Student Organizations
With 350 student organizations built around various themes, there are almost too many ways to meet people at Tufts who share your passions (it also makes for a very long list). For the most up-to-date information on student organizations, check out jumbolife.tufts.edu.
Community Service
Active citizenship is huge part of being a Jumbo. Tufts students reach out to people around the country, around the world, and those right here in Medford and Somerville. The Leonard Carmichael Society (an umbrella organization for all service groups on campus) is the largest organization at Tufts. Students provide English language and citizenship classes to immigrants at the Committee for Refugees from El Salvador (CORES) organization in Somerville, instruct students on the basics of engineering at the Center for Education Engineering and Outreach, and volunteer their time during pre-orientation’s FOCUS program.
Learn more about Tufts' relationships with our neighbors.
Student Government
The Tufts Community Union is made up of an elected Senate, Judiciary, and President that decide where to allocate funds for student activities. It also has a voice in issues from faculty hiring and tenure to undergraduate curriculum. The Tufts University Social Collective (TUSC), is a student-run organization that hosts over 200 events each year including weekly film screenings, late night and weekend programs, off-campus trips, and annual events such as Tuftonia’s Day, Fall Gala, Spring Fling, and Senior Week.
Club and Intramural Sports
If you’re looking for a way to stay athletic (but aren’t ready to commit to Division III sports) Club and Intramural Sports can offer a good compromise. Participants pay a participation fee that’s used to fund equipment, uniforms, and travel to tournaments around the country. Some of Tufts’ most popular club sports include fencing, soccer, Ultimate Frisbee, and the Quadball team (previously known as Quidditch), the Tufflepuffs. With thirteen options spread across the fall and spring seasons, Intramural Sports offer the chance to play with your friends without stressing a big time commitment. You can form a team or join as a free agent and play basketball, lacrosse, or even dodgeball.
Learn more about Club and Intramural sports here.
Music
You don't have to be a music major to pursue your performance passion. Tufts students can take lessons with Music department faculty members for credit, regardless of their major. You can reserve practice space and even rent out instruments if you need to. Jumbos can also audition for a number of performing ensembles including choirs (a cappella and traditional), strings, bands, and world music.
Learn more about Granoff Music Center here.
Theatre
Whether you’re a dedicated thespian, a comedic genius, or just plain love the spotlight, there’s a group for you here on campus. If you’re a chucklehead, try the Cheap Sox improv group or Major: Undecided’s sketch comedy. Love the stage? Try Traveling Treasure Trunk (a theater troupe that performs exclusively for children), Torn Ticket II or 3Ps (Pen, Paints and Pretzels). Most productions are totally student organized, designed, and directed!
Learn more about theater student organizations here.
Dance
Who says Jumbos don't have rhythm? If you're looking to get moving, the Tufts Dance program has multiple shows throughout the year. You can join Encendido, Ballroom, or Sarabande (a group featuring modern, jazz, and ballet dance styles). Spirit of the Creative performs hip-hop inspired moves and there are two step teams to choose from, BlackOut and Envy.
Learn more about Tufts Dance programming here.
Culture and Identity
With over 100 countries represented on campus, there is no doubt that Tufts students are globally minded. There are over 40 cultural clubs on campus that provide a space for students to come together, build community, celebrate, and share their identities. From the Japanese Culture Club's matsuri to the Brazilian Student Association's Carnaval, at Tufts, there will be many opportunities to try new foods, learn new traditions, and celebrate diversity.
Search through the JumboLife site for cultural clubs here.
Fraternity and Sorority Life
The first organization at Tufts was established in 1855, and the fraternity and sorority tradition is strongly woven into the fabric of the university, continuously growing and changing to meet the needs of today's collegiate student population.
Membership enhances opportunities to meet new people, achieve academically, hone leadership skills, and serve the broader community through philanthropic and service opportunities. Alumni networking and mentoring also illustrate the benefits of lifelong membership and giving back to the next generation of Tufts students.
Learn more about Fraternity and Sorority Life at Tufts.
Civic Engagement
Tisch College plays an important role promoting and facilitating community service, political participation, and other forms of civic engagement at Tufts University. Much of that work is carried out by students, both individually and, especially, through myriad student organizations on all Tufts campuses that advance Jumbos’ participation in civic life.
Learn more about student organizations centered on Civic Engagement here.
Religious Life and Chaplaincy
If there’s a holiday in the world, you can bet that someone at Tufts is observing it. There are thriving Jewish communities at the Granoff Family Hillel Center and Chabad House, morning prayers with the Muslim Student Association, and meditation with Buddhist students. Unitarian Universalists, Hindus, and Orthodox Christians are also represented. The University Chaplaincy provides interfaith services and programs and serves as an umbrella for all religious life. The University Chaplain works cooperatively with the Jewish, Buddhist, Catholic, Hindu, Protestant, and Muslim Chaplains and administers Goddard Chapel as a university facility.
Learn more about the University Chaplaincy offerings here.
Debate—or something similar!
Do you argue with your professor, pontificate in the dining hall, and occasionally clash with your roommate over who should shut off the lights? Debate Society might be right for you. The team engages in APDA-style parliamentary debate and hosts an annual tournament on the Hill. If you’re looking for something a little more structured and law-related, try the Tufts Mock Trial team (routinely ranked among the top teams in the country). For an international focus, the Tufts Model UN team lets students travel to four debates in two different countries each year. Last but not least, if you're into ethics and moral reasoning, the Philosophy department hosts a Tufts Ethics Bowl competition every fall, with the winners often going on to represent Tufts regionally and nationally!
Learn more about Tufts Ethics Bowl here.
Publications
There are dozens of ways to get your voice heard at Tufts. Publications include the Tufts Daily (Tufts is the smallest school with a daily student newspaper), the Tufts Observer (student magazine with long-form pieces and visual arts), Zamboni (Tufts’ equivalent of ‘The Onion’), and more.
Learn more about Tufts Daily here.
Pre-Professional Organizations
You can build your professional network in groups like the Pre-Law Society, Minority Association of Pre-Health Students (MAPS), and tons of engineering societies (like the American Society of Civil Engineers and the American Institute of Chemical Engineers).
Learn more about the Pre-Health Advising Pathways here.