Short Answer Prompt #1: Examples from SMFA at Tufts Students
First-year applicants to Tufts University are asked to respond to two required short answer prompts, which vary depending on the program to which you are applying. Everyone answers the same question for prompt #1 in 75-150 words: Please describe how you have learned about and engaged with Tufts during your college search process.
Why do we ask? Your response offers the Admissions Committee insight into the interests and qualities that make you you and help us better understand your interest in Tufts.
We value the many ways that students invest in getting to know Tufts. Students that know our community well apply with confidence that they’ll find what they’re seeking from their college experience here.
That’s why we offer so many opportunities to visit our Medford/Somerville and SMFA Fenway campuses, join general and SMFA-specific virtual information sessions, have your portfolio reviewed before applying, and attend other special events like Fall for Tufts and National Portfolio Days. Browse our calendar and take us up on these opportunities to learn about and engage with Tufts during your college search!
Tell us about...
How you bonded with your campus tour guide over a shared love of animation,
How you related to a student profile in the SMFA at Tufts viewbook or Jumbo Magazine,
How you experienced life as a Jumbo while visiting a friend who graduated from your high school that’s now a Tufts student,
How you can’t wait to take a class with a professor whose courses you researched on our website,
Or how you were encouraged by your art teacher to check out our interdisciplinary curriculum, and they were right – it's totally perfect for you.
Every applicant has found Tufts in different ways and relates to different aspects of life as a Jumbo. But to give you some inspiration, we asked a few current students to reflect on this question as if they were back in their applicant days:
“During my college search process, I participated in both in-person and online portfolio reviews with Tufts. By engaging in-person at my nearest National Portfolio Day, I met and connected with an admissions counselor, and they were able to view my artwork in real life. In the online portfolio review I was able to have a more in-depth conversation with an admissions counselor, receiving detailed feedback on which pieces to include in my portfolio and even discussing SMFA’s class offerings and how they might support my interests. Both admissions counselors approached the review process with attention and curiosity, reassuring me that Tufts was a community I would be excited to be a part of.” - Ruby Marlow, BFA ’27
“I was really interested in Tufts because I was specifically searching for programs that accommodate both art and another major. I found out about the Combined Degree program and was interested because the curriculum in both degrees seemed open and interdisciplinary, which was one of my top interests when looking at schools. While researching, I looked at social media pages (YouTube “Day in the Life” videos and Instagram posts), talked to alumni from my high school, attended National Portfolio Day, and visited campus. Current students, professors, and alumni all praised the flexibility, community, and multitude of options that the program provided.” - Ally Lee, BFA+BS ’28
“My exposure to Tufts during the college search process was through my high school fine arts teacher, Mr. Evers. As an SMFA at Tufts alumnus, he encouraged me to apply because of the heavy emphasis on conceptual art and open curriculum. I also met with Admissions during portfolio day hosted by my high school and was able to have my portfolio reviewed. I gained a better understanding of how to push my artwork further and felt excited at the possibility of attending. I did further research online about the Combined Degree program, which allows students to earn degrees from both the School of Arts and Sciences and the School of the Museum of Fine Arts. I knew immediately that I wanted to major in Human Factors Psychology and Studio Art, as I wanted to be able to have the work I would do in either major influence the other.” - Lei Yang, BFA+BS ’29