why tufts essays

Real Tufts University Supplemental Essay Examples!

Up first, the “Why” Essay.

James Gregoire ’19 (South Burlington, VT):

It was on my official visit with the cross country team that I realized Tufts was the perfect school for me. Our topics of conversation ranged from Asian geography to efficient movement patterns, and everyone spoke enthusiastically about what they were involved in on campus. I really related with the guys I met, and I think they represent the passion that Tufts’ students have. I can pursue my dream of being a successful entrepreneur by joining the Tufts Entrepreneurs Society, pursuing an Entrepreneurial Leadership minor, and taking part in an up-and-coming computer science program.

Lena Novins-Montaque ’20 (Denver, CO):

Before my tour, my dad and I stopped in Brown and Brew for coffee. We saw a stack of The Tufts Daily, and beside it, copies of Canon. The poetry and prose I read was carefully curated and well written. As a writer, this instantly excited me. During the tour, my guide Ed enthusiastically said, “Tufts is full of people who are interested and interesting.” Tufts offers an environment that encourages intellectual curiosity that matches perfectly with what I want for my college experience

Megan Rivkin ’20 (Lincolnshire, IL):

Give me a blank page– I’ll draw all over it.

When I visited, a Jumbo studying theatre and psychology was directing “Next To Normal.” That sounds like me. I want to make theatre useful by studying other areas as well. At Tufts, interdisciplinary thinking is a key part of the culture.

Playwright Neil Labute told me to find a college where I can pave my own way, not be force-fed opportunities. I need a creative space that will hand me a blank page and care how I use it.

Though he may not have known it, Mr. Labute described Tufts.

Next up, the “Let Your Life Speak” Essay (from a previous admission season)

Justin Dorosh ’20 (North Reading, MA)

As a child, my family’s TV got only 33 channels. It’s never good when the Home Shopping Network is considered  “good TV.” As a result, my kindergarten entertainment was a Leap Pad rather than Cartoon Network. I used the interactive learning device to memorize all 206 bones in the body as well as every state and its respective capital. I did this not only because my parents thought it was good for me, but because I was interested in the world around me. I sought to understand life beyond the 150 square-foot room I shared with my brother.

Even after we upgraded to basic cable, I found that traditional mental exercises were more fun. I like to think and problem solve. No sitcom gives me the rush of excitement that I get from filling in that last number in a Sudoku puzzle or penciling in the right word to a crossword. Puzzles and riddles are challenging and I embrace challenges.

My curiosity for my Leap Pad is largely responsible for my hands-on approach to doing things. I am a doer rather than a spectator. I’m one who would rather toss a football in the yard than watch the big game on TV. One who would rather work on a project than listen to a presentation. More importantly, I am one who believes in self-education and thinking beyond the classroom. I think that thinking is cool.

Ray Parker ’19 (Waitsfield, VT)

All my life I have been surrounded by science, filled with science, covered in science. I grew up with an electron microscope in the house, a holography lab and darkroom in the basement, and a cleanroom next door. While my friends were playing in sandboxes I was playing with dry ice in the sink. It is not impossible that I may have been influenced by this. I grew up with an interesting mix of science and art, which comes from my parents. My mother is a photographer and holographer, as well as an optical engineer; my father is an entrepreneur and the creator of the plasma ball light sculpture. They embrace both science and art and have taught me to embrace both as well. When I was young my mother taught me how to use Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop, and at about the same time my father introduced me to BASIC programming. This laid the seeds for nearly everything that has come after. I kept much of my childlike creativity, and infused it with technology. Nearly all of my school projects have had an extra element that made them much more interesting; a book project on Cities in Flight was a magnetically levitating model of a city, a tectonic map project became a Blender animation, an English class final project was a trio of holograms.

My family has taught me to do interesting things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, and fun.

Quincey Kras ’20 (Madrid, Spain)

Raised by an architect and an interior designer, I learned at a young age that creativity and imagination are integral parts of life. My dad would let my sister and I sit with him while working, placing a pencil in our hands and pointing at objects for us to draw. I also have fond memories of sitting on piles of fabric swatches “organizing” them for my mom. I grew up believing my purpose in life is to wonder and create. Even after my parents divorced, art was the thread that kept us connected to each other.

At age 14, I moved to Madrid with my mom, step-dad, sister and new baby brother. It was quite a challenge at first–mostly because of the language barrier and my Spanish school. But the experience allowed me to appreciate and absorb a new culture, make new friends and discover strengths in myself that I didn’t know I possessed. For the past three years, I have tested my courage, and language skills, and used my love of art as a way to navigate the city–its architecture and museums are especially energizing to me. Conquering my relocation has made me a more inquisitive and adventurous person and will help me to transition to university life. I have grown as a person, and as an artist, and I look forward to continuing on that arc.

Finally, the “Choose Your Own Prompt” Essay (from a previous admission season)

Miranda Janice Macaulay Miller ’20 (Sacramento, CA)

“It’s Cool to be Smart”

Most languages have, on average, 200,000 words. There are 6,912 living languages. At this moment in history, that is roughly 1,382,400,000 words being used to express emotions, to carry out transactions, to run countries.

For every language, there are words that have no equivalent in any other language. It is like a secret that only those with the special code can share. “Mamihlapinatapei” is the Yaghan word for the look that two people give each other when they both want to initiate something, but are hesitant to act. I have felt this way, but have never been able to express it because I am bound to the limits of the English language. And then there are words like “rakhi,” the Hindi term for a string that a sister ties on her brother’s arm, asking for eternal protection. I have never considered a need for this word because the idea of it is not a part of my world. This ritual does not exist in other cultures, so there is no word for it.

To know multiple languages, to be able to communicate with various groups, is to transcend multiple realities. By breaking down language barriers, we open countless doors to understanding the politics, traditions, and values of millions more people. And if that’s not “Θpoustouflant,” or mind-blowing, then I don’t know what is.

Jonah Loeb ’20 (Rockville, MD)

“Celebrate the Role of Sports in Your Life”

While it is not featured on ESPN and does not fill stadiums each week, backpacking is my chosen sport. It has a home team, the group of Boy Scouts whose friendship and encouragement kept me going and made huddling under a small tarp hung three feet above the ground in the pouring rain the best part of the trip, and an away team, the mountain range that stared us down each time we looked up at it. It has a score, (most often: mountain: 1, me: 0) and buzzer beater shots, as we raced to set up tents with the sunlight rapidly fading and the rumble of thunder echoing ominously.

I started backpacking the summer after ninth grade. Full of naivete, I thought, “It’s just walking, how hard could it be?” It was only on my first overnight, climbing up the umpteenth hill, hunched over from the weight of my pack, unable to see anything but the rubber toe of my hiking boot, that I realized what I was getting myself into. But then, like in most sports, in the heat of a game something clicked and with my backpack sliding off my shoulders once again, I found the determination I needed. A backpacking Zen propelled me forward and taught me to succeed when every part of me said otherwise. Now, with more experience, better equipment, and focused training, I often find myself drawn to the backcountry, sampling dehydrated cuisines and knowing this time, the score will be different.

Tessa Garces ’19 (Larchmont, NY)

My first vivid memory of swim practice is of being yanked by the ankles from underneath the kitchen table, my nails scratching against the wood floor and my screams loud enough to elicit the neighbors’ concern.

Clearly, I hadn’t “gotten” swimming yet. As a first grader, I simply couldn’t understand how shoving my hair into a cap, wearing goggles that almost pressed my eyes out of their sockets, and flailing my limbs in freezing liquid for an hour could possibly be worth my while.

However, as I came to understand the mechanics and elegance of the sport, my attitude started to change. It really changed in 4th grade, when I began to win races. The little gold medals gave me a confidence that was addicting. More than that, they motivated me to cultivate good habits before I learned that discipline, daily practice, and just being part of a team are rewards in and of themselves.

Swimming has definitely influenced the way I move through the world. To avoid head-on collisions with lane mates, swimmers are taught from the beginning to always stay to the right of the lane, called circle swimming. Sometimes I feel as though I “circle-live”-walking on the right, driving on the right (naturally), even sleeping on the right. Yet, thinking of how focused and alive I feel after swimming, I think it’s more accurate to say that my time in the pool keeps me centered.

We hope you found some inspiration in these successful college essays! If you’re looking for more tips on what you should and shouldn’t do in your college essay, we’ve got you covered .

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College Essays

Tufts University has a selective acceptance rate— less than 10% in 2022 . You'll need a strong application to stand out from other applicants, including stellar essays. Luckily, this guide is here to help you out!

In this blog post, we'll cover everything you need to know about the writing portion of Tufts University's application, including what prompts are available and how to answer them.

Feature Image: Jellymuffin40 /Wikimedia Commons

If you want to study at Tufts' Ginn Library, you'll need strong essays. Nurcamp /Wikimedia Commons.

What Should You Know About the Tufts University Essays?

Tufts University uses either the Common or Coalition Application, so choose the one that works best for you . Each one has unique essays, so be sure you follow the correct prompt for whichever application you're using.

Both applications have their own writing sections that you'll need to respond to. These essays are more general than the Tufts essays, but it's still important to follow guidelines and aim to impress with them . They're part of your application, and deserve your best effort! The Common Application has one set of prompts to choose from and the Coalition Application has another , so do some reading ahead of time to plan for which one you'll answer if you need to fill out both applications for different schools.

What Prompts Does the Tufts University Application Have?

Tufts University requires you to apply to a specific school within the university during your application. This shouldn't be a problem if you already know what major you'll be applying to, and Tufts recommends not applying as undecided .

The application should give you the correct set of prompts for whichever school you apply to, but you can also check on Tuft's website .

If you're applying to the School of Arts and Sciences, School of Engineering, or 5-year Tufts/NEC combined degree, you'll have two essays. One is a classic "Why Tufts?" essay with a Tufts-specific twist, and the second prompt allows you to make your choice of two options.

For applicants to the BFA or 5-year BFA+BA/BS combined degree program, you'll also have two prompts. The first is, again, a classic "Why Tufts?" essay question, while the other asks you to to respond to one of three questions. 

What Are the Tufts University Prompts?

Because the prompts vary between different schools, there's a lot of information to cover for how to write the ideal Tufts essay. But Tufts does provide some helpful advice —"Think outside the box as you answer the following questions. Take a risk and go somewhere unexpected. Be serious if the moment calls for it, but feel comfortable being playful if that suits you, too."

In short, be yourself . Tufts doesn't just want to hear your academic qualifications, nor do they want to hear their qualifications as a good school recited to them—they already know!

For School of Arts and Sciences, School of Engineering, and Tufts/NEC Degree Applicants:

You have two essays to write for this section. Both are required, but the second prompt offers you three potential choices.

Prompt #1: The "Why Tufts?" Essay

The first prompt, which you have 100 to 150 words to answer, reads:

Which aspects of the Tufts undergraduate experience prompt your application? In short, "Why Tufts?"

This is a pretty straightforward question—it's a version of the popular "Why This College?" essay . You wouldn't be applying to Tufts if you didn't already know that you wanted to go there, right? But always be aware that every other student applying to Tufts also knows that it's a good school. You can't just list qualifications back them; you have to dive a little deeper than that.

Tufts wants to know here is not just what attracts you to the college, but also what you'll bring to it . Let your enthusiasm and fresh ideas shine!

