Two questions about Tufts (ED2 and SAT/TO)

@Wjs1107 ,yes, exactly! ED2 is the way to go in my opinion.

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These are ED1 numbers, right?

@SouthYankie , 18 % is both ED rounds combined. That said, they do take majority of their recruited athletes and Questbridge in the ED1 round. Technically, this should leave more spots for other applicants in the ED2

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The article you quoted is dated December 20, 2020 and talks about class of 2025 numbers. So it can’t have ED2 data since the deadline was still in the future for that.

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@SouthYankie , good catch! I would still think that their ED2 numbers were somewhat similar

The reality is Tufts is need aware. Tuition alone is mid 60’s. So someone willing to spend $340-360k is more likely. It’s still a hard get but the odds are better than normal. But that goes away if not ED.

In 2020-21 39% were determined to have need.

The school is diverse but wealthy.

So ED greatly enhances. I go back to the question I asked earlier. If spending $350k vs $75k or $150k or $250k is fine to you
ie it meets your value proposition
.than ED2 is what you should do.

The article attached gives more insights. In many ways I don’t know if kids are experiencing the real world in this type of environment. But I imagine that can be said for many high end private institutions.

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I had need and Tufts was my most generous school. I have so many friends at Tufts who are on full aid. I also have full pay friends - I would say it’s a good mix.

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We are not full pay either! @Luckyjade2024, do you mind me asking what your major is?

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2233 of 6008 students were determined to have need last year
37%. If those 2200 were offered any aid and 2088 a need based grant. So the first # I gave was first year. But if the entire school 34.7% get a grant.

Yes there are kids getting money. But it’s known as one of the wealthy schools.

Not saying there’s anything wrong with it. Just looking at the #s they report.

@tsbna44 , I don’t think this was one of the questions that OP had in mind. She wants to know if ED2 offers advantage and the answer is yes. And BTW the advantage is not only in increased odds of being accepted but they also have more money to distribute for FA.

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Yes. I noted in a previous message that because they (Tufts) are nerd aware, it will give an advantage and that applying RD will lose that advantage.

My exact words were ED greatly enhances.

Cog and Brain Sci

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FYI - I was waitlisted - got called in May - and they met my need.

The following year due to covid - I had greater need which they fully met.

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Yes they meet demonstrated need. 100%.

They are need aware. That doesn’t mean they don’t meet need. Of students attending last year, 2,088 of 6,008 students are getting need based grants at an average of $48,915.

If you have need and they admit you, they are very generous.

Need aware could come in if you are borderline or, if for example, your EFC is 0$ and they had to support with $78k. Doesn’t mean they wouldn’t accept someone. It just means they could use it as a factor in admitting or not vs a need blind school.

Back to OP - if Tufts is a top remaining choice ED2 is best to do.

Its a value proposition for them and the 60%+ that are full pay.

My son, for example pays $3k tuition at a public school vs $58k at WUSTL.

My daughter’s scholarship at Charleston is $1100 more than tuition so it’s beyond free. She could have gone to Washington & Lee at $58k.

We are full pay
.it’s just depends on people’s values - I wouldn’t send a kid to Tufts or any full-pay private but in the OPs case, since they are ok full pay, ED is the best way to get there.

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Hi all,

Thank you all for your advice and guidance. I’ve said my peace to my daughter about doing ED2 for Tufts, using the info in this thread . She’s pretty headstrong so we’ll see what she decides to do. I’m glad she has other options she’s already happy with and many other decisions still to come.

I have to say, I resent the ED option. I understand how it came to be a popular option, but it puts a lot of pressure on kids and their families to make an enormous commitment before they really have the time and space to think about what they are doing.

I wonder if anyone has ever looked into the transfer rates or grad rates for ED kids. Seems like there’s a strong possibility for buyer’s remorse.

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@tsbna44 — why would the advantage of being full pay be lost in the RD round? Seems like they’d be even more inclined to view that as an asset the closer they get to the end of the cycle ( and have less money to support financial aid offers)

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I agree wholeheartedly on ED and and as full pay parent, I was against it. We were at WUSTL and they pushed it so obscenely, it just bothered me. But college is a business and they are acting in their interest, not yours.

Need aware makes it in some ways, pay to play.

The other thing is - it sounds like you may have given your daughter all control.

Mine had 17 offers
she had control up to a point.

