<p>From the NY Times:</p>
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<p>Not gonna lie, but while I think these videos are great (as is the idea of making one itself), as a fellow applicant for the Class of 2014 it makes me feel nervous that so many creative and awesome people are applying. But…again…I should know that already since Tufts attracts such an awesome crowd of people…</p>
<p>can i get a link to the math dance? i cant find it anymore.</p>
<p>DanAdmiss - The girl with the math dances is cute, but check out Max Smiley’s video. You’d be well advised to waive your normal deadlines and accept Max tomorrow. I understand that admissions committees from across the country have put out APBs and are fanning out in search parties, scholarships in hand, trying to find him before you do!</p>
<p>I think the submission of videos is a terrible idea! If you’ve seen any of the research on, for example, how political commercials don’t really educate voters about the issues, you will see how the quest for cutesieness and soundbites essentially plays out in the creation of simplistic messages. The videos were entertaining, sure, but I’d rather read a solidly written essay which relies on the student’s ability to research, synthesize information and use language.</p>
<p>Furthermore, I think this is “packaging” taken to a new extreme – each child is essentially required to sell themselves to the admissions committee like a package of Hostess Ho-ho’s. It reminds me of reality TV – but who wants a campus full of kids from reality TV? these videos are Fine for those of you who are witty, outgoing, and attractive. But I was the other kind of nerd in high school – not the witty, attractive, bright, dancing nerd. I was more of a silent, sullen person who spent most of my time practicing the violin and reading philosophy. I couldn’t have completed this assignment to save my life! And yet I was a pretty good student. I don’t think I would have even applied to a school which required that I package myself in this way. And think of all the kids with Asperger’s or other issues who might have a problem with an assignment like this. I think it’s actually discriminatory in a lot of ways – and suggests to me a school which values style over substance.</p>
<p>I’d be interested to see if other schools add creative supplements…</p>
<p>We visited Tufts last yr–it looked great on paper and loved the very interestingentertaining guy who gave the info --kept the brochure and notes we took about apps etc…
The tour guide for the engineering tour was HORRIBLE…we left early because he gave about half a doz reasons to NOT go there…of our group–half dropped out half way through–we were the last of 2 families with this guy…it was tragic…really tragic.
I almost called Tufts to tell them to take the kid off the lists of guides!</p>
<p>This video gives kids who don’t ordinarilly have outlets for creativity–a chance to take a leap/risk.</p>
<p>My spouse thinks those with great computer/video skills will outshine those with cruder/less sophisticated video/computer technique…</p>
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<p>This might be true, but even then only for the video prompt. We have 8 optional essay topics, and only one is a video. Most of the issues raised seem to forget that we don’t require the submission of a video. If video isn’t your thing, there are other options. And what we learn from Amelia, the Math Dance Girl, is that a good idea and an enthusiastic presentation can be more effective than production values or “packaging.”</p>
<p>What I see, Momzie (and I have only started to think about this), is that this approach opens a door for SOME people. Maybe not you, probably also not me. That’s okay. The dancing dweeb deserves a chance to be heard, just as the violin playing nerd was heard in concert. I think it’s about multiple intelligences. The kids with Asperger’s that you worry about? It’s not that there is no route. It’s that there is a different route.</p>
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<p>I don’t understand the foregeoing, Momzie; Tufts didn’t require that anyone package themselves via memorable youtube video. It was an elective part of the application. My daughter, accepted ED1, did not do the video, although in retrospect she would have liked to (she said it looked like fun, the process of merely doing it), but did a watercolor, encapsulating her world, instead. Other acceptees did not do the optional “essay,” at all, so I’m confused as to why the video submissions are being categorized as “required” parts of the application.</p>
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<p>Somehow, I think I’m only running into the Tufts acceptees who value substance over style.</p>
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<p>I didn’t really like the “Shut up and Derive” video but mostly because it was too much like College Humor’s I will Derive: <a href=“Dropout - Independent, ad-free, uncensored comedy | Dropout”>Dropout - Independent, ad-free, uncensored comedy | Dropout; For me to really enjoy it. I’ve already seen the joke… Oh well.</p>
<p>I know they’re not really the exact same, but still.</p>
<p>momzie,</p>
<p>Just a fraction of the kids actually did videos and it is wholly optional. It’s just another piece of the puzzle. Not everyone who submitted a video is ready for America’s Next Top Model and there are plenty of kids who just play their instrument or kick around a ball or show photos of important moments in their lives. It’s not a beauty contest, just a way for the school to interact with every student in a way that works for them. My daughter happens to like to write about what interests her, so she chose an essay. Other kids may express themselves better in a drawing or musical piece (you could have submitted a tape of your violin playing). Some may want to show their prowess with a foreign language. I understand your concern, but since this is one of many options, I think we should trust the applicants to use whichever option will best convey who they are (or forgo any option if they are happy with their app without it). And you should trust that the school is trying to make the application process easier – not more stressful – by expanding the array of supplemental information options.</p>