Having said that, a great essay is going to show admissions counselors that you've done your research. Be sure you point to specific parts of the "Tufts undergraduate experience" in your writing! For example, maybe there's a specific professor you want to work with, or a unique program that only Tufts offers that's a great fit for you. The more specific you are, the more you'll show admissions counselors that you're serious about becoming a student at Tufts.

Prompt #2: The Free Choice Essay

The second prompt is a little more complex. It also has a word count of 200 to 250, but includes three options you must choose from:

Now we'd like to know a little more about you. Please respond to one of the following three questions.

A) It's cool to love learning. What excites your intellectual curiosity?

B) How have the environments or experiences of your upbringing – your family, home, neighborhood, or community – shaped the person you are today?

C) Where are you on your journey of engaging with or fighting for social justice?

These three prompts are a great way to tell the admissions office more about yourself, particularly if you have extracurricular interests that you haven't had the opportunity to discuss yet.

Any of these prompts is a great choice, but you can only choose one. Here's a breakdown of who each prompt is a good fit for:

• Prompt A: If you're an intellectually curious person, this is a great fit for you. People that fit this mold will engage in learning opportunities outside the classroom and constantly be on the hunt for knowledge. If you're the type that reads news before school or watches documentaries for fun, this is a good prompt for you!
• Prompt B: This is a good all-around prompt! Generally speaking, most people will have some experience that helps them answer this prompt well. Having said that, this prompt requires you to be thoughtful and introspective. You'll need to understand how your experiences and background have shaped the person you are today.
• Prompt C: Social justice is an important topic in 2021, and Tufts admissions officers are interested in students who fit with the university's mission of an "inclusive and collaborative" environment. If you have been part of the social justice movement, this would be a great prompt for you.

Keep in mind these are just suggestions. If one of these prompts jumps out to you as a perfect fit, run with it.

If you can't find this key on your keyboard, you'll have to invent it!

How to Answer Prompt A

In this prompt, Tufts wants to hear about your curiosity and interests. There are two ways you can approach this essay, each of which has its benefits and drawbacks.

First, you can choose an intellectual interest you have that relates to your future major. For example, say you're majoring in biology because you want to be in drug development. If that's the case, you can talk about a specific aspect of drug development that gets you excited. Maybe it's developing new vaccine production methods that use plants instead of animals, or maybe you want to develop new drugs to treat chronic illnesses like multiple sclerosis.

The trick here is being specific and letting your passion shine through, then tying all of that back to your future studies at Tufts. Don't be afraid to talk about a class you can't wait to take, or a project you hope to explore while you're in school. Just make sure that you're balancing talking about why you're curious with your academic plans. You don't want this to sound exactly like your "Why Tufts?" essay!

The second way you can approach this topic is by choosing something you're curious about that's a passion of yours, even if it isn't related to your major. This has the benefit of showing you're curious about more than just your major field, which is something admissions counselors are looking for.

For example, maybe you want to major in kinesiology, but you love social media and you're curious about how it impacts the ways we behave. You don't have to be majoring in psychology or computer science to write about this topic if you're passionate about it! The trick — and drawback — to going this route is making sure you're still connecting this passion back to your plans as a potential Tufts student. Maybe this curiosity has made you want to join the Tufts Psychology Society so you can learn more about how you can use human behavior and social media to help motivate people in your future career as a physical therapist.

How to Answer Prompt B

This prompt is asking you to write about how your background has shaped your character. Admissions counselors are looking for essays that showcase your thoughtfulness, especially in terms of how your experiences impact you as a person. This is a chance for you to highlight parts of your personality and identity that might not otherwise come across in your admissions materials.

If you choose this essay prompt, you'll want to spend some time figuring out which aspect of your background you want to focus on. Luckily, the prompt gives you a few ideas (family, home, neighborhood, and community) to start with, but you're not limited to those! Maybe you want to talk about an after school program you were a part of, or a sports team you played on for your entire childhood. As long as this experience or environment played a substantial part in your upbringing, it's fair game.

Whatever you choose, make sure you're choosing one thing . Don't talk about your family and your neighborhood and your community. This essay isn't long enough to cover all of that material! Instead, pick one thing and get specific. Explain why was this experience or environment important to you, and go into detail about how it impacted you as a person.

The best answers to this prompt are going to tell a story about your experience that helps readers connect with who you are. Perhaps one of the things that most shaped your character was growing up with five siblings. Tell a story about a specific moment that will help admissions counselors understand what that was like!

And finally, don't forget to connect this back to being a Tufts student by explaining how your character is a good fit for the university. For instance, let's go back to having lots of siblings. Maybe that's taught you to value everyone for their unique personalities because no matter how different you are, everyone brings something special to the table. Because of that, you're excited about making new friends and bringing people together as part of the Tufts community.

How to Answer Prompt C

This prompt is all about social justice. If you're not sure what social justice is, the National Association of Social Workers defines it as "the view that everyone deserves equal economic, political and social rights and opportunities." Put another way, social justice is the fight for equality for everyone regardless of their race, class, or economic status.

To answer this prompt, you'll need to explain how you're learning about, involved in, or fighting for social justice. What steps are you taking to help further this cause in your own life? Note that the prompt uses the term "journey," here. That means admissions counselors aren't expecting you to have this whole "social justice" thing figured out! So don't worry if you haven't arranged a march in your community or taken up donations to help with the Black Lives Matter movement. Admissions counselors are more interested in how you're learning about the social justice movement and making changes in your life to support that cause.

Here's the thing: if you're not part of the social justice movement or aren't comfortable with the idea, do not write this Tufts essay. You're given essay options for a reason! Admissions counselors are trained to sniff out falsehoods, so the worst thing you could do is fib about your social justice work. It's okay if this isn't a good topic for you!

If you do choose this prompt, make sure you start with a story. Did you participate in a march? Have you volunteered with a social justice oriented organization? Telling a specific story about your experience will help readers connect with you as a person. It's also okay if your experience with social justice was talking with a friend about it and realizing that you can do more to support the cause. Like the old saying goes: it's not about the destination — it's about what you're learning in the process.

Also, be honest about what your journey so far. It's okay to say you're still learning, or that the journey has been tough. Admissions counselors value authenticity, and the truth is that fighting for social justice can be hard. Just make sure you're keeping your discussion as positive as you can! Focus on what you've learned and how hard you're trying to make a difference.

And of course, be sure you tie this all back to Tufts. Explain how your understanding of social justice will affect how you participate in your classes and on-campus events. Make it clear that you're going to bring a spirit of equity with you to campus since that's what admissions counselors want to see in future Tufts students.

For BFA, 5-Year BFA+BA/BS at SMFA Applicants:

This section has two required essays. You don't have any choice over which prompts you'll be answering, which eliminates some of the struggle to choose the best option for you.

Prompt #1: The "Why SMFA at Tufts?" Essay

The first prompt, which must be answered in 100 to 150 words, reads:

Which aspects of the Tufts undergraduate experience prompt your application? Why SMFA at Tufts?

This prompt is similar to the "Why Tufts?" essay prompt, but with a slightly different focus. SMFA at Tufts is the School of the Museum of Fine arts program at Tufts , so it's definitely for those interested in the arts.

The admissions office wants to see you demonstrate what exactly draws you to this school over others, and what specifically drives you to seek an art degree . What will you get out of Tufts that you couldn't get elsewhere? How will an art degree enrich your life, and how will you use that degree in the future?

Colleges want to foster intellectual growth in their communities, which is why they ask for more than a standard "this is a good school" answer. They want to know why you want to attend, but they also want to know what you're bringing to the community .

Browsing Tufts and SMFA at Tufts galleries are a great way to get some inspiration. Can you see your artwork fitting in there? What will you offer that isn't already represented?

Think about art that you've created or art that you want to create . How will Tufts help you get there? What makes you want to pursue an art degree, rather than art as a supplement to another field? Clearly articulating your interest and commitment will demonstrate that you're a good fit for Tufts to the admissions office.

Prompt #2: The Art Prompt

The second prompt, also with a 200 to 250 word count, reads:

Art has the power to disrupt our preconceptions, shape public discourse, and imagine new ways of being in the world. What are the ideas you'd like to explore in your work?

This question dives a little bit deeper into your artistic mind. It's not enough to create art that is beautiful on a surface level—Tufts wants to know that you're thinking about your art meaningfully, too .

This prompt is essentially an artist's statement , though it's focused more on your artistic intent on a large scale rather than on an individual piece. Look through some of your favorite art you've created and think about common themes and recurring ideas, even if you didn't intend for them to be there . What concepts are you trying to explore, even subconsciously?

Consider not just what your art looks or sounds like, but also what it's made of and why you chose to make it that way. Think beyond availability or ease of use—always keep the question of "why" in your mind.

Themes are good, but try not to go too general or invent something that isn't there. Much of art is about capturing beauty, so try to think deeper than that. And if you're going to claim that your art critiques or represents something, you need to be able to demonstrate that— analyze what you've created to show how it connects to your themes, don't simply project something over the top and hope that admissions officers don't notice it wasn't really there .

What Do Tufts Essays That Worked Look Like?

Thankfully, Tufts University isn't shy about putting accepted essays online for applicants to browse. While some of these essays apply to older topics, they'll still help you get a sense of what admissions counselors are looking for in excellent students (and their essays).

"Why Tufts?" Essay That Worked

I vividly remember stepping onto the roof of Tisch Library and seeing a group of kids sitting in hammocks, overlooking the Boston skyline. I briefly tuned out my tour guide's presentation and began to eavesdrop. The students covered everything from physics to what they had for lunch that day. When they spoke about physics, they did not speak with pretension; instead they spoke with passion. Likewise, when they spoke about something as simple as lunch, they did so with witty intrigue. Tufts students are as interesting as they are interested. This description not only resonates with me, it defines me.

This essay does an excellent job of answering the questions at the core of the "Why Tufts?" essay. The writer channels an experience they had while at Tufts, detailing how listening in on other students solidified their desire to attend. They use words like "passion" to describe Tufts students, showing traits they also want to channel.

The ending really hits on something important: this student wanted to be part of the student body because the students they overheard were not only interesting people, but also interested . Remember the prompts mention of being "intellectually playful?" This is the perfect way to demonstrate curiosity, interest, and love of learning int he specific context of Tufts .

"What Have You Created?" Essay That Worked

This essay applies to an older prompt that asked students to talk about one of their creations. Here's what this student had to say:

When people talk about building something, creating it, they most often mean something physical. Engineers, architects, and laborers, these are the professions that I think of as making things. I've never been much of a builder, I lack that particular understanding of the world that is required to envision what you will build, and have never been coordinated enough to make much of anything with my hands, but I can create. What I have made is not something you can hold or touch, it spans no gaps and holds no weight, and I can't even claim to have laid a single finger on its construction. My creation is a poem, or rather, poems. Series of letters symbolic of sounds strung together to make words, which are in turn collected into lines and stanzas, pieces of a whole. My poems cannot be touched, but they can touch you; though they won't form a bridge, they can cross a divide; and while you'll never be able to weigh them on a scale, the weight of the ideas they hold can be felt the moment you read them. So I may not be an engineer or an architect or a laborer, but I am a creator. I craft words into meaning, forge lines into rhymes, and sculpt imaginations. So even if I can't hold what I make, I can watch it take shape and see its impact on the world.

