My junior year flopped, basically have half Bs which are mostly APs, and my honors calculus class which is basically calc AB. I feel like my admissions chances are going to be dragged down by my GPA (it was a 3.9+, now it’s probably going to be a 3.7+) …I have a 1500 SAT and solid ECs with impact and leadership positions (unfortunately this sounds like I’m checking off a box but this is what I have to reference to…) but yeah I don’t know man. It’s Vanderbilt btw…for public policy studies…I don’t know what I want to hear but I’m just really worried. I’m sure there are other schools that are great that I would be happy to go to…but Im just so afraid of rejection for some reason.
Do a chance me/match me post. Folks will come up with plenty of wonderful college suggestions for you.
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For the study public policy, this site, in which Vanderbilt places 18th, offers suggestions across a range of selectivity:
Note: I just saw that I posted this information in your other topic as well.
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There are a very large number of very good universities in the US (and strictly speaking even more outside the US). If you do not get into Vanderbilt, then you find other schools that have a good program in your major and that you are able to get accepted to.
As you get to upper year classes, and take more honors or AP classes, the classes will get tougher. This will happen again when you get to university, and then probably again in upper year classes in university. Highly ranked universities in some cases will be even tougher still. Each of us at some point need to step up our effort, or we discover that we have bitten off a bit more than we can chew. It is relatively common that at some point we have a bad semester or a bad year. Then we recalibrate, and we decide whether we are going to improve our study habits or step back a bit on class rigor or put up with B’s (or even a C or two).
I think that we each just need to do our best and see how this comes out. With a 3.7 GPA Vanderbilt seems unlikely (my understanding is that its acceptance rate is less than 7%, so it is a reach for most if not all students). However, a 3.7 GPA with a rigorous high school class schedule will get you accepted to some very good universities.
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Many other schools to consider depending upon what attracts you to Vanderbilt.
The good news is that a 1500 SAT score and a 3.7+ GPA should yield merit scholarships at many schools both in the SEC as well as elsewhere.
If you don’t experience rejection, you’re probably not trying hard enough. Relax. Rejection is a part of life.
No I’ve just faced rejection and failure so much I just want this one silly college thing to make me happy for the past 6 years I’ve been stressing
Sure, I learned a lot through exploring my own interests and I’m happy that doing what I love also brought me to know what I want but this college thing is one of the things I’ve really looked forward to (going not applying) I just want to be proud of myself…but thank you
Why do you want Vanderbilt ?
Do the best that you can and accept that you will grow at any school which accepts you under reasonable (affordable) terms.
If you share why Vanderbilt, then others can suggest reasonable alternatives. I hope that you are accepted to your top choice, but the best advice might be hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.
P.S. If you focus on just one school, you are not doing justice to yourself; you will be surprised at the opportunities offered by major US educational institutions in the SEC, ACC, and the Big Ten. Just research your intended major at any school in any of these conferences and I believe that you will be pleasantly surprised.
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You really need to readjust your mindset. Get rid of the notion of a dream school – especially one that is hyper-competitive in terms of admissions.
Regardless of how things turn out with Vandy, do not allow an admission officer who reviews your application for probably 10-15 minutes impact your self-worth.
There are so many wonderful colleges and universities out there where motivated students can have a great four year experience and get where they want to go in life. Focus on creating a college list with affordable reach, match, and safety schools that you would be excited to attend.
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It’s for this reason that the suitability of your college list will be especially important.
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Yes! I saw this. But those are all far reaches for me as well 
at least most of them I believe
I believe you would have a high likelihood of acceptance at several schools in the site, such as Brandeis, Trinity, Gettysburg, Dickinson and SMU. By going through the entire site carefully, you may be able to identify a few high matches as well. If an ED application may be suitable for you, consider that too.
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Is it Nashville?
As an aspect to keep in mind regarding Vanderbilt, its transfer acceptance rate was over three times greater than its first-year acceptance rate in the most recent year for which I’ve seen information.
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The truth is they are all just schools, human institutions which are necessarily imperfect, with different pros and cons.
And I have lots of critical things to say about the “T20” mindset (not critical of you, OP, critical of how that became a common way of speaking about US colleges in certain circles). But the most important observation is it basically created an artificial scarcity mindset where only a few colleges are considered “dream worthy”.
In fact none are actually going to be like a dream–again they are all just schools that exist in the real, flawed world–but then many can provide excellent educations, great experiences, and all the opportunities you could possibly need for whatever comes next. So the number 20 is really pointlessly small.
But again it creates an artificial scarcity, and therefore appeals to the sort of people who want to use colleges admissions as a sort of scorekeeping game where you can compare yourselves to peers based on how high up the US News National Universities rankings you can get admitted. And when you really think about that in blunt terms, that is an awful mindet for college admissions. So please do avoid that way of thinking.
As a final thought, if you are like a lot of smart and ambitious HS kids, you may not have ever experienced before really wanting something, working very hard for it, and then not getting it. So it can be scary to face that prospect with college admissions.
But from the perspective of an adult who has gone through that many times now–eh, it usually isn’t that bad, actually. We tend to be a lot more adaptable in practice than we give ourselves credit for in advance, and college tends to be a pretty intense and challenging experience anywhere a smart and ambitious kid is likely to end up (particularly first year). So most people quickly forget all about the colleges that rejected them, and they get focused on all the new challenges and opportunities presented at their actual college.
So while I am not saying you should actually look forward to rejection, don’t be too afraid of it either. Indeed, both acceptances and rejections are not really lasting emotional events, what actually matters is going to a college. And this is just a step in the process of making that happen.
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For a school like Vanderbilt, even with a 4.0, the odds would be against you. Your drop in GPA certainly makes it more difficult. Impossible? No. Improbable? Yes.
You have an excellent SAT score, and the rest of your profile sounds great, so you will get into some terrific universities. Start looking at other schools. Take your shot with Vanderbilt, but you need to go into this process knowing it is a long shot.
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I’m sure you already know this, but applying ED will give your chances a boost at Vandy. My daughter is at Vanderbilt, and she knows many who applied ED. Also, the kids there are very well-rounded. Do what you can in the time you have left to be active, involved, and engaged with your school and community. Write a great essay! Do all the things! (And yes, as the others say, absolutely cast a wider net.)
Regarding “T20” perceptions, it’s not even clear which schools meet this definition. If, for example, U.S. News is the source for this, then a category must be specified (or, problematically, assumed). Alternatively, if a school such as Vanderbilt is considered in a ranking that includes both universities and colleges, then it may place outside the top 20. In this general ranking it placed 22nd, for example:
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If you tell us what you like about Vanderbilt, that will tell us at least some of the things that are important to you in your search. This will allow us to suggest other schools you might enjoy attending.
Also, it will help if we know your budget.
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Unless full pay, before considering ED, an applicant should run the Net Price Calculator to see if the college appears affordable.
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