SUPPLEMENTAL WRITING TO THE COMMON APPLICATION
Class of 2014
Think outside the box when 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.
I. REQUIRED SHORT ANSWER (50 words)
Which aspects of Tufts’ curriculum or undergraduate experience prompt your application? In short: “Why Tufts?”
II. REQUIRED SHORT ESSAYS (200 words)
1. There is a Quaker saying: “Let your life speak.” Describe the environment in which you were raised—your family, home, neighborhood or community—and how it influenced the person you are today.
2. Self-identity and personal expression take many forms. For example, music, clothing, politics, extracurricular interests and ethnicity can each be a defining attribute. Do you surf or tinker? Are you a vegetarian poet who loves Ayn Rand? Do you prefer YouTube or test tubes? Are you preppie or Goth? Use the richness of your life to give us insight: what voice will you add to the class of 2014?
III. OPTIONAL ESSAY
Tufts develops leaders who will address the intellectual and social challenges of the new century. Since critical thinking, creativity, practicality and wisdom are four elements of successful leadership, the following topics offer you an opportunity to illustrate these various characteristics. We invite you to choose one and prepare an essay of 250-400 words. (And it really is optional!)
1. It’s 1781 and the American colonies were just defeated by the British at Yorktown. Imagine history without the United States as we know it.2. Are we alone?
3. French anthropologist Claude Levi-Strauss observed “The scientist is not a person who gives the right answers he's one who asks the right questions.” Using your knowledge of scientific and/or mathematical principles, identify a question whose answer you seek and tell us how you might go about investigating it.
4. Kermit the Frog famously lamented “It’s not easy being green.” Do you agree?
5. OMG, LOL…Texting, cell phones, blogs and tweets are redefining the way we communicate. Facebook is the new playground while print newspapers are dying. As thumbs replace tongues, does this shift in human expression enhance or limit social interaction and dialogue? Why?
6. a.) Use an 8.5 x 11 inch sheet of paper to create something. You can blueprint your future home, create a new product, draw a cartoon strip, design a costume or a theatrical set, compose a score or do something entirely different. Let your imagination wander.
-OR-
b.) Share a one-minute video that says something about you, upload it to YouTube or another easily accessible website, and give us the URL. What you do or say is totally up to you. (Unfortunately, we are unable to watch videos that come in any form other than a URL link.)
7. Write a short story using one of the following titles:
a.) House of Cards
b.) The Poor Sport
c.) Drama at the Prom
d.) Election Night, 2044
e.) The Getaway
8. People face challenges every day. Some make decisions that force them beyond their comfort levels. Maybe you have a political, social or cultural viewpoint that is not shared by the rest of your school, family or community. Did you find the courage to create a better opportunity for yourself or others? Were you able to find the voice to stand up for something you passionately supported? How did you persevere when the odds were against you?