitting? I didn't realize they had a 2 week deadline...
Click to expand...
It’s not a deadline. It’s a recommendation due to rolling admissions. They don’t care about number of days, it just means they get to you later.

Someone who submits July 27th after 16 days is in a better position than someone who submits July 28th after 10 days.
 
Mr. Macrophage said:
It’s not a deadline. It’s a recommendation due to rolling admissions. They don’t care about number of days, it just means they get to you later.

Someone who submits July 27th after 16 days is in a better position than someone who submits July 28th after 10 days.
Click to expand...
This is something I've been wondering. I've heard the 2 week guideline is the standard, but also that July/early August is still on time for secondaries. If you get the secondary early in july and wait 3 weeks and submit august 1st, is that equivalent to getting the secondary on july 30th and submitting it august 1st?
 
gorillionare-mindset said:
This is something I've been wondering. I've heard the 2 week guideline is the standard, but also that July/early August is still on time for secondaries. If you get the secondary early in july and wait 3 weeks and submit august 1st, is that equivalent to getting the secondary on july 30th and submitting it august 1st?
Click to expand...
Unless the school is like Jefferson where they start interviews in July, I don’t see why these two wouldn’t be equivalent!

2 weeks is just a guideline except for a very few select number of schools. The adcoms on here have dispelled it as an actual requirement across the board multiple times, luckily. I think it’s just repeated so often out of neuroticism, and because the earlier you are complete the better. July is nearly universally “early” no matter how many weeks it’s been!
 
Does anyone know if their Medical Innovators Development Program (MIDP) is only open to people who have a PhD?

In earlier years' threads it seems to suggest that, but now on their website it doesn't say anything about that requirement.
 
robot_soup said:
Does anyone know if their Medical Innovators Development Program (MIDP) is only open to people who have a PhD?

In earlier years' threads it seems to suggest that, but now on their website it doesn't say anything about that requirement.
Click to expand...
One of the members of that program featured on their web page did have a PhD first, but it doesn't appear to be a requirement.
One must first be accepted to Vanderbilt Med school then can apply/enquire
Vanderbilt MIDP
 
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