How tough if Tufts?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Tufts University
1

<p>Hey guys,
I've been looking around for some top notch engineering and business schools, and someone referred me to Tufts. I know it's NESCAC, so it's definitely no shoe in. How do my chances look with my current resume?</p>

<p>State: CT
School Type: fairly competitive public
Ethnicity: Asian
Gender: Male
Hooks: legacies (grandparents) at Columbia and UPenn</p>

<p>SAT I - 2050 (700M, 680W, 670CR) I'm retaking in the fall, along with the ACT for the first time.
SAT IIs - taking Math II and Physics this Saturday...I took chem last year without studying and did pretty badly (680)
APs - I took Spanish Language and Lit last month...probably 4s in both.
GPA - ~3.82
Class Rank: top 20/400+ I'd say? something around there
Senior course load - AP physics, honors human anatomy, AP Calc BC, AP stats, AP psych, honors world literature, honors modern poetry.</p>

<p>Extracurriculars:
- top 16 award swimmer for 5 consecutive years, placed 2nd at state championships (26ish hrs a week) --> I'm going for recruitment at NESCAC schools and attempting it at some ivys
- piano: winner of a state piano competition, honorable mention in 2 other separate piano competitions, 3rd place in another state competition, winner of a contemporary piece competition, soloist at school, benefit concerts (6-7 hrs a week)
- violin: member of an audition-only regional orchestra for 3 years, member for an audition-only state orchestra for 2 years, participated in the CT high school music theater award-winning pit orchestra from Les Miserables, principal 1st violin in school orchestra <a href="6-7%20hrs%20a%20week">2nd seat</a>
- Founder and president of Odyssey of the Mind [an international creative thinking club, we do mostly engineering projects. Our team won 4th place at the state competition this year]
- Co-president of Freethinkers club [philosophy, culture, politics, basically a discussion club for any and everything]
- Co-president/reviver of Future Business Leaders of America
- Composer
- Photoshop artist, graphic designer
- I plan on sending recordings of my original compositions as well as of my senior recital (for piano and violin)
- Winner of Excellence in Music award and Society of Women Engineers award for excellence in natural sciences and mathematics at school (I'm not sure these matter, but they might)
- 250+ hours community service at a nursing home, I plan on finding a place to volunteer this summer that has to do with engineering or business
- Getting a job this summer</p>

<p>Recommendations should be excellent from both teachers and swim coach (whom I plan on getting an additional rec from). Not too sure about my counselor, but it should be at least decent.</p>

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<p>Tufts has a fine engineering school, although it’s a small part of the undergraduate school (about 200 out of an entering class of 1300). I believe its students do very well in job placement.
There is no business major at Tufts, but you might want to read about the Gordon Institute, especially if you’re doing engineering too. ([Tufts</a> Gordon Institute - Engineering Management & Entrepreneurship](<a href=“http://gordon.tufts.edu/]Tufts”>http://gordon.tufts.edu/))
Not sure why you equate NESCAC, which is merely a “local” athletic conference, with Tufts not being a shoo-in (check your spelling), but you’re right, it’s quite tough to get into.
Also, why would you list grandparents who are Columbia and Penn alums as a “hook” for Tufts?
All that being said, your SAT I score is solid, but borderline for Tufts (i.e., it certainly makes you competitive, but no shoo-in, because there will be tons of applicants with comparable and better scores). Wait and see what your APs, SAT re-take and ACT look like. Hopefully they’ll be better and make your app stronger.
GPA and class rank are very solid.
The strongest part of your app, by far, will be your ECs, which look really diverse and impressive.</p>