This essay does an excellent job of answering the question not just by stating the answer, but by embodying it . It's clear that the student is a writer; their language is vivid, immediate, and playful, demonstrating how strong their grasp is on word meanings and sentence structure.

Importantly, this essay doesn't disparage other disciplines—it interprets poetry using language physical creators might use, such as "spans," "bridge," and "weight.

There's a great deal of creativity and intellectual play in this essay, which serve to set the writer apart from students who might have focused more on the existence of the thing they'd built (a souped-up car engine, for example) than the function of the thing they'd built (a souped-up car engine that reduces carbon emissions, for example).

When tackling this prompt, think about how you, too, can exemplify your creation in your essay .

Think like a dolphin: smart and playful!

Key Points for Your Tufts Essays

Best practices for Tufts essays are similar to other schools, but there are some special considerations to keep in mind.

Pay Attention to Tufts' Intellectual Bent

Tufts makes a point of using words like "playful" and "intellectual." These suggest a curiosity about the world that goes beyond wanting to attend a good school because it's a good school. Keep them in mind as you're writing— how can you demonstrate your own curiosity and interest in the world?

Remember That Tufts Is a Research University

You'll be interacting more with graduate students than you would in other settings . Not only will this give you a leg up in applying to grad school, but it will also grant you the opportunity to think more deeply than if you were only exposed to other undergrads.

Demonstrating an interest in learning from other students and participating in a learning community is a great way to show that you're interested in the unique experience of attending a research university.

Choose the Prompts That Are Right for You

Because Tufts has two different sets of prompts depending which school you'll be attending, be sure you select the right ones. Further, be sure you really maximize each prompt's potential— the rest of your application covers academics, so use your essay to showcase what really makes you stand out .

What's Next?

Before you get started on writing your essays, you'll want to know what kind of admission requirements Tufts has . Great essays are important, but you should also demonstrate academic success!

Plan to get the best scores possible on your standardized tests, too. Reading about ACT and GPA requirements ahead of time can help you plan your academic strategy, as can reading about SAT requirements . Use these guides to get a head start!

Melissa Brinks graduated from the University of Washington in 2014 with a Bachelor's in English with a creative writing emphasis. She has spent several years tutoring K-12 students in many subjects, including in SAT prep, to help them prepare for their college education.

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Tufts University Essay 2023-24

Tufts Essay 2023-2024

If you’re considering applying to Tufts this cycle, you’ve come to the right place. In order to know how to get into Tufts and impress the admissions committee, you’ll need a compelling Tufts essay. To learn more about how to master the Tufts supplemental essays, read on!

Tufts University is a prestigious university located in Somerville, Massachusetts . Tufts is ranked #32 by U.S. News, and the Tufts acceptance rate is 11% . As with most liberal arts colleges, Tufts evaluates each student holistically. Tufts is also test-optional since 2021. Because of these factors, your Tufts essay is more important than ever.

Tufts essays are crucial to your application, which is why we’re here to help you master all of your Tufts supplemental essays. These essays include the “why Tufts” essay, and other program-specific short answer questions.

Read on to read our full breakdown on how to approach any Tufts essay.

Tufts Supplemental Essays: Quick Facts

Quick facts about the tufts supplemental essays.

Tufts College Ranking: #32 in National Colleges

Tufts Acceptance Rate : 11% — U.S. News ranks Tufts University as a most selective school. 

Tufts College Essay Requirements :

• 1 (~ 250 words) required essay for applicants to the School of Arts & Sciences or the School of Engineering:
• 1 (~ 250 words) required essay for applicants to the School of the Museum of Fine Arts (SMFA) at Tufts
• 1 (100 words) required short answer

Tufts Application : Students can submit their Tufts application through the Common Application , QuestBridge , or Coalition Application . Before you apply, make sure that your supplemental Tufts essays are prepared and thoroughly edited in a separate document.

Application Deadlines for Tufts:

• Early Decision I deadline: November 1
• Early Decision II deadline: January 4
• Regular Decision deadline: January 4

Tufts College Essay Tip: The Tufts essays consist of two short answer questions, and these questions vary based on which program you’re applying to. The second Tufts essay is your “why Tufts” essay, and it’s just one sentence! 

Please note that essay requirements are subject to change each admissions cycle, and portions of this article may have been written before the final publication of the most recent guidelines. For the most up-to-date information on essay requirements, check the university’s admissions website. 

Does Tufts have supplemental essays?

So what’s everyone talking about when they talk about the Tufts essays?

Like many other colleges, especially high-ranking ones, the Tufts supplemental essays are an important part of your application. There are two Tufts supplemental essays, including one “why Tufts” essay.

You’ll prepare your Tufts supplemental essays in addition to your personal statement , the 650-word essay required by the Common App. Like your personal statement, the Tufts essays help admissions officers get to know you better as a person and an applicant. What are your values, what’s shaped you throughout your life, and what would you bring to the Tufts community?

There are two required Tufts supplemental essays. One of the Tufts essays is required of all students, while the other depends on the program you apply to. The Tufts essay that all applicants must answer is your “why Tufts” essay, which is a (very) short answer question. In these essays, you’ll show Tufts why you and the university are the best possible fit for each other. 

What are the Tufts essay requirements?

The Tufts essay requirements can be found on the Tufts website in the section describing short answer questions. Both of the Tufts supplemental essays can be categorized as “short answer questions,” because they ask for 100-250 word answers. However, just because your Tufts essay is short, that doesn’t mean it requires any less thought or planning. In some ways, short essays are the hardest, because you have to express yourself as succinctly as possible. 

The Tufts essay requirements differ based on the School within Tufts you apply to, of which there are three: 

• Tufts School of Arts and Sciences
• Tufts School of Engineering
• School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts

If you’re applying to one of the first two programs, your Tufts supplemental essays will be the same. If you’re applying to the Arts BFA or combined BFA+BA/BS, your first Tufts essay will be a little different. However, applicants for all programs must write the one-sentence Tufts essay which will serve as your “why Tufts” essay.

Now that we’ve covered the basics of the Tufts essay requirements, let’s dive into the different Tufts supplemental essays.

Tufts Essays: School of Arts & Sciences and School of Engineering

Do you want to experience the nationally lauded liberal arts education at Tufts provides? Are you interested in disciplines like the humanities, pre-med, or the social sciences? If so, the School of Arts & Sciences is likely the best choice for you. The School of Arts & Sciences offers the broadest educational experience at Tufts. It’s the best choice for a student who might not know exactly what they want to study. 

Alternatively, if you are set on engineering, the School of Engineering is a perfect fit for you. There are sixteen majors under the engineering umbrella, from computer science to biomedical engineering. While lacking the breadth of the School of Arts & Sciences, it offers an in-depth, high-caliber course of study.

Luckily, whichever of the Tufts schools you choose—Arts & Sciences or Engineering—you write the same set of Tufts supplemental essays. From the Tufts website , here are your Tufts essay prompts if you’re an applicant for one of these two programs:

Please respond to one of the following three prompts in 200-250 words:

1. it’s cool to love learning. what excites your intellectual curiosity and why, 2. how have the environments or experiences of your upbringing—your family, home, neighborhood, or community—shaped the person you are today, 3. using a specific example or two, tell us about a way that you contributed to building a collaborative and/or inclusive community., school of arts & sciences and school of engineering: a closer look.

These Tufts supplemental essays prompts allow for a lot of flexibility in your answer. They also have pretty strict restrictions because of the word limit. It can seem daunting to elaborate on your intellectual curiosity or upbringing in 250 words, but consider it a challenge! Plus, all of these Tufts supplemental essays are very common topics. You’ll likely be able to reuse your Tufts supplemental essays and their ideas for another application. 

An important thing to remember when drafting your Tufts supplemental essays is that ultimately, these essays are about you . The Tufts admissions committee wants to learn more about who you are and what you value. In light of that, the Tufts supplemental essays ask questions that will help them understand you better as an applicant. Therefore, the best thing you can do when writing your Tufts supplemental essays is to think deeply about yourself and brainstorm . 

For School of Arts & Sciences or School of Engineering applicants, the Tufts supplemental essays also include a “why Tufts” essay. The “why Tufts” essay question is a little bit different from other schools: you only have 100 words.

We’ll dive deeper into the “why Tufts” essay later in this guide under the “short answer” section. First, let’s take a look at the Tufts supplemental essays for the School of the Museum of Fine Arts.

Tufts Essay Prompts: School of the Museum of Fine Arts Essay Prompts

The Tufts supplemental essays are different for applicants for the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, or the SMFA at Tufts. SMFA at Tufts “ offers a conceptually rigorous, interdisciplinary visual arts program.” If you’re applying to the SMFA program, here’s the question for your Tufts essay: 

Please respond to the following prompt in 200-250 words:

Art has the power to disrupt our preconceptions, shape public discourse, and imagine new ways of being in the world. what are the ideas you’d like to explore in your work.

Of course, applicants to the SMFA program are likely artists or have a strong interest in art. Accordingly, for their  Tufts supplemental essays, Tufts is asking these applicants to speak directly to their artistic vision. For students applying to the SMFA program, this question is more tailored to their academic intentions than the previous prompt.

Like with all of the Tufts supplemental essays, there’s no right way to answer this question. Instead, use this opportunity to be vulnerable and honest about your ideas and goals as an artist. If you have space, you can tie your intended artistic pursuits to Tufts and the SMFA program. However, keep in mind, you’ll write a “why Tufts” essay as part of your Tufts supplemental essays. In that question, you can dive into why Tufts in particular is where you want to grow as an artist.

Your Portfolio and Your Essays

If you’re applying to the SMFA, you have more components of your Tufts application than the Tufts supplemental essays. You also need to submit an artistic portfolio . This portfolio comprises 15-20 images of recent work, and/or up to 10 minutes of work like video or audio.

The Tufts portfolio is intended to demonstrate your “conceptual development” as well as your skill. Regardless of what media you submit, consider carefully whether it demonstrates your skill and potential. You should submit something that you feel best represents your skills and experiences with your artistic medium. 

Just like your Tufts supplemental essays, this Tufts portfolio is a way for Tufts to get to know you better. Your pieces should not only show skill, but also help the admissions committee better understand you. Choose pieces that you feel represent who you are and what you want to pursue as well as your abilities. 

Mentioning your Tufts portfolio

In your Tufts supplemental essays, especially the program-specific question, don’t be afraid to reference art in your portfolio. This especially applies if the pieces you submit are representative of a project you plan on expanding upon. They may also show something you’ve learned as an artist that you plan to carry into your next piece. 

Indeed, your Tufts supplemental essays and your portfolio can and should work together to deepen your personal narrative . Remember that your application should build a personal brand that draws a thread through your high school experiences. By the same token, your Tufts portfolio and Tufts supplemental essays together should create a clear, complex picture of you for admissions officers. 

Now that we’ve covered the program-specific Tufts supplemental essays, we’ll move into some tips on how to write the best Tufts supplemental essays—including the “why Tufts” essay.

How to “Think Outside the Box” for your Tufts Essay

Tufts receives over 30,000 applicants each year—and the Tufts acceptance rate is only 11%. When writing their Tufts essays, students often wonder: how can I distinguish myself? One way to do this is to get a little creative: think outside the box! 

