About two years ago, when I was up to my neck in college applications, I tried to squeeze what I loved about Tufts into the 100-word “Why Tufts?” Essay. Now, as decisions roll out for the class of 2020, I thought I’d revisit that question and explain why I chose Tufts two years ago, and why I’d still choose it today.
In my application, I wrote about the Experimental College, which offers unique, innovative, and creative courses that are not yet part of an established department, and they’re taught by Tufts students and visiting educators. What I wrote about then (applying information from classes in the School of Arts and Sciences to exploratory coursework in the Ex-College) is, in every sense true, and after taking an Ex-College class last year, I can attest to the fact that Ex-College classes are exactly what I’d hoped they would be. My Ex-College class (called Feminism/Fe-MEN-ism) gave me information I hadn’t encountered before about modern feminist movements, a foundation in understanding intersectional feminism, and a space in which I could deepen my understanding of the material, as well as a whole new group of friends. What I wrote about in December of my senior year of high school is completely true: Ex-College classes push Tufts to grow along with its student body in exploring academic topics previously unexplored in a classroom setting.
While that all rings true, and is a real reason why I was interested in coming to Tufts, my actual “Why Tufts” wasn’t fully formed until I visited campus in March of my senior year. To add onto my 100 words about why I appreciate the Ex-College and the way that it reflects Tufts’ approach to learning, here are 100 words about why I ended up choosing Tufts:
When I visited campus, it wasn’t just that I liked the people at Tufts, but that I wanted to be them. During my visit, I sat in on a poetry seminar, ate meals in Dewick, and witnessed the (controlled) chaos of a Tufts Dance Collective practice and the goofiness of a rehearsal for the Institute comedy group. I saw that the students at Tufts were not only smart and kind, but were also funny, a bit crazy, and far from taking themselves too seriously. I chose Tufts because, plain and simple, I wanted to become the Tufts students I’d met.