Tufts Blogs

If you had asked my rising freshman self to guess which clubs I would be involved in as a junior, I would have correctly guessed most of them. Unsurprisingly to my pre-Tufts self, I write for The Tufts Daily, play club baseball, hold an e-board position in the Baseball Analytics club, and, of course, blog for the Office of Undergraduate Admissions.

One club which I would never have guessed I would be involved in, even if you asked me before my sophomore year, is 180 Degrees Consulting. 180 is a student-led consulting organization that partners specifically with mission-driven and nonprofit organizations to, per the organization’s website, “provide innovative, practical, and sustainable solutions to the challenges they face.” In short, 180 provides business-oriented guidance for local nonprofits that normally do not have the resources to bring in an outside perspective. Whether it be analyzing competitors, creating new business plans, or producing marketing materials, 180 tackles whatever difficulties the organizations encounter. 

From a student perspective, joining 180 allows students to garner business and critical thinking skills in an undergraduate setting. Students also learn how to interact in professional contexts, from how to dress to how to give a presentation. Moreover, it allows members to connect with the local community and support groups that positively impact the greater Boston area. Like all clubs at Tufts, 180 also offers a great social outlet for students, with an encouraging culture featuring bonding events, coffee chats, and mentor-mentee opportunities.

Now, I will acknowledge that 180 has an application process for joining. At the outset of each semester, there is an application form containing two essays, followed by a behavioral interview, and, new for this semester, a group interview that mimics a collaborative setting. 

Once selected as Student Consultants, members are attached to a semester-long project, in groups of approximately six. Throughout the semester, students and their team leaders work directly with the organizations, to meet their deliverable needs. Teams meet weekly, while 180 hosts club-wide meetings, including guest speaker sessions, multiple times each semester. At the halfway point and conclusion of each semester, the teams assemble to each give a presentation, spotlighting their work and its impact on the organizations they support. 

Having applied and been accepted during the fall of my sophomore year, I’ve thus far worked on two projects, Voter Information Systems and the MugHug Project. With VIS, I analyzed similar firms in the online ballot space and broached ideas to the company’s founders on how to improve it based on my analysis of the competitors. For MugHug, I helped to commence the organization’s website redesign and compiled lists of local partnership opportunities, including schools and summer camps. 

Overall, being part of 180 has been an incredible opportunity for me at Tufts. I have garnered invaluable professional experience in a low-stakes, undergraduate environment. Simply understanding what business casual attire is and how to properly send an email are skills that 180 helps to develop in all of its members. Also, I’ve gained exposure to the vast and varied consulting field, which many of my peers have chosen to enter. Above all, I’ve found a community of dedicated, intelligent, and kind individuals who take time out of their busy schedule to make an impact and help organizations in the local Boston community thrive. 

So, even though my past self may be surprised by my current club allegiances, I’m sure he’ll be happy to know that I’ve enjoyed trying a new extracurricular route. You could even say that I’ve turned things 180°. 

Photo Credit: 180 Degrees Consulting