I still remember when I first visited Tufts as a junior in high school. I was drawn to the kindness of my student tour guide, the hill dotted with Adirondack chairs and diligent students, and the stories and statue of Jumbo. Location, academic offerings, and happy students were all important aspects to me as I thought about colleges. 

The beginning of the college search process is exciting but can also be overwhelming. The beauty and benefit of applying to college is that there are so many of them! But, it provokes the question, “where is the best place to start?” Here is some advice on how to begin your approach to the college search process. 

Brainstorm some ideas around the kind of school you would like to attend.
Which factors are important to you in a college? Maybe you would like smaller classes with more face time with your professors, or perhaps you prefer lecture-based learning in a larger format. In other words, does the size of the student body and of your individual classes…

Congratulations to our newly admitted Jumbos! Being admitted to college is an incredible achievement and now, for Regular Decision admits, you’re faced with an equally important decision: where will you spend the next several years? Brochures and statistics are nice, but now that it's time to commit, you’ll want to dig deeper to further understand if a college is a fit for you. Here are some elements to consider when making your decision: 

Seek out the specifics

Sure, the college you're considering has your intended major, but what would your full academic journey look like? What exactly does the general education curriculum entail? How much (or little) flexibility is available? What kinds of projects do students complete? What kinds of internships have students in similar fields pursued? What support exists for finding an internship? What happens after graduation? And don’t stop there. Find the stories of current students, alumni, faculty, and staff: are there blogs you can read?…

First thing’s first: We know you waited months for a response to your application and the outcome you received was…more waiting. But! An offer of a place on a Waitlist is a positive reaction to your candidacy. In recent years, several dozen students were admitted from Tufts’ Waitlist. While we don’t know yet whether space will be available this year, an offer of a place on the Waitlist indicates that the Admissions Committee was impressed by your application and we hope your interest in Tufts remains high. 

The internet is filled with advice about how to navigate the Waitlist process. Some of it is helpful and some of it is…not. So we want to be very clear. Here’s what we ask waitlisted students to do at Tufts:

First: Decide whether you wish to remain on the Waitlist. If you remain excited about the possibility of enrolling at Tufts in the upcoming fall, follow the steps below. If you are wholeheartedly committed to another offer of admission, congratulations! We wish you the very…

Almost exactly seven years ago, I was writing my Early Decision 2 application to Tufts halfway across the world in Shanghai, China. Outside of being the de facto guinea pig as the oldest of three children, I was applying to university from a competitive high school, where prestige and the pressure to perform was front and centre. Despite mainly speaking English and growing up in an American education system, the idea of studying in America was a foreign concept, even though it was the most popular destination to pursue higher education. In theory, I should have been excited for the new opportunities that lay ahead, especially given that I had already lived in three different countries with a variety of different cultures and norms ranging from the okadas on the streets of Nigeria to the Cha chaan tengs of Hong Kong. Yet, when I first arrived in Medford, Massachusetts, I never felt more concerned about fitting in or whether I was up to the challenge of a Tufts curriculum.

Fortunately…

As one of the smallest engineering schools in a R-1 research university, Tufts’ School of Engineering offers undergraduate students exceptional access to professors, classes, and lab spaces that prepare them for careers at top companies in Boston and around the world. Alongside its small class sizes and personalized advising, Tufts offers 16 different engineering majors and 18 engineering minors - but don’t worry if you don’t know which to choose! Everyone at Tufts, including our engineers, matriculate undeclared. With the help of your pre-major advisor and our exploratory Introduction to Engineering courses for first-years, you can hit the ground running toward your future with internships, co-ops, research, and study abroad as opportunities along the way. 

EN-1 and pre-major advising
Did you know that electrical engineering plays a huge role in the development of medical devices? Are you still trying to decide whether you are a software (computer science) or hardware (computer engineering)…

December can be a busy time of year and that’s especially true for high school seniors in the midst of the college application process. Some of you may be waiting to hear back about Early Decision or Early Action applications, while others may (hopefully!) be putting the finishing touches on your Regular Decision supplemental essays. If you’re applying for financial aid, you’ll also need to add the FAFSA and CSS Profile to your list of priorities. This week, we’re sharing several helpful tips for navigating the financial side of your college search.

1) Have a conversation with your family now about how you’ll pay for college.

The earlier you start talking about finances, the better. It’ll be helpful to you to know if your family has saved funds in a 529 Plan or other savings account, how your family feels about the idea of borrowing student loans, and how much they can reasonably contribute each year toward your educational costs.

2) Look beyond the sticker price.

Tufts meets 100%…

Did you know there are over 350 clubs and organizations you can join as a Tufts student? Surprisingly, that is actually not an exaggeration. You could easily spend four years at Tufts and still not have enough time to learn about all the opportunities available within our vibrant community! From community service organizations like the Leonard Carmichael Society, to club sports like fencing, Ultimate Frisbee, and Quadball, there are almost too many ways to meet people at Tufts who share your favorite activities and interests. 

The active community that exists here at Tufts is also one of the reasons admissions officers consider how you have been spending your time in high school. The extracurricular section of your application can tell us what is important to you and how you have prioritized your time outside of school, homework, and studying. Of course, we know everyone who applies to Tufts is a student first, but we also want to know what makes you a vibrant community member and a…

One of the most common questions I am asked when speaking with prospective Tufts applicants is, “what is Tufts’ business program like?” This can be a rather complicated question to answer because, at first glance, the easiest response is that we don’t have a business major or business school at Tufts. But to answer the underlying question of whether Tufts offers academic programs to prepare students for a career in business, finance, or consulting, the answer is a resounding “yes!” Read on to learn more about the many ways Tufts supports students pursuing business careers, both as undergraduates and alumni.

