Waitlist Gains Importance As Class Makeup Becomes Increasingly

Today: Partly Cloudy THE TUFTS High 59 Low 43 Tufts’ Student Tomorrow: Newspaper Partly Cloudy Since 1980 High 47 Low 43 VOLUME LII, NUMBER 18 DAILY MONDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2006 Waitlist gains importance as class makeup Do Jumbos get bigger over break? No food was served on cam- home who gained 11 pounds, pus until 5 p.m. yesterday, but thought that 1.1 pounds was a becomes increasingly difﬁ cult to project a new study suggests that, after reasonable estimate of how much Thanksgiving, college students students gain over break. BY SARAH BUTRYMOWICZ dict who will enroll at Tufts wide variety of students to pick could stand to skip a meal. “I’m sure I didn’t maintain seven Daily Editorial Board when students are applying to from in order to fill areas where Holly Hull, an exercise physiolo- pounds ... [1.1 pounds] is probably more and more schools. A stu- the student yield falls short. gist at the University of Oklahoma relatively accurate,” he said. There are about 600 to 700 dent who applies to 18 colleges Coffin hopes that students Health Sciences Center, conducted But there are skeptics. “I don’t sophomores at other universi- has to turn down 17 places, understand that if they are research last year that showed know if it’s possible to put that ties right now whose place on Coffin said. Controlling the size placed on the waitlist, they are that the average college student much [1.1 pounds] on in three the Tufts admissions waitlist of the class when it’s easy to qualified to attend the univer- gains 1.1 pounds while going days,” sophomore Lauren Gelmetti didn’t do them much good. apply to many places is more sity. “It says to a student, ‘We home for Thanksgiving break, the said. “I would not be surprised if But 40 members of this year’s difficult. liked you; we just didn’t have Associated Press reported on Nov. most people put on some weight freshman class would disagree. Coffin believes a part of the room,’” he said. 22. over break, though.” So would Dean of Admissions reason for this is the “common In addition to filling in the Hull and her colleagues weighed The cause of the weight gain Lee Coffin, who says that the application and the ease of gap between admissions pre- 94 students twice, once the week may not be purely a result of all waitlist becomes most useful applying. Ten years ago, you dictions on which students will before Thanksgiving and again 12 the turkey and potatoes eaten on when the numbers in the enroll- didn’t have that luxury.” enroll and the reality, the wait- days later. Thanksgiving Day, these students ing class do not reflect the level When the model predicts list also backs up admissions Gaining slightly over a pound said. They arrived at their houses of diversity sought by the Office the numbers inaccurately on predictions of the overall num- in less than a week translates to to find home-cooked meals and of Undergraduate Admissions. the lower end, Coffin said, the ber that will. an extra 320 daily calories, “which snacks made by their parents, a The Admissions Office waitlist allows the Admissions Two years ago, Admissions would be about a slice of pumpkin step up from the cafeteria food employs a yield model that uses Office to introduce diversity underestimated the number of pie per day,” Hull told AP reporter they have been eating this semes- historical data to predict the and create a less homogenous accepted students who would Marilynn Marchione. ter. decisions of different students class. choose to enroll in the Class Several Tufts students were not “We had, like, three days of who may vary in their ethnic- “[That’s] the strategic part of 2009. As a result, that class surprised, one having even con- massive feasting,” Gelmetti said. ity, academic interests or geo- of my work that most students became the largest on cam- ducted an informal experiment of “[My parents] made muffins, graphic locations. and parents don’t think about,” pus with 1,367 students that his own. cake and cookies,” Schmieder There is, however, an inher- Coffin said. Admissions must matriculated. Admissions did “I weighed myself before said. ent problem in the yield model, “map out” the class based on not select students from the Thanksgiving morning and Not all hope is lost, however. which leads to cases like the goals that it has for a diverse waitlist. Thanksgiving night, and [I gained] Eighty-four of the 94 students in too-large Class of 2009. student body. In choosing how many appli- seven pounds,” sophomore Alex Hull’s study were weighed again “The data reflects behavior Admissions offers about cants to accept into the Class Schmieder said. “I was having mid-January. For students that of 17- and 18-year-olds,” Coffin 1,800 students a place on the of 2010, admissions tried to a little competition with some were a normal weight to begin said. “You’re fickle. [There is a] waitlist each year, but about model more conservatively, friends.” with, the Thanksgiving pound had human element.” 