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November 1st, 2014
Would you be automatically not considered for admission if only one of your two teacher recommendations is from a teacher of a core class and the other is an elective teacher?
November 3rd, 2014
Hi Stephanie, You’re welcome to submit an additional letter of recommendation from a teacher who is outside of the core subject areas, but we do request that you submit two from teachers who from core areas.
November 23rd, 2014
Vanderbilt requires only 2 essays from core teachers, but will an extra one – from a core teacher or another adult – improve my admission chances? (assuming all recommendations are positive and of high quality)
November 24th, 2014
Hi Tay, thanks for the question. Simply submitting more recommendations, even if they are good, will not improve your chances of admission. We use recommendations to learn more about you and how you would contribute to the Vanderbilt community. If you believe that another recommender would provide valuable insight that isn’t included in your other recommendations, then it may be a good addition to your application.
November 24th, 2014
Ok, thanks for the clarification! I already have 3, so that’s how many I will submit.
December 10th, 2014
Do the recommendation letters have to be written by current academic teachers or can they be written by previous academic teachers?
December 12th, 2014
Hi Jaye, good question! Your recommendations do not have to come from current teachers. Choose teachers who can really speak to your academic performance and personality. Thanks!
January 5th, 2015
Does the counselor letter have to be in addition to what was prompted of them on Common App?
January 7th, 2015
Hi Lauren, thanks for your question. No, the counselor letter you submit through the Common Application is what we’re looking for. Thanks!
December 15th, 2015
What/how many extra curricular activities do you look for in an application? What can I do to make my application more likely to be accepted?
December 15th, 2015
Thanks for your question, Kimberly. We do not look for a specific number or type of extracurricular activity. Instead, we’re looking to your extracurricular involvement to see how you spend your time outside of school to better understand how you might contribute to the Vanderbilt community. For more information and tips on how to approach extracurriculars on your application, you might want to look at these blog posts: https://admissions2025.vanderbilt.edu/vandybloggers/2010/09/extracurriculars/ & https://admissions2025.vanderbilt.edu/vandybloggers/2013/10/how-to-extracurricular-activity-list/
April 13th, 2016
Would it be ok to get one of my letters of recommendation from a sophomore year teacher? Or is it better to have both be from junior/senior year?
April 18th, 2016
We’re looking for letters of recommendation that help us to better understand you as an individual within the context of the classroom and your school community. If it’s a good fit, then it’s certainly fine to include a letter of recommendation from a sophomore year teacher.
September 20th, 2017
I have been taking classes full time at a community college for my junior and senior years of high school (and part time my sophomore year.) Would it be better for me to submit letters of recommendation from teachers from my freshman and sophomore years who taught at my high school (they also all no longer teach at my high school aside from one) or would it be better to submit letters from my professors from the community college who taught my core content subjects but were not a part of my high school?
September 21st, 2017
Thanks for your question, Madison. In the situation you describe, it’s best to have the recommendations come from your last two years of high school — even if they are from the dual enrollment courses you are taking. If you have more questions about your particular situation, you can discuss them with your Vanderbilt admissions counselor https://admissions.vanderbilt.edu/your-counselor/