Tufts Blogs

Hi everyone! Welcome to my blog! If you found this page, you’re probably considering transferring to Tufts; I’m so glad you’re here. 

For some background, I transferred to Tufts last September 2024 as an incoming sophomore. I was drawn to Tufts for a variety of reasons, but I’d say the vibrant community, proximity to Boston, and endless extracurricular opportunities to immerse myself were amongst the top reasons I chose Tufts.

If I were to describe my first week at Tufts in one word, I would say it was exciting… and busy… and enriching! It’s hard to describe my first week at Tufts in only one word because it was such a dynamic experience – meeting new people, exploring a new city, and settling into a new campus I now see as my second home. 

Let’s backtrack to my campus visit in May, shortly after I received an offer to enroll at Tufts. I walked into the admissions building, Dowling Hall, and was immediately greeted by a student worker at the front desk. “Checking in for Thomas?” I was surprised and humbled that she knew my name; I felt like they had been waiting for me… even if that may have been because I arrived a few minutes late. The greeting didn’t stop there, however: “A little birdie told me you might be coming to Tufts?” I recall my mouth dropping open in surprise at this question – how did she know my name and how did she know I had been admitted? While this seems trivial, I immediately felt welcomed and wanted by Tufts; this small gesture resembled exactly what I was hoping for in a university: a personal and tight-knit community. 

Fast forward to the last week of August: Orientation Week. Naturally, I was a bit nervous about joining a new campus community as a sophomore. I’m grateful to say my experience integrating into this community has been nothing but positive. I came to Tufts after connecting with a few other transfer students over the summer. During the first day of orientation, I ran into one of these people who then introduced me to his housemate. From there, an entire web of transfer students opened up to me. All it took was one friend who was excited and willing to introduce me to their friends. Despite this being my personal experience, I can confidently say that this enthusiasm towards building a shared and genuine network is something many Tufts students embody. I found that being open-minded and excited to meet new people was the key to creating and finding a community here at Tufts.

Aside from meeting new people through mutual connections, I was impressed with how Tufts organized specific events for transfer students; there were many opportunities to get to know other transfer students before actually stepping onto campus. Of course, this entailed some awkward icebreakers, but that’s all a part of the excitement of being in a room full of people you’ve never met before. And hey, who doesn’t want to dive into their mental inventory of fun facts just to answer, “What’s one random fact no one would know about you?” 

During Orientation, you can expect to meet mostly other transfer students and first-years. I met some of my closest friends during my first week at Tufts. While I was and still am incredibly grateful for all the relationships I made during my first month, I still had one lingering concern: feeling isolated from the rest of the sophomore class, the students who had been at Tufts from day one. Subtle thoughts of feeling like an outsider kept surfacing. “Will everyone already have established friendships?” “Will I feel like an imposter when I show up to club field hockey–as a sophomore–and know absolutely no one?” “Will I find my place not just within the rest of the sophomore class, but at Tufts?”

Let me assure you that you are absolutely not alone in having these concerns. Many of the other transfer students I spoke to also initially felt worried about having to find their place, again… except this time as a sophomore or junior starting a new path at a new school. In fact, this topic almost always came up during the bi-monthly, mandatory transfer student seminar. Every new student was simply looking to find people they connected with, and it was common for people to casually invite each other to grab a meal, join them at general interest meetings for clubs, and explore the greater Boston area together. Rest assured that it will all work out.

My number one tip for finding community at Tufts is to be friendly, curious about your peers, and unafraid to say hello to the stranger sitting next to you in class, whether you’re complimenting their sweater or talking about the weather. The people here are excited to get to know each other. For me, I’ve made a few friends through this simple tactic. Whether that was showing up to my first field hockey practice explaining how I had no clue how to hold a field hockey stick, or asking a classmate to grab a meal after our deep conversation about “free will” in Intro to Philosophy, I can attest first-hand to how these small interactions can lead to meaningful connections. 

I’m so grateful I decided to transfer to Tufts. If you are considering transferring but are nervous about readjusting to a new place with new people, trust your gut and know that change is often a good thing. You’re allowed to uproot yourself and change the school you go to! I’m so glad I decided to trust my intuition on this one. From pasta nights on my living room floor to late-night walks up the President’s Lawn to dinners in Dewick that often lead to a deep dive into someone's camera roll, I end each day with a sense of gratitude for the experience I’ve had at Tufts so far. 

I hope you found this blog informative and maybe even a little entertaining. I’m wishing all of the prospective transfer students the best of luck throughout this process, and I hope to see you across the quad in the fall! If you have any questions, or just want to chat, feel free to reach out to me at thomas.bulzacchelli@tufts.edu.