First Year Applicants
- What are your application deadlines?
- What is required when I submit my application?
- On the Common Application I am being asked to indicate a School/Program to which I am applying. How do I know which one to choose?
- I applied to one School/Program, but after I submitted my application I changed my mind. Can I switch to a new School/Program?
- May I submit an application after the deadline has passed?
- How can I check if you received the material I sent?
- How will I be notified that my decision is released?
- When will you release decisions?
- My first marking period grades will not be available by the application deadline. Is that OK?
- I am taking a gap year or I have already graduated from high school and therefore will not have first marking period or midyear grades to submit. How do I indicate that on my application?
- Do I have to take four years of every core academic subject to apply to Tufts?
- Does Tufts conduct interviews?
- I requested an interview but have not heard anything. What’s going on?
- Can I submit a resume, an abstract from my research, or a supplemental arts portfolio?
- Which documents does Tufts need from me when I’m applying for financial aid?
- I submitted my financial aid materials. How do I know if they have been received?
- What is the deadline for submitting financial aid materials?
- How do I submit my financial aid materials?
- My family did not file tax returns. Can I still apply for financial aid?
- I would like to change my answer to the question “Are you applying for financial aid” after I have submitted my application. Can I do that, and if so, how?
- I am having trouble logging in to check my application status. What do I do?
- Do you accept standardized test scores on my high school transcript?
- What if my standardized test scores arrive after the deadline?
- Can the English proficiency test score requirement be waived?
- I want my test scores to be included in my application review. I included them on the Common Application but they do not appear on my Common Application PDF. How will you see my test scores?
- If I want test scores to be considered with my application, how can I provide them?
- I indicated on my submitted application that I would like to have my scores included with my application but have changed my mind? Can I change my answer to that question?
- I indicated on my submitted application that I do not want my test scores to be included in my application review but have changed my mind and would like to add scores to my application? Can I change my answer to that question?
What is required when I submit my application?
For a complete application checklist, please use the following links:
Resumed Education for Adult Learning Applicants
Back to topOn the Common Application I am being asked to indicate a School/Program to which I am applying. How do I know which one to choose?
While we do not ask you to commit to a specific area of study when you submit your Tufts application, we do ask that you indicate to which school or degree program you are applying. Your options are:
School of Arts and Sciences: Our School of Arts and Sciences offers over 70 majors and minors across many academic areas. All of our Arts and Sciences students have until the spring of their sophomore year to declare their major.
School of Engineering: Our School of Engineering serves students who intend to major in one of our sixteen engineering programs. Our School of Engineering students have until the spring of their first year year to declare their major.
School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts (BFA): Our Bachelor of Fine Arts program is offered through the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts. Located on our Fenway campus, the SMFA at Tufts provides an interdisciplinary education in studio art. Our BFA students do not declare a major within studio art; instead they explore many mediums throughout their four years.
5-year BFA+BA/BS Combined Degree: This Combined Degree program allows students to combine their academic study with an intensive studio art program. Combined Degree students complete two undergraduate degrees in five years: a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the SMFA at Tufts and a Bachelor of Arts or Science from our School of Arts and Sciences. Applicants to this program need to complete only one Tufts application.
Back to topI applied to one School/Program, but after I submitted my application I changed my mind. Can I switch to a new School/Program?
If, after applying to one School or Degree Program, you realize a different program better fits your academic and intellectual pursuits, you may request that your application be considered for that program instead. This should be done as early as possible in the application process and we will confirm whether or not we can approve your request.
You may make this request by emailing us at undergraduate.admissions@tufts.edu.
Back to topMay I submit an application after the deadline has passed?
Your Common Application and Tufts Writing Supplement must be received by the application deadline for your application to be considered; we will not accept these materials after the deadline. However, there are other pieces of your application that may arrive after the deadline; this includes standardized test scores. For a list of the latest test dates that can be considered for each application round, please click here. Other materials that are provided by your school – teacher recommendations, for example – may also arrive after the deadline; however, we must receive these materials by the dates listed on this page.
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How can I check if you received the material I sent?
After you submit your application, you will receive login information for your Tufts Application Portal. The Portal contains your application checklist, which will tell you which materials we have received from you, and which are still missing. Please be aware that your checklist will not immediately update as soon as you send a material, even if you send it digitally – it will take a few days for us to process your material. If you send material in the mail, the time it will take for your checklist to update will be even longer.
Back to topHow will I be notified that my decision is released?
