For what it is worth, my son with comparable test scores, lower GPA (3.85) and fewer APs was admitted to tufts ED1. He loved the “quirky” vibe. There was a table being circulated this year that compared the acceptance rates in ED vs regular. For Tufts it it was a rate of 44% in ED. So if she is okay with giving up on the Ivies, and really loves it, her odds seem good.
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44% higher in ED vs RD, correct?
42.3 acceptance to tufts in Ed, 11.4 in Rd and 64.5% of class filled by Ed. Can’t confirm source.
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This was class of 2022, so 4 years ago. Their spreadsheets for classes of 2023 and 2024 haven’t included the data.
The source is this:
Probably not perfect per it’s disclaimers - but it’s certainly believable.
Penn said they aim for 51% of class from ED and this shows 52% last years. WUSTL told my son they accept 40% ED and this shows 42%.
This is what colleges don’t want you to see - that applying RD to so many top top schools really limits your possibility of getting in - and if they can lock in a huge chunk early, they will.
It’s not meant to be fair. It’s meant to be a well functioning business from a profit and loss POV.
The “lesser” schools seem to have a lower % filled ED, probably because they have a lot less ED apps.
Good stuff - thanks for sharing.
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Hey there! I’m a current junior at Tufts who applied ED2 way back in the 18-19 admissions cycle. I was in a situation similar to the one your daughter is in right now. I was teetering between ED2 and RD for months before finally checking the “ED2” box on New Year’s Day.
Why was I indecisive? I applied to Yale in the early action round. My stats were in the same range as your daughter’s. I was deferred.
There was something about both Yale and Tufts that lured me. Like you say: Both are mid-size liberal arts schools; each has a fine music program; the students at both schools are notoriously down-to-earth. Of course, Yale has more resources. It’s programs are stronger, and it obviously has the advantage when it comes to reputation. (Not to state the obvious.)
I ended up applying ED2 to Tufts precisely for the reasons outlined above. I knew I’d be happy at the school, and I feared a scenario in which I’d be rejected from both schools RD, leaving me to attend a safety.
Clearly, I was accepted ED2. I’m happy at Tufts — it’s a great school, filled with exceedingly nice people. I’ve found community in some extracurriculares (notably the student newspaper and the music department).
But there’s certainly a part of me that wonders: What if? What if I applied RD, and what if I got into Yale? I really thought I had a chance, and who knows, maybe I did.
And once I started to meet students at Tufts, I really got the feeling that I could have gotten in RD if I chose to go that route. Regardless, I never had closure with Yale (not to mention the dozens of other schools from which I had to withdraw my app after the ED2 decision was released).
In retrospect, I think a lot about risk aversion. When making decisions, people tend to weigh the potential risks far more than the potential positives of a decision with uncertain consequences.
Of course it’s a personal decision. But since I’m weighing in: I’d say go for it, if she really thinks she has a shot at Yale.
Because hey: You never know. And when you do know, at least you’ll have closure.
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I had almost the opposite experience.
I applied ED to Cornell, then I got deferred. So I didn’t apply ED2 to Tufts (which had always been my first choice) I wanted to wait on Cornell.
Wound up with the transfer option from Cornell and got WL at Tufts. I was kicking myself for not applying ED2 to Tufts.
Luckily I got called off the WL for Tufts in early May and I’m a soph now. In hindsight I was meant to be here and never gave Cornell a second thought.
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OK - I’m confused.
If Tufts was always your first choice, why did you ED to Cornell and not Tufts ED1?
I went to look at a certain program in August going into senior year and interviewed with the director. I was really impressed (and maybe the lure of Ivy) I had everyone encouraging me to try. (except my mother - who said I should stick with my original -Tufts) I visited Tufts in freshman year and every year after - also doing a summer program going into junior year.
I guess I second guessed myself. In hindsight - it wouldn’t have been the best fit for me. I really am thriving in a collaborative and friendly atmosphere of Tufts. In addition, I have great relationships with my professors and advisor.
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Well I’m glad it worked out.
This is the issue with Ivy. An Ivy may have been great for you. But maybe Yale or Brown or Columbia. Maybe not Cornell.
Kids go to schools based on name but no nothing about it. I went to Syracuse (late 80s) based on this - of course we didn’t have the ability to see/know back in the day.
Fortunately, it’s worked out for you. I’m sure, in reality, there’s probably 50 or 100 colleges out there, had you gone - you’d have a great experience. And that’s probably the same for every kid.
Maybe someone has a great experience at Michigan. Maybe they’d have just as good at Ohio State or Wisconsin or Kentucky. Maybe someone at Harvard would have had a great time at Elon or Denver or wherever.
Plus, as you know, there’s lots of variables - bad roommates, bad profs. On the flipside, you might meet your bff or future spouse.
Anyway, glad it worked out for you…but I bet it could have worked out at many schools. I think that’s overlooked.
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Where would you have gone if you did not ED2 to Tufts and had been denied by both Yale and Tufts RD?
As I said in my previous comment, my son really did not care about the names of schools. He just wanted to study Computer Science. He really enjoyed coding from his robotics team. In the end we parents persuaded him to try Cornell, Tufts and Rice at the last minutes mainly because of the names. In the retrospect, we regretted it. He applied RD to all without showing any demonstrated interest. He got rejected all.
After he decided to go to UCSD, we started to like it more. Not only it is only 20min from our home, Computer Science there is actually ranked higher than Rice and Tufts. And also as a state resident the tuition is cheaper.
We learned that; don’t get caught in the names of the schools, we can also check the ranking of intended major. Also I don’t think top 10 versus top 20 is much different. The difference is very small.
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Yes, I agree …there are so many great schools out there and it’s easy to look back and realize that.
When you are in the midst of making that “life changing” decision - it can feel like a high stakes, high pressure for the big prize.
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I agree—this certainly feels a high stakes decision, even though I can see clearly that it’s also just one of many avenues my daughter could take to college. She’s a “bloom where she is planted” sort, so I think she will land on her feet and all will be fine.
She resonated with your post @applicant2023. I think she just wants to know/close that door with Yale. And because she’s happy to choose one of the places she has already been accepted to, it’s worth the trade off for her. After a lot of research, probing and conversation, I’m convinced she won’t regret her decision, even if she is rejected in RD to both Tufts and Yale.
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Wishing her all the best!!
When decisions come around and she has the opportunity to walk the campuses of acceptance schools, be in control of the situation and make the decisions, I am sure her perspective will be slightly different then when everything is uncertain and aspirational.
Sounds like she is confident and has conviction, good for her!! Anxious to hear her landing spot and hoping the wait doesn’t feel interminable.
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Bloom where you are planted. . .
I like that. 
Thanks for sharing it. 
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Depends where I would have gotten in! My other top choices were Brown, Williams and Middlebury.
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That’s great! Best of luck to her. Everything works out in the end.
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