Vanderbilt University, USA

About Vanderbilt University

'Located in the heart of Nashville, Tennessee, Vanderbilt is a mid-sized research university that attracts a diverse group of highly talented students from around the country and the world. For a century and a half, excellence, purpose and collaboration have marked the Vanderbilt experience.'

'With over 70 majors, over 475 student organisations and a 7:1 student-to-faculty ratio, Vanderbilt fosters an innovative living and learning environment for students to explore their passions, engage in academic research with world-renowned faculty, and build lasting connections within a diverse and dynamic student community. Sixty per cent of students conduct academic research, over 50 per cent study abroad, and 71 per cent participate in at least one internship while at Vanderbilt.'

'Students often comment about the collaborative culture at Vanderbilt, the city of Nashville and the accessibility of professors as their most memorable and favourite parts of the Vanderbilt experience. As one current sophomore states: '

Undergraduate courses

'Vanderbilt undergraduate students typically take classes across the four undergraduate schools: College of Arts and Science, School of Engineering, Peabody College of Education and Human Development, and Blair School of Music. All students declare a major in one undergraduate school or college that includes a liberal arts core, and every student works with a faculty or staff advisor to create an Immersion Vanderbilt project. The most recently added majors include Climate Studies and Asian American & Asian Diaspora Studies. The university offers two unique minors that are jointly administered by all four undergraduate schools: the business minor (also administered by the Owen Graduate School of Management) and the data science minor.'

International students

'For the academic year 2022/2023 incoming first-year class, 10.4 per cent were international students. For all undergraduates, 10.2 per cent (729 students) are international. The majority of our international students come from all across Asia and Canada, but we currently have 76 unique citizenships represented in the undergraduate population.'

'We are focusing on increasing our citizenship diversity on campus with the goal of having 100 citizenships represented in the undergraduate population. In particular, we would like to reach more students in Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa and Europe.'

Scholarships and other financial incentives

'All international applicants are eligible to apply for both need-based and merit scholarships. Need-based scholarships for international students are limited and highly competitive. For the incoming first-year class for the academic year 2022/2023, Vanderbilt offered need-based and/or merit scholarships to 79 students representing 41 countries. The range of awards offered was $32,547 to $91,096 per year for four years.'

Entry requirements

'Our most competitive applicants are typically applying with three to four A Level courses and predicted grades of A*, A or B. Vanderbilt offers course credit for any students with these grades on A Level exams.'

'Since the Cambridge curriculum is taught in English, these students do not have to take an English proficiency test for Vanderbilt.'

Cambridge International students

'We see students with Cambridge International A Levels and Cambridge IGCSEs in our applicant pool every year, particularly those applying from Europe and South Asia.'

'While we never favour one curriculum over another from across the world, we know that the Cambridge curriculum is very rigorous and prepares students well for our academic environment.'

Why should Cambridge International students choose Vanderbilt University?

'Vanderbilt brings people together from across the world in a welcoming and friendly environment that makes it easy to feel comfortable no matter where you happen to call home. This culture of collaboration coupled with top-ranked academic programmes across the university cultivates a distinctive and world-class living and learning community where international students will find belonging.'