When we have released our decisions, you will receive an email prompting you to log on to your Application Portal to check your decision. You will receive login information for your Application Portal via email after you submit your application.
Back to topWhen will you release decisions?
You will be notified of your admission decision in mid-December for Early Decision I applicants, mid-February for Early Decision II applicants, and by April 1 for Regular Decision applicants.
Back to topMy first marking period grades will not be available by the application deadline. Is that OK?
Yes. After you submit your application, you will receive login information via email for your Application Portal; this contains your Application Checklist. The Checklist includes deadlines for your first marking period grades. For EDI applicants, these are first quarter or trimester grades. For EDII and RD applicants, these are midyear or first trimester grades. If your first marking period grades will not be available by the deadlines listed on your Checklist, please ask your School Counselor to get in touch with us via email or phone.
Back to topI am taking a gap year or I have already graduated from high school and therefore will not have first marking period or midyear grades to submit. How do I indicate that on my application?
Please send your final high school transcript with your application. In the Education Interruption section of your application, please describe what you have been doing during your gap year. If we have that information, we will not require first marking period grades. We will manually check off that item on your Application Checklist – which appears on your Application Portal – but until we do so, you can ignore that item on the checklist.
Back to topDo I have to take four years of every core academic subject to apply to Tufts?
We recommend that you take four years of each core academic subject in high school. These subjects are English, foreign language, math, science, and social studies. However, this is a recommendation and not a requirement for applicants to Tufts. If you exhaust your high school’s offerings in a certain subject area in your junior year, for example, we do not expect you to have a course in that subject area during your senior year. You may also decide to double up in a certain area of interest in your senior year, and it is OK if that has to come at the expense of another subject area. Here is a good rule of thumb: balance any “cuts” to your course schedule with challenging and meaningful additions.
Back to topDoes Tufts conduct interviews?
We do offer interviews for applicants. These are optional interviews and they can be requested only after a student applies to Tufts. You may request an interview by logging in to your Application Portal and checking the box for an interview. (You will receive login information for your Application Portal via email after you submit your application.) Our alumni conduct our interviews, and because we sometimes do not have enough alumni interviewers to complete all of our interview requests, we cannot guarantee that if you request one, you will receive one. If we are able to provide you with an interview, you will be contacted via email by our alumni interviewer to arrange a time to meet. You can read more about the optional alumni interview here.
Back to topI requested an interview but have not heard anything. What’s going on?
Our alumni interviewers can self-assign interviews as late as early December for EDI applicants, early February for EDII applicants, and mid-March for Regular Decision applicants. If you have not yet been contacted, please keep that timeline in mind. We appreciate your patience! Once we have reached the point when we can no longer offer alumni interviewers to those who requested them, you will hear from our office. If you have not heard from us or an alumni interviewer, sit tight! You will be contacted either way.
Back to topCan I submit a resume, an abstract from my research, or a supplemental arts portfolio?
A visual art portfolio is required for students applying to our BFA or 5-year Combined Degree BFA + BA/BS programs at SMFA at Tufts. Information about the required visual art portfolio can be found here. Students applying to the School of Arts and Sciences or the School of Engineering may submit an optional arts or maker portfolio to highlight talent in studio art, drama, dance, music, or engineering. After submitting your application, you will receive a link to your Tufts applicant portal. Submit your portfolio by selecting the “Digital Portfolio” tab in your Tufts applicant portal, choosing a portfolio category from the drop-down menu, and uploading your media. Information about the optional engineering Maker Portfolio can be found here. We do not recommend sending any supplemental material outside of this optional portfolio – this includes resumes and abstracts.
Back to topWhich documents does Tufts need from me when I’m applying for financial aid?
Tufts requires the following documents when you are applying for financial aid:
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
CSS PROFILE
If applicable, the Non-Custodial Parent Profile
Required documents to be uploaded to IDOC. After you submit your CSS PROFILE, you will be prompted to use IDOC to submit all other required material, including federal income taxes. IDOC will send you a personalized cover sheet providing detailed instructions and listing all the documents required by Tufts. Do not send tax returns to Tufts directly.
For more information about applying for financial aid, please visit the Financial Aid website.
Back to topI submitted my financial aid materials. How do I know if they have been received?
There is a financial aid tab on your Application Portal. (You will receive login information for your Application Portal via email after you submit your application.) The financial aid tab includes a checklist of required financial aid materials, and will indicate which materials have been submitted and which are still missing. Please be aware that your checklist will not immediately update as soon as you send material, even if you send it digitally – it will take a few days for us to process your material. If you send material in the mail, the time it will take for your checklist to update will be even longer.
