Vanderbilt Admissions Information

Vanderbilt University was endowed by Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt in 1873. Since then, the school has become one of the top academic research institutions in the country, with federal research funding of $444 million per year. Vanderbilt has a number of renowned research institutes and centers including the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development, the Financial Markets Research Center, the Intelligent Robotics Lab, and the Vanderbilt Institute for Public Policy Studies. Through the university’s interdisciplinary approach, students have many opportunities to conduct research, create individualized majors, and pursue various minors.

Vanderbilt’s first year experience is highly regarded for the resources and sense of community it provides incoming students. Known as The Commons, Vanderbilt’s living and learning community is made up of 10 residential houses. Each house has a live-in faculty member that regularly engages with students through academic and social programs. There is also a Commons Center which houses a dining hall, coffee shop, recreational rooms, a living room and advising offices. As evidenced by the 97% retention rate from freshman to sophomore year, The Commons creates an enjoyable first impression for the Vanderbilt student experience.

In addition to the university’s comfortable on-campus environment, Vanderbilt is located in the Midtown district of Nashville, popularly known as one of the “most livable” cities in the country. There is easy access to local restaurants, museums and musical venues. Vanderbilt offers students an excellent combination of the urban and campus life experience.

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Admissions Information

Because Vanderbilt is committed to maintaining a close-knit experience, each freshman class is roughly 1,600 students. Since Vanderbilt receives many applications each year, it is a highly selective institution with an acceptance rate of 20%. Each application is reviewed by 2 or more readers, one being a regional consultant; each application is reviewed holistically with readers looking for particular strengths throughout. After readers assess applications based on academic profile, essays, short answers, extracurricular activities and recommendations, they present the application to the admissions committee on the student's behalf. It is in students' best interest to show the reader what they have to offer the university and what sets them apart from other applicants.

Vanderbilt offers Early Decision I and II (differing only in application deadline). While these students are reviewed against a smaller pool of applicants, Vanderbilt is committed to keeping Early Decision acceptances to only one-third of the number of total acceptances.

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