<p>I have applied to Tufts EDII and have researched and visited and was really set on going there. However, after learning more about one my other schools, St. Olaf, I am very interested and don't know if I should forfeit my right to attend if I am accepted to Tufts(ED is probably the only way I will get in, see stats at <a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=124785%5B/url%5D">http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=124785</a>. I believe I can retract my ED designation if I do so before Jan 1. Now don't get me wrong, I didn't rush into the Tufts decision and still really like it, however, there are pro and cons to either school. I am wondering what questions I should ask myself when considering this large decision. Thanks!</p>
<p>^^Oh yeah, my interests are political science and economic. I anticipate attending either Law or some type of graduate school.</p>
<p>Have you visited both schools? Both are wonderful schools, but have very different "personalities." Make sure you understand the very real differences between the two schools before you make this decision.</p>
<p>That said, all schools will allow you to switch to RD consideration from ED without holding it against you. If you are not 100% convinced that a particular school is the right one for you, I'd advise against applying ED just for any supposed "boost." Instead, it might be smarter to keep your options open and see how you feel after visiting both schools (either for the first time or a second time). If it helps any, my daughter has also gone back and forth with some last minute changes/additions to her list, including completely dropping a school she was convinced in September she'd be applying to ED. I, for one, am glad she is keeping all options open if she isn't 100% sure about any particular school.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>How should I contact Tufts? via email or mail or phone? Also, I will not be able to visit St. Olaf b/c I will be out of the country next week until after Jan 1 (the ED deadline)? I have read about St. Olaf through Colleges that Change Lives, their viewbook, and their website, so I don't know that bad stuff about St. Olaf, although I do know what I don't like about Tufts having visited twice, an overnighter one of the times. Also, I have only been interested in St. Olaf for the past 2-3 weeks. Is this a brash decision?</p>
<p>St. Olaf is one of the more conservative colleges. I just want you to realize that. D did two summer programs there (music) and liked the program and the campus, but the school would not have worked for her for college. She is more the Carlton type.</p>
<p>The more I think about it Tufts is the right choice. I think I am just getting cold feet thinking about the possibility of leaving michigan for massachusetts. Is this normal?</p>
<p>"Cold feet" aka "buyer's remorse" is a totally normal phenomenon which occurs in many parts of life. Some people might never feel it about a geographic move, but might feel it when buying a house, choosing a spouse (:eek: ), making a job choice, etc.</p>
<p>It is normal. And it does not mean the choice is wrong. It often works just the way you described here: it makes you question yourself, you seek other opinions and informatioin and, often, come around to just the conclusion you did.</p>
<p>You might want to seek out my thread from last April (I thought it was a little premature to resurrect it, but it could possibly be of help to you here) "A Way to Decide." The search function may not be working right now, but when it is you might find the exercise (especially the very end) helpful.</p>
<p>Good luck and come back if you want to do more Thinking Out Loud.</p>
<p>I bookmarked a link to "A Way to Decide" from last spring, so here you go! :)</p>
<p>St. Olaf is my alma mater, and I live about 50 miles from it. This year quite a few of the kids in my son's class are interested in it. It has not, traditionally, been a conservative school, although it is affiliated with the Lutheran Church. We toured St. O with our son last spring and then, last summer, toured Tufts. Maybe I can give you some phrases that describe how I see the difference between the schools (I feel quite neutral about my four years at St O. They weren't the best of my life nor were they the worst).</p>
<p>St. Olaf: quiet, contemplative, very tiny town, though not far from Mpls-St. Paul, thoughtful about the role of spirituality in adult life. Exceptional music program; also very good pre-med placement. Pretty campus, not very diverse student body. Lots of smart Minnesotans from tiny towns.
Tufts: (3 hour impression only): not laid back, cosmopolitan, students are competitive and have a bit of an edge (that is what graduates of my kids' high school who have gone there say), close to lots of opportunities. . .
If you have concerns about ED, by all means switch it to RD. Good luck!</p>
<p>If I were you, what I might consider doing is apply ED to Tufts, but get your applications to the other schools in as well, just in case. Reading your background - attended a Christian school, active in Church youth group - I think St. Olaf would be a nice fit for you in some ways, but if you want something completely different and out of your comfort zone, so would Tufts. Good luck!</p>
<p>Thanks Carolyn! You have nailed how I am feeling. Tufts is appealing b/c is will be outside of my comfort zone and different, however, I think the appeal of St. Olaf is/was that as I think about leaving everything that is familiar it feels like a harder decision. So I am going to keep my app ED, but have applied to St. Olaf as well.</p>