Have you been searching for a good university to attend? If yes, then you have come to the end of that long search. In this article, we shall be talking about Tufts University. The university was founded in 1852. Their most popular majors include computer science, international relations, and biology.
Hence, those who choose to attend Tufts University will enjoy the campus pride and college presence. Not just that, but they will as well enjoy the proximity to fun activities.
As regards the address, the university is located on the border of Medford and Somerville. Hence, it is only a few miles away from all the history, culture, and entertainment that the city of Boston has to offer.
In the same vein, Tufts University has for a long time remained at or near #28 on the U.S. News & World Report Best National University ranking for the past many years.
In some years past, the admission office has noticed a slight increase in the number of applications flooding the university. The increase is for a very good reason.
In this article, we shall try to share up-to-date statistics with respect to Tufts’ early decision acceptance rate, important deadlines, and required application materials. Hence, stay connected and get the whole gist.
Tufts Early Decision Acceptance Rate
As for the class of 2024, 662 students out of 2,560 applications were accepted via the Early Decision Program. The rate is nearly 26%.
On the other hand, the total acceptance rate for the class of 2025 was a highly selective 11.4%. So, as the school processes more applications in the years to come, future applicants can expect an increasingly competitive admissions process.
Tufts University has in recent times witnessed significant increases in different applicants. From 2019 to 2021, 51% more first-generation college students and 30% more students of color applied to the school.
Hence, Tufts partly attributes this increase to its decision to move the application deadline from November 1 to November 17. The decision was made to support students in managing COVID-related problems in their lives.
There is one important info for students applying to the Early Decision Program at Tufts. If the student is accepted, that decision is sacrosanct. This implies that students will be expected to get enrolled once they receive a notification of admission from the university.
Tufts Early Decision Decision Date
Interestingly, Tufts has two stages in their Early Decision Program. Hence, the Early Decision I applicants should expect to receive an admission decision by mid-December.
In that case, there are three main feedbacks that applicants may receive: accepted, deferred, or denied.
So, accepted students may enroll at the university. On the other hand, deferred students’ applications will be moved to the regular application pool. Meanwhile, denied students will not be able to reapply to Tufts for the entire academic year.
Hence, accepted students who have submitted all their financial aid application materials by the deadline will get more details about their financial aid package. They will get it within seven days of receiving their admission decision.
Tufts Early Decision Deadline
In the same vein, applications from Early Decision 1 applicants will be ready o
November 1. Also, the CSS Profile and FAFSA should be turned in on November 22 while federal tax forms should be sent by December 1.
Meanwhile, students who applied for the Early Decision Program at Tufts, will receive more advanced notice of an admission decision than those who applied for the regular decision timeline.
Again, students who have a clear top choice for where they wish to attend college may benefit from applying early. They will equally benefit from cementing college plans or receiving a deferral/denial letter, which would signal them to apply to their next favorite institutions.
Does Tufts Have Early Decision 2?
Yes, Tufts University has two rounds in their Early Decision Program.
Hence, Early Decision II applicants have separate deadlines. So, the school will receive their application by January 6. Similarly, the CSS Profile and FAFSA will be received by January 17 while the federal tax forms will be received by February 1.
In the same vein, students should bear in mind that the FAFSA is only needed for U.S. citizens and permanent residents. Of course, their federal tax forms should include W-2s (or equivalents for non-filers), business tax returns (if applicable), and all Schedule forms. Early Decision II applicants will receive notice by mid-February.
Tufts ED Deferral Rate
As Tufts University is yet to publish statistics related to its deferral rate, it is, therefore, possible for deferred students to gain admission to the university in a later admissions round.
Therefore, if an applicant is deferred, their application will be taken to the regular decision application pool, hence they will not need to go through the application process again.
On the other hand, if they are admitted, their decision will not be binding. They will not be compelled to enroll at Tufts.
In this vein, Early Decision Program applicants will receive their final admission decision by April 1. It will come on the exact date that regular decision candidates receive a notification.
How to Apply to Tufts for Early Decision
Do you wish to apply? You have to know that Tufts University requires the same application materials from the early decision and regular decision applicants. Hence, early decision applications should submit a signed Early Decision Form with their signature, a signature from a parent or guardian, and a signature from a school counselor.
Meanwhile, applicants have the option to complete the Common Application, Coalition Application, or QuestBridge Application. In that case, as a reminder, Early Decision I applicants should submit their applications by November 1 while Early Decision II applicants should submit theirs by January 6.
Again, students have the option to engage in an alumni interview. The interviews must be completed within the deadlines given above.
Hence, alumni volunteers from the Tufts Admissions Network and Tufts senior students shall participate in these mild interviews with potential Tufts students. The interviews are currently conducted online.
Tufts University encourages student applicants to be ready to talk about their college plans, reflect on their K-12 experience, and share why they’re interested in attending Tufts. In the same vein, it is also a good idea to prepare several questions to ask the interviewer.
On the other hand, if an applicant skips the option to participate in an alumni interview, the next thing which is the Secondary School Report and two letters of recommendation should be ready on November 23 for Early Decision I applicants and January 11 for Early Decision II applicants.
Hence, the letters of recommendation should come from a teacher in an 11th or 12th-grade core course (i.e., English language arts, mathematics, social science, natural science, or foreign language) and a guidance counselor. Also, students applying to the BFA or Combined Degree Program (BFA + BA/BS) will also need to submit a letter of recommendation from their art teacher.
As a matter of fact, the applications will include spaces where students should share about their extracurricular activities and answer short response prompts.
Accordingly, early decision applicants will be required to share their answer to “Why Tufts?” hence, they should explain how or why Tufts is the ideal school for them to attend. In the same vein, applicants might discuss their love of learning, the impact of their environment on their lives, or their journey advocating for social justice.
Again, art students will, in addition, have the opportunity to discuss what they’d like to explore through their artwork at Tufts. Also, they will need to submit a portfolio of 15-20 original and recent pieces that represent their skills and interests.
As for the remaining application materials, they should include an official copy of the high school transcript, senior year grades (when completely available), and proof of English Language Proficiency for applicants whose primary language is not English.
Similarly, the application should be accompanied by the $75 application fee, which can be waived. In order to receive a waiver, a school counselor or administrator must write to Tufts explaining that the fee would pose a financial hardship to the family of the applying student. Again, they can as well obtain a form from the College Board.
Just like other schools in the United States, Tufts recently has adopted a testing-optional admissions policy (adhering from the fall 2021 semester and onwards).
In that year, 55% of Early Decision I and II applicants did not submit an SAT or ACT score. Hence, 52% of the admitted Early Decision Program applicants did not submit either score.
So, applicants who submit to their schools should expect to compete against high-scoring peers. On the Critical Reading and Writing section of the SAT, the middle 50% of accepted applicants scored between 720 to 770. For the Math section, the same group of applicants scored between 740 to 790. The ACT score range for the middle 50% of accepted students was between 33 and 35.
However, those who chose to submit their scores did so through self-reporting on the Common Application, Coalition Application, or QuestBridge Application.
Again, as for early decision candidates, Tufts will accept tests from administration dates as late as October for the ACT and November for the SAT.
Hence, students who are admitted to Tufts will need to submit their official scores for verification in order to get enrolled.
In the same vein, all Early Decision applicants must also submit their mid-year grades. Round I students should turn these in by February 15, while Round II students should do so by February 2 (grades for both cohorts will have been issued by that point).
Therefore, receiving an admission decision early in the college application process can relieve a significant amount of stress. So, it is very important that accepted early decision applicants should continue to perform at the highest level in their academic courses.
