Tuft's Syndrome ? Chances of getting in ?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>I have heard of something called "Tuft's syndrome" but have not found out much about it. All I know is that it has to do with the waitlisting process at Tufts, which is the category I fall under. Tuft's is currently my #1 choice and I am dying to go there. I know realistically, this very well may not happen, but I would appreciate any information on how to go about giving this my best shot. I have already sent a letter to the director of admissions and am trying to figure out who to e-mail. I can't find anyone who corresponds to my exact location, and I am too fearful of e-mailing the heads of admission although that is where my letter was sent. This whole college process has been a very poor one for me. I am guessing I have a pretty poor counselor's reccomendation as we hate each other, but he acknowledges I am one of the most polite students he has ever encountered (ironic, isn't it?). My teacher reccomendations are stellar, however, and here are some of my stats: </p>

<p>Race: Indian
Gender: Male
Scores: Sat I 1460 (750 verbal, 710 math), writing 650, chem 690, math II c 670 ---> I am a horrible standardized test taker
AP's: U.S. History 5, A.P Chemistry 3 (not shown, my teacher guaranteed me i wouldn't get less than a 4 and should have a 5, but I had a bad day) Yet to come: AP Calculus, AP Enlish Lit and Composition
Gpa: 4.53/5.5 (this is just a shade above an A-)
EC's: Tae Kwan Do (blue belt), Recreational Basketball, School Newspaper, Intramural Badminton, Intramural Handball, Model United Nations, Ultimate Frisbee Club, Tri-M Music Honors Society, National Honors Society, Science Honors Society, Playing the Cello (since I was 9), and I volunteer with people who have Alzheimer's Disease. </p>

<p>I come from a very competetive high school and rank somewhere in the top 10% of my class. Our gpa's are not weighted. I was very ill freshman year and received my only C of high school that year (C+ honors biology). I have taken every AP, honors, and college level class I can with the exception of French 5 AP (no room in schedule) and Honors Physics. I started the year with a C (my second) in Honors physics, but then I dropped down to non honors (my only non ap/honors class in hs). My mid year grades were pretty poor (straight B/B+'s across the board) and I have been pretty mentally drained this year. However, on an interesting twist, I am still taking the AP supplement for physics. So far, we have 3 people accepted into Tufts. One applied ED. The other two applied to Tuft's as a safety (going to harvard and upenn respectively). The girl who got into harvard is a friend of mine and said she would write a note to Tuft's to take me if I wanted it, although I fear that would do little good. I am a very hard worker and am reknowned as such (including teacher recc's) </p>

<p>I had a bunch of problems with this application. First off, when my school mailed my applications, my counselor never sent the common application to Tuft's. I had to email it myself later online when I was notified by Tuft's that they did not have it. And secondly, the biggest downer, I was offered a chance to visit and spend the night (with transporation provided from Connecticut --->I live in New York) and observe classes before this whole college process even began by Tufts. At that time, I had not heard much about the school. Yet, just the fact that it was in Boston excited me tremendously. However, the transportation was an issue with my parents, and they would not let me go to Boston alone =/. </p>

<p>I am sorry about this obscenely long post, but I am very depressed at the moment as I was rejected nearly all the way across the board. (ED to cornell deferred and later rejected) Tufts is now by far and away my #1 choice. I have also been accepted into U of Rochester and that is where I will be attending if I don't get into Tufts. I would hate being so close to home, however. Any help to move "up" the wait list (they claim it is unranked) would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance for any help!</p>

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<p>As a fellow Indian, I will show you where you went wrong and why it will be hard to recover.</p>

<p>Your grades are pretty decent (MUCH better than mine), however, you express "sadness" and "illness" and "bad days" about them and that they can be avoided on your good days. However, it seems that you dont have many good days. This isnt really appealing to colleges. They like to see a guy who makes a mistake, learns from it and comes out STRONG.</p>

<p>Your SAT scores are decent. You should definitely gotten you SAT 2s up into the high 700 ranges. Horrible Standardized Test Takers are not necesarily what colleges want.</p>

<p>You had only taken 2 AP Exams (which you stated was the max that your school offered.) Yet you got a below satisfactory grade on them (3). A total of 5 APs are not very impressive. Remember, TUFTs is almost as competitive as some of the IVY leagues and they DO reject ppl who get into IVIES. I guess, your school just didnt offer a lot of AP courses.</p>

<p>ECs: Taekwondo wont count. If its not black, it doesnt work. Recreational sports dont count either. It just means that you could play the sport, but werent good enough for varsity. Intramural doesnt work either. Cello could have helped if you expanded on it. You should have gained positions in your other clubs like UN as well. You should have atleast 200+ Volunteer hours for it to help you really well.</p>

<p>NEVER give excuses. Just reasons and explain how you overcame it. If you didnt overcome the problem from freshman year, I'm sorry, then Tufts might be too competitive for you.</p>

<p>According to my sources, the Tufts Syndrome applies when a good candidate gets REJECTED from Tufts even though his/her stats were IVY LEAGUE material.</p>