<p>The OPTION to submit the videos-innovative, fantastic. No argument with that. The DANGER-that these aren’t private submissions to the Committee. I’ve watched a number of them and read the comments. There are derogatory comments to more than one submission. Eg, to the unfortunate girl who didn’t remove the “Smoking Weed” poster from her bedroom wall.</p>
<p>And since when is “most popular” aided by the Globe, NYT and CC and undoubtedly by her friends and family, equilvalent to “most creative” and “most brilliant”? I appreciated many of the videos more than the “most popular” math dweeb. More proof that taste is subjective. (I think you’re a bit hard on and ganging up on Icalculus, btw)</p>
<p>And while “expanding the array of supplemental information options” may make the application process less stressful,take a look at post #42. Syc652 states: “it makes me nervous that so many awesome people are applying.” That sounds like ADDED stress to me. And the month of march, awaiting decisions is the most stressful time. Lots of wigging out in HS during March. The last thing these kids need to be doing now is viewing a portion of other applicant’s submissions.</p>
<p>My son applied to Tufts and chose to believe that when Tufts said the essay (and video option) was “optional,” that it truly was “optional.” I know that people say that nothing ever is truly optional when it’s listed that way, but he believed what Tufts said. He is a strong academic applicant, really good EC’s and leadership and submitted a science abstract as well as two music supplements since he is very accomplished on two musical instruments. I guess he could have chosen to make a video playing one of his instruments, but the CD’s he submitted “show” much more than could be demonstrated in a one minute video. </p>
<p>I thought about “persuading” him to tackle the optional essay/video, but we both chose to believe that not doing so would not hurt him in the application process. At some point, enough must be enough. 
Maybe we’re both naive.</p>
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<p>All we know is how a fraction of Tufts’ applicants chose to submit supplementary essay 6b. We have no idea how the Tufts admissions committee will value them. I trust that they’re the experts in crafting their own entering classes and will ascribe the appropriate value to what applicants submit, whether written or video.</p>
<p>This option strikes me as parallel to the web-based online class discussion tools that began to be used in college classes a decade ago. In-class discussions have always been dominated by the highly verbal and quick-witted students. There have always been silent students who sat in the back of the room and rarely participated in the verbal exchange. When tools like WebCT came into use, students would go back to their rooms and submit their views about that day’s topic in the online forum (as we do on CC). And what a surprise! Many of those silent students in the back weren’t asleep after all - they were just verbally non-competitive. Once the format shifted to suit their strength, they became the leaders of the online discussions - insightful, provocative, profound - and we all thought "How many generations of less-verbal but excellent students have we undervalued over the years by relying solely on verbal in-class discussions?</p>
<p>Well, perhaps college admissions committees have over-relied on solid writers to the exclusion of highly creative applicants whose contributions favored a different mode. Now Tufts applicants have a choice. I’d write my supplementary essay for item 6b - that’s my strength and it’s where I feel more confident. I don’t know how well video submitter Max Smiley writes, but if there was no way for him to show Tufts what he can create in 70 seconds of video, the full range of his creativity would have gone unappreciated, and that would be a shame.</p>
<p>Hi, gadad, please pm me the link to Max Smiley’s video. Thanks</p>
<p>didn’t only 1000 or so of say 15000 submit video.</p>
<p>I think its cool–liked alot fo the videos… Really appreciate youthful energy, peersonality and humor in them!</p>
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Not naive. This is the right attitude, and I think every officer at Tufts would agree with me; unless one of the optional prompts “speaks to you,” don’t do one.
I would expand this idea one step further. College admissions has over-relied on the sort of writers who be successful with topics like the excruciatingly-dull ones posed by the Common App. The entire point of our supplement (to view all the questions, go here: [2009-2010</a> Essay Questions](<a href=“Tufts University”>Tufts University)) is to pose queries that reveal different talents, skills, and intelligences than what is typically evinced through the common app. It opens the door for scientists to more explicitly talk about science, or for creative writers to give us a short story, or for philosophers to muse on the meaning of the word “alone.”</p>
<p>I think it’s no accident that my kids’ favorite schools are the ones with the quirkiest/most interesting questions. To me, the hardest part of the college app process is finding the willingness to expose oneself (pardon the pun). For both my kids, getting to that point took the bulk of the time and energy involved in apps. Once there, the words and insights flowed.</p>
<p>The videos are just another way to accomplish that goal. There are certainly enough essays to write for Tufts even if one does the video! While my son ultimately chose to write an optional essay (and not on the prompt any of us expected he would), he did give serious consideration to submitting a photograph instead. </p>
<p>However, I do cringe that the videos are out there for the universe to see – this is a tough enough time of year already for these kids.</p>