Tufts Blogs

For this series, we asked three admissions officers to revisit the supplemental essays of three current Tufts freshmen. What in these essays worked, and what could have been done better? We hope this look inside our reading process will help you as you write your own supplemental essays! 

Isabel Davis '22

Why Tufts?

"You'll just know," they said. "You'll realize: This is it, this is where I belong." Amid the jumble of campus visits, I expected Tufts to be an academic highlight. However, when I visited, it was the cannon that sealed the deal. It stood solemnly, layered with generations of passion, activism, and publicity stunts. As the tour guide explained this quirky tradition, I envisioned myself with a group of activist peers coating the rough metal with buckets of pink paint. It felt as if I was already a part of the dynamic community. I knew that Tufts was it.

Shanice: Many applicants visit Tufts and walk away with a "gut feeling" that Tufts is the right place for them. While Isabel experienced a similar reaction, she was also able to articulate in her essay, more than a feeling, a specific detail about Tufts that drew her into our community. In addition to talking about the cannon, she was also able to hint at her personality, her social justice interests and how she would fit into our community and its values. If Isabel had applied this year, our new prompt with an increased word count would allow her to go into even more depth about how she connected with our vibe.

Describe the environment in which you were raised*

Most people are unaware that I have two names: my given name, Isabel, and my Hawaiian moniker, Naupaka. The latter is from a legend of forbidden lovers, one of the ocean and the other of the mountains. I perceive its meaning to embody the connection between my home in Montana and my family roots in Hawai'i.

My mother is originally from the North Shore of Oahu where most of her family still resides.The luscious tropics are home to me, second only to the arid peaks of the Rockies. I could swim before I could walk and refused to wear clothes in the summer heat of both the islands and mountains.

My great-grandmother, Lola, speaks Pidgin--the language of the agricultural work camps she was raised in--blending Filipino, English and Hawaiian words when we visit with her on the lanai. She "talks story," offering context for a distant life, allowing me to better appreciate my own circumstances.

Back in Montana, life is simpler. Our family doesn't have generational history there, but everyone is welcoming. Livingston can be insular and provincial due to its remoteness, but it boasts open arms and small-town hospitality.

Without these contrasting backgrounds, I would be oblivious to the world's multiculturalism. I am a medley of places, people, and experiences. Together, these opposites have inspired my thirst for travel and passion to approach situations with depth and perspective. I will continue to strive for versatility and open-mindedness amid the mountains, the ocean, and everywhere in between.

Shanice: Isabel does a great job in this essay reflecting on two identities that are important to her - her home in Montana and her Hawaiian roots. It tells us about her multicultural background and some of the values that are important to her and her family. Oftentimes applicants write essays that focus on their family members, sharing more about the family and less about the applicant. Isabel's last paragraph nicely tied her community and family heritage back to herself. If I were to help Isabel revise this essay, I would advise her to expand on this part about her own perspectives and interests. Remember that at the end of the day, admission officers are looking to get to know YOU. You want to have each essay tell the admission officer something new about you, your personality, interests and values. 

*This is not a current prompt, but the essay contains elements we still look for in personal statements and other supplemental questions.