<p>Tufts is believes in transparency, and I, in particular, believe transparency makes admissions easier for everyone: applicants and admissions offices. It's a belief that led me to join the CC community. It's why I continue to post here. And today, following that belief, I took an unconventional step and did something new (with the blessing of the rest of the office, of course). </p>
<p>We started committee today for our ED pool. And because our blogs, Facebook, and most recently twitter have been getting a lot of positive feedback we're testing the reaction by Liveblogging today's ED committee. As far as I know, we're the first admissions office to do something like this, so I'm operating without much of a precedent. This is a complete experiment. And, to be honest, that's how I like it. </p>
<p>What do you think? I'd love to get some feedback. My hope is that this stuff is interesting, fun to read, and helpful because it sheds some light on the 'mysterious' process of college admissions. Personally, I'm proud of the work we do, and the decisions we make, and I don't believe in the need to shroud the process in that veil of mystery. But I'm also sensitive to the anxiety that swirls around the process. Normally, I believe candid information tamps down on disquiet, but this time I'm not as confident in that. Does knowing that we're in committee pump up your blood pressure even higher? Or does this provide you with a different way to think about the intrinsic humanity on both sides (applicant and admissions officer) of the process? Both? It's hard to find a space where people will be more honest about admissions than CC, and I'd love to know if you feel we should keep going, tweak the format or content, or stop the posting altogether.</p>
<p>Like you, I think everyone benefits from transparency. As an interviewer, one of the things I try to do is explain the admissions process and where I think our interview fits in to it. I’ve had a lot of applicants say that no one else has ever tried to explain it to them.</p>
<p>A few more posts from you, and my story-telling repertoire will be seriously upgraded! I am very pleased.</p>
<p>I really like it! It is a little terrifying, but awesome at the same time! i like the breaks on sporcle.com! I always pictured a bunch of boring people throwing random applications in the “accept” pile (well maybe that is a little bit of an overreaction); it’s nice to know that isn’t true!</p>
<p>Wow- thank you, Dan, for the opportunity for prospective students to receive a glimpse of what the application process is like for the committee. Somehow I didn’t think you all would be eating baked goods, discussing applications and high-fiving one another once they were accepted. To be honest, I wasn’t sure that admission officers actually were happy when they accepted someone, mainly because so many are rejected. Nevertheless, your blog is informative, entertaining and unique- look forward to seeing what’s next!</p>
<p>Usually, there’s at least some singing. Though, yesterday was strange even for us. I think it might have something to do with anticipation of a new episode of Glee.</p>
<p>That just means I have four whole months to memorize all the best lines of the first half of the season.</p>
<p>My favorite quote so far: “When my mom applied to college, she put being popular as her main extracurricular activity.”</p>
<p>I have to say, though, I’m surprised there isn’t more opinion on the blog post from CC. Well, a good sign, I suppose, given my worries about it.</p>
<p>Dan,
I have not posted before - I have mainly been a reader - or lurker depending on you look at it (LOL). I found the blog interesting and also unsettling - interesting because, as you wrote, there has not been much transparency to how this is done - but unsettling because I know my child’s ED app is in committee with you based on who you listed is in your group. I think as long as you don’t get too specific - about locations of applicants or other identifying data - that there is nothing wrong with it. I did notice that your Dean also has a blog and mentioned reading ED applications. It never occurred to me that a Dean would be involved in the admissions process to that degree. I don’t known if this is unique to Tufts. Overall, I can say that your posts on CC always seem informative, genuine and respectful of all applicants, students, parents and other posters.</p>
<p>P.S. I meant to note that I don’t think my child would have the same reaction as me - I think reading the blog would likely upset her - a little too close for comfort if you know what I mean. She does not read CC, however - she is too busy with school and activities.</p>
<p>ok, then, I’ll say that I’m not a big fan—I hate to criticize because I think Tufts’ representation on CC (you, Dan) is a terrific contribution—but I don’t see how the blog/twitter is really informing the process—while I find it fairly interesting reading, if our child were an applicant this year I think it would just add to the frenzy</p>
<p>as an aside (and maybe the answer is obvious but not to me)—which applicants “go to committee” (i.e, are some automatically admitted/eliminated w/o committee consideration)?</p>
<p>^^^^ In answer to your question: all of them.</p>
<p>Momiac: I can see that. Liveblogging Committee on Twitter is not something I’ll do again. Or at least, if I do it again it will be done with significant changes. The largest reaction to it (and I’m thankful for the honesty) is that it just ends up being scary to know what we’re doing exactly as we do it. The blog has been getting some of that, but the vast majority of what I’m hearing for it is positive. I’m surprised there’s a difference, but I can completely understand why. </p>
