<p>is it true that some schools reject you for being over-qualified?</p>
<p>Yeah, it's called the tufts syndrome.</p>
<p>Yeah, I think so. Someone at my school got rejected from University of Pittsburgh with a 1600.</p>
<p>thats insane! whatever happened to the concept of SAFETIES! the ivies are hard to get into....</p>
<p>what other colleges/unis are known for this syndrome?</p>
<p>possibly, i mean, if youve got a 2350+4.3 gpa out of 4.0, and ridiculous other positive stats...and you apply to BU, they know youre using them as a safety, and its a slap in the face for them</p>
<p>Most of them, if you've never shown actual interest in their school. Why would a school accept students who are most likely going to end up turing them down, thus lowering their yield?</p>
<p>Make sure you visit and interview (if offered), and you'll probably be fine.</p>
<p>true, it probably is a slap in the face but:</p>
<p>one friend i knew had really good scores on and on and applied to tufts early action. That was actually her first choice school. her boyfriend was applying EA there and some there were several other factors but basically, thats where she wanted to go. then she was rejected and had to apply RD to her other choices, ended up going to cornell (btw, she loves it there now).
i was just thinking of this story when i heard about tufts syndrome - could this possibly be a case of it? they obviously made a mistake.</p>
<p>"make sure you visit and interview (if offered), and you'll probably be fine."</p>
<p>but if the point of applying is as a safety, not many people would be able to provide the time or energy to actually do an interview for these colleges.</p>
<p>how many places actually do this?</p>
<p>lollipop-- i doubt it, tufts has ED, which means that they don't have to deal with the yield problem or people using it as a safety...</p>
<p>
[quote]
but if the point of applying is as a safety, not many people would be able to provide the time or energy to actually do an interview for these colleges.
[/quote]
You have the completely wrong attitude. A safety is not a school that you don't like and are applying to only as a worst case scenario school. These safeties should be schools you like and would be happy to go to, but are easier to get into than your other schools. Don't apply to schools you don't want to attend.</p>
<p>""make sure you visit and interview (if offered), and you'll probably be fine."</p>
<p>but if the point of applying is as a safety, not many people would be able to provide the time or energy to actually do an interview for these colleges."</p>
<p>If a person has the $ and time to visit the schools that are match/reach schools for them, they better find the $ and time to visit their safeties because they just may have to go there. A safety isn't a true safety if one hasn't take the time and effort to find out if it's a good fit.</p>
<p>I also have the feeling that some people who get rejected by safeties haven't taken the time and effort to do decent applications to those colleges. They probably spent all of their time/effort on reach schools and assumed that being at the top of the pool for their safety would make them shoo-ins. </p>
<p>I've seen similar things happen in scholarship contests. Students whose stats, ECs were at the top of the heap didn't get scholarships because their applications came in late and had essays that were poorly constructed and filled with typos.</p>
<p>I said: "Don't apply to schools you don't want to attend." I just would like to qualify that. Ideally, you shouldn't apply to schools that you do not want to attend. However, I realize that this is not always possible. I felt a little guilty about saying that since I am applying to Notre Dame, a school I do not wish to attend, because of my father's (rather forceful) wishes. </p>
<p>You should strive, though, to apply only to schools you would be happy to attend. There is a very good chance you will end up at a safety school, so 1) you better get into your safety, and 2) you better like the school.</p>
<p>Washington Uni of St. Louis is reputed to have the "Tufts Syndrome". (But this is only what I've read around CC.)</p>
<p>Then again, a college/uni does have the perogative to accept students whom/who (??) they think will actually be a great fit in the school, shown by interest and emails inquiring current students or admission officers (if one is unable to be interviewed due to distance/time) and their essays. I don't think they should cut someone out straight if they think they're being used a safety school; people have been known to choose "lower-ranked" schools even if they're accepted to top-tier schools, and not only because of financial aid.</p>