Tufts Admissions: The SAT, ACT Scores and GPA You Need to Get In

Tufts Admissions. What are the Tufts SAT scores and Tufts ACT scores? Read on to learn all about how to get into Tufts.

How to Get Into Tufts: An Introduction

If you graduate from Tufts, you’ll be in good company. This school is elite in many of the best senses of the word. Among its graduates, Tufts boasts Nobel prize winners, famed actors, actresses, and musicians, CEOs, political leaders and more. (See the Wikipedia article on Tufts-affiliated celebrities; it really is impressive!)

These great people recognized that Tufts is a school worth attending; you recognize this to. But how to get into Tufts? Below are the basic stats.

Tufts SAT Scores

Tufts ACT Scores

Other Important Tufts Admissions Statistics

Those are the basics. But what do the numbers and facts above really mean? In the sections below, we’ll take a closer look at Tufts Admissions. We will further examine Tufts SAT scores, Tufts ACT scores, Tufts GPA, the acceptance rate for Tufts, and all other ins and outs of how to get into Tufts.

Tufts SAT Scores

As indicated on the official Tufts Admissions website, Tufts University has separate expectations for the two halves of the SAT: the EBRW portion, consisting of the SAT Reading and SAT Writing & Language sections, and the Math portion consisting of two SAT math sections (with calculator and without). And as you saw in the introductory stats in this post, the standards Tufts has for SAT EBRW and SAT Math are a bit different.

Specifically, Tufts SAT scores don’t need to be quite as high for the “verbal” portion of the exam. For the multiple choice Reading and Writing/Language assessment, you can have a composite score as low as 690, and if you are above a 760, your performance is on par with the top 25% of accepted Tufts students. Compare that to SAT Math, where you need to have a score of at least 730 to score in the middle 50%, and you are still in the middle 50% if you score a 790. To get into the top 25% for SAT Math, you need to have a perfect or near-perfect SAT score.

This is good news for anyone who is more of a math person than an English person. At the same time, if math is something you’re a little less comfortable with, be prepared to “up your game” if you’re submitting SAT scores to Tufts Admissions.

Tufts ACT Scores

So how about those Tufts ACT scores? What do the ACT requirements say about how to get into Tufts? Well, interestingly, Tufts Admissions does not treat ACT “verbal” and ACT math as two separate admissions criteria.

This may be in part because the ACT is not clearly divisible into a language arts half and a math half. While two of the four sections relate to reading and writing (ACT English and ACT Reading), there is only one ACT Math section. And the ACT Science section is neither clearly language arts nor clearly math; instead this unique section tests both reading comprehension and math skills in its own way.

So with Tufts ACT scores, applicants have more flexibility to be either stronger in math or stronger in language arts. At the same time, you’ll need to excel reasonably well in every section. Remember that getting a high ACT composite score is an important aspect of how to get into Tufts. Since the minimum score in the middle 50% is a 32, your lowest section scores should still be in the high 20s. And ideally, you should get a 30 or higher on each section of the ACT.

Tufts Acceptance Rate

In recent academic years, Tufts’ acceptance rate has fluctuated minimally, hovering between 14% and 16%. This acceptance rate may seem intimidating.

However, it can be helpful–and interesting–to put Tufts’ acceptance rate (recorded as 14.4% in 2018) in context compared to other top schools. This, admittedly, is only about half the acceptance rate of top ranked public universities such as UNC-Chapel Hill (30% acceptance) and is roughly a third of other high-ranking public schools such as University of Minnesota (44%).

But Tufts is not a high rankling public university. It’s an elite private school. And by those standards, Tufts Admissions is relatively accepting. Compare Tufts’ acceptance rate of 14.4% to those of Stanford (5%), Harvard (6%), or Princeton (7%), and you’ll see that Tufts offers an Ivy-like elite education with double-to-triple the chances of getting accepted.

Tufts GPA: What does grade point average mean to Tufts Admissions?

Tufts is clearly a top school with high admissions standards. So why are there no strict GPA standards? And what does the lack of exact GPA requirements say about how to get into Tufts?

One reason that Tufts GPA requirements are not precise in the same way as Tufts SAT scores to Tufts ACT scores is that GPA scoring methods vary. High schools do not all have a uniform way of calculating GPA, and Tufts takes these different methods into account. In fact, Tufts actively, carefully researches the method by which your high school GPA was calculated. According to Sayaka Smith, a Tufts Admissions officer and blogger, when necessary, Tufts will even contact high schools to ask them about how they calculate GPAs, when necessary.

Tufts also recognizes that some classes are simply more difficult than others, and that a high GPA in an easy class may actually have less value than a more “middling” GPA in a hard class. With that said, don’t assume that high scores from easier classes are worthless. And don’t assume that a low GPA in a harder class will always be acceptable.

Instead, know that Tufts will weigh these factors carefully. According to the “Dispelling Myths” page of the Tufts Admissions website, Tufts will read your transcripts very carefully, weighing the exact significance of your total GPA and your GPA in certain types of classes.

This brings me to another important aspect of how to get into Tufts. Make sure you are carefully tracking and examining your own GPA as you finish your high school coursework. Here, Magoosh can help, with our handy GPA calculator tool.

