2025-2026 Tufts

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wysdoc

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2025-2026 Tufts Secondary Essay Prompts: (same as last year) (1000 character limit each)

1. Do you wish to share a specific reason why have you chosen to apply to Tufts University School of Medicine? (Yes/No)

2. Please briefly describe your plans for the coming year. Will you be a student, working, conducting research, volunteering, or other activities?

3. Please tell us about your journey to medical school and how your background and experiences will positively impact your future as a medical student and physician. If you have experienced personal circumstances or hardships that have helped you develop qualities that you believe will allow you to better serve your future patients and the medical community as a whole, please share those experiences in your response.

4. Which of your experiences with clinical medicine or healthcare has best prepared you for a future career as a physician, and why? Please tell us about the specific experience, the skills you acquired, and the insights you gained about the profession of medicine.

5. Tufts University School of Medicine is committed to social responsibility, and to serve and advocate for all people. Have you done substantial work or service that has contributed to societal good, or addressed social determinants of health, health equity, or social justice? (Yes/No)

6. Do you have any withdrawals or repeated coursework listed on your transcript(s). (Yes/No)

7. Did you take any leaves of absence or significant breaks from your undergraduate education? (Do not include time off after graduation.) (Yes/No)

8. Because your academics will not be shared with interviewers until after you complete your interview, we encourage you to use this space to elaborate on any academic challenges you have overcome. We understand that many applicants encounter academic hardships along the way. Please comment on any academic difficulties that you have encountered since completing high school (grades and MCAT scores). We believe that such difficulties offer an opportunity for growth and would appreciate learning how your experiences have affected your approach to academics. If you have not encountered any difficulties, you may answer 'No.'

9. Have you ever been convicted of, or pleaded guilty or no contest to, a Misdemeanor crime, excluding 1) any offense for which you were adjudicated as a juvenile 2) any convictions which have been expunged or sealed by a court, or 3) any misdemeanor convictions for which any probation has been completed and the case dismissed by the court (in states where applicable)? (Yes/No)

10. Have you been a participant in any of the following programs? (a list of programs is provided) (If so, please indicate the dates of your participation.)

11. Do you wish to include any additional comments (beyond those already provided in your application) to the Admissions Committee at Tufts University School of Medicine? (Yes/No)


Good luck to all applying!

Interview Feedback:
 
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Secondary received today. Questions are the same as last year:

1000 characters each

1. Do you wish to share a specific reason why have you chosen to apply to Tufts University School of Medicine? (Yes/No)
2. Please briefly describe your plans for the coming year. Will you be a student, working, conducting research, volunteering, or other activities?
3. Please tell us about your journey to medical school and how your background and experiences will positively impact your future as a medical student and physician. If you have experienced personal circumstances or hardships that have helped you develop qualities that you believe will allow you to better serve your future patients and the medical community as a whole, please share those experiences in your response.
4. Which of your experiences with clinical medicine or healthcare has best prepared you for a future career as a physician, and why? Please tell us about the specific experience, the skills you acquired, and the insights you gained about the profession of medicine.
5. Tufts University School of Medicine is committed to social responsibility, and to serve and advocate for all people. Have you done substantial work or service that has contributed to societal good, or addressed social determinants of health, health equity, or social justice? (Yes/No)
6. Do you have any withdrawals or repeated coursework listed on your transcript(s). (Yes/No)
7. Did you take any leaves of absence or significant breaks from your undergraduate education? (Do not include time off after graduation.) (Yes/No)
8. Because your academics will not be shared with interviewers until after you complete your interview, we encourage you to use this space to elaborate on any academic challenges you have overcome. We understand that many applicants encounter academic hardships along the way. Please comment on any academic difficulties that you have encountered since completing high school (grades and MCAT scores). We believe that such difficulties offer an opportunity for growth and would appreciate learning how your experiences have affected your approach to academics. If you have not encountered any difficulties, you may answer 'No.'
9. Have you ever been convicted of, or pleaded guilty or no contest to, a Misdemeanor crime, excluding 1) any offense for which you were adjudicated as a juvenile 2) any convictions which have been expunged or sealed by a court, or 3) any misdemeanor convictions for which any probation has been completed and the case dismissed by the court (in states where applicable)? (Yes/No)
10. Have you been a participant in any of the following programs? (If so, please indicate the dates of your participation.)
11. Do you wish to include any additional comments (beyond those already provided in your application) to the Admissions Committee at Tufts University School of Medicine? (Yes/No)

@wysdoc
 
Still waiting on mine!
 
