<p>Hey everyone,</p>
<p>I posted this story on the Tufts forum and a few people said they appreciated it so I decided to re-post it in the general forum in hopes that a few more can expand their outlook on the college admissions process, particularly in the upcoming weeks. As a former Tufts student who was deferred ED round 1, I hope that my story will offer some comfort to those who were deferred as well as those who find themselves rejected from their top choice schools. Here it goes...</p>
<p>After touring more than 15 schools (Tufts three times), I decided that Tufts was my top choice and decided to apply early decision. I came from a very small, very competitive public high school and out of 135 kids in my graduating class, 5 students applied early decision. My first quarter Senior Year, I made sure to challenge myself with 4 AP's, pursued a wide variety of extracurriculars, leadership roles, etc...basically I felt that I was a competitive applicant and spent hours upon hours perfecting my personal statement, the "why tufts" question, and every detail of the application.</p>
<p>I worked my tuchus off throughout high school, and my grades in 4 of my 5 classes first quarter were all A's. However, to my chagrin, my AP Calc AB teacher was extremely difficult and despite being a very strong math student, my first quarter grade in Calculus was a 79. It was just one of those classes where the teacher was infamous for not being the most personable (for example, as someone who was qualified for extended timing during exams, this teacher would force me to hand in the exams before my alloted time and did not accommodate to my needs, obviously resulting in a less than optimal grade). This simply seemed unfair- after all, I tried my hardest, yet there was an obvious disparity in my teacher's approach that resulted in me getting screwed.</p>
<p>When December 15th rolled around, I was almost expecting the deferral...I felt like my application was qualified, with the exception of that one fat C+. I knew admissions would find it suspicious that I had an A in AP Stats, did very well on the SAT and SAT II Math, yet had this lower grade in the quarter that is arguably the most important for me to prove myself academically.</p>
<p>My initial reaction was extreme frustration, to the point that I began to simply place Tufts out of the picture. Yet, particularly now in retrospect, I think that Tufts made a very accurate call. They essentially agreed with me, that my application was strong enough to be considered for admission during the normal round, yet they would like more time for me to show them that I that I could improve the math grade.</p>
<p>I wasn't going to let this challenge, particularly this one math teacher's bizarre teaching habits, get in the way of my future. As a result, I made time each week to meet with her and go over the material, making sure that we were both on the same page, that she knew how much I cared about grasping the material and that I was able to get to know her and make her understand that my documented extended timing was not a luxury, but rather a necessity for me to reach to my potential.</p>
<p>However, independent of this one math class, being deferred allowed me to reflect a lot on what I wanted out of college. I realized that, while I really really liked Tufts, there were several schools that I would be perfectly happy to attend. I think that this realization is essential- that a truly successful college experience is extremely individualized, and while it certainly involves taking the time to do the research on what school is the "best fit," what I believe to be the most important indicator of a successful college student is a student who comes into college with the passions and drive to take advantage of available resources and create his or her own success. The latter is something that you have each already developed throughout your lives, and to say that there is only one school that will allow you to thrive is simply ridiculous.</p>
<p>Being deferred was also a blessing in disguise because it kept me on my A-game and I completely avoided the "Senior Slump." (It still makes me laugh, by the way, to think of the students who were accepted early to their first choice and attempted to acquire pity through saying how "difficult it is to motivate myself to do work now that I've already been accepted." PLEASE- it's like the kid who is the first among your friends to be done with finals and wanders around saying how bored they are with nothing to do...give me a break). I ended up bringing my math grade up and maintaining strong grades in my other courses, and my senior year was the by far the most challenging yet the most rewarding.</p>
<p>When late March came around, I had a completely different outlook. Out of the 14 schools to which I applied, (low self esteem at time of deferral and over-paranoid guidance counselor results in this), I had expanded my list of "perfect match dream schools" from just Tufts to 5 schools, and realized that even if those 5 did not work out, I would still be quite happy and make the most out of the others.</p>
<p>Long story short, I ended up getting accepted to 13 out of the 14 schools, Tufts included. Was I ecstatic about Tufts? Of course. However, my academic and personal growth during those 3 months as a result of being deferred undoubtedly made me a stronger person, regardless of whether I was accepted to Tufts or not. My work ethic was stronger than ever and that very same teacher who I couldn't stand earlier in the year ended up giving me a math achievement award during graduation. I'm not saying any of this to brag, but rather to show the importance of not letting initial setbacks dictate your future outlook and actions. It is during these times of extreme challenge that you have the opportunity to turn things around and experience the most growth.</p>
<p>I am confident that whether you were accepted, deferred, or rejected, that you can each go on and make the most out of your college experience and do incredible things. If, for whatever reason, the admissions committee feels that you are not the right fit, you have to take it with a grain of salt. I know such an outlook may seem quite difficult at the moment, but just remember that whatever college you get into and attend is lucky to have you and things will work out in the end!</p>
<p>Best of luck :-)</p>