Vanderbilt released its regular decision results March 25, and a select number of applicants were invited to participate in a new partnership with Verto Education. Through this program, students spend their first year studying abroad with Verto before transferring to Vanderbilt as sophomores. The Hustler reported that Doug Christiansen, the vice provost for university enrollment affairs and dean of admissions and financial aid, said the program is intended to create additional pathways for students to come to Vanderbilt.
What was your first reaction to Vanderbilt’s new Verto pathway for selected applicants?
Mahsa Forghani, Deputy Opinion Editor: The Verto pathway sounds like a creative, and even generous, solution to an admissions process we all know is brutal. But there is undeniably some complication when it comes to the narrative Vanderbilt wants to spin about selectivity. If so many amazing students are turned away due to admission capacity, yet a portion can secure a structured path to admission a year later, then it can be hard not to question whether the capacity is an actual limit or if it is selectively flexible. The idea of studying abroad for a year sounds great in theory, but it’s not an equally accessible option for everyone, which makes the pathway feel like a reconfiguration of who gets access to the Vanderbilt experience.
Aansh Khanal, Staff Writer: I was honestly not that surprised. It seemed that Vanderbilt was headed toward the Northeastern University strategy ever since the university announced plans to open campuses in San Francisco, West Palm Beach, Florida and New York City. The Verto pathway just reaffirmed how we are headed in that direction. However, I was then shocked when I found out the program filled up so quickly, so students who were seriously considering the program couldn’t join it. The whole event was like dangling an acceptance letter in front of an applicant, and then immediately retracting the food. It was pure evil.
Frederik Schutz, Staff Writer: I happened to have a personal experience with this new program, specifically because my sister was “admitted” through it. She showed me her letter, which left me dumbfounded because I didn’t even know that something like this existed, let alone that Vanderbilt was launching it. I honestly thought it was phishing, because of its vagueness and scam-like feeling. The letter stated the terms of the acceptance, which were to go abroad for a year and then gain admittance as a transfer. Then, it directed you to go to a link to schedule a meeting with a Verto advisor and to put your deposit down. But it made sure to say to be quick because there are only a limited number of spots! My sister quickly scheduled her appointment, as directed, to ask questions about financial aid, transfer credits, Advanced Placement testing and things of that nature. The earliest appointment was a week from that day. A few days later, well before her Verto advisor meeting, she receives an email that the program has closed because enough individuals submitted deposits. Sorry! So, no explanations or direction from Vanderbilt; you just had to deal with and figure out what this program was on your own accord, leaving you with more questions than answers. Vanderbilt took her and probably many other students for a ride, leaving them disappointed and aghast. Good work, everyone.
How important is the traditional first-year experience at Vanderbilt, especially living on campus and building community from day one?
Manushree Navaneethakrishnan, Games Editor: As a student VUceptor, I’ve seen firsthand how much effort and planning goes into the first-year experience. Students are intentionally placed into Visions groups that bring students together across multiple Commons residential halls, and so much thought is given to making amenities and resources accessible to first-years. VUceptors and transfer student leaders work tirelessly, day and night, to make sure first-years feel supported and are able to blend with their peers. The Commons experience is an integral part of the Vanderbilt student journey, and it serves as the grassroots of lifelong friendships and unforgettable experiences.
Victoria Ayeni, Staff Writer: I genuinely cannot emphasize enough how vital the traditional first-year experience is, especially at a medium-sized school like Vanderbilt. That experience begins on day one with move in, orientation and Visions groups. Even as someone who is naturally very introverted and was exhausted by the end of orientation, I understood then — and still do — the importance of being surrounded by 1,600+ other students in the exact same position as me. In these events, you’re not simply meeting a bunch of people you’ll never see again; rather, you’re meeting people that you’ll see around your dorm, in your classes, in the dining halls, at football games — everywhere. How will those who spend their first year abroad forge those crucial connections and relationships with the Vanderbilt community and the campus itself? It would be incredibly difficult, especially if their first exposure to college is not on campus but in a foreign country with seemingly no cultural ties to the institution. If we have domestic transfer students who struggle to acclimate to campus, how will Verto students feel?
Vishnu Vanapalli, Staffer-In-Training: Vanderbilt prides itself on its Commons, a sacred space for first-years to connect. We have Visions to help us acclimate, we have first-year-specific classes like CORE, and we have study breaks during which we house-hop to meet students across Commons. All of it is, in some part, to help us to get to know one another. But the friends we make day one might not be our friends for the next four years. Sure, the people we meet in our first year will center our idea of what Vanderbilt is and the kind of person that comes here. But we’ll meet more people in the years to come, and our perspective will be ever-changing. The Verto pathway is just another way for transfers to come to this campus and enrich its perspective. And while we celebrate the Commons, the second-year experience can be just as meaningful as the first.
Do you think Verto is the right approach to offering new pathways for applicants?
Peyton Price, Deputy Opinion Editor: I think Verto could be an interesting way to create new pathways for students to come to Vanderbilt without sacrificing the traditional first-year experience on campus. Participants have the opportunity to spend a formative year abroad and then enter Vanderbilt as sophomores, still able to earn a degree from a top university. At the same time, it seems the program was not explained clearly enough, and students were not given enough time to make a fully informed decision before spots filed up. If Vanderbilt continues its partnership with Verto, I hope it will provide more clarity, transparency and time for students to seriously consider whether the program is right for them.