Secondary received today. Questions are the same as last year:

1000 characters each

1. Do you wish to share a specific reason why have you chosen to apply to Tufts University School of Medicine? (Yes/No)
2. Please briefly describe your plans for the coming year. Will you be a student, working, conducting research, volunteering, or other activities?
3. Please tell us about your journey to medical school and how your background and experiences will positively impact your future as a medical student and physician. If you have experienced personal circumstances or hardships that have helped you develop qualities that you believe will allow you to better serve your future patients and the medical community as a whole, please share those experiences in your response.
4. Which of your experiences with clinical medicine or healthcare has best prepared you for a future career as a physician, and why? Please tell us about the specific experience, the skills you acquired, and the insights you gained about the profession of medicine.
5. Tufts University School of Medicine is committed to social responsibility, and to serve and advocate for all people. Have you done substantial work or service that has contributed to societal good, or addressed social determinants of health, health equity, or social justice? (Yes/No)
6. Do you have any withdrawals or repeated coursework listed on your transcript(s). (Yes/No)
7. Did you take any leaves of absence or significant breaks from your undergraduate education? (Do not include time off after graduation.) (Yes/No)
8. Because your academics will not be shared with interviewers until after you complete your interview, we encourage you to use this space to elaborate on any academic challenges you have overcome. We understand that many applicants encounter academic hardships along the way. Please comment on any academic difficulties that you have encountered since completing high school (grades and MCAT scores). We believe that such difficulties offer an opportunity for growth and would appreciate learning how your experiences have affected your approach to academics. If you have not encountered any difficulties, you may answer 'No.'
9. Have you ever been convicted of, or pleaded guilty or no contest to, a Misdemeanor crime, excluding 1) any offense for which you were adjudicated as a juvenile 2) any convictions which have been expunged or sealed by a court, or 3) any misdemeanor convictions for which any probation has been completed and the case dismissed by the court (in states where applicable)? (Yes/No)
10. Have you been a participant in any of the following programs? (If so, please indicate the dates of your participation.)
11. Do you wish to include any additional comments (beyond those already provided in your application) to the Admissions Committee at Tufts University School of Medicine? (Yes/No)

@wysdoc
thank you for this, what programs is question 10 referring to?
 
thank you for this, what programs is question 10 referring to?
Tuft's specific postbac and enrichment programs! Just check boxes and ability to put in dates if selected for that one.

My primary was verified a few hours after receiving this secondary. Interesting that it was sent before verification!
 
+1 OOS, primary prob won't be verified until like July 12 so i'm very confused lol
 
+1 OOS, primary also not verified. MD-PhD secondaries below:
1) I am interested in the MDPhD program in (can select multiple):
Clinical and Translational Science (CTS)
Genetics, Molecular and Cellular Biology (GMCB)
Immunology
Molecular Microbiology
Neuroscience
Undecided

2) Describe your research interests. If the research of a Tufts faculty member is of particular interest to you, identify the faculty member and describe your interest in his/her work. (3000 characters or less)

3.) If you have already completed your bachelor's degree, list in resume format your full-time activities since graduation. If you have not yet graduated, please list any activities or work experiences that you feel are relevant to your interest in our MD/PhD program. (3000 characters or less)

@wysdoc
 
When it asks you to reenter your coursework for the prereq section, does it just expect us to list the courses and course numbers or explain what we did in each class?
 
