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[quote=Anonymous]This is a statement Tufts put into its Common Data Set:

With the publication of this year’s Common Data set, Tufts University resumes the practice of posting information
related to the proportion of enrolled first-year students who graduated in the top 10 percent of their high school
classes (“Top 10%”). We do so with some misgivings, and ask that you read on to learn why.

Three years ago, Tufts suspended publishing data on the Top 10% and simultaneously stopped providing that data
to U.S. News & World Report, which uses it in its formula that dictates its Best Colleges Rankings. We did so
because we believe that the data point is fundamentally flawed and of little value as an indicator of quality of an
incoming class. For several years, the number of high schools providing class rank information to Tufts and other
universities has fallen significantly. Beginning around 2011, fewer than 50 percent of incoming first-year students at
Tufts had a reported class rank. In 2014, the most recent year for which Tufts reported this data point, only 37
percent of incoming students had a class rank. This year, the percentage has fallen again to the mid-20s, meaning
that three out of every four incoming Tufts students are unranked. The downward trend is the same for our peer
schools, whose reports also show that only about 20 to 30 percent of incoming students had a class rank.
With so few high schools reporting student rankings, this metric no longer serves as a reliable indicator of the
academic strength of an incoming class. In fact, without this context, the data point can be misleading. Moreover,
the small and shrinking sample size calls into question the integrity of the data.

Nevertheless, we know that some applicants and their parents value this information and look to it as one data
point among many that helps them in their decision-making. Additionally, we recognize that other institutions
ranked in the U.S. News & World Report listings continue to report this information. While we have decided to
resume reporting it, we encourage prospective applicants, their parents, and others to understand the limitations of
this particular data point and to consider for themselves whether it is a worthwhile measure of the quality of an
incoming class.

Tufts’ approach to admissions is holistic; we select applicants who not only have strong academic credentials but also the personal characteristics and experiences that will make them good “fits” for our community. We are proud that Tufts continues to attract high-caliber students who are drawn to the university because of its academic
reputation, its student-centered characteristics, and its distinctive and diverse community made possible by the
university’s commitment to inclusion and support. [/quote]

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