So what does thinking outside of the box mean in terms of writing college essays?

First, think about your topic. The most important thing to consider when deciding on your topic is whether it feels true to who you are. However, there are topics that many students tend to gravitate towards, and sometimes these feel a little overdone. Think sports victories or other extracurricular successes, a relationship with a mentor like a grandparent or parent, or service-based extracurricular activities.

These aren’t off the table entirely but should be approached with caution. Ultimately, it’s not the topic you write about, but how you write about it. An essay about a meaningful relationship can still be a fantastic essay— if it’s focused on your own personal growth. Keep the focus on yourself and how the relationship (or event, or activity) influenced you positively.

Going Even More Outside the Box

Another way to write an attention-grabbing essay is to vary the classic structure and form of your essay. Most students, especially with a word limit as small as 250 words, will write in a fairly straightforward paragraph structure. Many write narratively, starting their essay with an anecdotal hook or incorporating dialogue. Why not change up the structure? Start at the end of your story and write backwards, or write from an unusual perspective. 

You could even incorporate non-traditional forms of writing like writing the whole thing in the second person. When drafting Tufts supplemental essays about your upbringing, you might spend most of your essay talking directly to your admissions officer: “You awaken to the sound of your mom banging on your door, the same door in the same room you’ve woken up in every day since you were born. You open your bleary eyes and take in your faded lilac wallpaper, plastered with Justin Bieber posters and your highest-scoring spelling quizzes from middle school: another morning in Omaha, Nebraska.” Now you’ve got an admissions officer’s attention!

To recap: there are many ways to write a college essay. The most important thing to remember is that this essay should tell Tufts something new about you. But even the most overdone topics (upbringing, community, academic pursuits, etc.), offer ways to grab your reader’s attention.

Tufts Short Answer Response

Now we’ve made it to the highly-anticipated “why Tufts” essay. Tufts has certainly issued a challenge with this “why Tufts” essay question. Most schools provide 250–650 words for this essay. In contrast, Tufts wants you to boil down why you want to attend into a mere sentence. 

Here’s how Tufts will ask you to answer their “why Tufts” essay on the application: 

In addition, we will ask all applicants to complete this sentence in 100 words or less:

“i am applying to tufts because…”.

When writing a “why Tufts” essay, or a “why school” essay in general, it’s important to be specific. On their website, Tufts suggest that you look at the Jumbo Magazine , Tufts’ student magazine, or student blogs . Even with only 100 words, you should still be as specific about what you want to do at Tufts as possible. That is to say, why do you have to be at Tufts to follow your dreams? 

What are you planning to major in , and why? Have you always planned on researching elephants, and are attracted to Tufts because of their beloved mascot Jumbo ? Are you a Revolutionary War buff, and can’t wait to explore Boston (maybe join a reenactment club)? Whatever you say, no one should read your “why Tufts” essay and mistake it for a “why school” essay for another college.

However, don’t confuse being specific about Tufts in your “why Tufts” essay with only talking about Tufts. Your reader wants to know what you’ll bring to the campus community, and what kind of Tufts student you’ll be. The ideal “why Tufts” essay, and any “why school” essay, combines two answers: why Tufts is right for me, and why I’m right for Tufts. Link your passions and aspirations to opportunities at Tufts. 

Since your “why Tufts” essay is only 100 words, you should be concise about why you want to attend Tufts. The beauty of your writing is less important than including as much information here as you can. When you’re writing your “why Tufts” essay, don’t be afraid to write a longer essay first. Get all your ideas out first, and then condense them into the perfect sentence-long “why Tufts” essay. 

If you’re still stumped on how to write your “why Tufts” essay, try reading “why school” essays that worked. They may inspire you in your own “why Tufts” essay.

Read on for more advice on writing short responses.

Advice for writing short responses

Up to now, we’ve covered the Tufts supplemental essays that you’ll encounter when building your application. Now, let’s talk about more advice for writing short responses. In fact, both of the Tufts essays could be considered short responses, since they are both under 250 words. 

Show Them Something New

It must be remembered that short answers, as well as other supplemental essays, should include new information. Your Tufts application will already include a lot of information about you: your GPA, classes, personal statement, and extracurriculars. Don’t rehash information available elsewhere without adding depth.

Use these extra supplemental essays to highlight something about you that the Tufts admissions committee otherwise wouldn’t know. This doesn’t mean you can’t elaborate on the information you’ve already included, like an extracurricular . But in that case, try to focus on a new perspective, or go into further detail. A 50-word description leaves out a lot: how did that extracurricular change you? What will you carry with you from that experience?

Analyze Successful Essays

Another way to prepare is to look at Tufts essays that worked and break them down. Why do you think that the Tufts essays that worked, worked? Was it the structure of the essay, or the prose itself? Was the topic especially unique, or did the applicant just do a great job of making a common topic their own? By reading Tufts essays that worked, or other college essays , you can learn tactics to write your own stellar essay.

You may even read the admissions blog from Tufts, which may yield insights into the admissions process. And of course, since it’s written by Tufts students and staff, you’ll learn more about Tufts. That could become the inspiration for your own essays.

Just Write!

If you’re stuck and can’t think of a topic, or know your topic but don’t know where to start, try free writing. Sometimes the best way to start writing is, well, to start, without any pressure to write something good or even intelligible. No-stress writing exercises like free writing can help you get those creative juices flowing. 

Free writing is for you to get out all your ideas, without editing or stopping. Set a timer for 30 minutes and answer one of the short answer questions. If that’s like pulling teeth, you could also make a mind map or do word association to generate ideas. If you can’t choose a prompt, or if you have too many topics on your mind, repeat the process as needed. Now that you’ve got a few pages of brainstorming writing done, review your writing. Find the points that feel important to include in your answers and go from there. 

For more detailed advice on how to tackle the Tufts essays, check out this guide on Tufts essays from years past. 

How important is my Tufts essay?

Your Tufts essay is only one part of your application. Everything, including your GPA , your letters of recommendation , your personal statement, and your extracurriculars , are considered by Tufts. With that said, the essays are you at your most direct and expressive, so they matter a lot .

Tufts is also test-optional , so if you choose to include SAT / ACT scores, they will be taken into consideration. If you choose not to include test scores, you will not be penalized. However, without test scores, each other part of your application increases in importance—and that includes your essays.

Overall, you should consider your Tufts essays very important parts of your application. You’ll never know how exactly the admissions officers weigh your essays in comparison to the other parts of your application. Therefore, you should act as if these essays could make or break your chance of admission to Tufts. College essays should always be taken seriously. Even if they’re only 100 words long, each of those 100 words matters. 

More key Tufts admissions requirements

What other Tufts admissions requirements should you take into consideration?

Make sure to remember deadlines when you’re working on your Tufts application. Tufts has Early Decision I, Early Decision II, and Regular Decision. ED I is due November 1 st , and ED II and Regular Decision are both due January 4 th . 

Should you apply ED or RD to Tufts? That depends on a few factors. First, is Tufts your dream school ? If Tufts is your first choice and you’re 110% confident of that, you should consider applying ED. If you get into Tufts ED, your enrollment is binding—so you should be confident that Tufts is the school for you.

However, applying early means that you don’t have the opportunity to compare financial aid packages from different schools.  If financial aid is a significant factor for you and your family you should take that into consideration. Also, applying early isn’t a good enough reason to rush your application. If you feel like your application isn’t as good as it could be, don’t submit it before it’s ready.

Tufts Essay – Final Takeaways

Writing college essays can be daunting, and that’s true even for short answer essays like the Tufts supplemental essays. The Tufts acceptance rate is 11%, so your essays are crucial to making sure that your application stands out .

Here are some key takeaways to remember when writing your Tufts essays:

Five Tufts Essay Takeaways

1. Every student applying to Tufts must answer two required supplemental essays.

2. The supplemental essays you will answer depend on the program you’re applying to. If you’re applying to the School of Arts & Sciences or the School of Engineering, you will choose from three prompts. If you’re applying to the SMFA at Tufts, you’ll answer a different first question than the other applicants. 

3. All applicants have to write a “why Tufts” essay. This essay is quite short, at only one sentence.

4. The most important things to remember about writing your Tufts essays are to be honest and specific. Include information that the admissions officer couldn’t find anywhere else in your application.

5. Tufts has Early Decision and Regular Decision—do your research to find out which deadline is right for you. Whichever you choose, prepare your essays ahead of time so you have time to write and edit multiple drafts! 

We hope that after reading this article on Tufts essays you feel more confident tackling your Tufts app. For more advice on how to get into Tufts, check out our guide !

This article was written by advisor, Rachel Kahn . Looking for more admissions support? Click here to schedule a free meeting with one of our Admissions Specialists. During your meeting, our team will discuss your profile and help you find targeted ways to increase your admissions odds at top schools. We’ll also answer any questions and discuss how CollegeAdvisor.com can support you in the college application process.

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2 Terrific Tufts University Essay Examples

What’s covered:, essay example 1, essay example 2.

• Where to Get Feedback on Your Essay  

Tufts is a highly-selective college located right outside of Boston. With small class sizes and an abundance of eager applicants, it’s important that your application stands out with strong essays. In this post, we’ll share real essays students have submitted to Tufts, and share what they did well and how they could be made even better (Names and identifying information have been changed, but all other details are preserved).

Please note: Looking at examples of real essays students have submitted to colleges can be very beneficial to get inspiration for your essays. You should never copy or plagiarize from these examples when writing your own essays. Colleges can tell when an essay isn’t genuine and will not view students favorably if they plagiarized. 

Read our Tufts essay breakdown to get a comprehensive overview of this year’s supplemental prompts.

Prompt: It’s cool to love learning. What excites your intellectual curiosity? (200-250 words)

Overachiever

With your big handwriting”

I’d just texted a friend about how much I was enjoying the 27-problem, AP Calculus worksheet our teacher had assigned for homework that night. I wasn’t quite sure how to reply; I knew she was joking, but she wasn’t entirely wrong. I asked Mr. Gearhart for extra problems regularly. But what’s more, I enjoyed applying my knowledge to concepts I was passionate about. I’d use my knowledge of geometric series to learn about the money multiplier in economics. I’d use my knowledge of logarithms to learn about the twelve-tone equal temperament tuning system in western music. And yes, I’d do so with giant handwriting.

It wasn’t just that I wanted to apply the mathematical concepts; I wanted to see new perspectives. To apply math to music, I had to understand how the two interacted— look at math through music-based lenses. Every time I’d grasp another application, I’d gain another set. And by the end of a month or so, I’d have filled a drawer of lenses, categorized by subject. One could call me a lens collector. But I call myself curious, always wanting to gain new viewpoints. Why? They allow me to take more pictures, wear a myriad of glasses, see a fresh outlook on the world. Every latest perspective is like coming back to a puzzle after taking a break— so many new insights to act upon. So that’s what I replied:

“I just find them as fun little puzzles haha”

What the Essay Did Well

One of the reasons this essay is so powerful is because it takes a single moment in time and expands on the thoughts and feelings behind that experience. The entire essay is sandwiched between two text messages, but because it is so focused, it allows the student to delve into how she is perceived as an overachiever and what it means to her.

