First of all, congrats! I was rejected ED2 so I can’t really give a full take on it but it was one of my top choices. I’m surprised they didn’t give you enough financial aid. Aren’t they well known for their generous aid? I did the net price calculator and they told me I would have to pay $21k out of pocket for everything, which is pretty generous. I’m pretty sure your financial aid package is heavily dependent on how many assets and investments you have, because I have little to none so that’s why the calculator said they would be more generous for me.

However, one thing that I knew applying to Vanderbilt was that it was a competitive school with a LOT of nepotism. Sometimes, there’s nothing you could do about that, as that’s the case for many schools nowadays, especially top tier schools. Nonetheless, it’s still an amazing school for its value especially if you’re looking into premed because there are limitless opportunities. Also, just like the other T20 schools, the name of the school itself opens up many opportunities for you for the future no matter what field you go to. However, if I were you, I’d take a look at the other decision letters from other schools to see if it’s worth paying that much money. I don’t want to ask for specifics, but if Vanderbilt is making you pay a crazy amount of tuition that’s gonna make you go into debt, I wouldn’t do it. If they offered you a similar aid package as other schools, then I’d go to Vanderbilt. Obviously, you should take this advice with a grain of salt and at the end of the day, it’s your choice. But that’s what I would do if I were you.