Tufts Blogs

Ever since I joined the Diversity Admissions Council, I have had the chance to represent Tufts throughout various college fairs. Some of the most frequent questions I get asked are why I chose Tufts and what sets Tufts apart from other colleges. I’m here to list four opportunities that I think make Tufts unique. These only exist at Tufts and at a few other schools: 

The Laidlaw Scholars Program

The Laidlaw Undergraduate Research and Leadership Scholarship program invests in talented and motivated undergraduate students, giving them the knowledge, skills and experience to get immersed in academia. To date, more than one thousand students passionate about the intersectionality between research and civic leadership have completed the program all over the world. Tufts is one of the few schools in the U.S. that participates in this program. There’s a competitive application process and students either submit an independent project or they join a Professor in need of a research assistant. You get paid to gain research experience and Laidlaw is an academic recognition that goes on your transcript! 

Link: https://provost.tufts.edu/teaching-research/laidlaw-scholars-program/  

Visiting and Early Research Scholars’ Experiences Program (VERSE)

The VERSE program is another great opportunity for underrepresented students in research/academia interested in developing a mentor-mentee relationship with faculty members. The goal of the program is to encourage students to connect to faculty mentors with active research labs and projects. Students can also pursue doctoral studies after their time at Tufts. I have friends who participated in VERSE and they got the chance to publish research papers as a result of their work over the summer. If you decide to attend Tufts and you’re nervous about the research experience, the VERSE program may be a great program for you! 

Link: https://students.tufts.edu/gsas-deans-office/diversity-inclusion-community/verse-scholars-program

Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life Initiatives

The Tisch College is the go-to place for students who are passionate about civic engagement. Even before you start your college experience, you can take a gap year and do community service all around the world. For example, the Tisch College has a program called Tufts 1+4, an opportunity for incoming students to work on society problems they want to solve. Florianopolis/SC, Brazil is one of the most popular destinations for 1+4 participants. For students who have already started their studies at Tufts, the Tisch College also provides great opportunities to support local community organizations. Through the Tisch Scholars program, you can get paired with nonprofit organizations doing advocacy work in the Boston area. The Tisch Summer Fellows program is another program through which you can work with the nonprofit and governmental sector. Tisch College provides paid summer internship opportunities to Tufts students. 

Link: https://tischcollege.tufts.edu/ 

Experimental College (ExCollege) 

Did you know you can design and teach your own course at Tufts? And you and your students can receive credit for these courses! The ExCollege is a department at Tufts University that offers innovative undergraduate elective courses. They hire Visiting Lecturers with a range of perspectives and professional experience to teach interdisciplinary and interactive courses. As an undergrad, you are also able to submit a course offering proposal. You can pitch the course you want to teach and, if approved, your course will be worth school credits. This is a great leadership opportunity, especially for students interested in pursuing a career in academia. I have seen the most interesting classes at the ExCollege, including a class on the Lesbian revolution and a class on personal career development. 

Link: https://excollege.tufts.edu/