This student does an excellent job of showing the reader how they go above and beyond and what they get out of it. They don’t just say they like to do extra practice to see how math affects the real world (a basic answer). Instead, they specifically connect geometric series to economic concepts and logarithms to music. By doing this, the reader sees the different academic interests this student has and how they take an interdisciplinary approach to learning.

They also go a step further than just explaining what excites their intellectual curiosity by explaining why it excites them. There is even more great use of imagery when the student compares the interdisciplinary study of math and music to a new lens to view the world through. By referring to themselves as a “lens collector”, it paints a clear picture that this is a student who is always learning new things and eager to gain new perspectives. Tufts is looking to admit “lens collectors”, so showcasing how your curiosity impacts your outlook on the world is an excellent way to take this prompt above and beyond.

What Could Be Improved

Although this is a well-written essay with a great story, the one area for improvement would be the inclusion of the text messages. While it sets up a good context for the response, when the first thing the reader sees are three disjointed lines, it makes the hook less effective. It does create some mystery and suspense, but it makes the reader take a step back and try and process what is happening. The person reading an essay should be enthralled from the beginning and shouldn’t have to try and figure out what the author is referring to.

This hook would be stronger and less disjointed if it only had one text from the student’s friend saying they were an overachiever. The fact about the big handwriting is personable, but ultimately unnecessary. The student could jump into why they are seen as an overachiever and why they actually enjoy doing extra work sooner if the opening line looked like this:

“ My phone buzzed and one big word flashed across the screen: Overachiever.”

Lunch is served. Falafel, salad, humus, pita, tzatziki sauce and mint lemonade. The common denominator: made by me. My family gathers around quietly filling their plates with my creations. They sit and the conversation begins to flow. My sister shares that King Louis XIV only showered twice in his life. My physics-obsessed grandpa urges us to read Thinking, Fast and Slow. My grandma pitches a business proposition for me to open a restaurant. My mom looks disgusted when my sister shares the not-so-fun fact. My dad joins my grandpa and demands my sister and me to read the dense book. The food is almost gone but the conversation still lingers. Maybe there is something magical in the little balls of chick-peas that prompt my family to speak of everything that crosses their mind. I don’t chat much but I enjoy listening and smiling to the continuous exchange of information. This is what excites my desire for knowledge, each member of my family knows something different and they bring it to the table. Each member fills a particular gap in my world of knowledge just like my dishes fill their bellies with the five essential nutrients. And when the conversation comes to a lul: Dessert is served.

The use of imagery and tangible descriptions really makes this essay stand out. Right away, any hungry reader’s mouth is watering at the description of a delicious meal, and we learn that this talented student made it all. But then we really feel like we are sitting at the table and listening to their family’s conversation. It’s all in the details for this essay. If it just said, “My sister mentioned a fun fact she learned in history class, while both my grandpa and dad suggested a book to read,” we wouldn’t feel like we were transported to this family’s meal, which wouldn’t make us engage with the story as much.

This student also employs some creativity to connect her family’s stories to her interest in cooking. It’s never said that cooking excites their intellectual curiosity, but it is implied since that’s what this student brings to the table. We don’t need to be explicitly told that food excites them because the way they write about cooking for their family, and the effects it has on them, is enough to understand their passion for this topic.

One thing that could improve this essay is changing the order of the family members’ conversations to make the story flow smoother. For example, since the mom’s contribution to the meal is directly related to the sister’s, her reaction should have directly followed the sister’s comment on Louis XIV. Likewise, the dad agrees with the grandpa on the book, so those should have been bundled together. 

Improving the structure and flow of the essay would make it a faster read and reduce any confusion. Admissions officers race through essays, and the last thing you want is for them to have to pause and go back to understand what is happening. By the time we hear the student’s mom was disgusted at the sister’s story or the dad likes the book, we’ve heard other family members’ stories and might not remember what they are referring to. Simple changes like this can make big differences to the quality of an essay.

Where to Get Feedback on Your Essay 

Want feedback like this on your Tufts University essay before you submit? We offer expert essay review by advisors who have helped students get into their dream schools. You can book a review with an expert to receive notes on your topic, grammar, and essay structure to make your essay stand out to admissions officers.

Haven’t started writing your essay yet? Advisors on CollegeVine also offer expert college counseling packages . You can purchase a package to get one-on-one guidance on any aspect of the college application process, including brainstorming and writing essays.

Related CollegeVine Blog Posts

Tufts Supplemental Essays 2023-24 – Prompts and Advice

July 13, 2023

Tufts University has long been a highly-selective school. Yet, the Class of 2027 was the second time the acceptance rate dipped into the single-digits at 9.5%. As at any college that rejects more than 9 of every 10 applicants who apply (the overwhelming majority of whom are supremely qualified), aspiring Jumbos need every single component of their application to shine brightly. The Tufts supplemental essays are one such area of focus.

(Want to learn more about How to Get Into Tufts? Visit our blog entitled:  How to Get Into Tufts University: Admissions Data and Strategies  for all of the most recent admissions data as well as tips for gaining acceptance.)

Given this unprecedented level of selectivity, Tufts University’s supplemental section offers applicants a crucial opportunity to showcase their writing ability by generating powerful and detail-rich essays that will stand out to an admissions officer.

Tufts Supplemental Essay Question #1

Which aspects of the tufts undergraduate experience prompt your application in short, “why tufts” (100-150 words).

Tufts University is getting right down to business with this prompt. View this essay as akin to ending up in an elevator with a potential investor with 20 seconds to sell your million-dollar idea. In this “elevator pitch” essay, you only have 150 words to communicate why Tufts is a perfect match for you. As such, this one is going to require a fair amount of school-specific research. Further, plan on a good deal of editing in order to tighten up your essay enough to stay under the word limit.

How to write a winning “Why Tufts?” essay

• How will you take advantage of the university’s vast resources both inside and outside of the classroom?
• How will you become an active, contributing member of the student body?
• Show evidence of how your past/current endeavors will carry over onto the Tufts campus.
• Address a) why Tufts is the perfect fit for you and  b) why you are the perfect fit for Tufts.
• Cite specific academic programs, professors, research opportunities, internship/externship programs, study abroad programs, student-run organizations, etc. (as in the examples below).

Tufts Supplemental Essays (Continued)

Below are some examples of unique facts about Tufts University that you may find helpful as you brainstorm your response:

• There are 41 arts and performance groups on campus for the artistically-inclined.
• There are 300 total student organizations in which you can participate—pick one or two to elaborate on.
• Students are able to double major across colleges.
• With a 9:1 student-to-faculty ratio, two-thirds of undergraduate sections are kept under 20 students.
• There are numerous undergraduate research programs and scholarships at Tufts. Which one appeals to you and what would you research?
• 40% of juniors study abroad and Tufts boasts a number of notable programs in Beijing, Chile, Ghana, London, and more.
• There are more than 70 undergraduate majors to choose from.
• The Experimental College is a one-of-kind program.
• Tufts offers internship grants to a number of non-profit and government posts.
• An annual Undergraduate Research and Scholarship Symposium presents an exciting opportunity to present your original work to faculty.

Of course, these are just 10 out of the countless features that could be part of a successful essay. As you enter the prewriting stage, you’ll want to decide which elements will provide the most needle-moving value.

One last note on this essay—Tufts is nice enough to actually provide examples of their favorite “Why Tufts?” essays from the last admissions cycle.

Tufts University Supplemental Essay Question #2

Now we’d like to know a little more about you. please respond to one of the following three questions. (200-250 words):, a) it’s cool to love learning. what excites your intellectual curiosity.

In our experience, this is the prompt that applicants tend to select most often, primarily because the “Why Tufts?” essay is so short, students don’t feel they have enough space to talk about the academic discipline they hope to study at the university.

Whether it’s a general love for math/science or literature or a specific interest in aerospace engineering or 19th century French novels, use this opportunity to share what makes you tick, the ideas that keep you up at night, and what subject inspires you to dream big. What topic makes you read books and online content until your eyes bleed? Share the manner in which you relentlessly pursue knowledge. Whether it’s falling down a Wikipedia rabbit hole about the nature of time or consuming thousands of hours of podcasts on game theory, this is a chance to illustrate the ways in which you are an obsessive learner with an endless thirst for information.

The admissions reader should emerge with the sense that you are a sincerely curious person with a strong intellectual drive. If that curiosity can be tied into your intended area of study, all the better!

B) How have the environments or experiences of your upbringing – your family, home, neighborhood, or community – shaped the person you are today?

This essay encourages you to describe how your environment/community has shaped you into the present version of yourself. Community can be a “community” in any form: an ethnic, religious, family, or neighborhood community, or a group of individuals who gather for a club, sport, or service project. You are the captain of a team, the editor-in-chief of your school paper, the president of a club… but don’t just rest on those laurels—instead, bring your involvement to life. Use your writing ability to show the admissions officer the impact your community has had on your dreams rather than merely telling them. If your family/home (parent, grandparent, sibling) was a powerful force in your growth and development, that can be the sole focus of a successful composition here as well.

C) Where are you on your journey of engaging with or fighting for social justice?

Some students may have more direct experience with social justice than others, but—no matter your background—this is an opportunity to demonstrate that you care about justice and fairness in your local community as well as the global community. If applicable, you can speak about a time when you spoke up for a peer in a moment of need. Or, alternatively, share an instance when you got involved in a larger cause or movement (politics, activism, volunteer work, etc.). If you don’t have a deeply personal story to tell in this realm, you’ll want to select a different prompt. While there’s nothing wrong with simply articulating your basic beliefs in the values of inclusion, equity, tolerance, and diversity, it doesn’t necessarily make for the most compelling essay.

If you do choose this essay prompt, draw on past evidence of your commitment to being a positive force in your community and speculate how that is likely to manifest on Tufts’ campus. Research and cite Tufts’ student-run organizations, local nonprofit groups, or anything else you are drawn to. Drawing the link between your past efforts and future aims is critical here.

How important are the Tufts supplemental essays?

Tufts views six factors as being “very important” to their applicant evaluation process. These are: the rigor of one’s coursework, the GPA earned, class rank, recommendations, character/personal qualities, and—most relevant for our purposes here—the essays.

For all essays, we recommend heeding the advice of one Senior Assistant Director of Admissions at Tufts University who stated: “Be yourself. When writing your essays, you don’t have to sound like you already have your PhD (spoiler: we know you don’t—you’re applying for an undergraduate program). Instead, employ a voice in your writing that feels authentically you, exploring the topics you actually care about. That’s the voice that will help you stand out in our process.”

Tufts Supplemental Essays – Want Personalized Assistance?

If you are interested in working with one of College Transitions’ experienced and knowledgeable essay coaches as you craft your Tufts supplemental essays, we encourage you to get a quote  today.

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How to write the tufts university essays 2021-2022: the complete guide.

Tufts University is an elite, private research institution located near downtown Boston.

The school offers over 70 undergraduate majors and is well-known for its international relations and pre-med programs. Its student body prides itself on active citizenship, public service, and working toward addressing social justice issues.

Tuft’s acceptance rate (11%) and small total undergraduate enrollment (about 5,900 ) make it a highly selective school and put it in the running against many Ivy League schools . If you’re interested in applying, we’ve got you covered with this guide on how to answer Tuft’s essay questions.

Click above to watch a video on Tufts Supplemental Essays.

Tufts Supplemental Essay Requirements

Tufts accepts the Common App , so, before you begin these essays,it’s important to finish your main personal statement and activities list.

