Armed with only the required pieces of an application to Tufts, my colleagues and I feel very confident in our ability to come to an informed and thoughtful admissions decision. The space available in essays, recommendations, and forms is limited, and we know we can’t learn everything about you, but we have faith that we know enough salient points to do our work (and do it well). Still, strained by the pressure of the process and a desire to portray your best self, many of you reach out about the possibility of adding something extra or sending something more to “enhance” your file.

I’m hoping the flowchart below can help you understand if these extras are worth it. There’s a fine line between providing helpful details we need to know, and burying us in information that distracts from the core strengths of your application. And it’s worth remembering that the vast majority of applicants (and the vast majority of admitted students) submit only what is required. But if there’s something you’re pondering, follow the steps below to see if we’ll find it helpful. (PS - A huge shout out to our talented Program Assistant, Glenna Wong, for making this so pretty!)

(Click here for a big PDF version that you can print!)