Calling all future Jumbos! Today, were talking about Tufts University, a college best known for its combination of academic ambition and quirky, fun-loving school spirit. Located in Medford, MA (the greater Boston area), Tufts is a mid-sized university whose students praise it for offering a welcoming community alongside impressive scholastic opportunities; as the best of both worlds, where undergraduates benefit from the resources of a major research university and the attention of a liberal arts college.
Tufts takes its vibe very seriously; it has long cultivated an atmosphere where academic passion and ambition can coexist with collective care, social warmth, and were just gonna say it whimsy. The descriptors are these: Intellectually Playful. Kind. Collaborative. Civically Engaged. Globally Minded. They actively seek students who intentionally set this tone as well, meaning they want outside-the-box thinkers (or to put it frankly and we mean this in the most complimentary sense creative, benevolent nerds).
As a top choice for many promising students, Tufts is incredibly competitive, and last year they only of 36,000 first-year applicants. They are , so you aren required to submit an ACT or SAT score in order to apply, but their admissions office has been upfront that standardized test scores provide evidence of academic preparation and potential for success, criteria that must be met one way or another to win admission.
The standards are high, but we get students into Tufts every year. That why weve devoted this post to breaking down the supplemental essays. How you respond to these questions is incredibly important, and were going to talk through every prompt theyve provided so that, by the time youve submitted your application, youve given yourself the best possible chance.
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Writing Strategy
Tufts has streamlined their supplement this year, so you don have any choices to make here. In the past, applicants have needed to select one option from several short answer questions, but as of this cycle that decision has been made for you. Every student will need to respond to two short answer questions; the first is the same for everyone, and the second is dependent on the school or program within Tufts that youre hoping to enter. Keep reading well go through them one by one!
PROMPT #1
Please describe how you have learned about and engaged with Tufts during your college search process (75-150 words).
Phew this one is a mixed bag! It a classic why us question, but 150 words is hardly any space to make your case. For context, last year version of this prompt I am applying to Tufts because had a cap of 250 words, so Tufts is intentionally targeting concision here (the topic is more or less the same, but the quota has shrunk).
What does that mean for you? Youve got to get creative! Yes, in order to demonstrate that Tufts is the best place for you to achieve your goals and that you would contribute to Tuft student body, you should do your research and make references to Tuft distinct offerings. We tell our clients to reference a professor youd like to work with, two upper-level courses, and a campus tradition or club unique to Tufts. However, you really only have a few sentences at your disposal here, and, as weve advised successful applicants in the past, the best way to answer this question convincingly while standing out and matching Tufts energy is to stylize your response and give it some flair.
For example, instead of After researching the incredible biomedical engineering program at Tufts, I knew I wanted to apply with the hope of eventually entering the Biomedical Engineering Cooperative Education program as a 3rd-year BME major, you could inject more personality while still getting your academic passion across. Falling in love with Tufts looked like this for me: Googling best undergraduate biomedical engineering programs. Becoming obsessed with Tufts BME Cooperative Education program for upperclassmen. Dreaming about Dr. Lauren Black pioneering research on cardiovascular tissue and myocardial regeneration. Putting together my freshman schedule in my head like it a fantasy draft (Human-Machine System Design and Bioethics were first picks, obviously). Starting to add more baby blue to my wardrobe just in case. Putting my skills as a future visual arts minor to work by sketching a photorealistic Jumbo. Packing a picnic blanket for my campus visit, sneaking away after my tour to spread it out on Prez Lawn, stretching out, and thinking, this feels like it could be home.
Remember, this is the school that for years really emphasized personality in their short answer questions, with prompts like It cool to love learning. What excites your intellectual curiosity and why? and What excites you about Tufts intellectually playful community? They consistently underscore exploration, fun, and individuality in their process, so don be afraid to add a little razzle-dazzle to your answer here. You can approach this question any way youd like, but in our experience working with a variety of high-performing students, accepted applicants do these two things without fail: include details that are singular to Tufts, and weave themselves authentically into their writing. No matter what, this answer should be undeniably you.
PROMPT #2
Now, for the school-specific prompts! You need only respond to one of these four short answers, but the major or program youre applying to determines which one. All applicants apply to one of these four options: the School of Arts and Sciences, the School of Engineering, the Bachelor of Fine Arts program, or the Combined Degree program for students looking to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts and either a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree simultaneously. Make sure you know which school or program houses your declared major, and then respond to the corresponding prompt below.
