<p>1) on the app, tufts asks, 'do you want to have an interview?'</p>
<p>--how important is the answer to that question? if you say 'No', does that pretty much spoil you app to Tufts (unless, perhaps, you have super stats)?</p>
<p>2) if you say yes, but later decide no (for whatever reason - busy, cold feet for a face to face interview perhaps), same question as (1)?</p>
<p>Tufts' cds says interview for admission is 'considered'. i am not sure what that means in terms of weight.</p>
<p>‘do you want an interview?’ is probably as innocuous as initiating the logistics of setting up an interview (with an alum, if you’re out of town), but for some reason this question on the app reminded me of the ‘do you still beat your wife?’ question.</p>
<p>Roderick, if you opted for an interview but have decided against it, just be polite about it. If a prospective interview calls or emails, just say that you remain very excited about the possibility of attending but that you are not going to be able to schedule it. I’ve had students completely blow me off and still get in. But politeness never hurts.</p>
<p>^^That may be because there just aren’t enough interviewers to handle all the requests.
But DO NOT worry if you are among those who just can’t get scheduled or if you don’t express interest in having an interview.</p>
<p>sounds good. we’ll go with polite. and we’ll trust tufts’ questions.</p>
<p>I happen to see this thread today - seems pretty trafficked, too;lotsa people interested in the subject apparently. Side note, the lead anecdote is from an LU admissions person. I happen to know a student who had phenomenal stats, exceeding LU mid 50, but after the interview was rejected from that same place, LU. The rejection letter did not say ‘after the interview, we reject you’, but this was the outcome. said something like ‘do not meet Lawrence’s standards’. I wondered what the heck this student said.</p>
<p>Loved how Tufts sent in an email notifying me that I won’t get an interview (:
I appreciate that they actually notified me promptly, so that I don’t continue wondering when I’ll receive notification etc.
good luck to those who got an interview~</p>
<p>That is nice, jsungoh. It won’t be the case for everyone. If the admissions office notified you, it might be because they couldn’t figure out what regional committee to assign you to. Students who are assigned to overloaded regional committees might not hear.</p>
<p>The deadline for interview reports in March 1, so if you REALLY REALLY want an interview, the time to act is now. But understand that not everyone gets interviews and we aren’t kidding when we say that that’s okay.</p>
<p>If you don’t get an interview and get in and you’d still like to talk to someone, reach out again. We’re happy to give you information to help you make your decision (even if you end up deciding to go elsewhere).</p>
<p>oh, it wasn’t that for my situation
I live in the Los Angeles region (very packed area) so I don’t think it was due to unavailable / incapability to assign me to a regional committee. they just told me that they didn’t have enough volunteer interviewers this year due to the large amount of applications (which is understandable). O:
ill just continue hoping that i get in xD</p>
<p>My DD got the email also saying NO interview. Since several classmates DID get them, she feels at a disadvantage. I know she really likes Tufts, has been to campus and wishes she had interviewed while there - but they didn’t have any availability that day.</p>
<p>She says originally she was told (on her account) that Tufts had received her request for an interview and she should hear within 4 weeks and if someone hasn’t contacted her by that time, then she should email the head of the region. She waited like they requested and then sent her email. Then she was told NO interviews left. Ugh. I guess she should NOT have waited the four weeks like she was asked to do.</p>
<p>Ah, jerzgrlmom, that situation is so typical. We teach these kids to do everything they can to optimize their applications, and it makes them feel so bad when something like this happens. First thing to keep in mind: it’s unlikely that the people who got interviews jumped that four-week instruction. It’s more likely just a little luck that they got assignments or that their assigned interviewers could accommodate them.</p>
<p>Lots and lots of students who’d like interviews don’t get them. That’s the way it goes when you rely on volunteers. The Tufts admissions officers know this issue and adjust. They keep track of numbers and confidently state that the interview does not put anyone at an advantage or disadvantage.</p>
<p>But, I understand your daughter’s feelings–and here’s my little bit of advice: If there is something specific she’d hoped to convey in the interview, she should email her regional interview committee chair with that information and ask that it be put into her file. The chair can easily put the notes into the interview database, saying that jerzgrl was disappointed not to be offered an interview, but wanted to mention those things. Or do the same thing with her admissions representative, just write an email saying she was sorry not to get an interview, because she’d really wanted to convey whatever it is.</p>
<p>But if her reason for wanting the interview was just because she’s trying to do everything right, then the right thing to do now is to sit back, keep enjoying her last year of high school, and know that April will come.</p>
<p>^^^ Everything Seashore just said is sage advice and completely true. Especially this line:
</p>
<p>Your daughter will not be at a disadvantage. This year will be no different from any other year; the admit rate of students who were interviewed vs students who did not get interviewed will not show a difference.</p>
<p>What’s the point of interviewing applicants if it makes absolutely no difference? I know they say its to “put a face on the admissions process” but to me it sounds like a waste of time.</p>
<p>Well the interview is not only for the school but also for the student if they have any questions. Because they are run by alumni it can be a useful tool for the applicant. Which is also part of the reason it is not mandatory.</p>
<p>My daughter had her interview today. The interviewer apparently did not take her seriously about her interest in Tufts and kept asking her where she really wanted to go. The interview also wanted to know why my daughter was second in her class rather than first. My daughter left the interview feeling very uncomfortable. Should we be concerned?</p>
<p>rizado-
I’m really sorry that your daughter’s interviewer made her feel uncomfortable. The effect should have been the opposite.
What part of the country are you in? You might want to just send a quick note to the admissions officer who covers your daughter’s region to let him/her know how you feel and also to enable your daughter to convey anything else that she was not able to during the interview.</p>
<p>Thanks for the helpful comment. I am sending an email to the admissions office although obviously I don’t want to jeopardize my daughter’s chances of admission; I am assuming (or at least I hope) that the admissions office can separate the interview from the candidate. Fortunately my daughter liked the school so much she is pretty capable of ignoring the interview in the long run; I just hope this interviewer doesn’t take that approach with all the applicants to whom she is assigned.</p>
<p>I can’t imagine that the interview will hurt her chances, especially once she’s taken the time to follow up and reiterate her interest.
By the way, is she ED or RD?</p>
