What does Tufts look for in a transfer applicant?

Colleges & Universities A-Z Tufts University
1

<p>I'm not sure if this is the right place to post this but I am interested in transferring to Tufts in the Fall of 2010 and was wondering what they look for in a transfer applicant. I plan on majoring in International Relations and Art History. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!</p>

<p>Some background on myself: </p>

<p>I am currently a freshman at a selective liberal arts school in PA. </p>

<p>I am looking to transfer because although I like my school I do not feel as though their international relations program and especially their art history program is strong enough. </p>

<p>I really like Tufts and feel that it is the perfect school for me. </p>

<p>Art History is my # 1 passion. I absolutely adore it. I also adore International Politics and will be involved in my schools MUN next fall. My current academic adviser is a former ambassador to the UN. He would write me a great recommendation. </p>

<p>I did really poor my first semester due to extenuating circumstances but I am working really hard and should achieve a decent GPA this semester.</p>

<p>My fall semester classes were:</p>

<p>1) CIE, BE 100, FRENCH 251 (Intro to French Lit Course), Lifeguarding and Comparative Politics (POL 242). I withdrew from CIE, Lifeguarding and failed BE 100 which I know is absolutely horrible but I went through a lot my first semester and have proof of extenuating circumstance. </p>

<p>My Spring Semester Grades So Far:</p>

<p>1) CIE 200 - B (should be able to bring up to an A/A-) I am taking this course with a really challenging professor, although, not that really matters. </p>

<p>2) FRENCH 345 (Special Topics) -- (B-) this is a french class that was originally only open to Juniors and Seniors. (I am one of the few freshman to take a 300 class their freshman year in the history of my school without being a native speaker) It is one of the highest level french classes offered. I should end up with at least a "B" and would be able to get a good recommendation. This should also combat the fact that I got a (D) in my french 251 class, although, I know it won't completely make up for it. </p>

<p>3) Art History (ART HIST 160) - (A). I absolutely love this class and my professor really likes me, I should be able to end up with an A+. I am currently working with my professor on developing a level 300 art history class to be offered in the fall on the role of women in art/female artists. She would write an excellent and personal recommendation as well. </p>

<p>4) Political Philosophy (POL 237) - (B-) I should be able to bring this up to a B+. This class is really challenging but I really enjoy it and it has really challenged me positively in many ways. </p>

<p>5) Art of Negotiation (POL 299) - (A-). This is taught by my adviser and I am doing well in the course and this would play an important factor in letter of recommendation from him. </p>

<p>If I end up with the grades that i think I will my cumulative GPA for my first semester of freshman year would be: around a 2.8-3.0 which I know probably isn't high enough for Tufts but my grades do not reflect my intellect and capability.
Basically I really want to transfer to Tufts and any advice would be greatly appreciated!!!</p>

2

<p>I’m not sure if this is the right place to post this but I am interested in transferring to Tufts in the Fall of 2010 and was wondering what they look for in a transfer applicant. I plan on majoring in International Relations and Art History. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!</p>

<p>Some background on myself: </p>

<p>I am currently a freshman at a selective liberal arts school in PA. </p>

<p>I am looking to transfer because although I like my school I do not feel as though their international relations program and especially their art history program is strong enough. </p>

<p>I really like Tufts and feel that it is the perfect school for me. </p>

<p>Art History is my # 1 passion. I absolutely adore it and I want to spend the rest of my life in the political world as well as the art world. I also adore International Politics and will be involved in my schools MUN next fall. My current academic adviser is a former ambassador to the UN and would write me a great recommendation. </p>

<p>I did really poor my first semester due to extenuating circumstances but I am working really hard and should achieve a decent GPA this semester.</p>

<p>My fall semester classes were:</p>

<p>1) CIE, BE 100, FRENCH 251 (Intro to French Lit Course), Lifeguarding and Comparative Politics (POL 242). I withdrew from CIE, Lifeguarding and failed BE 100 which I know is absolutely horrible but I went through a lot my first semester and have proof of extenuating circumstance. </p>

