Vanderbilt University is a mix between a research university and a small liberal arts school. They have the resources of a research university, but the culture and community of a more intimate school. This, along with 70+ majors, leading faculty, an amazing campus, and outstanding resources, has made Vanderbilt a very, very popular college. It also doesn’t hurt that Vanderbilt is committed to the idea of work hard, play hard. They want students to genuinely enjoy being at Vanderbilt, and being in Nashville. So there are tons of student groups, lots of intramural sports, so many concerts and guest lectures, and just fun stuff for the 7,150 undergrads (and 13,700 students overall) to do.
Vanderbilt has become so popular with students that the number of applications to the college has skyrocketed, as has the yield rate. As a result, applicants really need to treat Vanderbilt like an Ivy. This can confuse some parents who remember when the Vanderbilt acceptance rate was over 60% back in the 1990s. In just 30 short years, the school has gone from a foundation school for strong students to a reach for, well, just about anyone. Today, the acceptance rate is only 5%, and the regular decision admission rate for the class of 2028 was only 3.7%. This is half of what the acceptance rate was in 2019, and we don’t foresee it going back up anytime soon.
A key part of putting together a compelling Vanderbilt application is using every moment you have to build a strong argument for why you should be welcomed into their community with open arms (and an enthusiastic acceptance). That means summer, too. So, in this post, we’ll break down what you need to know about planning your summers with a Vanderbilt application in mind.
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What does Vanderbilt want to see from your summer?
It may sound like a bummer, but the truth is that if you have a college like Vanderbilt on your agenda you can’t just hang out and hope what you do during the school year is enough. Remember, this is like applying to an Ivy or another top-tier school. So, they want to see you working every angle of your application. They want to see you underline your academic interests, lean into your extracurricular passions, and expand on things that you may not be able to fully explore with the constraints of a school schedule. They’ll also be looking for a balance between commitments that are coordinated or organized for you, like a job, internship, course, or program, and self-directed things like artistic pursuits or development of a hobby.
Augment Your Academics
Vanderbilt has distribution requirements for applicants. These are the minimums, but you must exceed them if you want to get into Vanderbilt. Taking the hardest classes you can succeed in is also critically important because they want to see you pushing yourself. If you can’t do this through the offerings available at your high school, you need to use the summer to close the gap.
One option is to take a summer course or two each year at a local community college or university that has for-credit courses available to high school students. There are also online courses through big-name universities that are open to high school students, and for-credit. Whichever route you take, you should run any for-credit courses by your school counselor before you sign up to ensure that the credits will count on your transcript.
Outside of those requirements, though, Vanderbilt admissions is looking for something a lot less rigid. “Rather,” they say, “we look for students who have demonstrated strong academic skills and intellectual curiosity, and who have engaged in activities outside the classroom that have nurtured their growth as leaders.”
How can you show this in the summer? You need to be curious, and to pursue your curiosity proactively. For example, you could secure an internship with a local business professional, non-profit, or academic (like a professor or a writer) in an area you’re interested in pursuing further. If you’re not sure how to find such a person to coax into taking you on as an intern, the first step should be to talk to your friends — and friends of friends (especially your parent’s friends). It’s likely that someone close to you has a lot to offer, even if you have to think outside of the box. For example, if you want to run a company someday, you could intern for someone who runs a business even if it isn’t in the field you want to end up in.
We also highly recommend that students secure a summer job at a company that is connected to what you might want to do eventually, even loosely, at least once before applying to college — ideally the summer before senior year. And by loosely, we mean really loosely. If you’re interested in a career that will be customer or client-facing, for example, you should consider working at a golf club, boat club, or restaurant. Being in this type of role will teach you a huge amount about how to deal with difficult situations in a client-facing situation, and will also probably give you some very fun stories for your college application essay or supplements.
For students who are more interested in their books than in memorizing a menu, we recommend pursuing independent research with the goal of publication like a journal or academic publication, or presentation through a fair that welcomes work by outstanding high school students (which you are, obviously).
Emphasize Your Interests
Vanderbilt doesn’t just want you to be an academic machine, though, so we encourage you to make a short list of 2-4 things outside of school that you care about — and then lean into them. Vanderbilt wants students who are committed to “service to the community and society at large.” But that doesn’t just mean volunteering. Rather, we encourage students to link those interests you wrote down to outward facing methods of expression, exploration, and sometimes, yes, service. This could mean working or volunteering at a local summer camp focused on sports or the arts. It could mean volunteering with a nonprofit linked to an issue or cause you’re passionate about. It could mean learning how to make a perfect fried egg as part of an exploration of culinary traditions. Whatever it is, it must be driven by your unique passions and interests, not some idea of what Vanderbilt might most want to see.
Don’t worry about Vanderbilt itself being one of your interests. They do not consider “Level of Applicant’s Interest,” also called “demonstrated interest” so don’t stress about visiting campus unless it’s convenient or you really want to confirm your interest in person. We do recommend attending at least one online virtual info session, and stopping by the Vanderbilt table at a College Fair near you to introduce yourself if you can.
Treat these opportunities like mini-job interviews. Introduce yourself, and ask a thoughtful and specific question when the opportunity arises. Don’t ask about the food plan. Ask about an academic program or academic community resource (like the writing studio) that you may want to take advantage of as a student. Making a strong connection through a good question can help your application in the future, because even when someone doesn’t remember exactly who you are they still have an embedded memory of this smart student who asked a smart question, and that, even when subconscious, helps your prospects for admission.
Have Fun, But Not Too Much
Vanderbilt prides itself on being a place students love to be, and they craft that environment by bringing together students who are a really good time on their own. So, they don’t want to see all work and no play in your life. Do some stuff just for fun. Go for hikes. Play around with watercolors. Teach your dog some new tricks. Give yourself time and space to recharge so you can thrive through the more structured commitments.
But don’t take this directive to have fun as an instruction to mess around or make silly decisions. You’re putting in the hard work to build a strong application for Vanderbilt, but it’s very easy to mess it up with bad decisions. Surround yourself with people who are just as driven and focused as you are, and you can sidestep the silly stuff.
Vanderbilt is the best of academics and college culture, and lots of students want in. If you want to be part of their community, you need to use your summers to strengthen your application.
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