Can i do it?

Colleges & Universities Tufts University
1

<p>Hi!
Ok, I am mid-way through this whole college process and am starting to try and narrow down my list of potential schools. Tufts has been at the top of my list for as long as i can remember, but now im just kind of curious if it would really be a good school for me. </p>

<p>My SAT/ACT scores are not final yet. I still have to take my subject tests and the both the ACT and SAT.</p>

<p>I have chosen a challenging course outline these past three years and will have completed highschool with 5 AP’s : two years of Spanish, US history, Bio, and Ab Calc. As of now my GPA is about a 3.72.</p>

<p>But on a personal level, my interests are quite wide but with a major focus on languages, international studies, and cultural diversity. </p>

<p>I was asked to travel independently with Saint Louis University’s Public Health Department to Peru. I was a translator and was trained to be an enviornmental tester as the department studied the effects of the American run DOE RUN mining company in the small Andean town of La Oroya. I will return this summer to help translate and present our results to local grassroots organizatons and to the new legislature. </p>

<p>I also participated in the non-profit organization, Cultural Leadership, for Black and Jewish highschool juniors, but I was a year younger than the other participants. We met every month to discuss our histories and all sorts of modern issues like institutionalized racism and internalized oppression. Then over the summer we traveled together for three weeks around the country and met people like Julian Bond, Rep. John Lewis, Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth, Att. Fred Grey, and three of the Little Rock Nine, among many others. I remain an active board member and continue to facilitate programs around the city.</p>

<p>I have been active in my Synagogue youth group for years, and am a member of an organization that sends Jewish students to schools with very small Jewish communities to teach about the religion and culture. In addition i am in a Muslim-Jewish dialogue group that meets every month. This summer i will be in Israel for a month (I was born there and visit family every year) but this time to do an intensive hebrew program to clean off some of the rust that built up after moving to the US.</p>

<p>I have dreams of one day working abroad and hope to have mastered at least 5 or 6 languages. I am sadly aware that i will never get perfect test scores, let alone excellent ones. I am thinking my ACT will end up at around a 30. Is there any hope of me getting in to Tufts without sky high scores? Are my extra curriculars enough? Is Tufts the right place for me?</p>

2

<p>I say you have a really good chance, if I’m comparing your stats to mine. You have consistency in your ECs, which is always a major plus. </p>

<p>I was admitted with little ECs - I’m Finnish and we don’t really have any ECs over here, a 2000 SAT score, abysmal SAT IIs and a badly delayed application so if I were you, I wouldn’t worry at all.</p>

3

<p>Thanks for the reassurance. I have a feeling my test scores will be my main weakness, but my grades in school have been pretty good and i have a mountain of EC’s that i guess are pretty consistant. </p>

<p>I also am an Israeli citizen. do you think the international aspect was helpful at all?</p>

4

<p>You sound like a very good candidate, with interesting EC’s that show commitment. You don’t need a perfect 2400, but your SAT scores do need to be as high as possible – shoot for at least the lower 700’s on 2 out of three of the sections. Also, if ultimately your SAT’s come out a bit weak, your other credentials will hold you up well (all top schools expect to find a slightly weak point with just about everyone). Also, the Israeli aspect is great. Tufts, like G-town and the Ivies, love internationals.</p>

5

<p>ah yes a confidence booster! Thank you for the input! My parents have really been getting on my case about the test scores. It has been sort of nerve racking. Is there any problem with sending my ACT scores instead of my SAT? Im going to take a few Subject Tests anyways, just in case i can use them for language requirements etc. But does Tufts look down on the ACT?</p>

6

<p>To the best of my knowledge, Tufts is fine with the ACT. However, they’ll still want at least two, and much more likely three SAT II’s (plus AP/IB’s, of course). My recommendation is, if you’re interested in IR/IS/Humanities, to take SAT II’s in those subjects that you love i.e. US/Euro History; English, etc.</p>

7

<p>ok thanks! im jsut a bit confused about if the SAT II’s are mandatory. I’m taking APUSH, Spanish, and Math I. It should be alright for me to send those and just the ACT correct? My SAT is pretty sad.</p>

8

<p>I sent in SAT and ACT but NO SAT II’s. Not mandatory at all if you send in ACT. May help you though if your SAT scores are a bit weak.</p>

9

<p>your EC’s make you an extremly intresting canidate, don’t worry and tell your parents not to eaither:)</p>

10

<p>great! and did you end up going there?</p>

11

<p>if you are using ACT en lieu of SAT IIs, you have to submit the ACT with writing. This screwed a lot of people over at my school who applied to tufts, i really think they prefer SAT IIs</p>

12

<p>Ok. I am takin the ACT with the writing. And i am taking 3 SAT II’s. Nut now im confused. I can chose to send ONLY ACT and SAT II’s. Right?
The SAT makes me shiver…it isnt required at Tufts correct?</p>

13

<p>Sorry if we confused you, didn’t mean it in the least. </p>

<ul>
<li><p>If you take the SAT, Tufts want at least two, preferably three SAT II’s also (they have the same req’s as other highly competitive colleges). </p></li>
<li><p>Because the ACT covers broader subject areas, if you take the ACT, i believe you don’t have to take any SAT II’s, but it’s still advisatory. </p></li>
</ul>

<p>If you can, go to the Tufts Undergraduate Admissions website; i believe it’s <a href=“http://www.tufts.edu/admissions[/url]”>www.tufts.edu/admissions</a> and search under “requirements” - they should give you what test combinations were needed for the Class of 2010.</p>

14

<p>HAHA thanks. Ive been hearing so many different things from so many schools. They all get jumbled up into a huge stew in my head. It gets hard to sort through it all. And i have months ahead of me so id better straighten it all out fast!
Crossing my fingers for these subject tests. Taking them this weekend. :/</p>

15

<p>In my experience, the SAT is made up of what you already know. If given as much time as you pleased, you could probably ace it, or nearly so (you seem pretty smart). It’s just a mind game–don’t let it psyche you out. SAT scores are not the be all and end all of your academic career. I used to freak out about SATs a lot (I took it FOUR times!), but really, if you just stay calm and don’t put so much weight on it, stress will be one less thing you have to worry about when you’re thinking about the pythagorean theorem.
and as for subject tests, it’s really just how much you study and know the material. I didn’t do very well on mine (the highest was 720, and subject test scores in general are usually higher than that) and I still got into Tufts, so, if you’re studied, you’ll be fine.</p>

<p>oh and good luck with your entire college process!</p>

16

<p>Thanks for the encouragement. It’s always stressed to us that test scores are not the most important thing…expecially if i can show myself through my essays and ec’s pretty well.<br>
I have deffinitly been studying for the subject tests…im only concerned about math. It has always been a weakeness. But im also not interested in doing any math focused work so i dont think it’s a huge problem.
What at Tufts did/are you studying?</p>