Do You Think You Want to be an Engineer?

Think you want to be a Tufts engineer? If so, we want to help you get there. Here are our top tips for applying to the School of Engineering from our very own Associate Director for Engineering Recruitment, Beky Stiles!

A student walking into a doorway. Nearby are a laptop and a violin.

Determine if you’re an engineer

If the classes, research, and projects you read about here make you jump for joy: You’re an engineer! But, if you’re on the fence between majors like biomedical engineering and biology or chemical engineering and chemistry, look at the online “degree sheet” for your intended major. If the engineering major entices you more than the thought of ful lling the distribution requirements for the School of Arts and Sciences: You’re an engineer. Still unsure? Talk to current students, faculty, counselors, and family members. Then go with your gut and apply to whichever school feels like the best t for you.

A collection of objects, including a scale and a megaphone.

Map out your schedule

All applicants to the School of Engineering MUST have taken physics and calculus in high school. Our most competitive applicants will be in the most advanced science and math courses their schools offer. The more STEM strength you show, the stronger your application will be overall. And embrace any electives that let you celebrate your inner engineer. Computer science, woodshop, orchestra… they all show an aptitude and mindset for engineering. It’s okay and even encouraged to specialize a little bit your senior year—if you need to forego a fourth year of foreign language in order to double up in math or science, that’s a decision we understand and support as we review your transcript.

Line up your recommendations

Your school counselors and teachers are some of your biggest advocates in this process. Tufts requires one counselor recommendation and one teacher recommendation (but yes, you can send us more than one teacher recommendation!). For engineers, it is especially helpful to have a recommendation from a math or science teacher. Instead of asking a teacher who doesn’t know you well but who gave you an A++ on every assignment, ask a teacher who truly knows you and can write stories and anecdotes to help us understand you better as a community member, collaborator, and tinkerer.

Harness your engineering “voice”

Tufts engineers aren’t just math and science whizzes. They’re also playful, creative, collaborative, logical, enthusiastic, and down to earth. In your essays, we’ll be looking for the soft skills that will make you a great engineer and the je ne sais quoi that will make you a great Jumbo. While you shouldn’t feel pressured to write about engineering speci cally, do ask yourself if the topics you tackle showcase those attributes. And if writing isn’t your thing, don’t panic. Do the best you can with the task at hand; then feel free to show us your engineering skills through a Maker Portfolio.