How to Get Into Tufts: The Tufts Freshman Profile

So far, we’ve discussed the finer details of Tufts Admissions basics. We’ve looked at Tufts SAT scores, Tufts ACT scores, and things like the acceptance rate and GPA scores. Now let’s look at a more subtle aspect of how to get into Tufts: the Tufts freshman profile.

Before we get started, bear in mind that the freshman profile at Tufts does not indicate any “hard and fast” rules for how to get into Tufts. However, it does present a picture of what a typical incoming freshman class looks like. If you fit somewhere into that picture, you may be more likely to get accepted into Tufts. This picture also gives you an idea of how you might fit in once you get accepted and start classes.

A few kinds of studies are particular popular among Tufts students. The vast majority of students enroll either in Arts and Sciences or Engineering fields.

First generation college students–students whose parents/grandparents, etc. did not attend college–are relatively common. In the Fall 2019 freshman class (graduating class of 2023), 10% of enrolled students were first generation university attendees. Similarly, Tufts has a high number of students from middle class and lower income households, when compared to other elite private schools. 40% of the incoming 2018 freshman class was eligible for needs-based financial aid. All of this indicates that Tufts is a good school with respect to social mobility, providing elite educational opportunities to people from all economic backgrounds.

Tufts also has a vibrant international student community, with 12.5% of its students holding foreign citizenship. So if you are coming to Tufts from overseas, you will likely find fellow expatriates to share your international study experience with.

How to Get Into Tufts: Other Tufts Admissions Requirement and Info

So… Tufts SAT scores, Tufts ACT scores, Tufts acceptance rate, Tufts GPA, and the Tufts freshman profile…. Is there anything else we still need to cover? Oh yes–what about Tufts Admissions essays? And is a reference letter an important part of how to get into Tufts?

Regarding both application essays and reference letters, Tufts Admissions uses the Common App, a system shared by many universities. In the Common App application process, students must write an application essay and submit letters of recommendation. (Tufts Admissions also accepts applications from a few other systems that have the same requirements as the Common App; see the Tufts Admissions Application Options page for more info.)

These essay and reference requirements can seem intimidating at first. That’s why Magoosh has written articles to help demystify writing the essay and getting references. See Magoosh’s guide to writing the Common App essay, and our tips on how to get the right admissions references from the right people.

But wait, there’s more! In addition to the Common App, Tufts asks students to send in certain supplemental application materials.

Mike M. from Transizion (full article in link) has this advice to give about Tuft’s supplemental application:

How to Get Into Tufts: FAQs

And finally, here are a few more questions that students often have about Tufts Admissions (with answers, of course!).

Is Tufts University SAT optional?

Yes! As you may have guessed, Tufts freshman applicants may take either the ACT or SAT.

Does Tufts University require SAT 2?

Tufts does not require any of the SAT 2 exams, also known as the SAT subject tests. In fact, Tufts Admissions goes so far as to say that even if you do submit SAT 2 scores, those scores will have no bearing on your chances of admission (source).

Tufts actually did require SAT subject tests until recently, so you will still see many third party websites that say the tests are required. But don’t worry– they’re not! (For details on the change to Tufts’ policy, see this Inside Higher Ed article.)

Is Tufts an Ivy League?

“Ivy League” officially refers to a specific Division I sports league conference, consisting of the teams from a small coalition of East Coast private universities (official website). However, Tufts is an elite, high-ranking institution that offers quality education, comparable to Ivy League schools.

Does Tufts University “superscore” ACT and SAT?

Yes! To quote Tufts Admissions (source):

It is Tufts’ longstanding admissions policy to use a student’s highest score for each section of the SAT or the ACT regardless of the test date.

For more information, see Magoosh’s article on score choice and superscore.

What is the Tufts acceptance rate early decision applicants?

Like many universities, Tufts allows for “early decision” applications, in which students can both apply well before the application date, and get an early decision. Tufts does not publish its acceptance rate for early decision applicants, but Tufts Admissions officer Meghan McHale Dangremond has written an article about early admissions and how it may impact your chances of acceptance.

What is the Tufts University ranking?

According to US News and World Report, Tufts University is ranked at #27 for best national universities in the United States.

What is the Tufts transfer GPA

Tufts, as I mentioned earlier, has no hard and fast requirements for GPA. However, when it comes to how to get into Tufts, transfer applicants are more likely to be accepted if they have a GPA of at least 3.0 from their current university.

What is Tufts tuition?

Current Tufts tuition rates can be found on the official Tufts tuition and fees website. Bear in mind that these are the schooling costs before scholarship and aid is applied.

How to Get Into Tufts: Conclusion

To be sure, Tufts is quite elite, with an impressive list of famous, accomplished graduates. But, as you’ve learned in this article, Tufts also strives to be inclusive and student friendly. If you are looking for an undergrad experience that is open yet elite, prestigious yet accessible, follow the advice above on how to get into Tufts.

And if you’re applying to other schools too, or perhaps haven’t completely decided which schools to apply to, you can still start aiming for test scores that are good for multiple schools. For a winning test score at Tufts or any school, consult the following two articles and study with Magoosh! (we have a score guarantee for both the ACT and the SAT):

SAT Score Range: What’s a good SAT Score for Colleges?

ACT Score Range: What’s a Good ACT Score?

And be sure to consider a Magoosh SAT subscription or Magoosh ACT subscription as you aim for that perfect score. 🙂