EBI dorms on a sunny day, as photographed on Aug. 23, 2025 (Hustler Multimedia/George Albu)
First-year students were asked about their experiences navigating the admissions process, including the application cycle they applied through, whether they used admissions assistance and whether they submitted standardized test scores.
ADMISSIONS CYCLE DISTRIBUTION
OUTCOMES BY ADMISSION CYCLE
WHICH CYCLE DID YOU APPLY?
IN WHICH CYCLE DID YOU GET ADMITTED?
Among respondents, Early Decision I was the most common application cycle, with 47% of students reporting that they applied through the first early decision round. Another 33% applied through Regular Decision, while 20% applied through Early Decision II. The cycle in which students were admitted followed by a similar pattern. About 40% of respondents reported being admitted through Early Decision I, 32% through Regular Decision, 14% through Early Decision II and 13% from the waitlist, indicating that early decision applicants represented the largest share of admitted students among survey respondents.
Students’ application strategies also varied depending on where they were from. A normalized comparison of admissions cycle preferences across regions showed that Midwestern students were the most overrepresented among Early Decision I applicants. International students were more likely to apply through Early Decision II and Regular Decision, while respondents from the South appeared slightly underrepresented in Early Decision I.
ADMISSIONS ASSISTANCE
Students were also asked whether they used any form of admissions assistance — including private counselors, application advising or test preparation services — during the college application process. Responses suggest that access to admissions assistance increases alongside household income. Among students who reported receiving admissions assistance, the largest share came from households earning between $100,000 and $149,999, followed by those from higher-income brackets, such as $150,000 to $199,999 and $200,000 or more. In contrast, students from lower household-income brackets were more likely to report not using admissions assistance.
TEST SCORES
Survey respondents also shared whether they submitted standardized test scores as part of their applications. Test-optional applications were common across all admissions cycles. Among students admitted through Early Decision I and Early Decision II, a majority reported applying without submitting SAT or ACT scores, while a smaller portion reported submitting standardized test scores. Students admitted through Regular Decision showed a more balanced distribution between test-optional applicants and those who submitted scores.
STUDENT EXPERIENCES
For some first-year students, the path to Vanderbilt University was shaped less by a singular dream and more by a mix of uncertainty strategy and circumstance. With admissions percentages historically low, some students described approaching the admissions process pragmatically.
“I mainly applied based on where I thought I could get in,” first-year Brandon Wang said.
Others encountered discouragement early on.
“My guidance counselor told me I probably wasn’t getting in — my school usually only sent zero or one student — so I ED’d to Penn first, but didn’t get in, so Vanderbilt wasn’t my first choice — but it’s where I ended up,” first-year Alex Shepp said.
For many students, such as first-year Ryan Soliman, financial considerations of attending university played a decisive role in his decision to attend Vanderbilt.
“I started my application the day before it was due and just hoped for the best, and when it came to making a decision, financial aid was a big reason I chose Vanderbilt,” Soliman said.