So Much Love, So Few Spots

DanAdmiss_Tufts
Tue, 31 Mar 2009 13:30:24 +0000

I love how substantive the Tufts boards are, and I mean that in total sincerity.

I have a few last questions:
How easy is it to discern fact from fiction in these apps when there is so much love and so few spots? If you take the high road in the application process, are you at a disadvantage?

My S’s app is 100% honest. We did not deny that both his step-dad and I are well educated. However, he did not take any SAT courses other than a few books purchased at the bookstore. In his comment section, he commented on the stability of his relationship with his step-dad… (that was a mistake!) as a good thing in his life. He did not write that his grandfather is an abused spouse by his grandmother who is a raging alcoholic…(which he should have). He did not say his bio-father is a dead-beat and that he is owed several hundred thousand dollars…which he won’t go after because he does not need it…(Moral character seems to work against a college acceptance letter.) I could go on. But you probably get my point…



Talking about those sorts of challenges isn’t important unless it was a defining feature of your life. An applicant’s goal - any applicant - is to present their strengths and abilities as distinct and powerful. If your son feels that those experiences do not define him or his abilities, then why write about them at all? Those external factors make an impact when they are woven into the larger story. Just because a reporter highlighted a single case that came up in committee doesn’t mean that particular story is the path to admission. As for discerning fact from fiction; we rely on the honesty of others. If an applicant is pitching a story that isn’t truthful, it’s likely we’ll find points of dissonance in the Counselor Letter or in a Teacher Rec.



My second question: (My apologies if this is in the wrong string) If you don’t recalculate GPA…how do you account for the difference in “differential” for AP/Honors courses for students from different schools? For example: our town gives a .3 for AP/Honors courses and rarely gives As as grades in these courses per policy. Two towns over they give a 1.3 and kids can graduate with a 5.3. How can a 4.0 compete with a 5.3 without recalculating?



This is why we read by territory. I’ve read the state of Maryland for the last 3 years; I know the difference between how Howard County calculates its GPA and how Montgomery County calculates its GPA. I know its easier to get an A at some Howard County schools than at others. I know that even though two students both have a 4.55 at the same high school, there can still be curricular differences that make one transcript much more impressive than the other. In every case, each student is read within the context of their school. No grade is viewed in a vacuum.

I am sure that as admissions officers, you don’t have time to deal with these nuances?

As admissions officers, dealing with those nuances is the job.