Hello, dear seniors.
You're embarking on the final stretch of a process that is both exhausting and exciting—however you're feeling, we want to make it as easy on you as possible. We've compiled some advice to guide you as you prepare to hit "submit." We can't wait to see the applications you send our way!
First thing's first: some advice blogs.
Beky shares her Reflections on College Essay Writing for anyone who might be wondering what themes to feature in their writing.
Sean offers his best Five Essay Writing Tips to Get You Through December and his Admissions Officer's Guide to Financial Aid.
Val talks about what it really means to "find fit" when thinking about which colleges to apply to in her blog on The College Search Process.
Sam shares his Ten-Minute Guide to the Tufts Supplemental Questions.
Tom gives his Tips on the Optional Alumni Interview.
And for those of you thinking about exploring art and artistry, SMFA gives amazing advice for understanding Boston from an Artist's Perspective.
Working on your response to "Why Tufts?"
One of our students asked his friends that very same question. If you need some inspiration for your answer, check out his video below.
If you gravitate towards advice in the form of tweets, Co-Star notifications, and to-the-point articles, this next section is for you. We asked several admissions officers to give you their most condensed words of wisdom.
- Never shy away from asking a question! Many students and parents have prefaced their questions with "I don't know if I should ask...?" or "This may be a dumb question..." The truth is that you're not expected to have all the answers, and we know this process can be challenging and confusing. Admissions offices are your connection point to the entire university. So even if the question seems unrelated, we may be able to answer it as well propose new ideas along the way!
- While most students spend quite some time on their personal statement, we urge you to not lose sight of the importance of the school-specific short answers. In fact, don’t leave those responses until the last minute because they carry a lot of weight in your application! Admissions counselor can see when you have dedicated a lot of your time to your short-answers. It also helps us see what kind of community member you will be and just how excited you are about Tufts!
- Put your best effort into your applications and know that when it comes time to hit “send,” you’ve taken control of everything you can. So, hit that button, breathe, and enjoy the rest of your senior year!
- Make sure to take the time to truly look over your extracurricular and awards section to add in any additional details or activities that you have been involved with. Tufts and many other schools (not all, but many) will not evaluate your resume as a part of your application. Instead, we use the application's extracurricular section to understand your activities and passions outside of traditional classroom settings.
- Be yourself and trust the process! You've put so much effort into crafting your application so remember to take a deep breath after you hit the submit button and treat yourself for all the hard work you've done.
- For students applying to SMFA at Tufts, make sure you spend a couple minutes (or more...) thinking about the order of your portfolio. Is your strongest work first? Are you happy with the overall flow of the portfolio as you scroll through it?
- When thinking about your list of activities for your application, it’s totally appropriate to include something that may not be a school-sponsored club or organization. Do you have a job that you work shifts for each week? Do you have family responsibilities and spend a lot of time providing care for someone in your household? These are noteworthy parts of your schedule, so feel free to let us know about them!
- Use your applications to share your story, your accomplishments, and your aspirations with us. Once you hit submit on your applications, congratulate yourself on completing an important step in the process. And then turn your full focus back to the fun of being a high school senior. Spend time with friends and family, contribute to your community, immerse yourself in your academic interests, and enjoy your last few months of high school.