<p>If you're waiting - I mean, really waiting -the anxiety might start to get the better of you. Until decisions come out, there's nothing I can do for that, but I did want to let you know how I felt coming out of committee.</p>
<p>I am so ridiculously excited about Tufts 2015. So so so excited. I'm a little giddy waiting for decisions to be released so I can finally start congratulating those applicants whose personalities and stories resonated so strongly with me. This was Tufts' most selective year, and seemingly as a result I feel strongly about every student from my territory admitted.</p>
<p>To be honest, the increased selectivity was nevertheless a struggle for me and many others admissions officers. We loved no fewer students, more actually, and yet that affection was tempered by the realities of the admissions process and the amount of space that exists at Tufts. There are students who will be, or have been (depending on when you read this), denied who I loved more than some of our admits, students that I passionately fought for and believe would make amazing additions to Tufts and yet will not receive happy news. I understand why those decisions were made, and may even agree with those reasons, but that doesn't change my feelings about those files.</p>
<p>And if you were one of those students, you will never know how important your application was to me, and I will likely never be able to tell you.</p>
<p>I struggle with that because my own disappointment feels trivial in comparison to the disappoint that student might feel upon seeing the decision, but I share this because one of the clich</p>
<p>Dan, just out of curiosity, can you say why you wouldn’t be able to tell the applicants who weren’t admitted how highly you thought of them? I know that would probably make a world of difference to many kids. Is there a policy against it?</p>
<p>(I’ll admit my curiosity isn’t entirely idle. I think you’re probably about to reject my kid, and if you loved her, go ahead and shoot her an email telling her what is wonderful about her. It will mean the world to her.)</p>
<p>It is nice to see this kind of feedback. It is agonizing for kids to wonder if they were “good enough” when really it is more about fit and all the things mentioned above. We learn from things we are given and we learn from things that are refused to us - moving through it is challenging though!</p>
<p>While my daughter’s first choice is the Tuft’s/SMFA dual degree program, if she isn’t in, there are still other opportunities out there waiting for her and she is the perfect fit somewhere.</p>
<p>But, I agree. Wouldn’t be a wonderful world if we could still give each other kudos and positive reinforcement - even when we have to give negative news.</p>
<p>Dan, you are a wonderful person. You’re one of the reasons why I love Tufts so much. You held the information session I attended when I visited Tufts in August, and just you, your humor, the way you were so enthusiastic about the school and the students really made me fall in love with Tufts. (My mom on the other hand was like “omg, who is this guy and why do they let HIM do these sessions?”) But I really loved how much you shared about your own Tufts experience, instead of reciting stats that we can easily get online.
Thank you for the great insight and the support over these past months. :)</p>
<p>@xnamelessx - It was some of your thoughts in another thread that inspired me to begin this one. I don’t know your real name, so I have no idea what you decision will be, but you struck me as the sort of kid who, even if you don’t get in (and I’m not saying that’s what’s going to happen), likely got an admissions officer really excited. It appears we have a knack for inspiring each other to action. :)</p>
<p>
There’s no policy, and I would have loved to hear something like that even if the results weren’t the ones I hoped for. But, I know there are many who would feel, at best, conflicted about this. We loved you, you loved us, and you still can’t come here. It feels like the sort of act that has the potential to be uplifting, but also the potential to be cruel. </p>
<p>Plus, there isn’t enough time to reach out to everyone who falls into that (surprisingly large) group. And how would it feel to have a friend get such a message, but to not receive one yourself. </p>
<p>I suppose the above post is as much for my own cathartic purposes as it is to offer understand to our applicants.</p>
<p>What a beautiful sentiment. As a parent, it means a lot to me to know that the people who hold my son’s ego/self-image in their hands care deeply about the process. Your post makes it clear that these applications become people to you, not merely files. Given the number that you must process, I cannot comprehend how that process of personalization occurs, and fear that the exploding application numbers endanger it.</p>
<p>But please note that I say you do not hold his future in your hands. I think it is healthy for us all to realize that getting into–or not getting into–a particular school does not define one’s future.</p>
<p>My daughter is not even going to look at the decision today. Just doesn’t want to be disappointed. However, you are someone we will not forget, Dan. We loved your info session and you were one of the reasons my daughter applied.</p>
<p>My son CAREFULLY chose what schools to apply to. We visited Tufts and he thought it was a great school for him. </p>
<p>I think he has enough confidence in himself to know that a rejection isn’t a comment on who he is. Also he has some other great options that he is excited about.</p>
<p>Again, thank you for your thoughtful comments. They have set the Tufts forum apart from others.</p>
<p>HA! Yeah, I guess 13,000+ personal letters is asking a bit much…but, it’s hard for us to get out of our own personal bubble sometimes :)</p>
<p>There is a lot of work in what you do - beginning, I imagine, in earnest once again almost as soon as you complete one cycle (and the cycles all overlap anyway).</p>
<p>My daughter and I have had many talks about how in the world to introduce yourself to someone in a very two-dimensional way and THEN have them see your passion in that same document. It’s great fodder for lively discussions. Verbal/Written Portraits.</p>
<p>I have a new found appreciation of an admissions officer!</p>
<p>To those of you with kind words for me specifically: thank you. I appreciate your thoughts and am grateful to be able to reciprocate the care and effort you show Tufts in your visits and applications.</p>
<p>Regardless of the result for my child, thank you for humanizing the process. I feel, throughout, you have given us a bit of a window into the arcana and mysteries of the admissions process. Regardless of how it comes out for us personally, you’re one of the good guys.</p>
<p>These words couldn’t be any truer. So many of my peers take it very personally when they receive any bad news. I really think, if they are willing to understand this, that it’d be a much easier time. To all of those awaiting, best of luck, and I hope to see you in a few months!</p>
<p>^^Tough to answer that one. It means you make other plans, and if you happen to get in off the waitlist (not something one should count on at any school), you’ll have a decision to make at that point in time.</p>
<p>Just got accepted!!! Thank you Dan for being on CC and answering questions as thoroughly as possible. It’s demystified the Tufts application process. I also must sincerely say that I LOVE how much personality could be put into the Tufts application. It is the only school that I am 100% sure that the AdCom got a real picture of who I am. Plus I loved shooting the video of riding my horse in the dark! Thanks Tufts, can’t wait to visit.</p>
<p>Hey, Dan, thanks for wait-listing her! I expected outright denial. Tufts was my kid’s real reach. I can see the accomplishments of the accepted students are truly a notch above. No “why your kid and not mine?” this time for me.</p>
<p>(Now, if you were to feel moved to email her some reassuring words, she would not breathe a word to any other applicants Actually, I’m not sure she knows any.)</p>
Actually, I’m not sure she knows any.)</p>