Screw your courage to the sticking place (Qs about Deferrals)
I've been reading a lot of Shakespeare lately (and listening to the Beauty and the Beast soundtrack), and so the line used for the thread title has been stuck in my head waiting for an opportunity to be used - and since it's appropriate for the topic... well... there it is.
I'd like to give some perspective and insight on how we (as an office) view deferrals.
There are schools where a deferral is essentially the kiss of death - that is not the case at Tufts. Of the three possible early decisions (accept, defer, deny), deferred was - noticeably - the least used option. We use deferrals thoughtfully, deliberately, and with purpose. If you have been deferred, it is because we seriously believe that your might look better in the light of regular decision. In short, have hope, stay positive, and know that your application will get fairly treated when it comes again in March.
We're neck deep in reading Regular Applications now, but I'm going to do my best to answer questions on CC. If you have a question about deferrals, please post it in this thread.
Getting accepted would have meant the world to me. I want to believe there is hope for me yet, but I am sure you understand how difficult this is.
My main questions is, how should I go about making myself stand out? Certainly admissions wants something more from me, but I don't have much else to give besides an essay or two.
Also, what exactly do you mean about the deferred looking better in regular decision?
By now you should be old enough to realize and accept that rejection is a part of life. Tufts is probably looking for a certain type of person; just because you weren't accepted doesn't mean you aren't a good candidate.
Dan-I am so sorry for your sad feelings. Do not give up. This means that your life path should go a different way. A better way for you. I know at this moment it is hard to think this way. You will love another college once you are there. You may meet someone on this path that will change you life, ie- a best friend, a professor, a future spouse. Today is a hard day for you, but there are better ones that lie ahead. This will turn to be a gift to you. Keep your head up! Good luck! Someone who really knows
Like Anna, I got deferred too. I am disappointed about this decision and would also like to ask how can I shine even brighter among the regular candidates? My mid year transcript actually has already been sent...so what else would you like to see?
Should I call and ask specifically what I lacked?
Sorry about ur results dan. This does not mean the end of the road for you. Good luck.
AdminDan: omg i love beauty and the beast!!! i'm listening to 'home' right now!!! yeh...using that to cheer me up.
I understand how you feel, Dan, but there is one bright side: more options. Had you been accepted, you would have had to go to Tufts. Because you weren't, it means you will have multiple colleges to choose from come April, and hopefully at least one of them will be a good match for you.
And that goes for all other deferred and rejected students. It's one of the only things helping me get through this whole ordeal.
I think that deferral this year will mean a lot RD, because when you're compared to some other kid who did NOT openly demonstrate to Tufts that it was their first choice, they will factor into their decision that you really want to be there, while the other kid is an unknown.
Anna: good to keep an open attitude! I would write an email to the admissions counselor that reads your region to let him/her know that despite your deferral, Tufts is still your first choice, and if they'd like to see any supplementary materials that would help them make their choice, feel free to ask.
I mean, it would be a lot easier if I just said, "I hate my life," but then I would spend the next few months feeling horrible about myself, and that's not exactly how I want to remember high school. There have been moments in the past couple of days when I just wanted to go to my room and cry myself to sleep, but I pushed these feelings aside and went out with my friends instead. Last night I sang karaoke and had the time of my life!
Point being, though this is difficult for me, I have to believe that wherever I go to college (hopefully in the end it will be Tufts) I can make the best of it.
And yeah, bluirinka, I was already planning to send an email like that tomorrow!
I was deferred. I was just wondering what exactly I should do next. I love Tufts sooo much so any advice would be great. Some schools have students fill out extra forms. Is this true for Tufts? Also, what tends to be the acceptance rate for deferred students?
Anna Molly - "deferred looking better in regular decision?": An explanation
There are some applicants who we feel good about in Early, but the committee will have reservations about offering admission. For some of those applicants it's clear that the case for them will not get any stronger in regular decision. But there are other students, where having a broader pool lets them rise to the surface. It's difficult to explain because there are so many ways this can happen, and also because how this happens year to year is so unpredictable.
I'm going to provide an *extremely* simplified example. Let's say your high school class is much stronger than the average year, and unbeknown to you, you're ranked 15% when in any other year you would be 5%. If you are the only ED app from your school, then you sit in a vacuum at 15%. In the regular pool, there are 11 other students, and given increased information, the unusual strength of your class suddenly becomes obvious and it's easy to disregard your rank.
Again - there are many ways for that kind of an effect to happen (please don't get hung up on that example). But we don't advocate a deferral unless we really liked your application and think you've got a reasonable shot in regular.
If you decide to send in additional materials, please remember that brevity will help you. A quick letter (though not asked for or required) should be sufficient to highlight anything new that's come up, reiterate interest, and provide additional explanation for something that may not have explained the first time around.
"Let's say your high school class is much stronger than the average year, and unbeknown to you, you're ranked 15% when in any other year you would be 5%. If you are the only ED app from your school, then you sit in a vacuum at 15%. In the regular pool, there are 11 other students, and given increased information, the unusual strength of your class suddenly becomes obvious and it's easy to disregard your rank."
d is not a Tufts applicant, but hopefully other schools will acknowledge this as well......thanks, Dan, great example.......
