Prompt database · 2026-27 cycle
Tufts University
Deadlines
source| Early Decision | November 2, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Early Decision II | January 4, 2027 |
| Regular Decision | January 4, 2027 |
Essay prompts (5)
3 required · 2 for specific applicants
- why usAll applicants2026-27150 words
Please describe how you have learned about and engaged with Tufts during your college search process
- academic interestSchool of Arts and Sciences applicants2026-27200 words
Tell us about one of your favorite school assignments in the past two years. What was the assignment and why did you enjoy it?
- academic interestSchool of Engineering applicants2026-27200 words
Tell us about an engineering or science-related project that you have helped build, design, create, or iterate in the past two years. What was the project and what was your role?
- portfolioBFA applicants (SMFA at Tufts)2026-27200 words
Tell us more about a specific piece in your portfolio. What were the ideas you intended to explore, and how did those ideas inform the process of making the piece?
- portfolioCombined Degree (BFA+BA/BS) applicants2026-27200 words
Tell us more about a specific piece in your portfolio. How did an academic course, project, or interest inspire the ideas that you explored in this piece? Or, how did making this piece influence your academic interests?
The school's published AI policy
Tufts Admissions strongly discourages the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) for writing college admissions essays and short answer responses. Our observations are that generative AI often produces formulaic responses that are less creative, distinctive, and persuasive than an applicant's own writing. The Admissions Committee expects to read an applicant's original ideas presented in their own words.
the school’s published policyChecked Sep 8, 2026
Our reading
Tufts strongly discourages using generative AI to write essays and short answer responses and expects an applicant's original ideas in their own words, but publishes no prohibition and says nothing about tools that give feedback on a draft the applicant wrote.
How reviews use this page
When you request a review for a Tufts University supplement, the feedback is grounded in exactly what you see here: the prompt itself, its word limit, and what the school publishes about its values and programs. That's the whole claim — calibrated to the prompt and the school's own published guidance, scored against a consistent rubric. Not insider knowledge, and never a rewrite: Second Read is a coach, not a ghostwriter. It flags weaknesses and tells you what to fix and why; it never writes a sentence of your essay.
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