2025-2026 Vanderbilt

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2025-2026 Vanderbilt Secondary Essay Prompts: (4 questions this year instead of 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? (800 words maximum)

2. Tell us about a time when you interacted with someone who is different than you. What did you learn? Would you do anything differently and if so, what? (600 words maximum)

3. It is important to understand that everyone needs help at various times in their lives. Reflecting on the last five years, describe a time you asked for help and what you gained from that experience that has influenced your approach to asking for help. (600 words maximum)

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

Good luck to all applying!

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Last edited:
They've posted these prompts on their website, not sure if this means the 'why Vanderbilt' essay is gone?

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? (800 words maximum)
Tell us about a time when you interacted with someone who is different than you. What did you learn? Would you do anything differently and if so, what? (600 words maximum)
It is important to understand that everyone needs help at various times in their lives. Reflecting on the last five years, describe a time you asked for help and what you gained from that experience that has influenced your approach to asking for help. (600 words maximum)
Optional: If you have completed your undergraduate education, please comment on what you have done or have been doing since graduation. (200 words maximum)

@wysdoc
 

Essays​

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? (800 words maximum)

Tell us about a time when you interacted with an individual who is different than you. What did you learn? Would you do anything differently and if so, what? (600 words maximum)\

It is important to understand that everyone needs help at various times in their lives. Reflecting on the last five years, describe a time you asked for help and what you gained from that experience that has influenced your approach to asking for help. (600 words maximum)

If you have completed your undergraduate education, please comment on what you have done or have been doing since graduation. (200 words)
 
ugabanana said:

Essays​

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? (800 words maximum)

Tell us about a time when you interacted with an individual who is different than you. What did you learn? Would you do anything differently and if so, what? (600 words maximum)\

It is important to understand that everyone needs help at various times in their lives. Reflecting on the last five years, describe a time you asked for help and what you gained from that experience that has influenced your approach to asking for help. (600 words maximum)

If you have completed your undergraduate education, please comment on what you have done or have been doing since graduation. (200 words)
Click to expand...
Just to clarify, no Why Us essay this time? @wysdoc
 
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beepbeepboopbop02 said:
+1 OOS (They took away their "Why Vanderbilt?" question 😔)
Click to expand...
+1 OOS

I'm trying to decide if I need to retool my "reflect on your background" response, which has basically no, "why vandy," because that wasn't the question being asked. I'm thinking no.
 
thebadge said:
They've posted these prompts on their website, not sure if this means the 'why Vanderbilt' essay is gone?

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? (800 words maximum)
Tell us about a time when you interacted with someone who is different than you. What did you learn? Would you do anything differently and if so, what? (600 words maximum)
It is important to understand that everyone needs help at various times in their lives. Reflecting on the last five years, describe a time you asked for help and what you gained from that experience that has influenced your approach to asking for help. (600 words maximum)
Optional: If you have completed your undergraduate education, please comment on what you have done or have been doing since graduation. (200 words maximum)

@wysdoc
Click to expand...
Yeah I just got my secondary request from them. The "Why Vandy" essay is gone. Interesting decision, but it's one less essay for us all to write.
 
+1 OOS MD/PhD

No additional MD/PhD essays, just a section to add up to 15 publications, presentations, and/or abstracts
 
Last edited:
instructionsalty2025 said:
Good luck to all? Any Dores undergrads on here who are waiting for their committee letter to upload??? Ahhhh. Anchor down.
Click to expand...
Alumni here. Anxiously waiting. Are you a recent grad, undergrad, or alumni? Trying to figure out if they sent the communication to all applicants or just alumni. If they’re just starting to send committee letters for all applicants from Vanderbilt, then it may take a while.
 
instructionsalty2025 said:
Hey what communication? Recent grad. Do you mean the thing that went out to everybody saying if your stuff wasn’t in on time your letter may be late? Because that was received here, but all of stuff was in mid June. No access to portal bc they cut off email and office phone disconnected. Very disappointed!
Click to expand...
+1 Recent grad and Disappointed is a word I've used a lot to describe the entire committee letter process this year. Complete and utter debacle
 
instructionsalty2025 said:
Hey what communication? Recent grad. Do you mean the thing that went out to everybody saying if your stuff wasn’t in on time your letter may be late? Because that was received here, but all of stuff was in mid June. No access to portal bc they cut off email and office phone disconnected. Very disappointed!
Click to expand...
I just DM’d you.
 
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