Tufts Blogs

Hello transfer students!

Before I get into advice, let’s all take a deep breath and check in. How are you doing? For all the advice I'm about to share, I cannot say I have stuck to my goal of running or working out once per day. Instead, I am watching all the online shows, video calling my friend groups and baking this teacake OVER and OVER again and then eating it. 

I promise you that it tastes much better than it looks.

We understand that deciding to transfer colleges is not an easy choice in any year, let alone this one. Unlike in high school, you’re not applying to college with a group of friends, and in fact, you might not be able to tell your current classmates about your decision. And now you are facing this process as your classes go online and your friends have all prematurely scattered.

This is a new and difficult situation for everyone and we know there will be challenges. We are going to do our best to support you in this process and will try to make the process as smooth as possible on our side. The transfer deadline is now March 30 and this is the date that YOUR side of the application has to be in. Supporting documents such as transcripts can follow after this date.

Please be patient and kind with all the people in this process who are doing the best they can in an unprecedented situation: whether it’s our office taking a bit longer in getting new answers for you, your professors who are taking the time to write recommendations as they simultaneously learn how to teach over Zoom, your registrar’s office who may be understaffed due to home-isolation, or you!

Here are three things you CAN do:

• Do your best in your online classes - though they may not be ideal, we know you’re the intellectually curious type who is eager to keep delving into the details in international treaties or gendered language in your literature class. We know it isn't quite the same as exchanging ideas with your classmates in person, but you can do this!

• If you’re looking for ways to learn about us online - check out our student blogs (including a transfer corner), go on our virtual tour, watch our students' Real Reel of life at Tufts - including chats with professors. If you need essay advice - check out my other blog. 

• Put together essays that make you feel like you're showing off your best self so we can really get to know you and all of your interests. We are eager to hear about the ideas that get you thinking, the campus activities you care about, and why you want to join the community here at Tufts. If you can’t get an official transcript yet, we are allowing applicants to upload unofficial transcripts to make the process a bit easier for you during this time. If you’re having any particular issues, reach out to us at transfer.admissions@tufts.edu.

Finally, remember to get enough sleep, eat healthy, drink some tea (or hot chocolate!), and take time to connect with friends and family virtually during this time. Try your best in your application and reach out if you are having any application issues or have a question that's not listed on our transfer FAQ page. Even if we're far away, we're eager to support you in this process and look forward to all the contributions our transfer students will bring to campus.