Applicants to the School of Arts and Sciences are required to answer the following question in 100-200 words:
Tell us about one of your favorite school assignments in the past two years. What was the assignment and why did you enjoy it?
This prompt is a return to form for Tufts and we love it! It super direct and laser-focused. They are getting at the same thing theyve hammered home in all their admissions messaging: they value a true love of learning and intellectual curiosity above all else.
Again, you have very limited space here, but youve been given a clear directive. Theyre asking you to tell a story; you don have to cover everything you like about your academic field and recapitulate all your experience. You just need to tell an anecdote that allows us to get to know you and shows how you pursue, absorb, and synthesize knowledge. This is an opportunity for you to captivate the people reading your application, and you should have fun with it!
Did the subject you dreaded become your favorite class? Did a lab go horribly wrong but lead to an epiphany? Did you fall down an archive rabbit hole and discover a research topic youre still thinking about as you fall asleep? That the combination of heart and scholarship theyre looking for, so let it rip!
Applicants to the School of Engineering are required to answer the following question in 100-200 words:
Tell us about an engineering or science-related project that you have helped build, design, create, or iterate in the past two years. What was the project and what was your role?
Dare we say same thing, different font? This is really just a reiteration of the School of Arts and Sciences prompt (which could be about any academic discipline) with an exclusive attention to science and engineering. This one is a bit more technical, asking specifically about your role in the project and not just why you enjoyed it. The same principles apply, though! Tell a good story, let your personality shine, and make sure you lay out exactly what you did to contribute to the group goal and project outcome.
One caveat here that we always tell our clients as an important reminder: Tufts is looking for good-natured collaborators. Yes, it great to show youre an active participant who does their share of the work, has visionary ideas, and shows strong leadership, so definitely take full credit for all youve done. But definitely DONT showboat or try to leave the impression that you did everything yourself. They use the language helped build for a reason engineers work in teams in the real world, and you don want to give the impression that your ego would hold you back or steamroll your peers when youve got a collective job to do.
Applicants to the Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) program are required to answer the following question in 100-200 words:
Tell us more about a specific piece in your portfolio. What were the ideas you intended to explore, and how did those ideas inform the process of making the piece?
Per the nature of art itself, this question is more open-ended, but it is a variation on the why this subject that weve already seen for the School of Arts and Sciences and School of Engineering. Because youre writing about a piece of original work, the story youre telling is just the catalyzing event or train of thought that led you to generate this part of your portfolio. While the question itself does invite some abstraction and philosophizing, it *very important* that you keep your response grounded (and comprehensible) by answering the second part of the question here: how the content relates to the craft. Why did you make the choices you did? What response were you hoping to evoke in an audience?
In other words, make sure you connect your artistic work to intellectual concepts and social values. You want admissions readers to know that your artistic process is rooted in the same intentionality, thoughtfulness, and intellectual curiosity that Tufts requires as a basis for more traditional majors, too.
Applicants to the Combined Degree (BFA+BA/BS) program are required to answer the following question in 100-200 words:
Tell us more about a specific piece in your portfolio. How did an academic course, project, or interest inspire the ideas that you explored in this piece? Or, how did making this piece influence your academic interests?
Well, at risk of sounding like a broken record, this is just another riff on the same basic question. This time, however, theyre getting explicit about the interdisciplinary relationship between an academic field and your artistic endeavors, so youll need to link the piece youve chosen to write about to ideas you wanted to explore because of a class, research, or independent study that holds academic interest for you.
Clients have asked us what the actual difference is between this prompt and the previous one, and that valid they are quite similar. Truthfully, that exact question is instructive. What is the difference between programs for you as an applicant? Were telling you what we tell them: your answer needs to make a case for why you want to get dual degrees in the first place. If youre a painter, why not just get a BFA in painting? Your instinctual reaction to being asked about the combined degree program should shape your response to this prompt; there a reason you want to pursue the fine arts and the arts and sciences with equal dedication, and your short answer will be pitch perfect if you explicitly convey why a combined degree matters to you and how this program would set you up to achieve your professional goals.
No matter which program youre applying to, remember your overarching directives here: to embody Tuft positive and lively spirit, to show a true passion for knowledge (and not just achievement), and to demonstrate how your self is both one-of-a-kind and a perfect fit for this school collaborative, supportive study body.
Need support putting together a stand-out supplement? Were here to help.