I haven't received their secondaries yet (I was verified on June 18). Should I be concerned?
 
Maybe it has to do with participation in one of the programs in question #10.
 
+1 OOS received, same as everyone else primary has not been verified yet
 
Should we wait until our primaries are verified to sign up/complete the secondary? I'm worried that it will get messed up somehow if I try to do it before my stuff is actually sent to schools.
 
+1 OOS Secondary received; primary verified.

Also, could any current med students in the Maine program share their experience?
 
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+1 OOS Secondary received. primary verified.

Does Tufts screen for secondaries?
I don't think so, their website says "When we receive your initial AMCAS application, we will send you an email inviting you to submit an online secondary application to Tufts."
 
I just got my secondary, OOS (California Resident)
 
could someone help me figure out if i should answer the academic challenges question? my mcat is a 508, so not totally horrible but definitely under their average and under their 10th percentile. i wasn't able to dedicate as much time to studying as i had hoped, since i started a full time job at the same time. should i talk about this, or just leave it?
 
could someone help me figure out if i should answer the academic challenges question? my mcat is a 508, so not totally horrible but definitely under their average and under their 10th percentile. i wasn't able to dedicate as much time to studying as i had hoped, since i started a full time job at the same time. should i talk about this, or just leave it?
I would not mention it. It speaks for itself and it's a good score! that being said, I wouldn't try to excuse anything or explain
 
For the pre-requisites part, I'm assuming we list a few courses that fill each specific section, not all the courses that fill it. Or do we put in every course that applies to each section?
 
For the pre-requisites part, I'm assuming we list a few courses that fill each specific section, not all the courses that fill it. Or do we put in every course that applies to each section?
From the instructions:
  • You are only required to list the specific coursework that fulfill our minimum requirements and not every course taken in that discipline. We will see your complete academic history on your AMCAS grade report.
 
From the instructions:
  • You are only required to list the specific coursework that fulfill our minimum requirements and not every course taken in that discipline. We will see your complete academic history on your AMCAS grade report.
Thank you so much for your help!
 
Is there anything Tufts is or is not looking for when it comes to the additional comments question (#11)? I was thinking about using a diversity-adjacent essay and talking about a unique experience that I wrote about for my TMDSAS personal characteristics essay if I was going to answer #11, but I don't want to answer in a way that is not wanted and ends up being a negative.

Also, for fyi purposes, I received my secondary the night of 07/04 and my primary is not verified yet.
 
Does anyone know if the "any additional comments" essay is truly optional or lowkey required. I don't feel like I have much to add besides what's listed on my primary and their questions (I'll most likely be listing experiences I already have written). I don't want to give a bad impression of just padding my application with more fluff.
 
For the academic challenges question, I'm trying to figure out if this would be a good answer: I studied abroad in Ireland for a semester and I found myself struggling quite a bit with the European education system when taking science classes. As a result I got slightly lower grades than I usually would. Could I use this example or would I need an example describing a more major setback?
 
+1 OOS secondary, not verified yet, and submitted primary on 6/19 so don't think I'm super close either 🤷‍♀️
 
For the academic challenges question, I'm trying to figure out if this would be a good answer: I studied abroad in Ireland for a semester and I found myself struggling quite a bit with the European education system when taking science classes. As a result I got slightly lower grades than I usually would. Could I use this example or would I need an example describing a more major setback?
i feel like that's a great example as long as you talk about how you grew and adapted and discuss what you learned, and if your grades went back to "normal" after you came back
 
i feel like that's a great example as long as you talk about how you grew and adapted and discuss what you learned, and if your grades went back to "normal" after you came back
I appreciate the feedback! My grades didn't change a whole lot, but came back to normal the following semester. What I want to emphasize is the process of adapting to the new system and how challenging it initially was.
 
I appreciate the feedback! My grades didn't change a whole lot, but came back to normal the following semester. What I want to emphasize is the process of adapting to the new system and how challenging it initially was.
yeah that's definitely a unique challenge to have overcome. i say go for it!
 
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