I eliminated any choices over 45k and asked her to pick from the remaining. Her top choice American was eliminated but fortunately she already said she knew she’s eliminated AU, W&L, and Miami because in the end, none can guarantee success. She knew I was going to eliminate those where the price didn’t come in with merit up front.

I’m assuming your daughter got $$ at MAC. It’s smaller but a top notch school. Doesn’t mean you shouldn’t pick Tufts if you are comfortable with that commitment. Going RD might very well eliminate that possibility (or might not). If you save $100k or $200k plus what that grows into over time, that’s the trade off.

Well it’s the decision many go through. If you have consternation, if it’s going to cause you strain financially then you are lucky for the Penn rejection and you need to have that chat now. It’s not whether you can make it work. It’s whether you want to make it work financially.

If it’s totally her decision, then we hope she has a wonderful four years.

Btw Tufts is traditionally a mid-high 90s freshman retention rate. Very high. That’s typically the case on high end private schools. It’s 6 year graduation rate is a tad lower (lower 90s) whereas you mentioned Oregon and they graduate 74% within 6 years which is solid for a similar school (large public) but not close to Tufts.

Is there buyer’s remorse at Tufts ? Probably years later but clearly few during. One never knows when the roommate situation doesn’t work or when you have a prof you don’t understand or don’t jive with. On the other hand, those are learning opportunities.

There’s tons of stories years later about kids wishing they spent less on a degree, kids in debt or just feeling robbed because their chosen profession doesn’t pay. But there’s kids that go to inexpensive public schools that may feel like they didn’t get quality that one no doubt gets from Tufts. It’s clearly a fine school.

I feel for you. These are difficult decisions. I would just add that while a student feels they find the perfect school, I assure you there are many that they’d enjoy, not just one.

I mean, look at what your daughter has to choose from


A mid size public in a capital city, a large public with big time sports in a small city, a tiny school in an urban environment, and Tufts-a smaller but not small school in suburbia but with big city access. And then Fordham
depending on which campus.

If she’s happy at any of those, just think about that variety. Yes she’s in Honors but the public schools are still large and most the experience will be like that with Greek life, sports, etc.

Ok I opined enough. Best of luck to you.

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Fair point - but they have more apps and I’m hypothesizing but I’m assuming more full-pay due to the high paying families that don’t want to be bound.

But as Tufts is elite I imagine it could also be filled with kids with need who were declined elsewhere ED1 and 2.

Schools are filling more and more through ED. PENN just announced their ED class is planned to be 51% of the total. I assume others are similar. To me that’s nuts when it’s not a huge portion of applicants.

I don’t see ED stats in the CDS. But Tufts has a solid yield so I assume much comes ED. It looks like their yield was 43%
1615 of 3770 in 20/21.

But at 43% and knowing a large part has to be ED, that means the RD yield has to be smaller and I’m sure that has to do with sticker shock. So perhaps you are correct
there’s just no way to know.

Interesting discussion. Best of luck to OP and their daughter.

Question 1- Yes. I think ED is the ultimate display of interest and the certainty of matriculation (at full pay), of a qualified student is meaningful to AOs at a school like Tufts.

I don’t think ED2 carries a lesser consideration at a school like Tufts. Tufts undoubtedly recognizes that many of their top potential students have the credentials to be competitive at Ivy plus schools and some will have been deferred or rejected from super elites ED1. Consequently, I suspect they embrace the reality that they likely receive some of their most competitive candidates ED2, many of whom would have been disappointed elsewhere. They are not naive and they want the best candidates to both be accepted and attend. ED2 accomplishes both.

If your child truly views Tufts as her top choice ED2 most likely gives her the greatest likelihood of getting accepted.

Question 2- I think the score is worth submitting. It is likely a non event in either direction.

Kudos to you for preparing financially and attributing value to giving your daughter the flexibility to make her college selections largely independent of financial constraints. Family finances, educational values, parenting decisions, etc are extremely personal and consequently I will limit my responses to the specific questions asked. I congratulate you on your independence and approach to supporting your child.

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Thank you! I appreciate your thoughtful reply and for steering us back on topic. I agree—values, finances and choices are personal. I’m grateful for our specific situation and for the very considered decisions we have made so far.

I love your take on ED2. It makes a lot of sense that those who were rejected at Ivies would be another very attractive pool for Tufts and they likely value it just as much as ED1. I sort of wondered if they’d see it as less attractive since they clearly weren’t a “first choice” but ED is ED and a confirmed enrollment is the whole point.

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