Vanderbilt University is a top 20 private research university in Nashville, Tennessee. It’s a school that seeks to bridge differences through a common goal of academic excellence, and the campus brings together great minds from around the country — and around the world. There are a little over 7,000 undergraduate students and a 7:1 faculty ratio that encourages deep inquiry and broad exploration. After many years as a bit of a hidden gem that was still fairly accessible for top students, the Vanderbilt acceptance rate has plummeted over the past few years, from 18% in 2010 to less than 10% today. In the 2021-2022 application cycle, the overall acceptance rate was . In 2023, the regular decision acceptance rate dropped even further to .

Vanderbilt did not share the number of students who were given a waitlist decision the most recent cycle for which they released comprehensive statistics (2021-2022), but they did share how many students were selected off of the waitlist. That year, 221 students made it off of the waitlist. Because we don’t know how many students were on the waitlist to start, we don’t know what percentage made it through, but 221 is a lot compared to other top schools. And they do share that the from the waitlist is 11%.  

This speaks to a tradition at Vanderbilt. They are proud of actively using their waitlist, and Vanderbilt has admitted students from the waitlist every single year for over . While other schools brag about not letting anyone in off of the waitlist for many years in a row, Vanderbilt does the opposite. They see their waitlist as an asset.  

We love that Vanderbilt actively uses their waitlist, and it means that there’s even more than usual that you can do to go from a waitlisted student to an accepted student. This post will be your step-by-step guide on how to get off the waiting list and get into Vanderbilt.  

If you’re navigating a waitlist decision and struggling to see a way through, send us an email. We help students find a home at their perfect fit college.

Get on the Waitlist

Something important to know about the Vanderbilt waitlist off the bat is actually that there are multiple waitlists. There are for each of the four undergraduate schools, and you’ll need to look back at your waitlist decision to see which college you’ve been offered a spot on the waitlist for. Once you’ve confirmed that you even want to be on the waitlist for that college (remember, riding out a waitlist isn’t mandatory), you need to let them know that you want the spot.

The Vanderbilt waitlist is not ranked, and there is . Getting on it quickly after you receive the offer is good practice, but it doesn’t put you in any more likely of a position of getting in than someone who responds 5 minutes — or 5 days — after you. TWe recommend students consider the deadline for submitting confirmation for the waitlist and any additional materials (which we’ll get into in a second) to be April 15th, however.

As you are submitting your waitlist confirmation, you should also double-check that your email is correct. If the email they have is your high school email, we strongly recommend changing it to a personal email such that you are guaranteed that you won’t lose access to it after graduation — as the waitlist decision may come in well into summer.

Once you’ve checked your email address is correct and confirmed your spot on the waitlist, you need to take decisive action to line up an alternative in case you don’t get into Vanderbilt off of the waitlist. Remember, most people on the Vanderbilt waitlist do not get in. We want you to defy that statistic, but you also need to plan for a back-up.  

Line up a Backup

After you’ve claimed your place on the Vanderbilt waitlist, you need to accept a spot at a school you were accepted to and that you would be happy to attend. Sometimes this can come with bittersweet feelings, and occasionally a student argues, “but isn’t that negative thinking?” No, no it isn’t. It’s pragmatic and realistic thinking. You giving yourself another option will not decrease your chances of being accepted by Vanderbilt practically nor metaphysically. You’re not putting bad ‘vibes’ out into the world, you’re making sure you have a college to show up to in the fall.  

So, mope around a little if you must but bite the bullet and line up a back-up! Then it’s time to do the hard work that can turn a waitlist decision into an offer of admission.  

Reinforce Your Interest

Once you confirm your spot on the waitlist, Vanderbilt you to send any new information about your academics or activities that will potentially help them in making a final decision if a spot opens up. Since they actively use the waitlist every year, this is something that they genuinely want and appreciate — and not sending them more information, or sending them information in the wrong way, can ruin your chances of getting into Vanderbilt. Lucky for you, we’re going to break down exactly what you need to do to check all their boxes as they reevaluate your application.  

