Tufts is losing talented students and compromising its position as an elite university because it lacks a need-blind admissions policy. Not only does this make the student body economically homogenous, it also hurts the University's credibility as a leading insitution of higher education.
Dean of Admissions Lee Coffin said that when admitting the class of 2008, Asian-American applicants who needed financial aid were not admitted due to budget constraints. When President Larry Bacow was inaugurated in April 2002, he promised to raise endowment and make admissions need-blind, in order to increase the accessibility of a Tufts education. Three years later, the University must stop promising need-blind admissions and instead raise enough funds to make it a reality.
Economic diversity is as important as racial diversity because it also brings a variety of perspectives and backgrounds to the classroom, enhancing the educational experience for all. According to Coffin, there were more Asian-American applicants than African-Americans or Latinos, so the admissions department chose to deny admission to the neediest Asian-Americans because that ethnic group would still be well-represented. Since only upper and middle class Asian-American applicants were accepted last year, there is an important part of the Asian-American community missing from the class of 2008. Economically disadvantaged groups, such as Vietnamese, Cambodians or Laotians, would be denied the opportunity to attend Tufts under the current admissions policy.
It is unfair for Asian-Americans in particular to bear the brunt of the University's financial difficulties. The admissions office should have spread the effects of a $2 million loss in financial aid funds across all major applicant groups. One group should not have been singled out as Asian-Americans were. This is the only fair way to maintain the economic and racial diversity with the funds available.
Achieving need-blind admissions must be the University's first priority, because the caliber of the student body depends on it. Without need-blind admissions, many Tufts students graduate without realizing that most Americans cannot pay the $40,000 price tag without assistance. Economically disadvantaged students bring a different background to a campus filled with elite boarding-school graduates and wealthy international students.
Dean of Admissions Lee Coffin said that many Asian-American applicants offered financial aid packages chose to attend other institutions. These students likely chose to attend other schools because they were offered better aid packages. Tufts will continue to lose talented applicants if a need-blind policy is not met, which will negatively affect the University's standing in comparison to peer institutions.
Tufts is an elite institution, but it cannot attract the best students to attend if it does not offer competitive financial aid packages. Current and future fundraising efforts must be dedicated to achieving need-blind admissions so that Tufts can assemble the best possible student body and maintain its position among the top American universities.