• Tuft’s writing supplement consists of two short essay responses
• The first is limited to 150 words, while the second allows you to pick from three prompts and is limited to 250 words.
• The essays you need to write depend on the schools to which you are applying, with different essays for each school.

Since the lengths of the essays are not very long, we will break them down below and give detailed advice on how to answer each.

First, let’s start with general advice to keep in mind while writing all three essays.

General Tips for the Tufts Supplemental Essays

In their writing portion, Tuft’s states:

“Think outside the box as you answer the following questions. Take a risk and go somewhere unexpected. Be serious if the moment calls for it but feel comfortable being playful if that suits you, too.”

What does this mean for applicants?

As with many selective universities, Tuft receives many applications from students with the highest qualifications, including competitive GPAs, excellent recommendation letters, and involvement in multiple outstanding extracurricular activities.

This means that they are using their writing supplement to get to know their prospective students and differentiate between applicants. They are seeking a connection to a unique character, voice, or student perspective . In order to capitalize on this, these are some things you should do for all responses:

• Skip general introductions and material. This part is especially important given the word limit.
• Delve into the heart of things right away. Include only relevant concepts that give a sense of your life, self, and character. In short, start and end with specifics. Leave out the general.
• Focus on one or two angles of your life. Do not overwhelm readers by trying to tell them your whole life story. Choose moments or anecdotes that will present unique facets of your personality.
• Be yourself. One of the major pitfalls is writing what you think an admission board wants to hear.
• Do not recap your résumé, activities list, or honors. They are looking to get a feel for you as an individual with your own unique curiosities, motivations, and hopes for the future.

Now that we have outlined the overarching ideas, let’s dive into the specifics of each essay.

Mandatory Supplemental Essay: Why Tufts?

Applicants to the School of Arts and Sciences, School of Engineering, and 5-Year Tufts/NEC Combined Degree must answer this prompt. This is a common type of prompt which asks,

“Which aspects of the Tufts undergraduate experience prompt your application? In short, ‘Why Tufts?’” 

If you are applying to the SMFA BFA in Studio Art program, you’ll see the following prompt:

“Which aspects of the Tufts undergraduate experience prompt your application? Why SMFA at Tufts?” 

Either way, 150 words is about two paragraphs, so concision and specificity are both key, no matter which prompt you get . To begin with, choose just a handful of aspects about Tufts that draw you to the school. Here are some ideas:

• Are you interested in a specific program, like engineering, international relations, or history?
• Is there an element of Tuft’s school culture that you’re particularly drawn to? For example, perhaps you’re drawn to the school’s quirky nature, intellectualism, or socially conscious education.
• Is there an extracurricular activity, organization, grant, fellowship, class, program, or professor that inspire your interest in Tufts?

Whatever you choose, it is important that you either have an actual, specific experience in mind to write about or a detailed knowledge of the particular aspect of Tufts that you state as your reason.

For example, if you choose “diversity” as your reason, make sure you mention specific student associations or clubs that engage in diversity, equity, inclusion work and why that excites you. Even better, use a real-life situation in your response, if it applies.

Last, tie your reason for choosing Tufts to an essential part of who you are as a person. This can be a value or belief you hold, a hope you have for the future, or a school subject that really excites you. You could write about:

• Your love of language, math, music, English, or anything else that you are enthused about.
• The importance of your identity as a sportsman, woman, person of color, or brother of two younger siblings.
• A specific vision you have for the future or bettering the world.

To answer the “Why Tufts” question in a well-thought-out manner, it’s important to be specific about the school while also letting them get to know more about you as a person. After all, your goal is to connect a specific aspect of Tufts to you or your personality.

Example Essay:

When reading this example, pay attention to how playful the writer is being. The essay is obviously focused on Tufts and why it is a good match, but it doesn’t take itself too seriously:

The undergraduate experience at Tufts is my ideal ice-cream sundae.  With an emphasis on interdisciplinary learning, I can mesh scoops of political science, community health, and biology, combining disparate perspectives to explore complex healthcare issues. Over this, I will pour indulgent caramel in the form of an internship in Washington, D.C., allowing me to immerse myself in a health policy research project. Next, comes the countless brownie bits of activities, like Tufts’ prestigious Mock Trial Team, the Sarabande Repertory Dance Ensemble, and Hillel.  No sundae is complete without a cherry on top. When I toured Tufts, I was amazed by my guide’s friendly interactions with every individual he encountered. Surrounded by passionate, supportive, and motivated individuals, I know Tufts is the manifestation of my perfect collaborative environment. This positive atmosphere embodies the maraschino cherry on the already overflowing ice-cream heap, ensuring my undergraduate experience satisfies the sweetest of cravings. 

While some might argue that this essay breaks the rule of only talking about a few ideas, it does not. The central theme is how Tufts is like an ice cream sundae, and the writer sticks to it throughout, despite fleetingly mentioning many other aspects of Tufts. Even then, the author still spends a large chunk of their time talking about their cherry: the one, standout thing that makes Tufts special to them.

The Second Tufts Supplemental Essay

Depending on what school you are thinking of applying to, there are a myriad of essay prompts you could get asked, although all of them have a 200-250 word limit. Applicants to the School of Arts and Sciences, School of Engineering, or the 5-year Combined Degree BA/BS + B Music with New England Conservatory have three options to pick from:

It’s cool to love learning. What excites your intellectual curiosity? How have the environments or experiences of your upbringing – your family, home, neighborhood, or community – shaped the person you are today? Where are you on your journey of engaging with or fighting for social justice?

Applicants to the SMFA BFA in Studio Art or the 5-year Combined Degree BFA + BA/BS at SMFA/School of Arts and Sciences must submit an art portfolio. In addition, Tufts also has the following required prompt for the second essay:

• Art has the power to disrupt our preconceptions, shape public discourse, and imagine new ways of being in the world. What are the ideas you’d like to explore in your work?

Let’s go through each of these options one at a time, including why you might want to pick that particular essay over the others.

Tufts Supplemental Essay 2A: What Excites Your Intellectual Curiosity?

This is a really open-ended prompt. You could write about almost anything you want, so it is a good prompt to pick if you are looking to diversify your application . Keep in mind, Tufts is looking for something unexpected.

Don’t be afraid to choose an item, subject, or idea that seems common: much like a sundae, it isn’t normal to see in a college essay.

Consider this an opportunity to describe how your interests encompass more than just a major.  For example, if you’re not applying to a computer science major, you can discuss a coding project. If your application already indicates a strong interest in STEM subjects, consider writing about something you love, like poetry, theater, or sports. Here are some questions to get you started:

• What thing are people always shocked to learn about you?
• Look through your Tufts application thus far. What is important to you, yet missing from this application?
• When was the last time you taught yourself something, only to realize hours had passed while you were unaware?
• Do you have a dream creation or invention? Why? What inspires you to make it?

In writing about what excites you, make sure to talk about why they, or the process of creating them, is important to you.

• Do you create because you love the thinking process, or do you prefer having to critically solve problems on the spot?
• Do you like tweaking and modifying something until it’s perfect, or do you prefer the ideation process? 
• Or do you love creating because it allows you to show the world a little part of yourself?

Whatever your reason, make it personal and genuine . Irrespective of what makes you curious about the world, make sure it speaks to your application narrative.

You also want to make sure you structure this essay. A good essay outline could look like the following:

• What makes you excited about learning
• A brief discussion explaining your motivations and inspiration
• How this relates to your life, personal themes, challenges, struggles, or character

Above all, keep this related to you.

One of the reasons I like this essay so much is because, much like the previous essay, it takes a seemly boring idea and makes it interesting:

On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I sit in soil pulling crabgrass and borage. I’ve been a farmer since sophomore year. The farm – managed by my school – is a one-acre plot more accurately described as a garden with chickens. I fall into a rhythm, plucking and setting tomatoes in the container, eating several here and there. I recall the awe of harvesting a giant sunflower and discovering ten potatoes growing in its roots. I think about jalapenos, and how scratches on their skin indicate the spiciness level. The satisfaction of eating a raw green-bean, the first piece of food I grew at the farm, was indescribable. I derive great pleasure from knowing friends and teachers also eat the food I grow; we donate the farm’s produce to our school’s dining hall and sell it at the local weekly farmer’s market. Although I initially joined the farm because I wanted to try something new, I quickly found that the work offers a balance with the intellectual material I study in the mornings. The farm connects education with experience, applying my classroom learning to a real setting. Being able to see the relevance of what I am studying piques my curiosity. I aspire to maintain this connection between education and experience throughout my life, looking for soil to cultivate, so I can see and understand more of the world around me.

Tufts Supplemental Essay 2B: What Has Shaped Who You Are Today?

This is the second prompt option available to people applying to the School of Arts and Sciences, School of Engineering, or the 5-year Combined Degree BA/BS + B Music with New England Conservatory. To review, the prompt is:

How have the environments or experiences of your upbringing – your family, home, neighborhood, or community – shaped the person you are today?

This is a great option for people who have already written an essay about a community for another school, especially if you have a kicker of a story. If you have, don’t hesitate to recycle it, but think about the following questions when you do:

• How do the word lengths between the two essays compare?  Do I need to remove or add anything? If so, how can I make the essay still flow well?
• Is there anything in the original essay which made it specific to the other school? If so, how can I change it to relate to Tufts instead?
• What quality is the essay highlighting about me? Is this a quality Tufts is interested in?

If you haven’t written this essay for another college, this could still be a good choice, especially if you have another college on your application list that you know will ask for it. Whatever your reasons, here are some questions you can ask yourself when you’re brainstorming:

• If a time-traveling supervillain decided you were a threat to their plans, what one event in your life could they change to completely alter who you are?
• Is there a person in your life who has dramatically helped forge who you are today?
• Was, or is, some element of your life unusual compared to your peers?

Whatever you come up with, the most important element needs to be explaining how your experience made you… you. Even if your story includes other people, the focus needs to be your side of the story, no one else’s.

Here is an example of what a community-based essay might look like:

In Portland, opinions are liberally voiced. It’s similar to my current community in Houston, except rather than an abundance of Lizzie Fletcher stickers it’s “Come and Take It.” When I moved, I was bombarded by a completely foreign culture. By sophomore year, however, I realized that compromising myself to fit in was a mistake. I began vocally expressing my sentiments towards the world, and learned from my friends in turn. While I introduced my friends to thrift-shopping and wrote articles about more environmentally friendly methods of transportation, they took me to my first line-dance and helped me examine the other side of gun-control in `Agora Coffee House.’  When I was hurled into Texas, I was miserable. However, I quickly realized that I didn’t have to like Ed Sheeran to enjoy life. Learning to embrace and assess so many dissonant ideas has enabled me to grow into myself. I am more nonpartisan and able to truly listen to the other side. Now, whether it’s Texas or Oregon, Republican or Democrat, my life is a playlist of contradictions. In college, where everyone works on discovering “who they are” or what their place is in the world, I know I can provide not only diversity of thought, but educate people on how crucial it is to maintain an open-minded ideology towards the world.

One of the reasons this is a good essay is because it promotes a value that most colleges are looking for: diversity of thought. While written for Tufts, it is equally applicable to a number of other prompts, saving the writer time on other applications.

