APPLICATION ADVICE

ADVICE THE ANATOMY OF A POWERFUL COLLEGE ESSAY

The t’s are crossed, the i’s are dotted. You’ve put the finishing touches on your personal statement, and it’s right where you want it to be. Not an errant comma in sight, the words dance across the page to convey your desired message and tone, and you’re feeling ready to submit your application.

But wait...there’s one more writing request we have of you before you hit submit. We want to know why you, dear reader, want to go to Tufts.

Despite the short word count (just 150!), this is a great opportunity for your application to shine, so we’re giving our top tips to help you showcase what it is that excites you most about life as a Jumbo.

BY RACHEL BROWN, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR

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Be specific. Be specific. Be specific. We know you may be writing a lot of these “Why [insert institution]?” essays. And you are probably drawn to schools for similar reasons. But it’s best to avoid the temptation of CTRL-C, CTRL-V from one school to the next. If we can remove “Tufts” and insert another school’s name into the paragraph, you’ve missed an opportunity to convey authentic and specific enthusiasm. Show us that you know us by diving into specific details you can’t glean from a surface-skimming of the home page of our website. Not sure where to start? Well, you’re on the right track reading this magazine, and we also recommend student blogs, departmental websites, and attending virtual programming!

But intellectualism matters—we are an academic institution, after all. Yes, I did just emphasize having fun with the essays, but we’re not just looking for humor and spirit and energy. We want to see that you have an intellectual fervor. We want to learn what academic areas excite you, and we want to see that you’re thinking about these academic interests in thoughtful, novel, or nuanced ways. That intellectualism that comes through in your short-answer is going to come through in your classroom discussions and enrich our academic community. We are looking for that voice that will push along classroom conversations, be open-minded to new ideas, and bring a unique academic perspective to the table.

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Have fun with it. (For Tufts, at least.) At Tufts, we define ourselves by (and pride ourselves on!) our intellectually playful community. So much so that it comes up in every presentation we give and every brochure we write. So it should come as no surprise that we look for an intellectually playful voice in the essays of applications. We’re looking for people who can connect with the unique aspects of the Tufts experience, whether that’s a class, a student group, the campus culture, or a campus event. You don’t have to feel like you’re writing a formal essay when you’re applying to Tufts. Feel free to let your personality shine through. We encourage it!

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Avoid being “listy” We love a good listicle as much as anyone, but your “Why Tufts?” isn’t a great place to bust out the bullet points. For a short-answer to be “listy,” it means that although you are listing out all the aspects of Tufts that excite you, your response doesn’t go much deeper than that. Yes, it’s great you like the dining hall food, the Tisch Library view, the [insert academic field] major, the [insert student group], [insert professor]’s research. But tell us why! Don’t feel like you need to cover everything you love about Tufts; there’s simply not enough space in the word count. So pick two to three things that really catch your attention, and tell us why those things matter to you. Remember, the short-answer isn’t just about you, and it’s not just about Tufts; it’s about how those two fit together.

THE ANATOMY OF A POWERFUL COLLEGE ESSAY

Based on these tips, we recognize that we are asking a lot of you. But remember you have three opportunities through your personal statement and two short-answer questions to showcase different sides of yourself. Think about your personal statement and short-answer questions as a set of essays for us to get to know you. One essay might be more serious in tone about your academic interests; another might provide the playful punch of personality. You have three chances to reveal your multifaceted self—use each opportunity wisely. Happy writing!

Show your smarts—WHY do you love biology and chemistry, and what about the Tufts programs appeals to you?

Listy—doesn’t take it to the next level to make the Tuftsstudent connection. I am very interested in attending a mid-sized liberal arts college outside of a mid-sized city. I want the experience of a close-knit community with many events, but also with the option of adventuring in a city to explore restaurants and the bustling music scene. That’s why Tufts is the perfect place for me! I want to study either biology or chemistry because I loved those classes. I believe Tufts will set me up well on my path to becoming a doctor, and I am interested in the Early Assurance program with Tufts Medical School. Extracurricularly, I love being part of a team, so I hope to compete on the club soccer team, and I want to round out my activities with joining a dance group. I feel a strong connection to the intellectually playful, kind, collaborative, civically engaged, and globally minded community at Tufts. Go Jumbos! (147 words)

Lacks specificity— there are lots of schools like this!

Doesn’t dive deep—these are the exact words used on our home page!

We’re left with a vague sense of this student. There are missed opportunities to showcase specific interests and personality!