Academics

For students interested in building skills for a career in business, we are excited to recommend a brand new minor in Business, Management, and Leadership (BML) through Tufts’ Gordon Institute. This minor uniquely interweaves personal discovery with professional preparation. Every course connects inner development with outer impact, preparing you to lead with both purpose…

Throughout your college search process, you have probably researched, explored, and visited many different schools, and all of the information can probably get pretty overwhelming. You may find elements that multiple schools have in common and be left wondering, “what is unique and special about this school, specifically?” When we get this question as Tufts admissions officers, it’s hard not to immediately say that there are so many things that make Tufts stand out, because Tufts is so special to all of those who know and love it! But one thing that is truly unique to Tufts is the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life. 

The Tisch College of Civic Life is the only university-wide college of its kind in the US that is specifically focused on advancing the civic education and political engagement of young people. Tisch College combines education, research, and practice to serve as a hub for students, faculty, and community members who are committed to civic engagement and its ability…

Before moving away for college, I spent my childhood between small-town Georgia and rural Alabama. My family has lived here for generations, and most of my relatives stay nearby after high school. The majority of my youth was spent following my grandparents around as they worked at their Piggly Wiggly grocery store, where I sometimes half-heartedly mopped the floors. Outside of that, I played soccer, ran cross country, and spent time at the Baptist church down the road. I’m grateful for the time I was able to spend with my family; I have a strong affinity for the outdoors, and I’m really good at baking peach cobbler. Still, I was always curious about what else was beyond West Georgia when I was considering going to college.

That curiosity eventually led me into the college search, where the options felt overwhelming compared to the familiar world of my hometown. I was the first person in my family to ‘go away’ for college. I had a very limited understanding of what schools were out…

Summer 2016. A younger Will is trudging up the Tufts hill on a sweaty July day to tour a school he knew nothing about. After sitting through the information session and tour, my months of college searching clicked. This was the place for me! I remember feverishly reading Jumbo Magazine and diving into the blogs because I couldn’t get enough. I was excited!

One of my favorite things about Tufts is its school spirit. I felt it on my tour eight years ago and I feel it today as I write this blog. From our unique traditions like painting our cannon or pumpkining, to the incredible performances by our dance, a cappella, and theatre groups, to our powerhouse athletic programs where we are ranked #3 in the nation across all Division 3 schools, there is a lot to be excited for as a Tufts student!

Within our application process, we are looking for students who are most excited to be Jumbos. Tufts wants to invest in students that invest and engage with Tufts. Students who want to be on our campus…

I’m sure you can all feel it in the air. It starts with back-to-school ads and, in no time, we will miss sipping pumpkin spice and munching apple cider donuts. 

For the world of college admissions, shifting to the autumnal season means getting back on the road to recruit and preparing for a winter of student applications. So whether you are ready or not to get back to class, this fall will be filled with an extra responsibility: preparing your college applications. 

I know your senior fall is going to be busy. To help you stay on track, I’ve taken some time and put together pieces of advice to help you navigate your college application season. The best thing you can do in this process is to help your future self, so let's get started now!

1. Finalize Your Foundations

It's not too late to find a school that fits your needs. You have probably spent some time this summer thinking about what colleges you want to apply to (we call it the “college list”), and if you haven’t finalized…

All applicants to Tufts University submitting the Common Application or Coalition Application will be prompted to share their responses to two short-answer questions. Your answers offer the Admissions Committee insight into the interests, experiences, and communities that make you you. To get you started, here are a few tips for answering the short-answer questions for a BFA or Combined Degree application: 

1. We ask all applicants to complete this sentence in 250 words or less: “I am applying to SMFA at Tufts because…”  

Why are we asking? These short answers are one of the ways that we gauge your demonstrated interest, which can show us that (or leave us wondering if) you’re really excited to become a member of our community. Once you take a tour or watch a virtual information session, flip through Jumbo Magazine or the SMFA viewbook, and/or peruse student blogs or the website, you should have more than enough words about why you’re applying. The main goal here is to make your…

Looking ahead to the future is exciting, as so many possibilities await you! At the same time, talking with your family about future plans can be difficult. Planning for the future is an important step that can be a meaningful opportunity to grow together. You and your family may have different ideas about what’s best for you, and that’s okay. It’s normal for everyone to bring their own hopes, dreams, and concerns into the conversation.

My dream was to go to college because I was a first-generation student. Going to college was something my mother never had the chance to do. I wanted to leave busy New York City for a peaceful place with nature. I wanted to live in a residence hall and meet people from all over the world with whom I could form lifelong friendships. But I was raised in a single parent household, finances were tight, and planning for college was a dream that involved some barriers. These barriers meant I had to be practical and have tough conversations with my mother about…

As summer is winding down and school is getting ready to start again, it’s an important time in the lives of rising high school seniors. The college search process is underway for many, and visiting colleges and universities is a major step in this endeavor. 

As you visit campuses during the fall, information may start blending together in a mix of brick buildings, falling leaves, student-filled quads, and all the other great things about college in the fall. One of the things that may help make all of these places stand out is your tour. Tour guides are current students that are eager to share their experiences and stories, tell you about the great things colleges have to offer, and most importantly, to help you feel like you belong in these communities.

Another great opportunity you’ll have is to learn about campus resources from your tour guide. Asking the right questions on tour can help you decide if a college or university is truly the right fit for you both academically and…