Prospective students should submit transcripts detailing all course work from high school and college. As of 2010, according to the College Board, Tufts requires prospective engineering, science and mathematics majors to complete four units of mathematics and two units of a laboratory science in high school but recommends that all applicants complete four units each of English, a foreign language, history, science and mathematics in high school. Tufts does accept students who hold a Graduation Equivalency Degree (GED).
All students must complete the Common Application. This application seeks such information from applicants as grade point average, class rank, honors achieved and level of involvement in extracurricular activities.
Tufts also requires a brief Supplement Application, in which the university inquires about prospective students' family connections to the university, their areas of academic interest and how they came to be interested in attending Tufts. As of 2010, the Supplement Application includes directions for completing a personal statement (50 to 100 words) and two short answer questions (200 to 250 words each). Transfer students should also submit a statement detailing why they wish to transfer to Tufts.
Students must take either SAT Reasoning Test and two Subject Tests (Tufts requires engineering majors to take Math level I or II and Physics or Chemistry) or ACT with Writing. The College Board reports that median scores for applicants accepted as first-year students ranged from 680 to 760 for SAT subtests and 31 to 33 for the ACT Composite. Students whose primary language is not English and whose secondary schools did not provide instruction in English also need to submit scores of at least 250 for the computer-based version of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or scores of 100 or better on the Internet-based version of the test.
For first-year students, both a teacher and a guidance counselor must complete letters of recommendation. Transfer students must submit a letter of recommendation from a college dean at the current institution, along with a statement of good standing from all prior colleges.
In 2010, Tufts requires payment of a $70 application fee. In lieu of this fee, students may submit the College Board Request for Waiver of the Application Fee or a written request from a school official attesting to financial hardship.