Tufts Supplemental Essay 2C: Social Justice Journey

This is the last prompt to choose from when applying to Tuft’s School of Arts and Sciences, School of Engineering, or the 5-year Combined Degree BA/BS + B Music with New England Conservatory. This one reads:

Where are you on your journey of engaging with or fighting for social justice?

This is a great prompt to select if this is one of the areas you’re most passionate about. However, this can also be the most challenging of the three prompts for several reasons. The first is that you should not conflate social justice with volunteering.

• While they definitely overlap, it’s important to note that not all volunteering falls under the banner of social justice. For instance, volunteering at the local hospital, while admirable, probably doesn’t solve a social justice problem.
• In the same vein, fighting for social justice doesn’t require you to be a volunteer. If you get a job at a community center tutoring underprivileged children, this could count as fighting for social justice even though it’s paid.  

The next trap to avoid is making yourself sound like the savior of a particular group. While you deserve to be proud of your efforts to champion a cause, it’s important to also stay humble while writing about it. Being too effusive about yourself makes you appear arrogant, which isn’t the right tone, no matter the essay.

Last, don’t write about this topic if the only social justice you’re engaging in is minimal or common. For instance, you may have painted a school as a way to support everyone’s right to an education.

However, if it was a weekend project back in Freshman year, that does a poor job of communicating your commitment to social justice. In the same fashion, many people who apply to college have volunteered at their local food bank.

• This isn’t to say you can’t write about examples that are common or far in the past, but if you do, remember that you need to think of a spin to make your project stand out. 

If you decide to go with this topic, be sure to keep the focus on why you are fighting for a particular cause, what your goals are, and how you are working to achieve them. Be practical, but also be sure that a reader can tell how passionate you are.

While this is a rather abstract essay, closer to a poem than prose, keep in mind that Tufts asks for creativity in the essay responses:

There are mornings when I feel like it would be easier to pull my blue and green spotted duvet back over my head and stay in bed all day.  But I can’t.  Every day, I know that people, my people, are being unfairly maligned.  Sometimes it’s subtle. A resume passed over, or maybe just skimmed a little faster. Sometimes it’s not, like when my brother gets pulled over, simply for being a young, black male.  So, every day I try to take a stand. I sit in the front of the class, whenever I can. I’m always polite. Yes ma’am, no sir. My homework is pristine, always on time. At the end of the day, my greatest tool waits for me. A pen, a piece of paper. A voice. As the editor of my school’s newspaper, it is my privilege to speak diversity into my community. But it is also my load.  There are mornings when I feel like it would be easier to pull my blue and green spotted duvet back over my head and stay in bed all day.  But I can’t.  If I’m not using my voice, and helping others find theirs, then how can I claim to be loving those around me? If I am not listening to the silent cries for justice, then how can I claim to care for the oppressed?  I will always seek out the oppressed, and ask them what they see. I can do no other.

Tufts Supplemental Essay 3: Exploring Ideas Through Art

This last prompt is required for students who select that they are applying to the SMFA BFA in Studio Art or the 5-year Combined Degree BFA + BA/BS at SMFA/School of Arts and Sciences. Like the other three, it has a 200-250 word limit:

Art has the power to disrupt our preconceptions, shape public discourse, and imagine new ways of being in the world. What are the ideas you’d like to explore in your work? 

There are two main structures to this essay. Of course, you are not limited to using these approaches, but if you’re stuck they’re here to serve as a jumping-off platform for your brainstorming.

Approach 1:

• Explain the work you’d like to explore, either during your undergraduate years or afterward.
• How does this work relate to you?
• How does this work relate to your journey and personal themes?
• What are the methods you’d use to explain your work?

Approach 2:

• How will SMFA at Tufts help you accomplish this exploration?
• What are your career ambitions?
• What kind of impact do you want to have on your field?

Your idea can be esoteric or concrete, complex, or simple. Just make sure it relates to you.

Last, don’t get caught up in explaining the work itself. Instead, discuss why and how you’d explore it.

This essay does a great job of explaining the applicant’s relationship with art and how she thinks about it:

A teacher turns around to write an equation on the board and a sun pokes out from the collar of her shirt. A Starbucks barista hands me my drink, her hand adorned by a small music note. Every day, I am on a scavenger hunt to find women with tattoos. I’m intrigued by the quotes, dates, symbols, and abstract shapes. I’ve started to request informal interviews, as an excuse to talk with these diverse women whose individuality continually inspires me.  There is no school assignment, no teacher to give me a grade, and no deadline. Just me, exploring the art and stories behind the permanent transformations of personal landscapes. An artist educator told me that getting a tattoo “was like claiming a part of yourself and making it more visible and unavoidable.” A psychologist shared how she wishes that she could turn her tattoos “on or off to match different outfits and occasions.” I’ve realized how effectively tattoos showcase the complex relationship between the personal and the public. This project of mine has taught me so much about the art of storytelling and storytelling through art. I’ve strengthened relationships with people that had conventional roles in my life and also created friendships with unconventional characters. Most importantly, I’ve realized that with a willingness to explore a topic and accept not knowing where it will go, an idea can become a substantive reality.

Conclusion: Tufts Supplemental Essays

Year after year, Tufts upholds its reputation for having applicants write interesting essays.

So don’t be afraid to talk about how you want to affect change in small, specific ways or how the pursuit of knowledge is extremely important to you no matter where you are.

Whatever matters to you, show Tufts that these actions are genuinely important to you and are inspired by internal motivators rather than by wanting to get admitted to a school.

Before you submit your application, reread your material and make sure your responses present you as a well-rounded, multifaceted, and three-dimensional individual. If you need to tweak things to make yourself come alive and give yourself more personality, then do it.

More so than other schools, Tufts like their prospective students to feel fleshed out and relatable on paper.

Despite the short ideas and phrases, you can get a sense of the author and what they care about. Presumably, some of the details missing from this essay are fleshed out in places like their activities list or another essay.

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Your chance of acceptance, your chancing factors, extracurriculars, tufts essays that worked: what made them successful.

Hi all! I'm applying to Tufts and was wondering if anyone could shed some light on what qualities successful essays to this university had. What were the standout factors that made these essays unique and appealing to the admissions officers? Thanks in advance for any advice!

Hey there! It's great to hear you're applying to Tufts. I can share some insights on what makes a successful essay for their application. Firstly, you want to make sure your essay has a strong personal voice that reflects who you are as an individual. Don't be afraid to let your personality show.

Then, successful Tufts essays tend to demonstrate intellectual curiosity and engagement with the world around you. If you can showcase how you're intrigued by a particular subject and how you strive for deeper understanding, that will be highly valued by Tufts' admissions officers. It's important to be detailed and use storytelling techniques like anecdotes to convey your passion for learning and the opportunities at Tufts.

Lastly, make sure you're answering the specific essay prompts in a tailored way. For instance, if you're asked about an aspect of your identity, really dig deep into your personal experiences and demonstrate how it influences your life and worldviews. Personal reflection will go a long way and reveal more about yourself than just describing surface-level character traits.

Remember, there's no fool-proof formula for a successful essay, but these general tips can guide you to create a strong, unique, and engaging application essay for Tufts. Good luck with your application, and I hope this helps!

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CollegeVine’s Q&A seeks to offer informed perspectives on commonly asked admissions questions. Every answer is refined and validated by our team of admissions experts to ensure it resonates with trusted knowledge in the field.

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“It was clear from evaluating this year’s applications that we have admitted an impressive group of students who want to learn with and from their peers, and who are eager to use their education to positively transform the world,” said JT Duck. Photo: Jenna Schad

Academic Achievement and ‘Intellectual Curiosity’ Shared by Admitted Class of 2028

The students admitted to the undergraduate class are described as civic-minded, entrepreneurial, and committed to collaboration

Regular admissions decisions for the Class of 2028 were released March 22, representing a 10% acceptance rate, on par with last year.

Students selected from the applicant pool , which exceeded 34,000, are “civic-minded, entrepreneurial, and deeply committed to collaborating with others,” said JT Duck, dean of admissions for the School of Arts and Sciences and the School of Engineering.

Duck noted that first-year applicants began high school in the fall of 2020, when virtual or hybrid modalities were required as part of COVID-19 health precautions. 

The pandemic went on to have a challenging ripple effect on their high school experience by limiting access to extracurricular activities and the students’ ability to get to know their classmates outside of Zoom, and by impacting their mental health, said Duck.

“But the resilience that students showed us, as they navigated these limitations, was remarkable,” he said. “The class we have admitted has a deep appreciation for learning and exploration.”

In line with the mission of Tufts, the Office of Admissions looks for strong academic records and intellectual curiosity. Also of interest are students who show promise in becoming active citizens of the world, and who are likely—as reflected in their experiences and interests in learning across differences—to have a profound impact on one another. 

Through their essays, students offered a window onto their lives. They shared what excited them intellectually, the ways in which they contributed to building an inclusive and collaborative environment in their schools, and how their communities shaped them, said Duck.

“It was clear from evaluating this year’s applications that we have admitted an impressive group of students who want to learn with and from their peers, and who are eager to use their education to positively transform the world,” said Duck.

Highlights of the Admitted Class of 2028 

Women comprise 56% of the class and men 41%, and 3% identify as non-binary or genderqueer, or preferred not to specify a gender identity. Women also make up 50% of students admitted to the School of Engineering.

Of those admitted from high schools with class rank, 92% are ranked in the top 10% of their class.

Of all admitted students, 55% attend public high schools or public charter high schools, with the remainder attending independent schools, religiously affiliated schools, or home schools. They come from more than 1,750 high schools, of which more than 350 have not been represented in an admitted student cohort in the past five years, if ever.

30 students were admitted via the Questbridge Match process in December, and more than 150 Questbridge-affiliated students were admitted in total. Altogether, admitted students worked with more than 90 different college-access organizations that support low-income students on their paths to college.

Students who are among the first generation in their family to attend college account for 11% of the class, and 36% of admitted students speak a language other than, or in addition to, English at home.

The class represents all 50 states, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico. Of students from the United States, 29% are from New England; 31% from the Mid-Atlantic; 17% from the West; 15% from the South and Southwest; and 6% from the Midwest.

80 students are residents of Tufts’ host communities (Medford, Somerville, Boston, and Grafton), and include students affiliated with local college-access organizations such as Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center, Bottom Line, Breakthrough Greater Boston, Minds Matter Boston, SquashBusters, the Steppingstone Foundation, and Summer Search.

Of all admitted students, more than 400 are foreign nationals, representing 100-plus citizenships. The most represented countries are China, India, South Korea, Canada, Brazil, United Kingdom, Greece, Turkey, Australia, Japan, Thailand, Argentina, Rwanda, and Mexico.

Over two dozen students were admitted from seven of the  United World College high schools around the world. In addition, international students worked with many different college access organizations, including the Tanzania Student Achievement Fund ( TanSAF ),  Young Achievers Foundation Ghana ,  Sutton Trust ,  EdUSA , and  Bridge2Rwanda , among several others.

More than 800 students applied to Tisch College of Civic Life’s  Civic Semester program, taking place in Urubamba, Peru, and Chiang Mai, Thailand. Offers of admission were made to students who applied directly to the program, with the expectation that 24 students will enroll this fall.

Incoming undergraduates indicated their top areas of academic interest as biology, international relations, computer science, economics, biomedical engineering, mechanical engineering, political science, interdisciplinary art, and psychology.