<p>My Spring Semester Grades So Far:</p>

<p>1) CIE 200 - B (should be able to bring up to an A/A-) I am taking this course with a really challenging professor, although, not that really matters. </p>

<p>2) FRENCH 345 (Special Topics) – (B-) this is a french class that was originally only open to Juniors and Seniors. (I am one of the few freshman to take a 300 class their freshman year in the history of my school without being a native speaker) It is one of the highest level french classes offered. I should end up with at least a “B” and would be able to get a good recommendation. This should also combat the fact that I got a (D) in my french 251 class, although, I know it won’t completely make up for it. </p>

<p>3) Art History (ART HIST 160) - (A). I absolutely love this class and my professor really likes me, I should be able to end up with an A+. I am currently working with my professor on developing a level 300 art history class to be offered in the fall on the role of women in art/female artists. She would write an excellent and personal recommendation as well. </p>

<p>4) Political Philosophy (POL 237) - (B-) I should be able to bring this up to a B+. This class is really challenging but I really enjoy it and it has really challenged me positively in many ways. </p>

<p>5) Art of Negotiation (POL 299) - (A-). This is taught by my adviser and I am doing well in the course and this would play an important factor in letter of recommendation from him. </p>

<p>If I end up with the grades that i think I will my cumulative GPA for my first semester of freshman year would be: around a 2.8-3.0 which I know probably isn’t high enough for Tufts but my grades do not reflect my intellect and capability. </p>

<p>My high school stats were:</p>

<ul>
<li><p>Rigorous and well-respected small all-girls Catholic school in NYC </p></li>
<li><p>2.7 GPA - low because I didn’t apply myself and I did poorly in math and chem. </p></li>
<li><p>1710 on SATS (630/500/590) – I might re-take my SATs because I scored much higher on my practice SAT exams (730/530/690 – average of the five pratice tests I took with PR course) which make my SAT score 1950. </p></li>
<li><p>SAT II U.S. History = 680, SAT II World History = 660. </p></li>
<li><p>4’s on AP Euro and AP U.S. History - could have taken AP French Lang + Lit but took a one-on-one seminar in French Existentialism and Jean-Paul Sartre instead my senior year. </p></li>
<li><p>I had excellent letters of recs in high school that showed all the sides of me as a student. One from my French Professor (who showed my art history side because I studied french culture during WWII in depth with her including specializing in art and literature). She also wrote that I had a special understanding of people (intuition, etc.) I know this because she let me read my rec after I got accepted to my schools. My AP U.S. history teacher whom I had Freshman year as well, who wrote about my growth as a student and what a good writer I was and how I proposed a theory about the south and slavery that had not been mentioned in the textbook and provided a good case for it. My guidance counselor wrote that I needed to be challenged and that I wasn’t challenged enough in high school and that I was way above all my classmates in cultural knowledge and intellect. </p></li>
<li><p>Captain of Varsity Softball (played varsity three years, JV one year), Varsity Soccer (four years) - Lettered in both softball and soccer. </p></li>
<li><p>President of French Club (4 years) member of Gaelic Society (4 years) Yearbook (I wrote and edited the majority of the articles in the yearbook - 3 years), member of Seek Club (4 years)</p></li>
<li><p>I was top in my class in French my Junior and Senior year of High School - received awards for it. </p></li>
<li><p>I was top of my class in History my sophomore year and was second in AP U.S. History my junior year. </p></li>
<li><p>I took one of the most rigorous courseloads out of everyone in my senior class with the exception of math and science but I made up for it with taking the equivalent of 7 years of language. (5 french, 2 latin) </p></li>
</ul>

<p>I worked as a camp counselor and lifeguard in during my sophomore-summer before freshman year. I am also working as a camp counselor this summer. </p>

<p>I was an assistant youth softball coach my junior and senior year of high school. </p>

<ul>
<li>I didn’t apply myself in high school - low grades = not doing homework. Low GPA = bad grades in math and chem. </li>
</ul>

<p>Basically I really want to transfer to Tufts and any advice would be greatly appreciated!!!</p>