Thinking About Tufts?

It’s never too early to start thinking about your future college experience. (Perhaps if you are, say, eight. That might be too early. Concentrate on long division and verb tenses for the time being.)

But it is too early to get stressed about it. Frankly, we wish you’d never get stressed out about it.

If you think Tufts might be a good fit for you, here are some things to keep in mind over the next couple of years (or several years). 

1.  Visit if you find yourself in the Boston area. While you’ll probably do a formal set of visits as your time of application approaches, there’s no reason not to stop by our campus.  Check out our information on campus visits or view the current calendar. 

2.  Concentrate on planning your high school curriculum. Try as much as possible to keep a full schedule of solid academic subjects (math, science, English, foreign language, history/social sciences) throughout all four years. Challenge yourself within reason, and don’t be afraid to try an AP class or the IB diploma program if that is available.

3.  Meet with your college counselor (if your school has one) early in your high school career.  Find out what your school has to offer.  Familiarize yourself with the office so it is not alien to you when you actually need to go there.

4.  Think about testing.  Ah, those pesky standardized tests.  They are a reality for many selective colleges and universities, so here are some tips to make the process less stressful:
Take the SAT Subject tests in the same year as you take the course in that subject. You don’t want to end up having to relearn physics while simultaneously studying for your AP Chemistry final.
If you are disappointed with your scores on the SAT , rather than retaking it three or four times (two isn’t excessive), try taking the ACT.  Some students seem to do better on one versus the other.  Here at Tufts, we’ll always give you the benefit of the doubt and use whichever score puts your application in a better light.
Don’t wait until November of your senior year to sit for the exams for the first time.  It will only stress you out more.

5.  Learn about admissions, academic programs and student life at Tufts through our blogs and prospective student Facebook group.  They’re informative and entertaining (not to suggest that the informative is by its very nature not entertaining, but really, this is probably true much of the time).

6.  Contact the admissions officer who works with your geographic area or a current Tufts student who hails from your home state.  Email questions, check if we’re going to be visiting your high school, talk to us about your college search process. 

7.  Sign up for the Tufts Admission Connection to get more information.

8.  Start to investigate scholarship and financial aid options .  Talk with your family about paying for college, and keep in mind one very important fact: private schools may seem too expensive, but students who qualify for financial aid often pay a small fraction of that cost – and sometimes, nothing at all. Check out the College Board calculator to get a sense of your eligibility for financial aid. 
    While Tufts’ financial aid is need-based – we do not offer merit-based scholarships – we encourage you to explore outside opportunities.  There are some wacky scholarships out there – how do you feel about duct tape?  Or ducks?  Or drawing as it relates to science fiction?  You never know what you might find.

This process of preparing for college can be equal parts fun and frustration.  Try to focus on the former.  And let us know how we can help you.