<p>Chances?</p>
<p>Academics:
GPA: Overall- 96.5/100.0 (Freshman- 94.9 / Sophomore- 97.1 / Junior- 97.4)
Rank: 13/372 (Top 3.5%)
SAT I: 2340 (Critical Reading- 750, Math- 790, Writing- 800)
SAT II: Biology- 690, Math- 740</p>
<p>ECs/Awards:
Math Club - Officer, Vice-President, President
Mathlete Team - Captain
Certificate of Merit - New York Math League
Silver medal - Nassau County Interscholastic Math League (NCIML)
Spanish Club - President
School Newspaper - Feature Editor, Culture Corner Editor
Published by The America Library of Poetry
Local Youth Football Clinic - Volunteer Assistant Coach
General Student Organization volunteer - Senior Leader
Studio Art course (sending supplemental slides)
2nd Place, schoolwide Art Contest
National Honor Society
Honor Roll every semester
National Merit Semifinalist
1st Place, school Biology Fair
Brown University Summer Program
Babysitting job</p>
<p>State: New York
School Type: Private (Catholic)
Ethnicity: Caucasian
Gender: Male</p>
<p>You would be a good candidate. However, I have a few questions. What kind of curriculum did you follow? APs? Honors? Do you have any significant community service? Tufts' big thing now is active citizenship. It can make or break you in a pool of 14,000 RD applicants.</p>
<p>Do you have anything on the national level? Not to sound rude, but I don't really see anything that stands out aside from a good SAT score (but nearly everyone else here has that, too)</p>
<p>"Not to sound rude," but since when does everyone at Tufts have a 2340? I'm well over Tuft's 75th% range in terms of SATs.</p>
<p>My only national award is that I'm a National Merit Scholar.
I don't think national awards are necessary to get into Tufts. I know kids who've gotten into better schools w/o national awards.</p>
<p>I pursued what I like, and I've showed leadership in those activities. I'm well-rounded (activities include writing, math, volunteering, etc), and get really good grades -- Tufts average class rank is top 4%, mine is even above that.</p>
<p>And lolabelle, my school doesn't offer accelerated/Honors/AP classes.</p>
<p>And as for community service, I've helped out at a youth football clinic for several years now, helping to teach these young kids how to play the sport for ~8 hrs/wk. I'd say that's a commitment. I also have some random volunteering but probably stuff that won't fit on the app.</p>
<p>What my point was is that a high SAT score on its own will not get you in. You must treat Tufts admissions in a similar manner as Ivy admissions, etc. It just seems that from what you've told us, your application is rather run of the mill, so to speak. </p>
<p>"I pursued what I like, and I've showed leadership in those activities. I'm well-rounded (activities include writing, math, volunteering, etc), and get really good grades -- Tufts average class rank is top 4%, mine is even above that." </p>
<p>-- so have the other 15,500 applicants. My point is, you must STAND OUT. Being merely well-rounded and smart will not get you in. I'm sorry, but admssions in 2006 for Tufts is extremely competitive. Also, have any of your activities reflected a sense of internationalism? Tufts (as with Georgetown) is very focused on that. I would advise stressing anything of that nature in your application. </p>
<p>"My only national award is that I'm a National Merit Scholar.
I don't think national awards are necessary to get into Tufts. I know kids who've gotten into better schools w/o national awards."</p>
<p>-- I'm going to guess that you're suggesting the Ivies; national awards will certainly help for Tufts and the Ivies, as it is a reflection of how you stand out in a certain area as an individual. It is by no means the only way, but rather a means to an end. As to my comments pertaining to the SAT score, yes, your score is excellent, but many students here have over 1400's on the comnbined V/M sections, and so on. My point is that you will not get in on that alone. Stress those areas where you have really made change in the community, followed a core path of interest (versus just being merely "well-rounded"), or relate how your work/ideals will help the world-at-large. Then you will help your chances.</p>
<p>The best way to stand out? Write phenomenal essays.</p>
<p>Yeah, I feel like the essays are one of my strongest points. I've been told that I have a gift for writing, and I think my personal essay topic is something really unique and interesting... I definitely think it'll help me.</p>
<p>Tufts admissions seems so erratic. I know someone who got into Columbia RD but rejected from Tufts. Makes no sense to me, and Tufts isn't one of my top 5 schools, so I'm not gonna sweat it.
Applied ED to Penn so we'll see how that goes first.</p>
<p>And Worldband, everyone knows that GPA and SATs are the most important criteria.
The fact that my GPA/Rank is above avg and my SATs are significantly above Tuft's range already make me a decent applicant. No matter how good someone's ECs are, with a lackluster GPA and subpar SATs (below 2000 maybe), they'd have a real tough shot of getting in. I know kids with my GPA/SATs who have horrible ECs... I guess we'll see what happens then.</p>
<p>You have strong credentials, and if you write a good essay you should be in. </p>
<p>Also, you should do an interview, as it will show intrest and give Tufts a chance to see a side of you that may not come across in your application.</p>
<p>Then you have nothing to worry about. The best of luck then.</p>
<p>"And Worldband, everyone knows that GPA and SATs are the most important criteria.
The fact that my GPA/Rank is above avg and my SATs are significantly above Tuft's range already make me a decent applicant. No matter how good someone's ECs are, with a lackluster GPA and subpar SATs (below 2000 maybe), they'd have a real tough shot of getting in. I know kids with my GPA/SATs who have horrible ECs... I guess we'll see what happens then."</p>
<p>Why'd you make this thread?</p>
<p>Chances obv, but when people say things that I strongly disagree with, I'll say so. I'm glad for all honest feedback though.</p>
<p>I respect you with<em>one</em>voice because you seem like an honest individual that persues what he enjoys and doesn't spend 1000 hours doing community service at a hospital that he doesn't give a flying **** about and isn't ever going to visit after he gets accepted to a good school. I admire that, I only wish the adcom would see the same things I see.</p>
<p>The inferiority complex some of you have at Tufts is actually hurting the school.</p>
<p>with<em>one</em>voice obviously has a great chance of acceptance. Why put him down by saying that he doesn't have anything that stands out? In reality, his ECs are probably average or above average for most top 30 schools.</p>
<p>If you guys really wanted to "help out" Tufts, you should be trying to encourage applicants, not put them down so they don't even end up applying.</p>
<p>"The inferiority complex some of you have at Tufts is actually hurting the school"</p>
<p>It definately is and the fact that you're like the 4th or 5th person on this board who has said that in just the last month or two tells me the inferiority complex here at Tufts is not something that can be brushed aside as if it didn't exist.</p>