Tufts is in the fourth year of a six-year SAT/ACT test-optional pilot. Similar to previous years, about 50% of applicants, and 60% of admitted students, submitted scores for consideration. 

A small percentage of the applicant pool has been offered a place on the waitlist. The admissions office anticipates admitting some students from the waitlist in early May, depending on available space in the first-year class.

In April, the Tufts undergraduate admissions team will host three in-person Jumbo Days and a series of virtual events for admitted students called Jumbo Month. Admitted students have until May 1 to confirm their enrollment plans.

Early Impressions of the Students Admitted to the Tufts Undergraduate Class of 2027

Victor Vazquez’s Quest for Clean Energy

The Dorms (and Rules) Have Changed, But Roommates Remain Key to Student Life

The Journeys Project

Leir migration monitor: march 2024.

Governance, Violence, and Migration: Lessons Learned from El Salvador and Honduras

By  Leir-affiliated Faculty Anjuli Fahlberg , Katherine Garcia, Laura Garcia and Justin Pérez

For over a year, a team of four researchers from Tufts University, El Salvador, and Honduras has been investigating the impact of differing governance approaches on violence and human rights in El Salvador and Honduras. They share with us some of their findings on how governance and violence are impacting migration into and out of Central America. 

Anjuli Fahlberg, Katherine Garcia, Laura Garcia and Justin Pérez share with us some of the lessons they learned during their research, including:

• How Central American countries are dealing with many of the same struggles as the United States as new migrants arrive in search of safety and resources.
• How state repression is often just as potent a threat as the criminal violence of local gangs.
• The incredible risks that migrants take.
• To be observant of how journalists are reporting about migration.

Backyard Bankers: Episode 2, Côte d’Ivoire Associations

By  Leir-affiliated faculty Kim Wilson  & Charlie Williams 

In  last month’s issue of the Leir Migration Monitor , we featured a story   to appear in a forthcoming book,  Backyard Bankers: Immigrants, Money Clubs, and the Pursuit of the American Dream .  The story focused on the entrepreneurship of a band of hustling, creative Boston-based Bangladeshis who were moving more than $100,000 a month of capital through their club . They used their funds to invest in businesses. This month,   we feature a different kind of club – an association of people originally from Côte d’Ivoire. This club does not invest in businesses but rather in the mental and social health of its membership. We hope you enjoy the contrast. 

Spotlight: Natalia Espinosa Tokuhama, F20

Natalia Espinosa Tokuhama is the Boston Economic Mobility Manager for the Equity and Inclusion Cabinet. She focuses on developing innovative economic health and mobility policies for all Bostonians. She does this through research, strategic pilot projects, partnerships, and community-centered programming. Prior to joining the Equity and Inclusion Cabinet, Natalia worked with the Mayor’s Office for Immigrant Advancement managing economic integration projects and programs with strategic partners to strengthen the financial well-being of immigrants in Boston. Natalia also has previous experience working in Latin American economic development, resiliency, and entrepreneurship projects with local governments. In addition to economic mobility and policy support, Natalia is implementing a monitoring and evaluation framework for the 9 departments in the Equity and Inclusion Cabinet in order to build a data gathering and evidence driven culture. 

Current role:  Boston Economic Mobility Manager for the  City of Boston  Equity and Inclusion Cabinet

I am working on:  

• Financial health and economic mobility policy and program support
• Translating datasets into stories and sharing our policies, programs, and impact with the communities we serve
• Thought partnerships on research, monitoring, and evaluation
• Strategic thinking about narratives and evidence-based persuasion and stakeholder engagement

An insight I’ve discovered:  I’ve discovered that it is important to be optimistic. It’s easy to become jaded or cynical, but it’s better for you, the work, and everyone who works with you if you approach challenges with a sense that solutions to big things can and will be found.

I’m passionate about:  Working for equity and inclusion in a local government setting. Under Mayor Wu’s leadership, this relatively new cabinet has grown and, I personally think, it is one of the most exciting spaces to work due to the diverse staff and the phenomenal wealth of knowledge my colleagues bring. I love that in the broadest of terms, we all are working to ensure that the 200-year-old+ inherited systems of government can adapt to include all the populations who were not originally included in their operative framework. In the Cabinet, we have 9 departments (including immigrants but also serving other traditionally underserved groups such as women, individuals with disabilities, LGBTQ+ as well as Black male constituents, etc.). I get to keep working on that puzzle of retrofitting government structures to serve a broader and more inclusive population with tailored services than what, perhaps, had initially been conceived.

• ← Backyard Bankers: Episode 2 Côte d’Ivoire Associations

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The Death of the Pure Elective

Remember taking classes for fun my students don’t..

“Why would you ever take an entire course on trauma?”

That was the question I asked my students last year at the beginning of a semester-long, waitlisted class on the most distressing type of psychic pain. Were they aspiring psychologists or social workers? Had they themselves been traumatized? Were they searching for tools to deal with catastrophe? Or had they just been intrigued by the topic?

I braced myself for their answers and was shocked that, to a person, they all responded the exact same way:

The course fulfilled a graduation requirement.

Accordingly, I was less surprised this year when I heard the same reply from participants in a very different (also full) course I taught on the philosophy of charity: They needed it for their degree.

I’m seeing this attitude more and more at the college where I teach, Boston University: Electives as you might remember them are out. Matthew Bae, a director of academic advising at BU, says he sees not more than one or two students a semester sign up for a course merely because they’re interested. “Students taking pure electives are the exception, not the rule,” Bae said, “and I always remember them because they’re so rare they stand out.”

If students can’t figure out what the immediate use value of a course is, they won’t take it. And so far as I can tell, this utilitarian approach is directly related to the rising costs of college.

Or perhaps I should say skyrocketing costs. Because, as the Boston Globe reported  last week, four top New England universities—Tufts, Wellesley, Yale, and BU—will cost an unconscionable $90,000 a year next fall. Northeastern and MIT aren’t far behind. That means that the price tag for an undergraduate education at these institutions is about to push past a third of a million dollars .

These universities will say that such numbers are “sticker prices”—and that financial aid packages ease the burden. (Asked for comment on the price increase, a BU spokesperson made that argument to a local news outlet, adding that the average aid package at the school was $67,000 in 2023–24.) But a 2023  survey by Sallie Mae indicates that students across the country still shoulder, on average, 71 percent of costs through family contributions and loans.

The effects of this trend are manifold. Recent surveys suggest that one of these is increasing student anxiety. According to a 2022 poll, 68 percent of undergraduates say that it is a struggle for them or their families to pay for college; another indicates that a whopping 92 percent of students fear they won’t have enough money to cover tuition. No wonder stress and worry are a daily struggle  for the broad majority of college students.

And another effect, while less visible, is no less pernicious. Because 78 percent of students believe that the price is worth it anyway—but only so long as it leads to financial independence. In other words, a university education better pay.

This is the brute logic of economics, which encourages students to see each course as a product that should earn a short-term return on investment. And this same logic is keeping students from doing the most important thing college lets them do: intellectually explore.

When I graduated from university, about 25 years ago, the entire price tag for my degree was around $50,000—a shade over the cost of one semester at BU these days. That was no small sum for my firmly middle-class family, even minus the scholarship money I was able to scrape together, but it also wasn’t a backbreaking expense.

So, while I felt appropriately motivated to find a major, get a degree, and graduate, I could also afford to look around a bit. I enrolled in electives in anthropology, astronomy, and urban planning, and I did so not because I wanted to secure a return on investment—they just sounded really interesting. And they were! I still remember what I learned about ethnographic methods, the Drake equation, and buffer zones, and I’m the better for it.

It turns out that my experience wasn’t out of the norm. As Robert Elliott and Valerie Paton point out, college curricula that encourage students to follow their interests trace their origins back to the elective system put in place in the late 19 th century by Harvard President Charles W. Eliot. Eliot’s reforms encouraged freedom of inquiry and liberated students from the rigid requirements of a common core, and, Elliott and Paton argue, their influence has persisted into the modern era. To wit, former Brown Dean Katherine Bergeron notes  (citing Derek Bok) that at the turn of the 20 th century, “curricula in more than one third of America’s colleges were at least 70 percent elective.”

For 19 th -century philosopher John Stuart Mill, this kind of free exploration was one of the most important purposes of higher education. He wrote that a “mind to which the fountains of knowledge have been opened, and which has been taught, in any tolerable degree, to exercise its faculties—finds sources of inexhaustible interest in all that surrounds it, in the objects of nature, the achievements of art, the imaginations of poetry, the incidents of history, the ways of mankind past and present.”

In other words, a college experience that allows students to engage in a wide-ranging pursuit of knowledge, liberated from economic pressures, turns the world into a buffet of intellectual pleasures. And it’s one that treats the student as something more than a cog in a giant capitalist machine.

But for Mill, the capacity to appreciate that buffet is “a very tender plant, easily killed, not only by hostile influences, but by mere want of sustenance.” In jacking up tuition costs, American universities are in the process of killing that tender plant. And the costs won’t be just economic. As prices rise, elite institutions risk turning themselves into high-priced vocational schools for the professional managerial class—and shunting students away from the most valuable part of college.

Tufts Blogs

Current tufts students, inside admissions, updated tufts short answer prompts.

We are excited to announce our short answer prompts for the 2023-2024 application cycle. 

These prompts are designed to provide undergraduate first-year and transfer applicants with opportunities to share with our Admissions Committee context about your lived experiences, the ideas and passions that excite you, and the ways in which you have shaped your communities. Alongside the personal statement essay, a few Tufts-specific questions available in the application, and the myriad components of each application, responses to these short answer prompts will contribute to our Admissions Committee’s understanding of each student’s achievements, aspirations, and potential contributions to the Tufts University community. 

Here are the short answer prompts for undergraduate applicants during the 2023-2024 admissions cycle: 

Applicants to the School of Arts & Sciences and the School of Engineering:

Please respond to one of the following three prompts in 200-250 words:

• It’s cool to love learning. What excites your intellectual curiosity and why? 
• How have the environments or experiences of your upbringing – your family, home, neighborhood, or community – shaped the person you are today?
• Using a specific example or two, tell us about a way that you contributed to building a collaborative and/or inclusive community.

Applicants to the School of the Museum of Fine Arts (SMFA) at Tufts:

Please respond to the following prompt in 200-250 words:

• Art has the power to disrupt our preconceptions, shape public discourse, and imagine new ways of being in the world. What are the ideas you’d like to explore in your work?   

In addition, we will ask all applicants to complete this sentence in 100 words or less:

“I am applying to Tufts because…” 

The Common Application and Coalition Application will be updated on August 1 with these prompts. Tufts also accepts the QuestBridge application. We consider each application equally and have no preference among them. We will review applications across two rounds of Early Decision, Regular Decision, and Transfer Admission for students seeking to begin study at Tufts in the Fall of 2024.

As you begin to plan for the upcoming application cycle, know that we are here to help! We encourage you to learn more about the Tufts admissions process by exploring the admissions website , reading Jumbo Magazine or our student blogs , and following us on Instagram.

We hope this early notice of our short answer prompts gives you some additional time to develop your application. We also hope that you are somewhere enjoying the sunshine on the first official day of summer. 

Sincerely, Chase Weldon