You know how people talk about made up Hallmark holidays? You know like Sweetest Day or Talk Like a Pirate Day, and who can forget the parades during NoSHAVEmber (i.e., national beard month). If this admissions thing doesn’t pan out and I become Chief Holiday Maker and Thanksgiving doesn’t already exist in said parallel universe, that will be my first act on the job. An autumn day devoted to hanging out with family, eating, and football. Perfection defined.
If you’re a college applying senior though the gathering of uncle Sid and aunt Colleen over the holiday means one thing, you better have an answer for those inevitable two questions you’ll be getting: “Where do you want to go to school next year?” and “What do you want to major in?” My advice: make something up and make it awkwardly funny, if for no one else but for you. Things like “I plan to attend carnie school to learn the ancient art of weight guessing.” Or “Currently I’m searching for a school with a very lenient dorm pet policy as I have recently taken to indoor alpaca herding.”
In Vandy OUA, we have a security policy that an applicant’s file cannot leave the greater Nashville area (no taking files on the road, etc). A nice by-product of this policy is some mandated down-time over the Thanksgiving break since most of our staff fan out across the country for some homemade pumpkin pie. The Vandy students are already gone for break as Dean Wcislo mentioned but the University officially closes on Thursday and Friday. When we all return, we will have one more week of reading before ED I admissions committee starts a week from this Friday.
By the way, today is Celebrate Your Unique Talent Day. Thanks Hallmark, you’re the awesomeist.
New Voices on the Admissions Blog
As you have already noticed, we’ve added some additional perspectives to the blog. Kylie’s made her first post - you’ll be hearing more from her as the year goes on. Plus, we’ll be having many more guest blogs from across the University. If there is a topic or a particular person you’d like to hear from, post a comment or send us an email.
Later today we will be emailing official word that we are releasing our waitlist for the Vanderbilt class of 2013. If you have been following along, you know that we haven’t made any offers to the list since late May. We had been waiting to release the waitlist just in case we needed to make more offers. Like most things in highly selective admissions, on one hand it is exciting that that we’re one step closer to the next incoming class starting at Vandy, on the other, I also know that this may come as a disappointment for those of you still out there waiting. For those of you in the latter category, I genuinely wish you the best of luck, and I hope that if nothing else, “just knowing” brings a bit of closure. I appreciate you reading our posts.
Here is a copy of the email that will be going out:
We appreciate your continued interest in Vanderbilt University. At this time, our class entering fall 2009 is full, and we will not be able to admit additional students from our waiting list. I know that you will have a fulfilling college career, and that the school you have chosen will benefit from your being there.
Should your interest in Vanderbilt continue, you may want to consider the possibility of transferring after one year of study elsewhere. Our office is happy to help with any questions you may have about the transfer application process.
I wish you the best of luck in your future.
Sincerely, John O. Gaines
Director of Undergraduate Admissions
All is still quiet on the waitlist front, and I have no news there. The waitlist is still open and active. We have officially closed all transfer admissions however for the Fall.
Today we’ll be sending out the following email to all rising seniors on our mailing list announcing start of a new admissions cycle. Here we go:
The Common Application and Part 1: The Vanderbilt Common Application Supplement are available now. The Common Application and our supplement can be found at www.commonapp.org.
If you are applying Early Decision I, your application must be postmarked or submitted online by November 1, 2009. Decision letters will be mailed by December 15, 2009.
If you are applying Early Decision II, your application must be postmarked or submitted online by January 3, 2010. Decision letters will be mailed by February 15, 2010.
If you are applying Regular Decision, your application must be postmarked or submitted online by January 3, 2010. Decision letters will be mailed by April 1, 2010.
Your housing application is due this coming Monday June 1st. This deadline applies to any new incoming student (transfer included). Jason Jakubowski from University Housing posted a letter on Commonplace that explains how to apply.
After housing, the next BIG thing is course registration. Many of the VU schools have just recently sent out registration information (don’t worry, those of you who were recently admitted from the waitlist, you won’t miss anything - it will get sent to you too). Registration at Vanderbilt progresses in distinct phases that may take some time to get used to. The Office of the Registrar has a nice description, as well as other essential information for undergrads on the course registration process. The Dean of Students also has some good info available.
Here’s something to get you pumped up for move-in day, but moms be warned, there’s some Kleenex moments . . .
Potential Incoming Class of 2014
For those of you who are rising seniors and are looking to apply to the Vanderbilt class of 2014, the Common App and Vandy Supplement goes live on July 1, a little over a month from now. Yeah . . . I know, I’m sorry.
Incoming transfer students
The registration process operates through your college/school and the request period is June 8-26, just like first-years. Make sure to submit a final copy of your current college transcript (the one you’re leaving) as soon as possible so Vanderbilt can assess your course credit and add it to your official record. For transfer student FAQ’s visit the Dean of Students’ Transfer info page.
Incoming International Students
Hopefully by now you have been in touch with our ISSS Office about your travel arrangements and visa. If not, contact Vanderbilt ISSS soon. You can also start to get to know our community by geting in touch with current Vanderbilt international students through our new Global Ambassadors network.
We will start making offers of admission from our waitlist and we will begin doing so starting this evening and tomorrow. A review of our deposits reveals that we are exactly where we had hoped to be, that is, to be able to admit from the waitlist. I do not know how many offers we will ultimately make as it will depend on how many students accept our offers. Here’s how this process will work:
Students selected to be admitted from the waitlist will be called on the phone by their assigned admissions officer. We call using the phone numbers provided on the student’s application, and we will continue calling until we can reach the student.
Once we have the student on the phone, we will indicate that we would like to offer him or her admission to the Vanderbilt 2013 class and will ask if he or she is still interested in being offered admission.
If the student says yes, an emailed offer of admission will be sent to the student within 24 hours.
If the student applied for need-based financial aid (and the Office of Student Financial Aid and Undergraduate Scholarships has received all necessary application materials) the student will be emailed an estimated financial aid offer. The emailed offer of admission and financial aid offer should arrive on the same day. We will also mail hard copies of everything to the student.
Once we email you all your admission materials, you must respond within 7 days. If you wish to accept our offer of admission, we must receive your reply form and matriculation deposit within 7 days of the receipt of your emailed offer of admission.
Students who either did not apply for need-based financial aid, or did not have a complete financial aid application, will not receive the financial aid offer email. If you are admitted and do not receive an offer of need-based financial aid, and you thought you had applied, contact the financial aid office.
Like last year, we will make offers in small waves, which allows us to observe our yield and avoid over-enrolling the class. That means that we will be making these calls over the next several weeks and months.
Congratulations to the latest group of admitted students to Vanderbilt.
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