<p>Hey thanks everyone. I'm a white guy from NJ btw.
-3.8 unweighted GPA
-4.35 weighted GPA.
-2160 SAT- 710CR, 670M, 780W Yes, that's right.
-SAT II: 710 on lit, 660 on Bio, planning on retaking lit and taking spanish
-AP: 4 on English Comp, 4 on US hist. (taking Economics, English Lit, and Euro Hist this year)</p>
<p>I know my math scores are a little low but I'm applying to schools for liberal arts, and I make it clear that I am not looking to major in science or math-related fields. Writing is my greatest strength, so I am hoping that my CR and Writing scores will benefit me. </p>
<p>ECs:
-president of a county youth service organization
-founded a community service club at my high school
-editor for school newspaper
- mission trips
-Three years of varsity tennis (captain this year)
-Part-time jobs throughout high school
-National Honor Society, Spanish Honor Society, Latin Honor Society</p>
<p>At Tufts, I am a legacy, and I'm not sure if that is much of a factor or not.</p>
<p>So what do you think?</p>
<p>Would you consider applying ED?</p>
<p>Yea i would consider it… does ED make the fact that I’m a legacy even better? If I feel like i could get in without ED i’d rather apply ED somewhere else</p>
<p>you don’t need ED, your stats are fine and your a double legacy. thats a pretty enormous boost.</p>
<p>I doubt legacy is really a big factor in the admissions process @ Tufts, especially if your parents don’t donate…</p>
<p>I know some schools really only help legacies when they’re applying ED. I’m not sure if Tufts is one of them, but I remember that being the case at Penn when I was considering applying.</p>
<p>Otherwise your stats are pretty good but don’t really stand out of the pool. If you get a chance I’d try to bring up the SATs a little, though. You’re not a shoe-in but you’ve definitely got good chances.</p>
<p>You’re a competitive candidate. You want odds? RD, I would say 40-50%. ED would be better, because hebrewhammer is right, legacy rarely counts for much RD (unless the parents are major contributors). However, you say that you’d rather apply ED somewhere else. That is exactly what you should do. Without getting crazy (like applying ED to Stanford, which would be a wild reach), consider the schools at which you are a strong applicant, and pick the one that excites you the most – i.e., the one that you would attend if they all admitted you RD next April. Don’t apply to Tufts ED if it isn’t really your first choice, because if you get in you must attend and you don’t want to regret being accepted, you want to rejoice in it.</p>
<p>thanks. does anyone know specifically for tufts if legacy only counts if you apply ED? My parents don’t donate money but they have interviewed for Tufts for a couple years.</p>
<p>^^I don’t think that you will get an unequivocal answer to this from anyone, in the Admissions Office or elsewhere.
I can tell you one thing for sure: legacy will not get you in. Period. You have to be a qualified applicant, and if you are, being a legacy might just give you an ounce of extra consideration/attention to your application. That’s it. But my sense is that most schools are more inclined to give that extra ounce in the ED round, when the applicant’s interest in that particular school is clear, as opposed to someone who’s just counting on getting a “boost” from being a legacy.</p>
<p>No, i would only apply early decision to a school i thought was a great match for me, but i was thinking that tufts and one other are my clear top two. I havent seen tufts yet with students on campus, which i will do this fall and that will help me determine whether one of the schools takes priority over the other. The reason ive been asking about the legacy aspect is because a friend of my parents who does a lot of interviewing for tufts told me that it is actually harder to get in early than regular because the top third of the class is chosen early. Not sure if this is true but ill just go for what i like most.</p>
<p>I don’t think it’s true. I think maybe a 3rd of the class is chosen early, but I don’t think you can make the distinction that it’s the “top third.”</p>
<p>Wherever you apply, ED will give you a better shot than RD…it’s only logical…
Anyway…during your campus visits, feel free to stop by at any of the dorms…I can certainly speak for Lewis Hall… we’ll be happy to give you the freshman’s perspective…apparently Tufts has a tradition of treating it’s guests fairly…and we’re happy to continue it…</p>
<p>Your parents’ friend who does the alum interviewing is wrong. ED is not harder than RD, although it isn’t really easier either. You have to be a strong candidate for admission either way.
There are many strong applicants, more than Tufts or any other school could actually accept, so demonstrated interest can be an important factor. There is no stronger demonstration of interest than applying ED. The school knows that if it accepts this particular strong applicant, that applicant will attend and that, in turn, has a positive effect both on the “yield” and, ultimately, on the student body, because schools like having students who are psyched to be there.
One school that has both mastered and capitalized on this last principle is Wash U in St. Louis. It lets in a substantial percentage ED, and it is materially easier to get into Wash U ED than RD (although you have to be an excellent applicant either way). The benefit to Wash U is that it has peopled the school with students who are incredibly excited about being there, and they tend to become excited and generous alums.</p>