How to get into Tufts
What 172 admitted applicants actually had: their grades, test scores, activities, awards and intended majors, counted from 656 Tufts results that students posted for the 2016 to 2026 cycles. Every number below is counted, not estimated.
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Tufts admits by the numbers
Median unweighted GPA
3.95
Middle half 3.87 to 4.00
Median SAT
1,530
Middle half 1,500 to 1,550
Median ACT
34
Middle half 34 to 35
Median weighted GPA
4.50
Middle half 4.33 to 4.70
Results posted: 172 admitted, 372 rejected, 112 waitlisted. People who post results are a self-selected group, so this is not the Tufts acceptance rate; the official rate is in Tufts’s Common Data Set.
Admitted vs. rejected: grades are not the difference
| Median | Admitted | Rejected |
|---|---|---|
| Unweighted GPA | 3.95 | 3.90 |
| SAT | 1,530 | 1,520 |
| ACT | 34 | 34 |
When the rejected applicants’ numbers sit this close to the admitted ones, the decision was made somewhere else in the file: the activities, the essays and the letters. That is where the rest of this page looks.
What Tufts admits did outside class
Share of admitted applicants listing at least one activity of each type.
- Nonprofit/Service59%
- Athletics51%
- Tutoring/Teaching39%
- Internship37%
- Work/Job35%
- Research34%
- Music33%
- Advocacy/Politics31%
Held a leadership role
90%
Founded something
46%
National or intl. award
72%
Did research
34%
Early vs. regular decision at Tufts
- Early (24 results)46%
- Regular (290 results)27%
Share of posters in each round who were admitted. Early applicants are a different group (often stronger and more certain), so read this as a description of these posts, not as odds.
Intended majors of Tufts admits
- Engineering15%
- Computer Science11%
- Political Science10%
- Pre-med/Health7%
- Economics6%
- International Relations6%
Who got in
Of the admitted posters, 19% first-generation, 17% low income, 24% underrepresented minority, 12% legacy, 1% recruited athlete and 9% international. Of those who said where they enrolled, 25% chose Tufts.
Three recent Tufts admits
2026 cycle · RD · Political Science
Feminist magazine founder and policy-minded student who combined writing, mock trial, and a Senate internship.
GPA 3.82 UW · ACT 34 · Original post
2026 cycle · RD · Pre-med/Health
Pre-med biochemistry student with hospital research, speech team captaincy, and nature-center volunteering.
GPA 3.88 UW · ACT 34 · Original post
2026 cycle · RD · Engineering
Bioengineering-bound student with published tumor research, NASA work, and debate leadership.
GPA 3.97 UW · SAT 1550 · ACT 36 · Original post
Essays that worked for Tufts
““Biogeochemical. It's a word, I promise!” There are shrieks and shouts in protest and support. Unacceptable insults are thrown, degrees and qualifications are questioned, I think even a piece of my grandmother's famously flakey parantha whizzes past my ear.”
Published by Tufts University Admissions
“All my life I have been surrounded by science, filled with science, covered in science. I grew up with an electron microscope in the house, a holography lab and darkroom in the basement, and a cleanroom next door.”
Published by Tufts University Admissions
“After a long day of school, a strenuous practice, and a long ride home on SEPTA, I walk into a noisy house. Balls flying, TV loud, dogs barking, food cooking. A two-bedroom house with seven occupants.”
Published by Tufts University Admissions
“Tufts' ILVS major drew me instantly. I wanted to explore both film and literature as vehicles of social and cultural significance, to discuss the parallels of transnationalism in cinema and literature, to compare the auteur theory across cultures and media;”
Published by Tufts University Admissions
Where else Tufts admits got in
Tufts admissions questions
- What GPA do you need to get into Tufts?
- Among 172 applicants who posted a Tufts admission on r/collegeresults, the median unweighted GPA was 3.95 and the middle half reported 3.87 to 4.00 (130 reported a GPA). Tufts sets no minimum GPA; these are what admitted posters reported.
- What SAT score do you need for Tufts?
- Among 172 applicants who posted a Tufts admission on r/collegeresults, the median SAT was 1,530 and the middle half scored 1,500 to 1,550 (114 reported an SAT). The median ACT was 34.
- Does applying early help at Tufts?
- In these posts, 46% of early applicants who reported a result were admitted (11 of 24), against 27% in regular decision (78 of 290). Early pools differ in who applies, so this is a description, not a promise.
- What extracurriculars do Tufts admits have?
- The most common activity types among admitted posters were nonprofit/service (59%), athletics (51%), tutoring/teaching (39%), internship (37%). 90% held at least one leadership role and 72% listed a national or international award.
- What is the Tufts acceptance rate?
- The official rate is published by Tufts in its Common Data Set. These pages do not compute one: people who post results are a self-selected group, so the share of admits among them is far higher than the real rate.
Applying to Tufts?
A Specialist who got into a school like Tufts can read your student’s file against these numbers and say where it stands out and where it doesn’t.
Source: self-reported results posts on r/collegeresults, each linked from our Database, counted across the 2016 to 2026 cycles with transfer applicants excluded. Aristo Scholars is not affiliated with Tufts. All colleges