2305 West End Avenue
Nashville, TN 37203-1727
615-322-2561 | 800-288-0432
admissions@vanderbilt.edu
Does Vanderbilt prefer one standardized test over another? How important are the SAT and/or ACT in the admissions process?
There is no preference for the ACT or SAT. Vanderbilt accepts the results of either test, and many applicants will submit both. Because the SAT now includes a Writing section, students who elect to take the ACT must take the optional Writing section of the ACT at least once. For the SAT we will create a “superscore” composite score if the student has taken the test more than once. We do not “superscore” the ACT.
Students whose native tongue is not English must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or, as of January 1, 2007, the IELTS exam (International English Language Testing System) in addition to the SAT or ACT.
Students are exempt from this requirement if they:
- Score a 600 or better on the Critical Reading section of the SAT, or
- Have attended, for at least the past three years, a high school that teaches in English, or
- Are enrolled in AP or IB Higher Level English
- How can I contact my region’s admissions counselor?
- How can I receive specific materials for counselors?
- Does Vanderbilt prefer one standardized test over another? How important are the SAT and/or ACT in the admissions process?
- What about the subject tests?
- Is high school class rank used in the admissions process? What if my high school does not rank students?
- Can my student send extra documents (portfolio, CDs, additional recommendations)? How are those treated in the review?
- How does Vanderbilt notify applicants when a decision has been reached? (Special note only for those students living or attending school overseas)
- How does Vanderbilt evaluate applications for admission?
- How should I advise students interested in Vanderbilt but concerned about the cost of education?