Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee accepts 6.7% of applicants. This may hit home more clearly when I say that they deny over 93% of all applicants. In 2008, the acceptance rate was 25.3%, and in 1999, it was 61%. While this is the story with many highly selective universities, it's amazing to see universities like Vanderbilt soar in terms of national reputation, and watch their acceptance rates plummet.

During my recent visit, I learned some tips for students who hope to spend 4 years at the #2 university for happiest students, according to the Princeton Review:

Vanderbilt reviews applications based on fit for the undergraduate college the student would like to attend. Undecided students should apply to the College of Arts and Sciences, Vanderbilt's largest college, which houses over half of its undergraduate programs. The School of Engineering looks for chemistry, calculus, and physics on the high school transcript. If your high school doesn't offer these, look for dual enrollment, and get it done. 44% of engineering undergraduates are women, and they'd like to increase that number. These students explore engineering vilia modular learning - their very first semester, they pick 3 engineering areas to explore, which helps them to find and declare an area within engineering a year down the road. 44% of admitted students this past year did NOT submit testing scores, but the university has not made a decision regarding standardized tests for the graduating high school class of 2024. Vanderbilt offers a small number of merit scholarships, and to be considered for them, applications must be in by December first.

Vanderbilt is the only private institution in the SEC, a division one conference they helped to found. Despite this, their athletic teams aren't particularly strong, but for those who want to cheer their friends on, tickets to all games are free for all students. Greek life is also pretty huge here, something all potential applicants should carefully consider.

16 minutes by car from Nashville International Airport, Vanderbilt offers easy access to students from across the US. And the downtown Nashville scene is loads of fun for any music lover! A top research institution with amazing outcomes for its graduates, Vanderbilt deserves serious consideration for extraordinary students looking for a mid-sized private university in the south.