Engineering applicants follow the same application process as any first-year applicant to Tufts. Here are some ways to tailor your application to successfully demonstrate your fit for our School of Engineering.
Curriculum Requirements
All students applying to the School of Engineering must have exposure to both calculus and physics in high school in order to be adequately prepared to succeed in the School of Engineering. If you have any specific questions or concerns about your curriculum, please contact the admissions officer for your territory.
Testing
Tufts University is introducing a test-optional admissions policy for all undergraduate applicants for a 3-year period, beginning with applicants who apply for the Fall 2021 semester. Starting with our next admissions cycle, first-year and transfer applicants have a choice about whether or not to submit SAT or ACT scores to be considered for undergraduate admission to Tufts University. For more information on taking the tests and sending your scores, click here.
Optional Maker Portfolio
This portion of the application is optional, meaning it is not required. Students applying to the School of Engineering may submit a Maker Portfolio to showcase their engineering-related projects. This is an opportunity to highlight past creations or ongoing projects that demonstrate your aptitude for the School of Engineering.
Students applying through the Common Application should indicate their plans to submit a portfolio as part of the application and will see a link to submit the portfolio via SlideRoom at the end of the application; please note there is a $12 charge to submit a portfolio through SlideRoom. Students applying through the Coalition application should visit the Tufts SlideRoom to create an account, select the appropriate “Non-Common App” program, and submit a portfolio.
Below you can view examples of successful Maker Portfolios that have been submitted to Tufts. These are meant to inspire your creativity and help you see what kind of information is helpful to share with the admissions office in your Maker portfolio - your own successful portfolio may look very different from these.
Ananya Ram
The Orion wallet helps blind users tell different bill denominations apart. Jackie and I worked with a user in Burlingame to reach the products you can see on the table in front of us. The project was part of our Design Engineering for Social Good class. I learned how to program in Arduino, record my progress through a process notebook, and work closely with a user. I taught Jackie how to solder, and we worked with RaspPi, UV lights, and RGB color sensors.
We identified a need through multiple user interviews: blind people need a way to differentiate paper currency. The wallet uses UV lights and an Arduino RGB sensor to detect UV-sensitive strips in bills. Our design remained human-centered via the input of our visually impaired local user.
Korri Lamepdusa
1. Tell us about your creation, project, design, or device
I have always approached my work by considering the reasons and stories behind what will eventually become the result. My product design portfolio focuses on the area of assistive technology. I feel challenged to contribute some answers back to a world full of problems, to aid individuals that live with handicaps, disorders, and other issues. Now and in future expeditions I want to seek out all the angles behind each situation presented and reach the best solution after many cycles of ideation, testing, and refinement.
The first project I completed in my series was the footwear concept Metik. The shoe integrates an artificial biofeedback and response system into a wearable piece for the everyday person that has minor to severe problems with involuntary movement. Metik prevents fidgeting or prolonged inactivity, allowing the user to be in optimal physical condition.
Robotik is a toy is intended to be kept in therapy facilities or pediatric care waiting rooms for children with visual or auditory impairment. Different settings can provide sensory responses when all the pieces of the toy are oriented together and built correctly.
Both Neuroceptor and Thermowalk are therapeutic technologies to aid children with ADHD and Cerebral Palsy, respectively. Neuroceptor is a wearable headset intended to train a child with ADHD to develop a stronger working memory, a key deficit their disorder inhibits. The system is worn like a pair of over ear headphones and features different modes for different uses. Thermowalk is therapeutic device to wear during physical therapy as the user works to improve balance and rhythm in movement.
2. What role did you play in making this creation?
For all of my design projects, I research relevant background information prior to many stages of idea mapping and sketching by hand. With AutoCAD, Rhinoceros 3D, and MAYA, I finalize the design with vectorized drawings and renderings. For some projects, I am able to physically model the design with 3D printing, foam, wires and more. Presentation boards are made with Adobe Photoshop CS6.