First, figure out who you’ll be sending your update to. Vanderbilt instructs waitlisted students to send an update to the admissions counselor assigned to your region, which . This person is who you’ll be ‘addressing’ your Letter of Continued Interest (LOCI) email to, so make note of their name. You’ll also be sending your letter through their personal communication page, which is linked through their profile, so make note of that link in case you have trouble finding it in the future.

Next, you need to write your LOCI. The Vanderbilt online submission form has a word limit of about 600 words, depending on punctuation and use of special characters. However, we recommend you keep your LOCI to a maximum of 450 words. Short and sweet is helpful here! It will also keep you from repeating things that are already in your application. Vanderbilt doesn’t need you to reiterate what they already know. What they want is new information about the things you are passionate about inside and outside of school, especially if it is relevant to what you want to study at Vanderbilt. This can include awards, recognitions, honors, leadership positions, or other notable updates since you first applied.  

Vanderbilt also wants you to restate that they are your first choice, hence this being called a letter of continued interest. They want to know that if you are offered a spot off of the waitlist, you will take it. 

The LOCI letter which, again, you’ll submit through the online form connected to the admissions counselor assigned to your region, should include four parts.

Formal Greeting: Start your letter with an opening directed towards the admissions counselor specifically, like “Dear Mr. So-and-so,” and an opening sentence thanking them for their continued consideration of your application.

Reinforce Interest: Then, it’s time to remind them that you love Vanderbilt — and why. Say, in no uncertain terms, that Vanderbilt is your first choice and why. You don’t need to use a lot of words here (200, at most), but you should be specific.

Short Update: Next up is the update. This must be new information, must be relevant to your planned academic or activities pursuits at Vanderbilt, and must be focused. It is better to give fewer updates that are truly impressive than diluting your best hits with a bunch of other stuff that ends up feeling like noise. This section, too, should be no more than 200 words.

Professional Closing: Close with a final sentence reiterating (yes, again) that you want to be at Vanderbilt. Then a simple, “Sincerely,” or “Respectfully,” will do.

Vanderbilt also accepted second-semester grades and supplemental letters of recommendation. Definitely ask your school counselor to send your grades, and consider asking a teacher — maybe someone you didn’t have or didn’t know well when you first applied — or a coach or mentor to write an additional letter of recommendation. Focus on quality, more than quantity, here too. Having every adult in your life spam Vanderbilt with lettering fawning over your many skills and talents will not help your application, it’ll just be annoying.

Follow Instructions

Vanderbilt invites waitlisted students to ask questions if you are confused or unclear on what to do — but not questions about why you were waitlisted. They seek to be helpful, but they don’t want to be pestered. So, if you have a genuine question, . If you just want to try to sleuth out why they made the decision they did, please hold back.

Vanderbilt is also known to check in with waitlisted students periodically, asking them to confirm that they still want to be considered. They will remove you from the waitlist if you do not reconfirm, so when you receive email, you need to respond quickly in a respectful and professional email (no, “Hell Yeah!” doesn’t count).

Most universities do not want waitlisted students to visit campus. Vanderbilt is different. Visiting campus isn’t necessary, but students are welcome to go to a . If you haven’t visited Vanderbilt yet and have the resources and time to visit campus, we highly recommend taking advantage of this opportunity as it’ll also communicate your seriousness to the university. Don’t show up and grill them, though. They do not appreciate being put on the spot, and doing so just sabotages your chances.

Be Patient

The waitlist at Vanderbilt is They are truly interested in you, and you do have a chance. So, you need to keep your cool. Do what you can, then try to be patient. “Any offers of admission to waitlist candidates,” , “typically occur first in early May, on a space-available basis, and may continue through June.”

And, if you’re anxious about it, know that the waitlist your financial aid award if you are eventually admitted.

Obviously, a waitlist decision is not the ‘best case scenario’ — you want to be in! But the Vanderbilt waitlist is a stepping-stone to acceptance if you play it right, and now you have the tools to make a difference.

If you want an expert in your corner, send us an email. We help outstanding students get into exceptional schools.