<p>If the feedback changes (and I’ll be watching CC among other places to see if that happens), then I’m always open to change.</p>
<p>My perspective: even as the Twitter experiment fails, I’m still glad we tried it. We’re doing things no one else has ever done and showing aspects of the process no one else has ever shown. Figuring out what we can share and how we can share it in encouraging ways is part of figuring that out.</p>
<p>I absolutely applaud Tufts for its various efforts to demystify the admissions process/make it less intimidating—just think that this particular attempt had the opposite effect. But isn’t this exactly what we try to tell our kids—take a chance, try something new, don’t be satisfied with the status quo. So, glad both that you’re thinking outside the box, and sensitively calibrating the effects.</p>
<p>I’m one of the applicants for ED I and to be honest, it was terrifying reading your blog. Don’t get me wrong, it eased my nerves in some sense. It’s calming to know that you actually do put that much consideration into each application, but at the same time, it adds largely to the nerves. I breathed a sigh of relief when I found out I wasn’t being reviewed by your committee though, I admit.</p>
<p>Every year, these forums try to eke out the date of notification. I can tell you we will not be releasing decisions until at least the end of next week.</p>
<p>Dan-I’m glad you will not be continuing this. I think lots of information about the process is fine and your intentions were good, but it seems to me there could be privacy issues regarding students’ identities.</p>
<p>I agree with those who are giving the blogging experiment a thumbs down. The information from the blogs isn’t of any value to future candidates, so there is nothing to be learned by this exercise. It seems kind of self-congratulatory on behalf of the admissions staff - “Look at us! We’re really excited about admitting hip and cool kids who are just as hip and cool as we are!”</p>
<p>Personally, as a current Tufts Freshmen, I liked both the Twitter and the blog posts. But if anyone had shown this to me when I was waiting for decisions, I would have been freaking out more than I already was. I’m sure my family and friends would have wanted to lock me in a room with no computer or phone so I wouldn’t obsessively check more than I already was at the time. But its pretty exciting learning a little bit about people that will be coming to my school next year who already love it enough to apply ED :)</p>
<p>I feel very differently than most of you. I LOVE the live-blogging. I don’t think I’m seeing the issue with it. It actually makes me love Tufts more, I think. I was attracted to Tufts because Tufts is so different and open and exciting… etc. etc. I think the live-blogging is just another way Tufts is setting new precedents. It’s also so much fun to read and I think after reading Dan and Becky’s posts, I feel more prepared to write my Tufts supplement. Now that I know how real and “normal” (maybe not the right word, ha) the admissions officers are, I feel free to kind of just write whatever I want. I feel confident that Tufts admissions officers really just completely 100% honestly want to get to know us applicants as people and want us to be totally truthful. I love that I can really be myself and not worry about sounding “right” (if that makes any sense). It’s making the whole supplement writing process for Tufts SO much more fun.</p>
<p>It seems to me like most of the backlash is coming from parents… and less so from students also. I don’t know what that means though.</p>
<p>Pretty disappointed in what felt like an exercise of “cuteness,” showmanship, and self-indulgence on the part of the Tufts admissions people on Committee 1 who blogged-really, a cry of “look how special and clever we are.” Uh, we know that Tufts is special–ergo, my kid would not have applied, after exhaustive research and inventory-taking, to Tufts, ED. It doesn’t feel like anyone put themselves very thoughtfully in the position of how most applicants would react to reading some telling profiles of accepted/rejected applicants. The levity and pithy repartee, documented between and among the committee members, felt analogous to having a stand-up comedian at a funeral service.</p>
<p>As well, I am wondering about the impact of some of the ED applicants who posted flattering and fawning posts about how much they approved of the experimental blogging, especially when said applicants posted with transparency about who they were–I would hate to think that such postings would influence the outcomes of their applications.</p>
<p>Mostly, I am glad that my child knows nothing about the blog. I think it would have exacerbated an already-stressful situation. I think that there is a reason that college admissions are conducted behind, and should stay behind, closed doors.</p>
<p>Finally, I didn’t need the blog to tell me what Tufts holds dear and looks for in the admissions process. We listened closely and asked many questions at the admissions info session and of our tour guide. My kid was all ears and took copious notes when Tufts came to his high school. We had already gotten that Tufts, while it entertains a spectrum of “data” (SAT scores and GPA), assesses the stuff that cannot be captured in the objective info. </p>
<p>In summation, this was not one of Tufts’ better moments.</p>