Early Questions
Dear seniors, you're a month away from the first deadline of the admission process. I know. You're wondering how that happened so quickly. So am I. But here we are, poised at this third day of October with the ED1 deadline peeking (winking?) over the calendar’s horizon.
Your first big admission decision is at hand: will you apply early? And if “early” is a binding Early Decision (ED) option—as it is at Tufts—then November 1 is kind of like Valentine’s Day. You will be declaring your love to some special place. That’s something you should do with a high degree of thoughtfulness.
Ask yourself a critical question: has one college surged past all the other options on your list? If the answer is yes, you’re in the ED zone. But if things are still fuzzy, no worries! Keep looking and thinking. Trust me: there’s plenty of time to sort things out. Even if it seems like “everyone” in your class is applying early, that impression does not mean the early option is the right one for you.
As an application option, Early Decision always generates lots of questions. This one is a perennial topic of discussion: “Is it easier to get in if I apply early?” And the answer is usually a convoluted jig. “Well, yes and no…” the admission officer responds. (And you think, “Gee, that wasn’t very helpful.”) A sibling of that question would be, “Is it harder to get in ED1 or ED2?” Notice both questions address a similar, strategic idea. I would suggest that “ease” of admission is not the right way to be making this (early) decision, but let me answer both versions of the question.
Question #1: Is it easier to get in? Well, at most places, the acceptance rate is a bit more inclusive during the early rounds. So, yes, I suppose it’s fair to say it’s “easier.” But that characterization would be misleading; the percentage of ED applicants who are accepted is a slippery measure of “ease.” In this example, the acceptance-rate-is-higher-so-it-must-be-easier conclusion requires some nuance. The better question would be: Are the academic qualifications of ED acceptances different than the Regular Decision (RD) cohort? At Tufts, the academic profile of the ED class and the RD class is the same. If your guidance counselor is telling you "Tufts is a reach," your odds of admission don't improve just because it's Early Decision.
Here’s another way to think about the differing acceptance rates. If a student applying early has academic credentials that are on profile and she also submits a compelling application, why wouldn’t a college say yes when she has made a binding enrollment declaration?
Question #2: Is ED1 “easier” than ED2? I’ve spent enough time working with high school seniors to sniff out a question behind a question. I think the real question students are asking when they pose the “ED1 versus ED2” question is this one: "If I’m an ED2 applicant, will you assume I applied somewhere else as an ED1 candidate and I didn’t get in?" As a general rule, I try not to make assumptions about the behavior of high school seniors. You change your mind a lot. (It’s a maddening habit, but I get it.) Don’t worry about this angle. We certainly don’t. (And we don’t check out your Facebook, Instagram and Twitter accounts, either, but that’s a different blog topic.)
The main difference between the ED1 and ED2 rounds is a matter of the grades we see. For ED1 applicants, the fall semester of 12th grade is a work-in-progress. We will request first-quarter grades (or trimester if that’s the system used in your high school) but your mid-year status report is, obviously, unavailable in late November. That means the results of your junior year will carry a bit more weight during the ED1 round. For ED2, we will have your midterm results for your senior year. We don't need to guess how you're doing in the senior curriculum you listed on your Common Application.
Finally, some of you might be mulling an ED application but you are understandably focused on financial aid. Remember that Tufts meets 100% of demonstrated need. In this context, that means we will offer you the same financial aid award in December as we will in April. At Tufts, the financial aid equation is not different based on when you apply. Of course, if you need (or want) to compare financial aid awards from various colleges then you are destined for Regular Decision. But you should also know that your binding enrollment pledge can be overridden if our need-based financial aid award seems unworkable for your family.
My last point is a rewording of my first one: If you already have a first choice, then an ED application makes sense. But don’t force that decision. You’ll know it’s an option for you when you feel the tug towards that one special place.