<p>Again, yes it is holistic but it is not realistic to think it is not heavily based on academics. This is a university we are talking about after all. While Tulane has a service mission of which I am extremely proud, the main mission of any university is academic. There is no question that Tulane is trying to attract the most academically talented class possible. Academics to the exclusion of everything else? No, of course not. But many of these people being deferred have admirable service records as well. Add that to the fact that this pattern has not emerged prior to this year, I think it is more likely that Tulane is primarily trying to manage the size of the incoming class, rather than having gotten even more holistic by emphasizing non-academic factors over academic ones or by falling prey to “Tufts Syndrome”.</p>
<p>I wasn’t suggesting non-academic factors would take precedence OVER academic ones, but there are many things to consider if one were to in reviewing each applicant beyond the numbers, does the school want all math/science pre-med or engineers or balance that with brilliant (and academically accomplished) creative writers for example. Or perhaps there are some other outstanding qualities or achievements, conquests over challenging circumstances, etc–and not necessirily X hours of “community service”–that speak to a candidate being considered a preference among other academically qualified peers–that’s all I mean. Didn’t get what you meant in this context by “Tufts Syndrome” might have to ask my older D over at Harvard–she hears that term alot.</p>
<p>Tufts Syndrome is a term that has been used to describe a practice by schools that wait-list candidates that are above their usual stats range or for other reasons they believe will most likely end up at other schools, usually higher ranked. Therefore rather than accept these students that appear to be qualified (yes, it is not all stats based but in the cases we are talking about many of these students had outstanding non-stat qualifications as well) which would cause their % admitted to go up (supposedly bad from a PR point of view) and their yield to go down (also bad, supposedly), they wait-list these students. Then when that student gets into the higher ranked school, they withdraw themselves from the wait list and the student is never counted in the admissions stats one way or the other. Others argue that Tufts Syndrome is a myth, and that these students get wait-listed because they showed no strong interest in the school. Who knows. I don’t want to turn this thread into an argument about Tufts Syndrome, there have been numerous threads on CC about that. I am just saying that clearly Tulane did just the opposite in the past, accepting most high stat students, knowing they would depress their yield by doing so. They did it for the benefit of getting those 5-10% or whatever it was of outstanding students that fell in love with Tulane and wanted it above those other schools.</p>
<p>I don’t disagree with you Dod. Schools do try to balance their classes in many ways. Again, I am saying that the pattern this year from admissions is markedly different than in the past, and the most obvious factor to point to is the smaller class size they can afford.</p>
<p>OK. thanks for the detailed explanation fallenchemist–yes, now I understand the relevance of Tufts Syndrome then in the context of your analysis. I always thought the term had something to do with students at highly selective schools expressing, unfortunately, their envy, overcompensating, or otherwise feeling less worthy than the Ivies.</p>
<p>@Shermani</p>
<p>Don’t even give us that! And stop arguing about how Tulane is better than the Ivy League…it clearly isn’t…it isn’t even in the Top 50…Get your facts straight…and don’t even try to say you have and ciobella have family connections with the Ivy League…it seems that everyone these days has connections that supposedly could get them into the Ivy League…if that was truly the case, you would have been there…and don’t even try to assert that Tulane was right for you…it probably was but no one, in their sane mind, is going to pass up admission at an Ivy League school to go to a school that’s not even in the Top 50!</p>
<p>^^^texasboy–leave them alone. They are truly representing their feelings, for goodness sakes. To be as besotted as you seem by rankings and perceived prestige is fine for you–but not everyone feels the same. </p>
<p>Fallenchemist, I must say I admire the way you have always couched your admissions predictions with reminders that they are based on past admissions cycles and may be subject to change. It’s very hard for students to judge what their chances really are in any competitive holistic admissions process. We often only have previous years to rely on. When things appear to change—it can be very upsetting.</p>
<p>I think many of these great applicants getting deferred in EA will have good news in RD. But I also agree with DOD that above a certain threshold of stats, the essays, special talents and personal qualities of students may have pushed them to the head of the EA pile this year.</p>
<p>Thanks madbean, I try.</p>
