So I’m applying early decision to Vanderbilt and I just need help making this decision. I am a lesbian and I don’t know if that is worth mentioning. On one hand it means I add to the diversity of a school that has been trying to change its stereotype of being mostly homogenous. On the other hand I’m afraid that it will hurt my chances of being accepted. I have personally met my admissions officer and I couldn’t get a good read of where he stands politically. I love Vandy so much and I don’t know which way will help me get in. What should I do?
No. There are many gay students in all kinds of colleges. It will help you and will seem that you think you might have an advantage by mentioning it. There is no boost for being gay. It might be very helpful to use a website like niche to see how welcoming a school Vandy is to gay students. That is a more important consideration, IMO.
I wouldn’t go out of my way to disclose it, but if they ask a specific question about it on your app, you should feel comfortable to answer it if you want to.
LGBT does not add to the diversity of Vandy. Follow Lindagaf’s advice
Being Lesbian or LGBT does not matter. What matters the most for high ranking school like Vandy etc are your SAT/ACT scores, GPA, class ranking, letter of recommendation and essay (if required). Concentrate on those things and you don’t need to disclose such a thing, only if being asked. Good luck. May the Force be with you.
If your sexual orientation is part of the story you want to tell (ex. it is part of your essay, it is a factor in the clubs/activities you are involved in) then include it in your application. If your sexual orientation doesn’t come up naturally, I wouldn’t bother to shoehorn it in. In today’s world sexual orientation will not help or hurt you in terms of college admissions-- it will not make you a diversity candidate.
Vanderbilt regularly attends the Campus Pride college recruiting fairs in that region, so I can’t imagine it would hurt you to disclose.
Hopping on the bandwagon: It won’t hurt you and it won’t help you. Vandy does not see itself as ‘needing’ diversity based on sexual orientation.
Except for a handful of faith-based colleges (who are explicit about their views on the subject), AdComms are remarkably uninterested in your sexuality.
There are schools that do ask about sexual orientation during the application process, so I’m not sure that it’s true to say that schools are uninterested. Dartmouth, Duke, Penn, MIT, SUNY schools come to mind in my area. I couldn’t say whether or not it gives you a boost, but more and more schools are asking (in an optional supplement) during the undergrad application process.
In my experience, a handful of schools are asking because if they admit you, they want to go over the top and show you the supportive atmosphere they have for LGBT students and get you to say YES.
It’s a post-admit item of marketing data for the schools to use to get more kids to matriculate.
It’s not that they’re actively courting LGBT students- – there’s not a shortage of them in higher education.
This is an old thread and I’m sure you’ve already submitted your application (best of luck to you!), but sexual orientation and gender identity are relevant to colleges. LGBTQ students are an under-represented minority; we have higher college and high school drop out rates, and are three times less likely to attend college than non-LGBTQ students. LGBTQ students also tend to have lower GPAs as a result of the bullying we experience in grade school, and are at much greater risk of substance abuse, suicide attempts, teen pregnancy, and homelessness. These are just the facts for teens and adolescents. Obviously not everyone goes through this, but it demonstrates great character to achieve in spite of the odds being against you.
I attend UCLA, and I really do believe that discussing my experiences being lesbian in a conservative southern community helped me get in. I’m proud of that, and I’m able to educate classmates, friends and peers all the time. For anyone still applying to schools, it’s not a bad thing to disclose being LGBTQ if it’s helped shape you as a person. 
@pterosprite, Vandy is not UCLA. It shouldn’t matter, but it is hard to know what biases people hold, especially in more conservative parts of the country (and I have an LGBTQ kid). I agree with post #2 – if they ask, answer if you want to. And if it is obvious from your activities, leave that in. But it isn’t going to get you diversity points in admission.