Is tufts one of those schools where it’s ridiculously harder to get in RD? (as compared to ED) Does anyone know? Thanks!
I asked a similar question while visiting Colgate, and my assumption is that the results would be similar. They said that about 50% of accepted students are from ED, and the other 50% are from RD. However, they also said that about 50% of the ED students were accepted…which is clearly at a much higher rate.
Tufts likes applicants who really want to be there, and there’s no better way to say that than to apply ED. But you’ll still need to be highly qualified. Remember too that Tufts is very competitive in athletics and all the recruits have passed pre-reads and are admitted in the ED rounds. So no, they aren’t accepting 50% of the unhooked students in the ED round. If you aren’t in a preferred cohort (recruit, legacy, etc) , your chances aren’t significantly better than they are RD.
But if Tufts is your first choice, go for it ED. It’ll still be your best shot there.
We know that ED admissions account for ~65% of the class. Hard to believe that Tufts admits 65% of its students from “a preferred cohort (recruit, legacy, etc)”. If this is true, it changes my understanding of what is the normal admission policy
On the,Tufts admission website, they claim the majority are admitted RD. It explains that the criteria are no different ED vs RD. They also explain that as they are assembling a class, there is a certain first mover advantage. If they wanted ABC in a certain # of applicants, to the extent they get those in ED, the ABC applicants in the RD round are less compelling. So that’s the reason to apply ED.
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I’m applying RD to Tufts. Not my top choice, but it’s reasonably high on my list so I’d like to get in. My GPA, scores, ECs and essays are all good enough that I should get in with relative ease. However, I have shown almost zero demonstrated interest and I heard that is a big deal at Tufts. Will this hurt my chances significantly?
I don’t think that anyone can count on getting into Tufts “with ease”. It sounds like your scores and grades will ensure you clear that bar. If your essays show you are a good fit, the AO may suspect you did the homework that counts as interest. Because yes, Tufts cares about interest. So if you haven’t connected with them and your application doesn’t show that you “get” who they are, that could hurt you.
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I didn’t mean to sound like I’m bragging about being able to get in “with ease.” I just meant that aside from demonstrated interest, I clear their general threshold. Sorry if I came across as boasting about myself.
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If you applied RD there’s still plenty of time to demonstrate interest. Why not do so now? It can only improve your likelihood of being admitted.
I’m doing everything I can. I have done all of their online tours and info sessions, plus I signed up for an interview.
you definitely need to show interest.
there is not really getting in with “ease”. two kids at my school had super high stats and did not get in. My stats are good but lower and I got in. I showed a ton of interest and I think that pushed me above them.
Oh! Well then, you are probably fine. You wrote earlier that you had shown zero interest, but actually you have shown quite a bit!
I don’t know what else you could do… I’ve heard some schools track how often you look at their social media and check your portal. Also whether you open their emails and how long you spend reading them. No idea whether Tufts does these things, but if you’re focused on increasing demonstrated interest, perhaps do that. Could also contact your regional admissions officer with this question about how much demonstrated interest matters. That would show interest in addition to getting your question answered. 
Yeah, back when I said I had shown zero interest I really did mean it. Since then I have tried to show interest. Like I said, Tufts isn’t my #1 choice but I do hope to get in.
I totally misspoke when I said I could get in “with ease.” I really just meant that my stats and ECs are certainly good enough to get in without considering anything else. Tufts is an amazing school and nobody is truly above them.
as with any selective school, it’s so hard to tell because they get so many qualified applicants. I know essays and interest are important.