The most accurate AI grader for Tufts essays.
Kolly was built and calibrated on hundreds of thousands of essays from students who actually got into Tufts University and the rest of the T20.
Tufts essay prompts for 2026-27
Copy the prompt you are answering into the prompt field above, then paste your draft, so the readers grade the answer against the question it has to answer.
These are the most recent Tufts prompts Kolly has verified, checked . Tufts may have updated them since, so check Tufts University admissions before you submit.
Choose-Your-Own
Respond to one of three prompts: explore an aspect of your identity, discuss a time you stood up for something, or imagine a creative project you'd undertake at Tufts.
250 words max · Required
Why SMFA (SMFA applicants)
I am applying to SMFA at Tufts because…
250 words max · Required
Upbringing / Identity (Option B)
How have the environments or experiences of your upbringing – your family, home, neighborhood, or community – shaped the person you are today?
250 words max · Required
Artistic Vision (SMFA applicants)
Art has the power to disrupt our preconceptions, shape public discourse, and imagine new ways of being in the world. What are the ideas you'd like to explore in your work?
250 words max · Required
Why Tufts
I am applying to Tufts because…
250 words max · Required
Intellectual Curiosity (Option A)
It's cool to love learning. What excites your intellectual curiosity and why?
250 words max · Required
Community / Collaboration (Option C)
Using a specific example or two, tell us about a way that you contributed to building a collaborative and/or inclusive community.
250 words max · Required
Optional Additional Context
If there is something else you would like the Admissions Committee to know about you that is not reflected elsewhere in your application, please share it here. This might include a challenge you’ve faced, a skill you’ve developed, or an experience that has shaped you.
150 words max · Optional
Why Tufts
What is something you are interested in—an idea, a field of study, a hobby, a career, or a project—that you are not currently pursuing in your school or community? Using specific examples, explain why this matters to you and how you hope to explore it at Tufts.
200 words max · Required
Community
Tufts values active citizenship and community engagement. Tell us about a time you worked with others to address a need or problem in your community. What did you learn about collaboration and leadership through this experience?
250 words max · Required
Identity
Describe a moment when you felt your identity or background made you see the world differently than your peers. How did this perspective shape your actions or community engagement?
250 words max · Required
All Tufts supplemental essays, with word limits and the published source.
How Kolly grades a Tufts essay
The grade covers the same six dimensions as every Kolly read: hook, theme, detail, authenticity, reflection, and writing, each scored from 0 to 5. The big number is a percentile that shows where your draft lands among accepted essays of the same type from top US schools. Tufts readers, like their counterparts at peer schools, read fast and form an impression in the first paragraph. The verdict quotes the line that lands and names the weakest moment, so you know what to fix first.
Why Kolly instead of a ChatGPT read
ChatGPT and other general models grade against writing in general, which is not what Tufts readers do. Kolly grades against essays that got in, and four readers argue over the draft before they vote, so a polished answer that says nothing specific gets called out instead of praised. The quick read is free without an account. A free Kolly account adds the full review: a stronger scoring model, notes on each paragraph, and a fix-it plan.
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