Information for First-Year Applicants

Tufts uses the Common Application and the Coalition Application powered by Scoir. Everything you need to apply, including the Tufts short-answer questions, is hosted on the Common Application website or the Coalition Application by Scoir website. We provide a simple checklist of all the required application materials below. We are not able to accept supplemental materials that don't appear on this checklist. For those applying through QuestBridge, you can find information about the application here.

Application Deadlines

Early Decision I

Deadline: November 1
Notification: Mid-December

Early Decision II

Deadline: January 4
Notification: Mid-February

Regular Decision

Deadline: January 4
Notification: By April 1

Please also note the separate financial aid deadlines.

Materials Submission Deadlines

Please use the following deadlines to assist with completing your application. As a reminder, applicants should access their applicant status portal to check on the completeness of their admissions file.

Early Decision I

Application deadline: November 1
Secondary School Report and Counselor Letter of Recommendation: November 23
Self-Reported Test Scores (if submitting testing): November 23
1st Quarter/Trimester Grades: November 23
Mid-Year Grades: February 15
Visual Art Portfolio (required only for applicants to the BFA or Combined Degree (BFA+BA/BS) programs: November 7
Optional Maker Portfolio and Optional Arts Portfolio: November 7
Optional Alumni Interview (last day to request via the Tufts Application Portal): November 6

Early Decision II

Application deadline: January 4
Secondary School Report and Counselor Letter of Recommendation: January 11
Self-Reported Test Scores (if submitting testing): January 11
Mid-Year Grades: February 2
Visual Art Portfolio (required only for applicants to the BFA or Combined Degree (BFA+BA/BS) programs: January 9
Optional Maker Portfolio and Optional Arts Portfolio: January 9
Optional Alumni Interview (last day to request via Application Portal): January 9

Regular Decision

Application deadline: January 4
Secondary School Report and Counselor Letter of Recommendation: January 15
Self-Reported Test Scores (if submitting testing): January 15
Mid-Year Grades: February 16
Visual Art Portfolio (required only for applicants to the BFA or Combined Degree (BFA+BA/BS) programs: January 9
Optional Maker Portfolio and Optional Arts Portfolio: January 9
Optional Alumni Interview (last day to request via Application Portal): January 9

Application Checklist

A complete application includes the following items, which are required:

Completed Common Application or Coalition Application, including:
- Letters of Recommendation: Tufts requires one letter from a teacher in a junior or senior year major academic course (math, natural science, social science, English, or a world language) and one letter from a school counselor for all applicants to the School of Arts and Sciences or the School of Engineering. BFA applicants must submit two letters of recommendation: one from a school counselor and one from an art teacher. Combined Degree (BFA+BA/BS) applicants must submit three letters of recommendation: one from a school counselor, one from an art teacher, and one from a teacher in a junior or senior year major academic course. An additional letter from all other applicants, though not encouraged, may be submitted if the student feels it can add new perspective to their application.
- Extracurricular Activities: In addition to evaluating an academic fit, the admissions committee looks for ways a student may contribute to the community as a whole. They will assess the level and type of involvement in each activity and may ask questions such as: Has the student been a significant contributor or leader? How has the involvement contributed to the school or larger community? Does the student have a special talent in a particular area? We do not expect all students to be team captains, class presidents, or editors-in-chief; rather, we look for meaningful involvement in their school and/or community. The Common Application allows students to list up to ten different activities, but you don't need to fill every space. Some of the most successful applicants are heavily engaged in just a few activities. Keep in mind that the online application is your one chance to show your extracurricular engagements; we are not able to accept a supplemental resume of activities.
Completed Tufts Short-Answer Questions (part of the application)
High School Transcript(s)
Senior Grades: All applicants will be required to send their senior grades as part of their application. Students applying Early Decision I should send first quarter or trimester grades no later than the last week in November. Students applying Early Decision II should plan for their first semester or trimester grades to arrive no later than the third week in January. Finally, Regular Decision applicants should submit their first semester or trimester grades by the middle of February. Students studying outside the United States (where predicted grades are common) should send those if senior grades are not available.
English Proficiency Test Scores: Required only for applicants whose primary language is not English, unless they have been enrolled in a school where English is the language of instruction for at least three years. Students enrolled in ESOL classes during secondary school may be asked for proof of proficiency. Click here for additional information.
Visual Art Portfolio: Required only for students applying to the BFA or Combined Degree BFA+BA/BS programs at SMFA at Tufts. Your visual art portfolio should consist of 15-20 images and/or up to 10 minutes of time-based work. The ideal portfolio will demonstrate your conceptual development while highlighting your technical abilities. We encourage you to submit work that you believe to be the strongest representation of your skills and experiences to date, regardless of medium. You will upload your visual art portfolio after submitting your application by logging in to your applicant portal. Find more information and resources about portfolio guidelines here. 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 applicant portal, where detailed upload instructions can be found.
$75 Application Fee or Fee Waiver: You may consider the fee waiver approved unless a member of the Office of Undergraduate Admissions notifies you otherwise. Without an application fee, or an approved fee waiver, we cannot continue to process your application to Tufts University. Approved fee waivers are:
- A digital request indicated on the Common Application or Coalition Application powered by Scoir, or
- A written request from your school counselor or secondary school official who can attest that the fee would represent a financial hardship, or
- A College Board College Application Fee Waiver form.

These additions to the application are optional, meaning they are not required:

Standardized Testing: Beginning with students applying for fall 2021 admission, applicants have a choice about whether or not to submit SAT or ACT scores to be considered for undergraduate admission to Tufts University. If applicants would like us to consider their exam results as one component of their candidacy, we will do so in a nuanced and contextual way. If students choose not to submit exam results, we will evaluate their candidacy in a nuanced and contextual way without scores. Our holistic, committee-based approach to application review provides us with the flexibility to evaluate academic and extracurricular accomplishments within a student’s individual context. We do not require SAT Subject Tests, the SAT Essay, or the writing section of the ACT and will not consider them in our process. Tufts accepts self-reported testing on the Common Application, QuestBridge Application, and Coalition Application powered by Scoir when students are applying. Students who are admitted and choose to enroll at Tufts will be required to send their official 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.
Alumni Interview
Arts or Maker Portfolio: As the Application Checklist indicates above, the Art Portfolio is required for students applying to the BFA or Combined Degree BFA+BA/BS programs at SMFA at Tufts. 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 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.

Please also note that applying for financial aid is a separate process, with its own required documents.

Submitting Your Application

All application materials are submitted online via the Common Application website or the Coalition Application by Scoir website, including high school transcripts and letters of recommendation. If there are materials that cannot be sent electronically, those materials may be mailed to:

Office of Undergraduate Admissions
Tufts University
Bendetson Hall
2 The Green
Medford, MA 02155-7057