Back to topWhat is the deadline for submitting financial aid materials?
You can find our financial aid deadlines by clicking here.
Back to topHow do I submit my financial aid materials?
Use the links below to submit the required financial aid materials to Tufts:
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The Tufts code is 002219
College Scholarship Service (CSS) PROFILE. The Tufts code is 3901.
Once you have completed and submitted the CSS PROFILE, you will be prompted to use IDOC to upload all other required documents, such as federal income taxes, personal and business taxes, W-2s, and verification worksheets. Do not send documents directly to Tufts. You may check IDOC to verify that your documents have been processed and forwarded to Tufts.
For more information about applying for financial aid, please visit the Financial Aid website.
Back to topMy family did not file tax returns. Can I still apply for financial aid?
Yes, you may still apply for financial aid if your family did not file tax returns. If your parents did not earn income, or earned income in the U.S. but did not file a U.S. federal tax return, please submit a Nontax Filer form to IDOC. Please include any W-2 forms issued by their employers. If your parents do not file a U.S. federal tax return because they earned income outside of the U.S., please submit a copy of their non-U.S. tax return to IDOC. The documentation must be translated into English and converted to U.S. dollars. For more information about applying for financial aid, please visit the Financial Aid website.
Back to topI would like to change my answer to the question “Are you applying for financial aid” after I have submitted my application. Can I do that, and if so, how?
If you indicated in your application that you are not applying for financial aid, but for whatever reason you do want to apply for aid, you may make that change as long as you can submit all of your financial aid materials by our financial aid deadlines. First, you must email us at undergraduate.admissions@tufts.edu; we must have this request in writing. Then submit your required documents by the deadline. If you indicated in your application that you are applying for financial aid, and you no longer wish to apply for financial aid, you may change that at any time by emailing us at undergraduate.admissions@tufts.edu; we need to have this request in writing.
Back to topI am having trouble logging in to check my application status. What do I do?
If you don’t think you received login information for your Application Portal, please confirm the email address you used on your application, and - if it is correct - be sure to check the spam folder. If you are receiving an error message that says you are using an incorrect username or password, you may select “Forgot Your Password?” to reset the account password. If you are still experiencing difficulty, you may contact us at undergraduate.admissions@tufts.edu or 617-627-3170 for assistance.
Back to topDo you accept standardized test scores on my high school transcript?
Yes, we will accept standardized test scores that appear on an official high school transcript.
Back to topWhat if my standardized test scores arrive after the deadline?
We will still accept standardized test scores that arrive after our application deadline. For a list of the latest test dates that can be considered for each application round, please click here.
Back to topCan the English proficiency test score requirement be waived?
All applicants whose primary language is not English must submit proof of English proficiency, unless the student has been enrolled in an English instruction school for at least three years. Exams that can be submitted to prove proficiency are: IELTS, TOEFL, PTE, and Duolingo. Students enrolled in ESOL classes during secondary school may be asked for proof of proficiency. For more information on our English proficiency test score requirements, click here.
Back to topI want my test scores to be included in my application review. I included them on the Common Application but they do not appear on my Common Application PDF. How will you see my test scores?
Tufts has made the decision to suppress/(hide) the SAT and ACT test scores on the Common Application for ALL students applying. This means that when you submit your standardized test scores, you will not see them in the application or on the PDF of your Common Application. Even though they will not be visible to you, those test scores WILL be a part of the data our admissions team receives, and they will become a part of your application and be visible in your Tufts application to our admissions officers.
Back to topIf I want test scores to be considered with my application, how can I provide them?
There are a few ways to submit test scores if you have selected that option for your application review. If your scores were included with your application, that data will be included with the application submission and be visible to the admissions officers evaluating your application. Additionally, you can have test scores sent directly from the testing agency. Finally, you can submit self-reported testing via your applicant portal once your application is received.
Back to topI indicated on my submitted application that I would like to have my scores included with my application but have changed my mind? Can I change my answer to that question?
Once students submit their application for admission, the answer selected in the application cannot be changed. We encourage students to have thoughtful conversations about this decision prior to the submission of the application with school counselors and teachers who are advising them.
Back to topI indicated on my submitted application that I do not want my test scores to be included in my application review but have changed my mind and would like to add scores to my application? Can I change my answer to that question?
Once students submit their application for admission, the answer selected in the application cannot be changed. We encourage students to have thoughtful conversations about this decision prior to the submission of the application with school counselors and teachers who are advising them.
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