Tufts? What's That?
“Isn’t that in Maryland?”
“Is that even a real place?”
“Who’s her?”
“Is it ‘tufts’ to get in??”
These are just a few of the many questions I get when I tell people of my future college plans. Although Tufts is an amazing liberal art school, many people are still unaware of its existence especially in the South. In this blog post I will provide a general overview of Tufts University so you may answer some of these questions.
“I will put a light on it.” This is the response to an inquiry about Charles Tufts’ intentions with one of the highest hills in Medford, Walnut Hill. The then 20-acre plot of land has transformed into the now 150-acres that make up Tufts University. Founded in 1852, Tufts has grown from a rather small New England liberal arts college to a larger, private research university and now resides in both Medford and Somerville. Because of Tufts close proximity with Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), some of their programs overlap and many students get to experience other institutions.
Tufts is a clear leader in higher education and has a reputation for its distinctive research success while also providing students with personal feel as it is a smaller sized university. With over 150 majors and minors in its School of Arts and Sciences and School of Engineering, Tufts provides its students with an array of options. Along with 132 Graduate and Professional clubs and organizations, Tufts has 341 student organizations and 93.8% of students participate in at least one extracurricular.
Tufts encourages and stresses active student roles and citizenship in the community by creating a system with disciplines and is known for its internationalism and study abroad programs. Tufts 1+4 bridge-year program is an example of the many opportunities provided to Tufts students. Studying abroad allows students to discover personal goals while also learning about the world. Around half of Tufts students decide to study abroad in places like Chile, China, Ghana, Brazil, or Paris etc.
With a record number of applicants (21,101), the class of 2021 holds the second most competitive acceptance rate since the class of 2020. Only 3,128 students were admitted, which generated an acceptance rate of 14.8 percent.
Fun Facts
-In 1984, the university flag orbited Earth 127 times aboard a space shuttle with astronaut and alumnus Frederick Hauck.
-Tufts’ mascot, Jumbo, named after an elephant that belonged to circus mogul P.T. Barnum, a benefactor of the university.
-Tufts is ranked in The Princeton Review for having some of the country’s happiest students.