Tufts sees applicants for undergraduate Class of 2022 from all fifty states and 132 countries
A record 21,501 students applied to the Schools of Arts and Sciences and Engineering this year, a 2 percent increase over last year, according to figures released by the Office of Undergraduate Admissions.
Karen Richardson, dean of undergraduate admissions and enrollment management, said the admissions office staff is busy reviewing applications for the Class of 2022, which she expects to total 1,435 undergraduates, close to last year’s 1,414.
Richardson attributes the upward trajectory in applications to the positive vibe about the university that the admissions team hears from high school seniors as they travel around the world.
In general, she said, they are attracted to Tufts’ academic reputation, but also to its student-centered characteristics, including small classes and ample opportunities for research, study abroad options, entrepreneurial ventures, and public service. The university’s commitment to inclusion and support, including to meeting the needs of outstanding students with financial aid, also creates a distinctive and diverse community, she said.
“Tufts resonates with a lot of students,” Richardson said. “High school can be a high-pressure place, but what we hear is that they’re looking for a college or university where they can explore their interests and be part of a community of other students who are excited to do the same.”
A continued strong number of early decision applicants indicates Tufts place as a “first-choice” school, Richardson said. Overall, Tufts received 2,249 early decision applications, just shy of last year’s record 2,310, but still an 8.6 percent increase over applications from two years ago. Richardson expects that at least half of the Class of 2022 will come from the early decision applicant pools.
Tufts received 3,685 applications from international students, some 17 percent of the total, and on par with last year’s numbers. The most international applications continue to come from China. Overall, the university received applications from students in 132 countries outside the United States; new countries to the Tufts application pool include Barbados, Belize, and Guyana. Admissions also saw a “significant increase” in applications from Brazil, Costa Rica, and Egypt, said Richardson.
All 50 states are represented, with the most applications coming from Massachusetts, New York, and California.
Applications to both the School of Arts and Sciences and the School of Engineering set new records: 4,074 for engineering, up from 4046 last year, and 16,936 in Arts and Sciences, up from 16,810.
In addition, Tufts received 263 applications to the Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) degree program offered through the School of the Museum of Fine Arts (SMFA) at Tufts, up from 201 last year, and 228 applications to the five-year B.A./B.F.A. combined degree program.
Acceptance decisions for students who applied during the second round of early decision will be emailed in mid-February. Students who applied regular decision will learn how they fared by April 1. Last year the university accepted just 14.8 percent of 21,101 applicants.
Laura Ferguson can be reached at laura.ferguson@tufts.edu.
