How to Know if ED is Right for You
November 1st is coming! From my perspective, that’s both an exciting and a terrifying thing. On the exciting side, it means that a new admissions season has truly begun. Recruitment is about over, and the results of hours on the road and miles put on the rental car will soon become evident. It’s also terrifying because it’s always a little unpredictable...Will we receive more applications? Will it be even harder to make decisions this year than it was last year? While I can’t answer the first question, the answer to the second is always “yes.”
I bet that November 1st is a little nerve-wracking for some of you as well. “Should I apply Early Decision?” might be looming large in your mind. My answer to that? “Maybe.” But how will you know? If you agree with the two statements below, ED might be right for you.
“I have explored Tufts and feel like I belong there. I connected with the community and the academic offerings.” This is important—you will spend as much (or more!) time outside of the classroom as you will in it. So, do you connect with the vibe on campus? Can you see yourself thriving in the classroom and being a member of the student body? Do Tufts students interact with each other in a way that appeals to you?
“My reason for applying isn’t to be strategic, but rather because Tufts really is my number one choice!” This is also important. In the interest of being totally transparent, the students we admit through Early Decision I and II are students we believe we would admit whenever they applied; it’s a strong group of applicants who are great fits for Tufts. Know that we take Early Decision seriously, and we also take applicants’ feelings about it very seriously, too. To that end, we try to either admit or deny in Early Decision, because it can be hard to be deferred and waiting for an answer until April. I hope that piece of knowledge doesn’t scare you, but rather shows you our commitment to being as thoughtful as we can about this process.
If the statements above seem a little cloudy still, you might consider applying Regular Decision, when you’ll have the opportunity to weigh your options. There’s nothing wrong with that. Not everyone has to have a clear number one choice in November (or even in January!). While I always hope that you’ll choose Tufts, I know that you have choices, and I want you to choose wisely.
Good luck with your decisions, friends! We look forward to receiving your applications when the time is right for you.