Tufts Blogs

When I applied to Tufts, I indicated that biology and chemistry were my intended majors.  Fast forward a few years, and I graduated with one major in psychology and another in English.  Couldn’t be much different right? I had always loved to read for fun (and still do!) but for some reason, I never considered English as a possible major.  Looking back, I attribute my decision to pursue an English major to a required class, generically called English II.  Through taking this class, I discovered that I love learning about people and their stories, as well as their motivations and intentions (which is probably why I decided to pursue a degree in psychology as well).  Currently, the reason I fell in love with my English major is the same reason why I enjoy reading applications- I get to learn about who you are and the story you have to tell. 
We, as admissions officers, can’t learn much about who you actually are through your grades or standardized test scores, but we sure learn a whole lot from your essays, whether that is the personal statement or supplement. Now that I have had the chance to read some applications and participate in committee for the first time, I can reflect on what makes me particularly enjoy reading an essay.  And when I say enjoy an essay, I mean the type of essay that makes me turn to my co-workers and tell them about how interesting/funny/brave/honest or (insert another positive and overly enthusiastic adjective) the applicant is.  Whether you are just starting your application, or in the final editing states, here are a couple of insights on essays that have stood out to me!

• Small topics can be just as good, if not better, than big topics.  For example- when I applied to Tufts and was writing my response to the second question of the supplement (“Let your life speak”), I decided to write about my family dinners growing up.  Yes, I managed to write an entire essay about the fact that my family had dinner together every night, no matter how busy we were or how much homework I had to.  I know what you’re thinking- who cares? I did! This is a seemingly small topic, but it was significant to me at the age of 17 (and it still is- one of my favorite parts of going home for vacation is having dinner with my family).  If you are choosing to write about a smaller topic, your job is to make it as significant to the reader as it is to you.  I saw a LOT of essays during early decision about small topics or events, and the most successful ones were the ones that made me care, understand, laugh and sympathize with the applicant.  Now, I bet you are asking how do I write about a small topic in a way that stands out? There are a lot of ways to do this.  For example, you could infuse your essay with very specific details that take us to the moment you are describing, or you can use your voice to insert jokes or thoughtful asides.  Whatever you decide, make sure that the person reading your application gets a sense of the person behind the small topic.    
• If I could choose one word to collectively describe my favorite essays during the early decision round, that word would be authentic.  These are the essays where your voice is very clearly shining through whatever topic you choose to write about.  I think a lot of authenticity actually comes from your approach to the essay.  If you have fun writing the essay, it means that you’ve picked a topic that you enjoy and that you are writing in a voice that is authentically yours.  The bottom line is that if you have fun writing the essays, we will have fun reading it.  This does not mean that the essay has to be laugh out loud funny (if you have a serious story to share, tell us about it!), but it does have to be you.  If you’ve picked out a topic and you’re feeling stuck (or bored or frustrated), you’ve probably picked the wrong topic.  Writing about something you are excited about should be both easy and fun, so don’t feel married to your topic because it’s the one you chose last month.  (I can’t remember how many times I switched my topics when I wrote the tufts supplement, but I know it was a lot).

While we know that writing college essays may not be the most enjoyable thing in the world, we hope that our supplement questions give you the chance to be yourself, and even have a bit of fun.  Happy writing!