Ohm…, It’s fair to say Vandy like other peer U’s seeks to create a diverse student body through its holistic “class building” process. Yes, some students will have a hook that may help in the admission process. Many well qualified students will not gain admission. Yes, hooks may create an advantage to some students which of course means others are placed at a slight disadvantage. The same is true of other peer U’s. Its the way it is everywhere.
At Harvard for example 15% of spots go to legacy (mostly white), 15% to athletes (not many minority water polo, fencers, crew, or squash players out there), 10% to international students, and 55% to minorities students. So if you are a white kid from the midwest hoping to get in with academics… good luck, there are only 100 spots open.
As for culture these things take time to change but today’s VU is changing. Vanderbilt is still attractive to students seeking a well balanced college experience and the ADCOM does look for evidence of this in its admission process. For example 100% of incoming students held major leadership positions, received significant awards, or excelled in the fine arts. 100% not 99%. In student surveys VU has the happiest students in the county, a 97% freshman retention rate, and they report an excellent quality of life.