Menu

College Essay Prompts 2026-27

Tufts Supplemental Essay Prompts 2026-27

Tufts University's published supplemental essay prompts for first-year applicants in the 2026-27 application year, quoted from the college's own website, with the limit for each and whether it is required.

Application
Common App or Coalition
Status
2026-27 prompts published
What to write
All first-year applicants answer 1 common prompt. Depending on how or where you apply, you may also have prompts for: School of Arts and Sciences applicants; School of Engineering applicants; Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) program applicants; Combined Degree (BFA+BA/BS) program applicants.
Last checked
September 26, 2026
Official source
Tufts Admissions: Short Answer Questions

The 2026-27 prompts

Quoted word for word from Tufts University. Limits are as the college states them. These are the first-year prompts the college publishes; transfer essays and questions that appear only inside the application portal are not listed.

First-year applicants to Tufts University are asked to respond to two required short answer prompts, which vary depending on the program to which you are applying (read carefully below).

Required of all applicants

  1. 01

    Please describe how you have learned about and engaged with Tufts during your college search process

    75 to 150 wordsWhy us

Required for School of Arts and Sciences applicants

Short Answer Prompt #2 is specific to your intended school/program at Tufts: Applicants to the School of Arts and Sciences are required to answer the following question in 100-200 words:

  1. 02

    Tell us about one of your favorite school assignments in the past two years. What was the assignment and why did you enjoy it?

    100 to 200 wordsIntellectual curiosity

Required for School of Engineering applicants

Applicants to the School of Engineering are required to answer the following question in 100-200 words:

  1. 03

    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?

    100 to 200 wordsIntellectual curiosity

Required for Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) program applicants

Applicants to the Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) program are required to answer the following question in 100-200 words:

  1. 04

    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?

    100 to 200 wordsOther

Required for Combined Degree (BFA+BA/BS) program applicants

Applicants to the Combined Degree (BFA+BA/BS) program are required to answer the following question in 100-200 words:

  1. 05

    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?

    100 to 200 wordsIntellectual curiosity

What these prompts are really asking

One line per prompt type, from our supplemental essay guide.

Why us
Have you done real research, and can you connect it to your actual path?
Intellectual curiosity
How does your mind move when no one is handing you points?

Essay help from EduAvenues

CollegePrep is admissions support for grades 7 to 12. Planning can start before high school and continue through acceptance. We help families connect course choices, activities, summers, essays, and school lists so each next decision is clearer before senior year arrives.

See CollegePrep

Get admissions guidance by email

Join the EduAvenues newsletter. You will get a short welcome series on college admissions planning from our co-founder, Neil Kothari. Unsubscribe at any time.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA. The Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Common Questions

How many supplemental essays does Tufts University require for 2026-27?

All first-year applicants answer 1 common prompt. Depending on how or where you apply, you may also have prompts for: School of Arts and Sciences applicants; School of Engineering applicants; Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) program applicants; Combined Degree (BFA+BA/BS) program applicants. This page lists 5 prompts in all, including choices and optional prompts.

What are the word limits for Tufts's supplemental essays?

75 to 150 words, 100 to 200 words. Each prompt above shows its own limit as the college states it.

Which application does Tufts University use?

Common App or Coalition.

Where are these prompts from?

We copied them word for word from Tufts Admissions: Short Answer Questions and last checked on September 26, 2026. The prompts inside your application portal are the final word.

Sources, last checked September 26, 2026

Prompts for other colleges

Search every prompt by type