600 to 700 choose to stay on it, Schmieder, who said he lost almost completely disappeared. It’s also complicated to pre- he said. This gives Admissions a see WAITLIST, page 2 the competition to a friend from — Sarah Butrymowicz Minority recruitment program Davis Square construction remains a work in progress attracts 210 potential applicants Telescope, a program the country and asked that intended to attract minori- they each bring up to five of ties to apply to Tufts, brought their students with them. approximately 200 potential “This brought about applicants to campus on another 50 students to the Nov. 9 and 10. program,” Tiggle said. “One Associate Director of counselor from Washington Admissions Darryl Tiggle D.C. brought 12 kids, which said that about 250 appli- definitely fits with my man- cants pre-registered to tra of more.” attend Telescope, but only The program costs about 210 came. Of these 210, he $50,000 each year. “It’s fund- predicted that somewhere ing 200 kids on campus for from 25 to 36 of the stu- two days with four meals, dents will end up enrolled at car service and printing Tufts. Tufts literature,” Tiggle said. On Thursday and Friday, He said that the only direct Telescope attendees toured monetary returns are the the cultural houses, listened application fees the univer- to a student panel, attend- sity receives from interested ed classes and watched a students who apply to Tufts. “super show” featuring stu- “The return on it might be dent organizations such a negative return,” he said. REBEKAH SOKOL/TUFTS DAILY as BlackOut and Spirit of “It’s the cost of doing busi- In recent months, Davis Square has been a frenzy of the foundation is already excavated. It is projected Color. ness.” of new construction and modernization. The intent to be completed within 18 months, Gewirtz said. The potential applicants Whether Telescope was is to usher in a new wave of transformation for Several small-scale constructions are taking place as were also interviewed by successful or not is still up Somerville and to maintain its positive momentum by well. The consignment store Poor Little Rich Girl has Tufts seniors. “The interviews in the air. Victoria George, a continuing to develop, according to the Web site of moved from its old location on Highland Ave. to Elm determine whether [the stu- Tufts admissions counselor, the Davis Area Resident Business Initiative committee St., into the space that used to be West Coast Video. dents] have people skills,” said that success can only be (DARBI), which is overseeing the process. The space at 51 Davis Square is being completely said Assistant Director of gauged later, when applica- This next step in urbanization will help “promote renovated so that a Mr. Crepe can move in. It is sched- Admissions Kathleen Cho tions start coming in from Davis Square as an attractive place to live, visit, shop uled to open for business next month. Seldow. They also give appli- Telescope attendees. and conduct business,” according to DARBI. Also, an Italian restaurant is slated to open soon cants “a personal and mem- But George is already One Davis Square, for instance, is the site of a at 400 Highland Ave., and a new Mexican restaurant orable experience of Tufts.” optimistic about the poten- soon-to-be erected Boston Sports Club fitness facility called Chipotle will open in the place that previously This year, for the first time, tial success of the program. and a CVS. housed Halloween Scream. Telescope worked hand-in- “When it was time for them The site, being built by Ryan Construction, will Students may also have noticed improvements to hand with a new program to go, they didn’t want to include office space on upper floors, with some space the scrolling marquee sign on the Middlesex Federal to increase student turnout. leave. They bonded, they reserved for various non-profit organizations, said Savings Bank on College Ave., included to increase The program, called the enjoyed themselves and Ward 6 Alderman Rebekah Gewirtz. As the represen- community awareness and civic involvement. The Synthesis program, invited their parents were apprecia- tative for the Ward which covers Elm St., Gewirtz has scroll now advertises anything from time and tem- high school guidance coun- tive,” she said. been involved in the construction process. perature to news stories from the Somerville Journal selors to Tufts from all over — Stephanie Sguigna Although the site was only just demolished during and upcoming local events.

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