ALT “By the numbers, just about everything seems to be going Vandy’s way. Applications are up, to a record of nearly 50,000 for the class of 2029. The acceptance rate is down to about 5%. That makes 152-year-old Vanderbilt almost as selective as Yale University — and more selective than Dartmouth College or New York University. Elizabeth Stone, president of college counseling firm Top Tier Admissions, calls it a “unicorn school,” with strong academics, a vibrant Greek life and Division 1 sports. Last year, the Commodores beat No. 1 University of Alabama’s Crimson Tide in a historic 40-35 upset. Founded in 1873 — 237 years after Harvard — with a bequest from railroad tycoon Cornelius “the Commodore” Vanderbilt, Vandy this fall is estimating 7,360 undergraduate students, the largest in its history.”