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The Definitions of Tufts Admissions

Jun 13
Tufts Admissions Team Inside Admissions

 

The college admissions process is one that can be inherently stressful and confusing. It doesn’t help that it involves several new terms to complicate things even further! This blog post aims to help you learn of or clarify common terms you’ll read and hear throughout the admissions process.

Choosing a School

  • Fit: Fit refers to how well an institution can meet your wants and needs academically, professionally, and personally. Colleges and universities will all vary in some way. Throughout your search, some factors to consider in 'fit' include school size, location, culture, and type. 
  • Liberal Arts: Liberal arts studies encourage interdisciplinary learning, which means being exposed to a variety of academic disciplines and methods of learning. Typically, the liberal arts focus on a blend of the arts, humanities, social and natural sciences, and mathematics. Tufts is one example of a liberal arts college.
  • Research University: A research university is one that prioritizes research as a central part of its mission. Faculty are expected not only to teach undergraduate courses, but they are also encouraged to lead research projects on campus. Tufts is a tier-1 research university, which means we produce a large volume of undergraduate research each year.

Questions to ask yourself: Do I want to attend a liberal arts college or research university—or a blend of the two? How small or large do I want my school to be? Do I want to be close to home or try moving further away? 

The Admissions Process

  • Regular Decision (RD): Regular Decision is the traditional application deadline most applicants must meet when applying. At Tufts, the RD deadline is in early January and applicants will receive their application results typically in April. Applicants are allowed to apply to as many other institutions as they would like with an RD application as it is NOT binding. 
  • Early Decision (ED): Early Decision requires applicants to submit their applications earlier than the traditional deadline. As a result, applicants will also find out their results earlier. ED applications are binding, which means, if accepted, applicants are expected to enroll at the institution that they applied to. This means that applicants should only be applying to one institution through ED. Applicants are encouraged to be 100% positive that this particular institution is their absolute top choice. 
    •  At Tufts, we have two ED rounds with the first deadline being in early November, and the second being in early January. Both rounds are exactly the same except for the fact that ED2 simply gives you a bit more time to polish up your application.
  • Holistic Review: A type of application review that considers all application components during evaluation and when determining the final application result. No one component carries more weight than the other. For example, academic performance is equally as important as a student’s extracurricular involvement or their own personal writing showcased in their essays. 
  • Demonstrated Interest: This is exactly what it sounds like! Demonstrated interest gives colleges an understanding of the level of interest an applicant has in that particular school. At Tufts, applicants have many opportunities to proactively express their interest. Whether it be through an in-person campus visit or a virtual information session, showing your interest in our university can give our team a better understanding of your desire to attend Tufts. 

Questions to ask yourself: Do I want to apply early? Do I feel my application is prepared enough for an earlier deadline, or do I want to give myself more time? Do I have one top school, or do I want to leave my options open and apply RD to several institutions? 

Applying for Financial Aid

  • FAFSA: The FAFSA stands for “Free Application for Federal Student Aid”. This is a free and online form used to determine each applicant’s eligibility for federal student aid. Applying for the FAFSA is the only way to qualify for federal aid and can only be completed by US citizens (but parents/guardians do not have to be citizens). The FAFSA asks for information about you and your family’s finances. Keep in mind that you will have to fill it out each year while you are in college. The FAFSA form is required by Tufts for all eligible students. 
    • Heads up! The FAFSA is getting some updates in 2023-24, and will continue to have some updates over the next couple of application cycles—make sure you're paying attention to updates, and talk to your guidance counselor if you have questions. 
  • CSS Profile: The CSS Profile is another online form used to determine eligibility for student aid and is administered by the financial aid division of CollegeBoard, rather than the federal government. The most important difference between the FAFSA and the CSS Profile is that the CSS only determines your eligibility for non-federal institutional aid that you would receive from the colleges and universities. The CSS Profile is also required by Tufts, and can be completed by students regardless of citizenship.
  • Institutional Documentation Service (IDOC): IDOC, provided by CollegeBoard, is a service that collects family financial documents and distributes them to institutions on behalf of the student. IDOC isn't utilized at every school, though Tufts does utilize it. You'll receive an email after completing the CSS profile to guide you through the IDOC process. 
  • Demonstrated Need: Demonstrated need is the difference between the annual cost to attend Tufts and the amount a student's family is expected to contribute each year. At Tufts, we are committed to meeting 100% of admitted students’ demonstrated need regardless of citizenship status.
  • Types of Aid
    • Merit-based aid: A type of aid students receive from institutions based on the strength of their academic performance, athletic performance, extracurricular involvement, or other talents showcased in their application. 
    • Need-based aid: A type of aid students receive from institutions solely based on the financial information they provide through their financial aid application forms. Please take note that Tufts only offers need-based aid. 
    • Grants: Grants are essentially a financial gift that you do not have to repay. You may receive a grant from a variety of sources, such as institutions, governmental departments, non-profits, etc.
    • Loans: Loans are a form of aid that you are allowed to borrow, whether it be from the federal government, your institution, or a private bank. It is required that you repay the money that you borrow. Prior to taking out a loan, always sit down and make sure you understand what is expected of you for repayment—many things can affect the actual amount you'll have to pay back, with interest rate being the biggest factor. 
    • Work-Study: The work-study program is federally-funded and provides students with part-time jobs that can be found both on- and off-campus. Work-study jobs allow students to earn money to help pay for their educational expenses.

Questions to ask yourself: Which financial aid application forms are required by each of my schools? Do I have all the financial information and documents I need to complete these forms? Which deadlines should I be aware of? 


That was a lot of information, but hopefully we covered enough ground to help get you started on your application process! There certainly may be some more unfamiliar terms that pop up, but don’t be afraid to reach out to our office with any questions you may have. We are more than happy to help!