An Insider's Guide to Living - and Sleeping - at Tufts

One of the hall-style first-year residences at Tufts.

Residential life at Tufts is one of the most defining and fulfilling components of the college experience. Ask any Tufts student and they will tell you that some of their most meaningful relationships have emerged from the spaces and communities shared in residence halls. So, what’s in a residence hall? What makes these spaces so unique? Let’s break it down. BY JOSH COHEN ’24

The Roommate: Perhaps one of the most highly-anticipated connections for first-year students—the roommate. No sweat, we’ve got you covered! Prior to matriculation, incoming first-year students are sent a housing survey where they have the opportunity to share their living preferences, such as the time they wake up, use of electronics and video gaming, and cleanliness. Ultimately, this information is collected by the Office of Residential Life and Learning to assign students who are highly compatible as roommates.

Two roommates playing guitar in their dorm room.

The Room: Next—the room. As on-campus housing is guaranteed and required for all first- and second-year students at Tufts, residential halls are influential features of our campus. Ranging from small, identity-based wood frame houses to larger and more traditional residence halls, there is no one type of room. For many first-year students assigned to a traditional double, you can expect two twin XL beds, two desks with plenty of storage, two dressers, and two closets. Also, many residence halls contain modern and comfortable shared spaces, such as lounges and fully-equipped kitchens. Cookie night, anyone?

The Building: What do residential buildings actually look like? Providing a range of housing options stratified by class year, Tufts is intentional about offering a dynamic set of living arrangements for students. Generally, first-year students reside in traditional residence halls such as Houston, Miller, Hodgdon, and Carmichael Halls. First-year BFA students live in historic, renovated brownstones just a short walk from the SMFA Fenway campus. These buildings are designed specifically with community-building in mind and include plenty of communal spaces and study rooms for new students to begin their journey at Tufts. Second-year halls consist of a mixture of traditional-style (Lewis, Harleston, and Stratton Halls), four to ten person suites (Harleston and Wren Halls), and apartment-style buildings (Latin Way and Hillsides Apartments). Additionally, continuing students also have the ability to select to live in any of our identity-based, special interest houses. Notably, students can apply to create their own theme housing with their peers. Recently, the Tufts Foodie House was established, centering students’ shared passion for food! Whether you live uphill in the heart of the academic quad and nearest to Carmichael Dining Center, or downhill with close proximity to Davis Square and the Mayer Campus Center, your residential community will undoubtedly shape your Tufts experience.

One of Tufts' many special interest housing buildings.

The Residential Life Staff: At Tufts, residence halls are supported by several types of enthusiastic professional and student staff members who are committed to fostering community and facilitating friendships. Through hall programming such as movie nights, trivia events, embroidery tutorials, and pizza decorating, residential life staff are highly skilled at building intentional communities. Student staff members are also dedicated peer mentors who support students’ personal and academic growth and connect students to campus resources.