Chances for Tufts ED?

<p>Hello! I am currently a rising senior at a public high school in New Jersey. I recently fell in love with Tufts and was wondering what my chances would be. </p>

<p>Stats-
ACT:34
My school actually doesn't calculate GPA on a 4.0 scale. Instead, its out of 4.5 with at A+(95 or above) counted as a 4.5, an A(90-94) counted as a 4.0, a B+(85-89) counted as a 3.5, etc. My school also does not weight GPA, and we don't have class ranks. On my school's scale my GPA is a 3.998/4.5 and the average GPA for those admitted into Tufts is a 3.81. But anyway,
UW GPA on a 4.0 scale: ~3.7 :( I know, its bad. I started out freshman year pretty average (all honors, but three B+s). Sophomore year sort of went down (all honors and APUSH, but one B in honors chemistry and one C+ in the hardest math course offered at my high school). Junior year I took 4 APs and maintained straight A+s all year.</p>

<p>AP Classes (so far)-
AP English Language: 5
APUSH: 5
AP Macroeconomics: 5
AP Microeconomics: 5
AP Calculus AB: 4
Senior Year Schedule: AP Biology, AP English Literature, AP European History, AP Spanish, AP Statistics (still deciding whether or not I'm gonna take it)</p>

<p>Extracurriculars-
Newspaper:
-Co-Editor in Chief of my high school newspaper
-Was Business Editor/Advertising Manager last year
-Currently a beat reporter for a local online newspaper; I cover board meetings every week and occasionally do feature stories. I also get paid for every article.
Piano:
-Grade 10 Practical Diploma from the Royal Conservatory of Music
-Have been playing since I was 6
-Played at various festivals and competitions and performed in Carnegie Hall
Literary Magazine/Creative Writing:
-Editor-in-Chief of LitMag
-Published short stories in it sophomore and junior year
-Co-Founded a Creative Writing club at my high school during my junior year
Model U.N.:
-Co-Founder and Co-President of my high school's chapter
-Started it during the end of my freshman year
-Have attended various conferences and received a few awards
JSA:
-Vice President
-Been an active participant throughout my high school years
Spanish Club:
-Secretary
-Member since sophomore year
Summer Activities:
Summer 2010- Counselor-in-Training at local summer camp
Summer 2011- Taught Art, Music, and Math in a school for underprivileged children run by the Indian NGO, Deepalaya for 5 weeks in New Delhi
Summer 2012- Iowa Young Writer's Studio, Internship with local Councilwoman, Taught at the school in India for 2 weeks
Volunteer Hours (excluding foreign volunteer work): ~300 hours at local food banks, nursing homes, and summer camps
Work Experience: Have been working at the local YMCA leading children's birthday parties every weekend since the beginning of junior year</p>

<p>Other:
-Major: International Relations (not sure if I should just put undecided; is it harder to get in as an IR major because of how prestigious Tufts's program is?)
-Ethnicity: South Asian
-Gender: Female
-Income: ~$175,000</p>

<p>Also, though I want to major in International Relations, I would like to go into journalism in the future. Do you think Tufts would be a good school for that? Also, do you think it's worth it for me to apply ED even though I'm not a legacy or a recruited athlete?</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

<p>With your 34 ACT (which is excellent), your 3.7 UW GPA (which is solid, just not unusual for the Tufts applicant pool), and your ECs, I think you have a great shot of getting in ED, and that you would be a very competitive applicant RD too.
Good luck!</p>

<p>I don’t think it matters much what you put as your major. However if it belongs in your “Why Tufts essay” I wouldn’t suppress the fact that you are interested in it. I have no idea what your chances are, but those stellar junior year grades can’t hurt you. My son had worse grades than you, but I’m pretty sure he had great teacher recommendations and I loved his essays.</p>

<p>Tufts’s International Relations department is actually one of the things I find most attractive about the school, so I would like to stress that in my application somehow. I think I’ll talk to my guidance counselor about it once school opens. But anyway, thanks for the advice!!</p>