After being waitlisted (I wasn't deferred so I can't give advice on that), it's really important to communicate with the college and show interest, and also to provide the college with any updates to your application that could work in your favor. This can be anything you forgot to include in the first place, or something...

Vanderbilt seems to look for well rounded applicants who show a variety of interests. I know that might sound cliche, but I think it's important in that some colleges do seem more prone to latching on to people with great talent in one particular thing, but without particular strengths in other things. At Vanderbilt, on the...

I think it's really good and important to have a regular activity that conveys your sense of responsibility and emotional maturity. I suppose the two types of activities that do this best are jobs and volunteering activities. Clubs and sports etc. are very good too, but I feel...