Tufts University is now a full-fledged member of the single-digit club—school’s that reject more than 9 of every 10 individuals who apply. While the Tufts transfer acceptance rate is often similar to the freshman figure, they have accepted as many as almost 300 applicants in recent cycles. In other words, gaining acceptance as a transfer student to this school is highly challenging, but not a one-in-a-million shot either. This blog will share the Tufts transfer acceptance rate as well as other essential pieces of information like the Tufts transfer deadline, the requirements/checklist for applicants, the Tufts University transfer decision date, and much more.

Tufts Transfer Acceptance Rate

Below we present the most current available Tufts transfer acceptance rate as well as historical data.

In the fall of 2021, there were 1,237 transfer applicants and 90 individuals were accepted. This means that the Tufts transfer acceptance rate is 7.3%. Broken down by gender, the acceptance rates are as follows:

  • Male transfer applicants: 6.6%
  • Female transfer applicants: 7.8%

When trying to get the complete picture of how difficult it is to transfer into a given school, it is important to also look at historical data. Some colleges have wild fluctuations in transfer acceptance rate from year to year. As you can see, this is very much the case at Tufts where acceptance rates have varied from 7% to 28% in recent years.

Historical transfer rates are as follows:

Year Acceptance Rate
2020 28.0%
2019 18.9%
2018 14.5%
2017 9.6%

Tufts Transfer Deadline

The Tufts transfer deadline for fall applicants is March 15. They do not allow for spring transfers.

Tufts Transfer Requirements

The Tufts transfer requirements are as follows:

  • Completed Common App for Transfer
  • Final high school transcript
  • Official college transcripts
  • Transfer mid-term report
  • Brief description of college courses (can be from catalog pasted directly into MS Word)
  • SAT or ACT scores (optional through 2026)
  • College Report
  • One letter of recommendation

Students who have the best chance to gain admission to Tufts have done the following:

  • In the process of completing at least full college semesters.
  • Earned exceptional grades in their first year at a community college or 4-year university.
  • Pursued relevant coursework for their academic major. For engineering, follow these guidelines.

Tufts Transfer GPA

Straight from the Tufts admissions staff, admitted students typically have a GPA of 3.0 to a 4.0. In our experience, Tufts transfer hopefuls should aim for a 3.75 or above to have the strongest chance possible. Additionally, “Your performance in high school and college in conjunction with your standardized testing will be evaluated to see your potential success at Tufts.”

Tufts Transfer Writing Supplement

All transfer applicants must write an essay that addresses the following: “Please provide a statement that addresses your reasons for transferring and the objectives you hope to achieve.”

Transfer Decision Date

The Tufts transfer decision date for fall decisions is in Mid-May.

Final Thoughts – Tufts University Transfer Acceptance Rate

Prospective transfers must commit to join either the School of Arts and Sciences, the School of Engineering, or a BFA program. There are no interviews available for transfer applicants.

If you are 100% committed to leaving your current college, you’ll want to apply to other schools in addition to Tufts University. Even if you have a 4.0, admission into Tufts is far from a guarantee, so you’ll want to create a balanced list of institutions that include safety schools.

If you are looking for information on how to apply to Tufts as a first-year student, you may find the following blogs to be of interest:

Those searching for application info on other institutions may wish to visit our Dataverse pages/blogs:

 

Dave has over a decade of professional experience that includes work as a teacher, high school administrator, college professor, and independent educational consultant. He is a co-author of the books The Enlightened College Applicant (Rowman & Littlefield, 2016) and Colleges Worth Your Money (Rowman & Littlefield, 2020).