United States · Class of 2031 first-year application
Tufts short answer questions
Tufts asks every first-year applicant how they learned about and engaged with the university during the college search. The second response changes by program: Arts and Sciences asks about a recent favorite school assignment, Engineering about a project the applicant helped build or improve, BFA about a portfolio work, and the combined BFA+BA/BS route about a link between artmaking and academic interests.
Writing format
Two required answers: 75–150 words about engaging with Tufts and a 100–200-word program prompt
Academic integrity
Tufts strongly discourages generative AI for admissions writing and expects applicants' original ideas in their own words.
What to prepare
- 1In the first answer, name a real Tufts resource or interaction you explored and explain what it helped you understand about your fit.
- 2For Arts and Sciences, describe one assignment from the past two years and why the work interested you beyond its grade.
- 3For Engineering, identify your role and an iteration in a science or engineering project; for BFA routes, connect a specific portfolio piece to the ideas and process behind it.
How to approach the writing
- Check your chosen school or combined degree before drafting the second answer; the four prompts are not interchangeable.
- Keep the two responses distinct: one is about how you engaged with Tufts, while the other supplies evidence of how you think or make.
Before you submit
Tufts requires both short answers in addition to the application personal statement. Confirm the program-specific prompt and word range in your live Common, Scoir, or QuestBridge application; BFA applicants also have a portfolio requirement.
Read Tufts Class of 2031 short answer questions ↗Read Tufts first-year application requirements ↗Official source checked 2026-09-26.