What Makes Tufts Unique
I was recently asked by a prospective student what makes Tufts unique. I think this question is tough and the answer will vary depending on who you ask. However, the one I chose was interdisciplinary learning at Tufts. I chose this because 1) the person was interested in the academic aspect of Tufts 2) it had a personal impact on my academics. The first time I found myself questioning what I wanted to study and feeling the pressure to ‘choose one’ was selecting an intended major on the CommonApp when applying to Tufts. Now looking back, it feels a bit silly remembering how I was acting as if I had to stick with whatever I chose forever (especially because Tufts marks every freshman as an ‘undecided’ major and you declare a major in sophomore year).
The interdisciplinary learning at Tufts was personally impactful for me because I felt ‘comfort’ with one subject and it helped me explore other disciplines. For example, in my freshman year, I took a lot of STEM courses but I decided to take a Sociology course just out of pure interest since a lot of my friends had only positive things to say about the class. Just like that, I became so intrigued and I decided to take courses from other departments out of pure interest. What I found was that a lot of departments at Tufts are taught by amazing professors and I found myself engaged in the materials no matter what the course was. I believe interdisciplinary learning allowed me to explore different areas of studies and ultimately helped me find what I wanted to do after Tufts. I also truly believe that Tufts allows you to create your own path.
Tufts offers a wide range of classes and I think many can find a course they are interested in no matter how niche. I encourage you to explore and dip your toes into other disciplines (even if you think you wouldn’t be interested), you might be surprised! If you want to read more about interdisciplinary learning at Tufts, here is a good place to start: https://admissions.tufts.edu/discover-tufts/academics/interdisciplinary-learning/