<p>Good luck. And learn from your mistakes.</p>

3

<p>Thanks for the input! I didn't actually mention my sickness at all in my Tuft's application as far as I remember, and if I did, it was brief. My counselor claimed he would do that for me, but I don't really trust him. And my grades that year were an anomally compared to the rest of my grades the next two+ years, so I think that speaks for itself. My application was as positive as can be in nature as my parents repeatedly told me NEVER to put anything negative in, I was just explaining so here. Most kids who got C's in our AP Chem class pulled at least a 4 on the exam, and I had an A- avg for the course. Our school is well known for its success on AP exams (for the few the school does offer). My 3 on the ap will not show for chem (our school lets us show what our cutoff point and above we wish to show for AP), although it will look awkward taking an ap class and not taking the exam, and if they put two and two together, they'll realize I had a low score. I know the standardized test taking part doesn't help, I just get nervous. Anyone around me knows that. Everyone always gets mad at how poorly I did on the sat 2's because they know what I am capable of. Unfortunately to Admissions officers, this will only show up as a number. Hopefully Tufts will realized my dedication and will, and testing will only become a "small" part of the greater equation. I am a person of high character and potential, and I hope the admissions process will potentially accept me.</p>

4

<p>Well, I've sent a letter in to admissions, emailed a student who is a regional representative, and have a tentative visit (although not an official campus tour) upcoming within two weeks. I am going to try and arrange a meeting with admissions. I will also get an additional teacher reccomendation and a peer assessment and mail those in a.s.a.p. I can't think of anythign truly "unique" or great that I can do with 1 month;s time, but any suggestions would be appreciated!</p>

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<p>How does getting a 1460 make you a "horrible standardized test taker"???</p>

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<p>Well, my Sat I was just ok. It was ironic, literally every practice test I took, my math score beat my verbal. I just made really, really, stupid mistakes under pressure during the actual exam. I knew every question I got wrong after I had to hand in my test, and I knew what the right answers were. A friend and I laughed over some of the stupid mistakes we both made, as he was much like me. My Sat II scores, however, leave a lot to be desired. I underachieved horribly, and they are in no way in indication of my abilities. But they are over and done with, and now all I can do is hope for the best.</p>

7

<p>Have a parent talk to your GC and see if the GC can obtain any feedback from tufts. If your HS is well-known to tufts, a word from your gc might help. </p>

<p>In this year's competitive environment, you can only really guess at why you were accepted at one place and not another. You might have done bette if you were from, for example, North Dakota, and could offer them geographic diversity.</p>

<p>I'm glad to hear that you have University of Rochester in the bag - you will be able to take lessons at Eastman if Tufts doesn't work out.</p>

8

<p>Monkeydluffly if you are going into a science major I would say UR alllll the way! But anyways if you like Tufts you can always keep trying to get in. However I noted the fact your parents didn't let you travel, I am one of the few desis with which I don't let that happen! Don't let them tell you to try harder to get to dreams and then let them block it that's what desi parents always do! Even now visit the place IF you can find time and try to get an on campus interview with plenty of questions and regards to their admission process. I mean if they say you are coming down to their campus when AP's are next month it shows you definately want your future there next year</p>

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<p>zetsui is right about the interview - that really should have happened. If your 'rents wouldn't let you travel, they should have visited Tufts with you. I saw a lot of soggy new england campuses last April, including Tufts visiting with my son.</p>

10

<p>Yea, I wish my parents had been more willing to travel earlier. I stressed the importance of college visits to them, but I don't think they readily understood it, and now when it's too late, do they slowly begin to realize. I only visited two schools and they were both very close to where I live. </p>

<p>I have sent a letter in to admissions stressing that they are my top choice. I talked as expected, he offered no help whatsoever. I emailed a student regional representative, and he gave me essentially the same information that I have been given on this bord. And then, I finally called admissions today. The guy I got was ridiculously rude. I was polite the whole time, but he had an irritating and demeaning attitude. He reminded me of some of the nasty customers I used to check out at my old job as a cashier. I put on my best "smile and say have a nice day no matter what" front with this guy, that's for sure. </p>

<p>Firstly, I was stating my interest in the wait list and quoting the letter that Tufts sent, saying that additional openings will begin becoming extended from May 2 ONWARDS. I just said I'd like to be in contact about my spot on the waitlist IF and AFTER spots open up. The guy was almost offended saying that's very ambitious and Tufts will certainly not have ANY responses until May 15 at the very earliest. He pretty much snapped at me for stating what they had told me. Secondly, in the middle of the conversation when I'm explaining why I want to go there and how it's my top choice, he briskly interjects and says "you really have no reason to be calling. We're the ones who will call you if and when the time is right." I thought that was a very impertinent thing to say. I was pretty upset. You'd think they'd be flattered that you hold their school in such high esteem. When I told him I was following the advice of an actual STUDENT from Tufts (regional student rep), he shrugged me off as if I was merely lying. I was aiming to try and establish a solid contact, but went away merely shrugging my head.</p>

<p>And all this was on my 3rd call to the school. First call, they take my name, all the "counselor's" (i thought they were called admissions reps) were out and I should call again in 30 minutes. 30 minutes later I call a second time, they take my name, say they're transferring me, but disconnect me, accidentally I hope. Third time I call, instead of asking for a name, they take my SS# instead. I was a bit leery of this but gave it willingly. And all for this.</p>

<p>Every teacher/peer I've ever been in contact with has told me I'm one of the most polite people they've ever encountered. It takes a lot to aggravate me, but this admissions rep sure did the trick. I know the problem was certainly not with me. I was told on my potential visit to Boston to speak with an admissions rep in person, but now I'm beginning to have second doubts about that. I'm a shy/quiet person as it is, and it took a lot of internal fortitude for me just to call Tufts. This phone call really turned me off. I hope it was just one rotten apple in the bunch. I should've asked him for his name anyways, just so I can avoid all future contact with him. </p>

<p>So far: Called Admissions, Written Letter and mailed in Wait List Form, Talked to My Counselor, E-mailed student regional representative </p>

<p>Left to do: Visit the school, e-mail addmissions, get an additional teacher's reccomendation, get a peer reccomendation mailed in.</p>