Ah, November has arrived! And with that, ED apps are officially due - so I welcome you, potential Jumbos of the class of 2020! Just last year I had also just submitted my ED application to Tufts - and I remember how stressful, but also how exciting, a time it was. Because once you hit that submit button, that's it - you're done! You're free! it's in Tufts admissions' hands now. So take this time now to breathe, give yourself a pat on the shoulder, and celebrate. You've worked hard for this moment, and a congratulatory pat on the back is deserved.
In honor of this special occasion, I thought I'd share my own essays I submit when I applied to be a Jumbo back in the day. I have no problem admitting that out of all the applications I completed, writing my Tufts essays was by far my favorite application to complete. Call me a nerd, but YES I actually liked, in fact, LOVED, writing my college essays. Unlike other apps, I felt like the questions allowed me to express myself well and be myself. They flowed smoothly onto paper and allowed me to have a voice without having an interview. I felt that they were reflective of who I truly was rather than embellished sentences with no relevancy or reflection to who I am. And I think that's what I love most about Tufts - the ability to have a voice no matter who you are, no matter what your opinions are. Tufts is the place to be yourself. To explore. To live and love life.
It's a beautiful place.
Why Tufts? (50-100 words) * By far the hardest thing I had to do was cut this down to 100 words... what to focus on? What to say? Best advice I can give - don't be arbitrary. Be specific. Be honest. Show Tufts some love.
My academic goals include optimizing my writing skills so I can increase awareness about world crises; Tufts provides my ideal multi-disciplinary, globally-focused liberal arts environment where I can double-major in English and International Relations. The IR Program’s depth offers significant opportunities for me to expand my understanding of world developments while working closely with professors and other students on ways to influence them. Visiting classes, sitting in the Tower Café at Tisch, and talking to students exposed me to an inclusive community with a warmth and energy attuned with my own. There is no place I’d rather be.
There is a Quaker saying: "Let your life speak." Describe the environment in which you were raised - your family, home, neighborhood, or community - and how it influenced the person you are today. (200-250 words)
My family is a Greek household trying to live in America, and sometimes it just doesn’t seem to work. My yiayia (grandmother), who lives with us, is a hater of all things mechanical, and insists on hanging my clothes outside to dry – as a result, I often spend time after school racing to pull down the hangers displaying my undergarments along the front door for my neighbors to see. Dinnertime consists of her chasing me around the table with a fish eye on her fork, telling me that it is better for my brain than the dialotilefono (devil’s phone) in my hand. On top of that, she knows how to say a total of three things in English: “I’m sorry I no speak English,” “come, come,” and “eat, eat.” Prom became the perfect opportunity for my Dad to explain to my Irish date how being Greek was so much better than being anything else. Meanwhile, my mom tried to teach yiayia how to pronounce his name, “Patrick,” but it kept coming out as “Petros.”
Living through these sometimes humiliating situations that make me seem so different has allowed me to grow stronger than my peers; it has given me the confidence to lead, not follow, and ultimately embrace rather than shy away from who I am. My “big fat Greek family” has taught me to recognize and accept differences in other people and their lives. I have also learned to remain calm in the face of highly unusual circumstances. :-)
(And yes, I did submit this essay with a smiley face at the end!)
Sports, science, and society are filled with rules, theories, and laws like the Ninth Commandment, PV=nRT, Occam's Razor, and The Law of Diminishing Returns. Three strikes and you're out. In English, "I" before "E" except after "C." Warm air rises. Pick one and explain its significance to you.
“Write that down” became a phrase I would drill into my student’s head when peer-tutoring English last year. However, it means so much more to me than making sure a student didn’t forget anything: to me, “write that down” is one of the most important rules in my life. Words have always fascinated me; I am amazed by how a simple string of them can be so thought provoking, or cause my imagination to run wild. For that reason I carry a notebook with me everywhere I go so that I can write the interesting things I hear throughout my day: random quotes, inspiring song lyrics, things said by my family, friends, or complete strangers.
My love of words goes beyond taking them from others: I love sharing my own words as well. The personal blog I began three years ago allows me to do just that: I am able to share not only music and quotes, but my own creative short stories and essays. I hope that just as these little things I hear throughout my day inspire me, so will my words inspire the 7,300 viewers I have had on my blog over the past year. The views I have had from Americans to Germans to Liberians in West Africa keep me motivated. Writing provides me power as well as peace; whether clacking away at my keyboard or admiring a beautifully composed piece of writing, being immersed in words is my favorite place to be (“Kelly’s Korner,” kellykollias.blogspot.com).
Best of luck to the class of 2020!!! GO 'BOS!!!