Apply to VSA!

There is typically a one-week priority application window after the application is released. Please see the Application Timeline section on this page for more information about the dates of the priority window. Applicants will apply online.

All complete applications received during the priority application window will be considered part of the primary application pool regardless of the specific time submitted. All complete and qualifying applications submitted during the application priority window have the same chance for placement. Upon the close of the window, all applications received will be randomly assigned a number determining their order in the review queue for placement.

Applying during the priority window does not guarantee admission, but it increases the chances of placement. We strongly recommend that students apply during the window. If space in a course remains after the priority window closes, courses will be filled on a first-come, first-serve system, based on availability and program fit once eligibility documentation has been reviewed. A waiting list will be maintained for full courses for students who have determined to be a good fit for the program.

In your application, students should rank their course choices in order of preference, with 1 indicating their first choice. Students may rank up to four courses. We will make every effort to place students in their first choice. However, courses fill very quickly, and we will place you into their highest-ranked course based on seat availability at the time we review their application. Thus, students should rank only courses they are willing to take. Once placed in a ranked course, students will be notified and their spot will be held with your nonrefundable 20% tuition deposit.

Once a completed application has been submitted within the priority window, a student can typically expect an admission notification via email during the timeframe detailed in the program timeline. For students applying outside of the priority window, an admission notification can be expected within approximately 3-4 weeks after the application submission date. If the student is admitted, the admission notice will also include the tuition statement and instructions for paying the 20% tuition deposit (due one week after admissions notification is sent), which holds the student’s place in the course. For families who have applied for financial aid, financial aid information may be included in the admission notice if financial aid materials have already been submitted. PTY can only process complete applications.

A waiting list notification is due to space availability only and is no indication of student ability or merit. At the time of the application review, if no openings remain in a student’s first-choice course, we will look to see if a seat is available in their second-choice course, and so on. Even if we place a student in a lower-ranked course (due to availability), they will remain on the waiting list(s) for a higher-ranked course(s) if you have paid the 20% deposit or you have specifically requested in writing to remain on the waiting list for other courses. If a seat becomes available in a higher-ranked course, we move the first student on the waiting list into that seat. Waiting lists are held until close to the start of the program session. No tuition deposit will be owed until the student is placed in a course that was ranked in the application. The application fee, however, is nonrefundable.

If your student has been placed on a waiting list, and you have questions about their status, please contact PTY at 615-322-8261 or vsa.pty@vanderbilt.edu.

After admission into the program, families will receive instructions concerning required forms. Required forms include, but are not limited to, emergency contact information, participant permission, medical information, immunization records, media release, etc. All students who participate in programs through Programs for Talented Youth (PTY) must have current health insurance documentation and required forms on file with PTY.

The $50 ($100 for international applicants) application fee is nonrefundable for all applicants. Once the student is admitted and placed in a ranked course, an email notification will be sent. A nonrefundable 20% tuition deposit is due within one week of receiving notification of admission and is required to hold the spot for the admitted student. If no tuition deposit is paid within the week, the student forfeits their space in that course. A student who has been admitted into the program but not placed in any course will remain on the waiting list and will not be asked to submit a tuition deposit unless placement in a course can be offered.

A student who withdraws from the program after submitting the nonrefundable 20% tuition deposit will receive a tuition refund for any amount paid above the deposit amount (less the non-refundable application fee) if VSA is notified before the tuition deadline. No refunds will be granted after the tuition deadline for the session.

If Vanderbilt University determines that it is in the best interest of VSA participants to delay or cancel the VSA program, VU staff will issue a timely statement to participants via email and the PTY website to advise of the delay or cancellation. No tuition reimbursements will be given for delays. If a cancellation is announced prior to the program start date, tuition paid, less the nonrefundable application fee, may be applied to a future program of the family’s choosing, or if preferred, a tuition reimbursement may be issued. In the event of a cancellation during a program, VU may, in its sole discretion, elect to provide partial tuition reimbursements. As is the VSA application policy, the application fee and deposit are nonrefundable. VU is not responsible for any expense or cost incurred by a family in preparing for or arising or resulting from a delayed or cancelled program, including without limitation, the cost of non-refundable airfare, other transportation, lodging and meal expense, and the cost of any additional or alternative arrangement a student/family elects or are required to incur or make as a result of a delayed or cancelled program.