<p>@ texasboy - Really, you sound hysterical. They never said what you are claiming they said, and you are wrong anyway. My D won the DHS from Tulane and passed up a number of higher ranked schools, including WUSTL, Chicago and 2 Ivies. The Ivies didn’t appeal to her once she visited, and she really liked the vibe of Tulane and New Orleans. The free tuition just cemented it. Tulane has 2 winners of the Presidential Scholars Program in this year’s freshman class that easily had Ivy stats. In case you are not familiar with this program, it is administered by the Dept. of Education and there are only 2 academic winners per state. To say it is exceedingly selective is still understating it. One was from Pennsylvania, a very populous state. There are other numerous people that have posted on here that have passed up Stanford, Chicago and many other top 20 schools to attend Tulane. You don’t have to believe it, that’s just fine with all of us.</p>
<p>FC is correct, many of S2’s friends at Tulane passed up Ivy and other higher ranking schools for Tulane (including S2). There is just something about Tulane that grabs some kids. It has only been a semester, but he loves the place. He has friends at many schools throughout the country, and when talking to them he says none expresses the love of their school as he and his Tulane friends express for theirs.</p>
<p>Accepted! Stats if it helps anyone 35 ACT, rank 1/340 public school, GPA 4.5 w, 4.0 unw, 11 AP’s, AP Schol w/Dist., NMSF, 60 credits D/E 4.0 comm. college, ok EC’s nothing special, no sports but lots of ballet, answered all questions, no visits or contacts, never saw recs. (how do you?). Considering Baylor, Texas Tech, Tulsa, Auburn, Bama (NM scholarship schools). Need scholarship money or I stay home. Major languages/maybe speech path. Applied Rice, Vandy, Dartmouth, Yale but doubt I’ll get in. Would love to go somewhere warm. Tulane sounds like a good fit. I can only visit at Xmas when school is closed. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.</p>
<p>Eat brunch at Dante’ Kitchen not far from campus. You won’t even apply elsewhere. :)</p>
<p>Snowbound - I sure hope you applied for the DHS (full tuition). Technically not too late but it would be tough to get it done now. Still, take a look. Maybe all your ballet can inspire you.</p>
<p>I was accepted a month ago and given a scholarship. My stats were 2100 on the SAT, 3.85 GPA. Nothing special otherwise on my application.</p>
<p>My D just got deferred EA with a 98% GPA, 2080 SAT’s 760 -M 670-CR and 650 writing and a 32 ACT?? Very good EC’s</p>
<p>Kind of confusing but it sounds like this is happening alot to applicants with same types of academic scores!!
Will wait for RD response</p>
<p>add me to the list. 2100 SAT, 4.3 GPA, IB student, which means I have insane ECs, upwards of 60-70 hours volunteering at a hospital plus a ton of other stuff, played JV basketball, my essay was great, not to brag, but my english teacher, who also teaches college, was raving about it and all, and I’ve always been the best in my class and very competitive classes for that matter (gifted, IB, etc), passes 5/5 AP tests, AP Scholar with Distinction, NHS, and the list goes on and on.</p>
<p>Me too! recieved the letter i was deferred today. I have a 3.93 UW GPA, 4.06 W
10 APs upon gradutaion.
They had an issue with my application though, they did not connect my personal essay w my application so they saw it sa incomplete. It was their fault though and I called about 2 weeks ago to fix it.
Not sure if my deferral was bc of them not having my essay in time or just bc im overqualified and they think i may be using it as a safety?
Thats probably your situation as well.
Also, there were alot of kids accepted from my school already, they might have had a cetain amount of EA slots they could give out and may have had to defer past acertain point.
idk im stunned</p>
<p>This is really starting to seem to me like they have some sort of “quota” for kids who they suspect are using them as a safety school. A month ago kids with jaw-dropping stats were being admitted and enticed with merit scholarships. Now they’re being deferred. Tulane probably wants to figure out how many more of these “unlikey-to-attend” kids it makes sense to accept. My son found out he was accepted last week He had a 34 on the ACT, 2160 on the SAT, 5’s in all 4 of his AP exams. However, he has a low B average unweighted and lackluster ECs. Now I’m thinking that it’s the weaknesses in his application that got him in early-- not the strengths. Pretty ironic.</p>
<p>just to make the theories all the more cloudy, my bf was accepted on gibson today. he has a 3.98UW and a 34 ACT. i’m not sure of his SAT. i do know that he made it very clear that Tulane is his first choice on his app and in emails with the admissions counselor, so i am starting to think that demonstrated interest may be a factor. who knows… i’m just happy we were both accepted! : D</p>
<p>I was deferred with high stats similar to those on here and I didn’t write the optional Why Tulane essay. Now I am applying to the Dean’s Honor Scholarship and I’m wondering if that will hurt me significantly. Can I still write and submit the Why Tulane essay separately? Any info will help. Thanks!</p>
<p>I think if you have a good statement to make, include it with your packet or send it to your admissions counselor by e-mail. I would think they will place it in your file. It can’t hurt if it is a thoughtful reason.</p>
<p>deferred as well! WTH Tulane? yet a friend of mine who has a 24 act and a 2.8gpa with only tennis as her ec got in!</p>