Sydney Ngo, Staffer-In-Training: I think it’s a decent approach if the classes offered at Verto are on par with Vanderbilt courses or at least help prepare students in the program for Vanderbilt classes. But if I were given a choice between Verto and the traditional transfer process of going to another university or community college for a year or two, and then transferring to Vanderbilt, I think I would choose the latter. I’m not sure how good Verto’s courses are and if the cost is worth it. It might be cheaper to just attend community college for a bit and then fill out a transfer application to Vanderbilt.
Khanal: I have mixed feelings about Verto, because on one hand it gives people who really wanted to go to Vanderbilt a shot at getting in, albeit with a one-year deference. However, on the other hand, the Verto program doesn’t foster the same vibe as Vanderbilt University as a whole, which is supposed to be a somewhat close-knit school in the South, intentionally designed to foster connections through Visions groups and the Founders Walk during the first-year experience.
What do you think Vanderbilt gains by offering a program like Verto?
Forghani: The decision to implement the Verto pathway is very strategic for Vanderbilt. It allows the university to maintain its extremely low acceptance rate while capturing a broad pool of applicants who are willing to invest time into becoming a Vanderbilt student. At the same time, it can easily be spun as a turn toward emphasizing global experiences and viewpoints, which are buzzwords all colleges seem to love. In terms of numbers and optics, Verto seems like a worthwhile risk.
Ayeni: Evidently, in recent years, there’s been a trend in decreasing acceptance rates, as Vanderbilt receives an increasing number of applicants. It’s admirable that Verto provides Vanderbilt with an alternative pathway that allows more students to attend, albeit through a non-traditional route. With Verto, Vanderbilt can continue fulfilling its mission of maintaining a diverse, well-rounded student body without having to reject qualified applicants due to limited space.
Evan Wong, Staff Writer: Vanderbilt mainly benefits from reducing its budget. With a program like Verto, Vanderbilt will no longer be responsible for first-year financial aid for students admitted to Verto. Also, since these students are not admitted through first-year applications, Vanderbilt lowers its first-year acceptance rate while reserving spots for these students to prevent under-enrollment. The strikingly low acceptance rate allows Vanderbilt to promote itself as an extremely prestigious and selective college. Last but not least, since Verto is not a degree-granting program, students must transfer to Vanderbilt as sophomores, which will boost Vanderbilt’s yield rates for transfer admissions.
Do programs like Verto make college admissions feel more accessible or more complicated?
Wong: I feel it makes college admissions more complicated. Although the opportunity to study abroad would be a great experience for students, the program raised many issues and concerns. First, students need to complete the transfer application to Vanderbilt, which would be very time-consuming. Second, the cost of attendance would also be a concern. Since Verto Education does not participate in federal student aid programs, students with financial difficulties must apply for Verto financial aid and scholarships, which is another complicated process. This differs from direct first-year admission through Vanderbilt, where the university meets 100% of the demonstrated needs of admitted international students despite the need-aware policy.
Ngo: I think it kind of complicates things, especially since this is the first year that Vanderbilt is offering such an option. A lot of applicants who received the Verto pathway option had no idea of the specifics, such as whether they’re guaranteed transfer of admission to Vanderbilt. In addition, it seems that Verto is a “first-come, first-served” option. You don’t know enough about it to know if it’s a good path, but at the same time, you’re pressured to put down the deposit because you’re afraid of spots being filled and missing out. I think this adds more stress to applicants already dealing with a lot of pressure. If they were more transparent with how the program works, it would make their decisions easier.
Khanal: Programs like Verto make college admissions feel more complicated at the end of the day, because while it gives students the opportunity to transfer to Vanderbilt, the student ultimately has to sacrifice all their other college results for this program. This is a lot of weight on indecisive students, and this showed when the program filled up before students could finish making their decision. Thus, since the window of opportunity for this program was extremely small, this adds more stress to the already stressful closing of the college application season.
Would you have chosen to participate in this program if it was offered to you when you were admitted to Vanderbilt? Why or why not?
Forghani: I personally don’t think I would have chosen to participate in the Verto program. While the idea of studying abroad for a year seems intriguing, it ultimately asks students to invest a significant amount of time, money and energy into a pathway that would ultimately delay entry into Vanderbilt. Compared to committing to another university where you can immediately start building your academic and social foundation, Verto feels much riskier for students. That uncertainty of spending a year in limbo would outweigh the benefits for me. I feel I would have preferred a more direct and secure start to college, even if it meant choosing a different school, especially since it seems that this pathway is more tailored to students with the financial means to go abroad.
Benjamin Joo, Staff Writer: Yes, I would have chosen to participate in this program if it meant having the opportunity to attend Vanderbilt. Vanderbilt is an incredible university with so many resources and opportunities that can help students grow both academically and professionally. Although the traditional first-year experience and building community from day one is important, I believe students can still find meaningful communities when they arrive as sophomores. You can always join a club, go to events or study with new classmates. You can’t always attend Vanderbilt.
Ngo: I don’t think so, because when I was applying to college, the biggest deciding factor for me was the cost of attendance and financial aid. I’m not sure if Verto would be a good option financially, especially since it requires you to put down a deposit so quickly. It feels like a scam. I’d feel better going to community college or my state flagship school for a year or two and then filling out a transfer application.
