It’s last period on a Friday. The long-awaited final bell rings; automatically, my classmates quickly pack up and join the stream of students that surges down every hallway. I join the current, but instead of following the stream through the exit, I turn and ascend the stairs to our school’s library. Walking past the students scrambling to finish essays, I join my fellow National Honor Society members in the back of the room. Though many may deem it...

Tufts is the only school I know that prides itself in its eclectic, energetic, and slightly dorky atmosphere over anything else. One of the most popular events here is the dance recital performed by people who can’t dance and choreographed by people who have never choreographed, and I love that students prioritize trying new things over avoiding embarrassment. My tour guide admitted that he couldn’t decide whether to hate or love Tufts students’ tendency to constantly debate every...

What makes you happy? I love running. Now, we’re talking about a very specific type of running here: Saturday morning practices with Dreamfar High School Marathon. I don’t run to escape problems or to reach a destination faster; I run because nothing compares to setting, pursuing, and achieving a distance goal. Marathon running is unique in the sense that times and ranks become almost irrelevant compared to the mental drive and support system required to continue and conquer...

There is a Quaker saying: “Let your life speak.” Describe the environment in which you were raised—your family, home, neighborhood or community—and how it influenced the person you are today. (200-250 words) I live in an environment where it is easy to conform to every expectation. But here’s the thing about expectations: they’re only based on past actions, and if there’s one idea I’ve learned from studying probability, it’s that past events, in...

St. Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus, encouraged his followers to live their lives in the service of others. How do you plan to serve others in your future endeavors? (400 words) To me, service means serving the community directly through volunteering as well as serving it indirectly by finding a career that will allow me to benefit others. I plan to carry out both facets of service during my undergraduate experience at Boston College and throughout the...

Please submit a one page, single-spaced essay that explains why you have chosen Carnegie Mellon and your particular major(s), department(s) or program(s). This essay should include the reasons why you've chosen the major(s), any goals or relevant work plans and any other information you would like us to know. My two favorite subjects have always been math and art. I thought that my love for the study of rules and logic contrasted with my desire to...

My approach to the Personal Statement and the Supplemental Essays was that they were supposed to round out my application and to give admissions officers an idea of what kind of person I was and what I could bring to the schools. When you write your essays, keep in mind that you need to convince the readers that you have a pretty solid idea of who you already are as a soon-to-be high school graduate. However, you must also demonstrate...

At Tufts, everyone is very interested in trying new things and branching out, so there isn't really...

My favorite course in college would have to be my introductory engineering course, or “Designing Stuff People Can Use”. Basically, we learned about the basics of the engineering design process and how to incorporate Human Factors and usability into our designs. The class was very hands-on, which I loved. In the group projects,...

One word that is thrown around jokingly to describe the quintessential Tufts student is “quirky”. Sure, Tufts students are smart and hard-working like all college students, and we come from many different backgrounds, but we all have that extra “quirk” that unites us. What is quirky? I suppose every student at Tufts would give you a different answer, but to me, here are five other adjectives to describe Tufts students’ quirkiness. Passionate. Everyone at Tufts has something they really care about: sports, equal rights, the environment, correcting people’s grammar, TV shows… we’ve got it all. Sometimes these passions...

To be perfectly honest, I didn’t know anything about academics other than how easy it would be to switch majors before enrolling at Tufts. I originally applied as a Physics major in the School of Arts and Sciences, but during Jumbo Day (prospective students day),...

What I think is most important when choosing a school are the “vibes” you get when you visit the school, or basically the culture of the school. What are the students’ attitudes towards academics? Will academics and future success overshadow all other aspects of student life? Is the academic setting...

I chose Tufts because I saw it as a place where I could become the best version of myself. There are so many academic, social, and extracurricular opportunities, and everyone tries to try everything at least...

Tufts is in the cities of Medford and Somerville, which I think is perfect. It’s close enough to Boston that students can easily go there for concerts or other events (or shopping!), but there is enough going on on campus that students don’t rely on the city for social events. Every week, students can choose...

If you’ve read my “5 adjectives”, “why Tufts”, and “what I like about the location and culture” blurbs, you should have a general idea of what it’s like to attend Tufts. To increase your chances of getting in to Tufts, you have to genuinely be able to picture...