Starting as a small liberal arts school in New England, Tufts University in Medford University is now one of the best institutions in a region known for its excellent private schools.
In addition to the first-rate academic programs and scholarly initiatives one expects of a tier-1 research institution, Tufts also adheres to an ethos of public service and active citizenship.
Evidence of the school’s unique mix of academics and values can be seen in its most prominent programs.
One of the oldest law schools in the country, the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy boasts a world-famous international affairs program.
Graduates of the program have gone on to serve as diplomats, corporate executives, and ambassadors in over 150 countries.
Equally famous is the Tufts Medical Center, a world-class teaching hospital. In the Medical Center, students can train in its renowned emergency department, part of its level-one trauma center.
These resources exist to provide students with hands-on training for the most high-stakes situations. Through the Medical Center’s research programs, students can develop projects related to a range of issues, including cardiac health and obesity.
On the humanities end, the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University serves the local community by celebrating different forms of human expression.
Working in cooperation with Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts, the school provides undergraduate and graduate courses, as well as numerous installations, showings, and workshops.
With these and other outstanding attributes, it’s easy to see why so many students want to transfer to Tufts University.
Tufts Transfer Acceptance Rate
The transfer acceptance rate at Tufts University is 14.5%.
Most universities have a far lower acceptance rate for transfer students than they do for those coming in as freshmen. There are many reasons for this, from limited available slots to a preference to train students for their full college experience.
Tufts University breaks this mold with a transfer acceptance rate significantly higher than its standard freshmen rate. While Tufts used to have an acceptance rate of around 16%, in past years, that number has dropped to 11% and then 9%.
As these numbers indicate, fewer and fewer students are allowed to study at Tufts each year. This selectivity raises the prestige of a Tufts education, which can make for better job prospects.
Even better, the transfer acceptance rate appears to remain steady, even as the first-year acceptance rate drops.
While that’s certainly good news for transfer hopefuls, it’s important to keep things in perspective.
The 14.5% acceptance rate may be higher than its standard rate, but it is still highly competitive. At that rate, 8.5 out of every ten transfer applicants will be rejected from joining the Tufts community.
To be among those lucky few, you must understand what Tufts looks for when bringing a student in from another school.
Application Requirements & GPA
The minimum GPA among those accepted for transfer to Tufts University is 3.0.
Tufts’s 14.5% transfer acceptance rate may be relatively high, but they clearly don’t take everybody. 85% of those who apply, the overwhelming majority, are not given offers of admission.
Those who do get in manage to make a strong case to the admissions board, showing how they can enrich the Tufts student body.
Tufts does not have a minimum GPA for transfer applicants. Technically, you could earn all F’s and still apply.
But while the admissions board will look at such an application, it will almost certainly be among the 85% who get rejected.
On average, those accepted for transfer to Tufts have a GPA of 3.0, which means that they get mostly B’s and A’s.
However, you must understand that this is the average, which means that many who apply will have similar grades. The closer you can get to a 4.0 GPA, the more likely you’ll be accepted.
Likewise, Tufts accepts applications from anyone who has completed even a semester at another university, which means that freshmen may attempt to transfer – a rarity among universities.
However, it’s far more common for the school to accept those who have completed their prerequisites in the first two years of study, and plan to enter at the junior level.
These students have a record of strong scholarly activity and a clear academic plan, which makes a compelling argument for joining the Tufts community.
Tufts Transfer Deadline
The transfer deadline for Tufts University is March 15th.
As seen above, Tufts has several expectations for those hoping to transfer to their school. But the most important thing to remember is that the application must be completed and submitted by March 15th each year.
That’s particularly important to remember because Tufts only brings in transfer students for the Fall semester. If you miss the March 15th deadline, then you have to wait a full year until you can try again.
That’s a marked difference from the standard application deadline. For those coming in as freshmen, who have three application deadlines each year. The two early decision deadlines occur in early November and early January, while the regular admission deadline is early January.
Why is the transfer deadline so much later than the regular deadline? Because Tufts makes its transfer decisions based on the number of admission slots available. Once they know the number of first-year students that they’re bringing in, then Tufts will consider the transfer applicants.
What Is the Decision Date for Tufts?
The decision date for transfers to Tufts University is from May to Mid-June.
On one hand, Tufts does not take any more time to decide on admission for transfer candidates than it does to decide on first-year applicants. Both have to wait two to three months for an answer.
However, because the transfer application deadline is much later than the standard deadline, it can feel quite a bit longer.
No one would argue that this wait isn’t frustrating. If you get your decision in mid-June, that leaves you with only a few weeks to register for classes and secure your materials before the Fall semester begins.
However, there is a good reason for the extended decision date. As a school friendly to transfers, Tufts wants to ensure that it can accept as many people as possible. But it has several factors to consider when completing its decisions.
Chief among them is the number of available slots for transfers. Once they have finished offering admission to first-year students by April 1st, Tufts can bring in as many transfers as possible.
Deciding Whether You Should Transfer to Tufts
As you can see, it’s a lot of hard work to transfer to Tufts University. So much that some may wonder if it’s worth the effort.
To remind ourselves why someone would through all the trouble to attempt to transfer to Tufts, let’s take a look at the school’s reputation.
According to U.S. News & World Report, considered by many to be the most accurate ranking outlet, Tufts University is the 28th best school in the United States, tied with respected institutions such as the University of California – Santa Barbara, New York University, and the University of Florida.
The school also ranks high on the outlet’s individual lists, coming in at 48th place on its ranking of Best Teaching Schools and in 27th place on the ranking of Best Value Schools.
The website Niche.com concurs with these findings, giving Tufts an A+ grade. The school earns this grade because of its strong academic culture, its commitment to diversity, and the educational value it offers. The school comes out just as strong on the site’s specialized lists, falling in the top ten on its rankings of Best Colleges for Public Health in America, Best Colleges for International Relations in America, and Best Colleges for Art in America.
With so much praise directed at Tufts, you can see why people would be willing to go through hoops of transferring to the school.
RECAP: How to Apply As a Transfer Student to Tufts
Tufts University is a highly respected school, one that earns its place among the more famous New England private institutions. While its overall acceptance rate seems to be dropping, its transfer acceptance rate holds at a relatively high 14.5%.
As encouraging as those numbers may be, they do still indicate that for every ten students, eight or nine will have their applications rejected.
To be among the fortunate few allowed to study at Tufts, you must make sure that you not only meet the required minimum GPA of 3.0 but exceed it. The closer you are to all A’s, the more likely you’ll be accepted. Likewise, your odds increase if you’ve finished all the prerequisites for your major and can begin working on higher-level courses as soon as you enroll.
All application materials must be submitted by March 15th of each year. The school does not take transfer applications at any other point in the year. Decisions will be made sometime between May and mid-June, giving accepted students only a few weeks to enroll.
That might seem like a tall order for a very narrow shot. But if it means getting to graduate from Tufts, the effort is certainly worthwhile.
