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Enrolled Students

Your Tufts Experience 


 

Summer Fun


 

Course Information

Course Materials

The central part of your experience at Tufts will be your academic coursework. Our faculty are excited to have you join their classes! At Tufts, our students and faculty use CANVAS for syllabi, readings, project submission, and communication during the semester. Many will post syllabi and book lists prior to the start of the term. You can learn more about your class materials by checking CANVAS following the instructions below.

  • Using a Chrome, Firefox or Safari browser, go to https://canvas.tufts.edu
  • Click on "Tufts Login"
  • Enter your Tufts University username and password, then click Login
  • This displays your Canvas Dashboard, which will show a “Class Card” if you have any classes with information posted
  • Clicking on the card will display the Canvas course site for that class
  • If you have any trouble logging-in, please contact canvas@tufts.edu
TCE and Courses at Tufts for High Schoolers Students

TCE and Courses at Tufts for High Schoolers only

Some courses require textbooks, which are typically included on the syllabus posted in CANVAS or you can find most listed here. Select “Tufts University” as the Campus, along with the appropriate Term (TCE students should select "Summer Two"). You can purchase these texts at the Tufts University Bookstore or through any other bookstore (e.g., Amazon). Some textbooks may be available as reference materials at the Tisch Library, but do note copies available and library hours are limited.

Covid- 19 Polices

Please be sure to review all COVID-19 policies prior to arrival.  Details may be found at https://universitycollege.tufts.edu/covid-19.

Summer Fun at Tufts

Get To Know Our Campus

When you’re not busy with our world class academic programming, you get to fill your schedule with anything that excites you to make the most of your Summer at Tufts. Yes, there is some homework, but take a look at some of the opportunities you have for fun while you study …

Tufts Campus: Just Outside Boston

Tufts enjoys a privileged location set high on a hill overlooking downtown Boston. At just five miles northwest of the city, the Tufts campus is far enough away that it enjoys a relaxed campus environment, yet close enough that the city and all of its resources are within reach. Tufts combines the benefits of easy access to the facilities of a top-ranked university with the excitement of city life. Most of our programs offer the opportunity to explore Boston in the evening or during weekend excursions.

Nearby Davis Square

We think there is plenty to do on the Tufts campus, but in case you’re looking for a little life off campus, nearby Davis Square offers a great student-oriented experience. Somerville Theater is an economical way to catch a movie and if you’re tired of campus dining, there are several opportunities for a meal out or just a great dessert. Davis Square is about fifteen minutes walking distance from Harleston. Davis Square is also the location of the nearest subway, or “T” stop to campus. From Davis Square, it’s just one stop on the Red Line to Cambridge and after just 20 minutes you’re in the heart of Boston.

Campus Hours

Campus Hours (Academic Year)

During our academic year programs, students are only permitted to be on campus during their scheduled course or lab times, as determined by the professor or the lab with which the student is working. 

  • Attendance is mandatory; you must notify us if you are late or will miss a day for any reason
  • There is no programming on the weekends
  • We do not offer supervision for commuter students outside of scheduled course or lab times

Campus Hours (Summer)

Each weekday, for students participating in our intensive programs, you should plan to arrive to their program location by 8:45am to check-in before programming begins for the day. The exact location and schedule will be posted to their Canvas page in June. Programming will end no later than 6pm each day. When you are finished for the day, you will check out with program staff and depart campus. Please note, that on the final day of the program, there will be a Closing Ceremony. Parents and/or guardians will be invited to the Closing Ceremony. Commuting students should depart campus after this event.

Students participating in the Courses at Tufts for High Schoolers program are permitted to be on campus during the hours of their courses, workshops, labs, and recitations, and generally, between 9am and 6pm.

 

Virtual Campus Tour

Explore our campus virtually by taking our Interactive Virtual Tour 

Fitness and Wellness

As a participant in a summer program on the Tufts University campus, you will have access to the beautiful, state of the art Steve Tisch Sports and Fitness Center. The Center also has a swimming pool, cardio and weight-training equipment, racquet and basketball courts. Don’t worry, if you’re not a fan of the gym, life on Tufts’ campus (called “The Hill”) will keep you fit: you will walk between your classes, the dorm, and the dining hall throughout the day!

Enrolled Student Canvas Orientation

To get you acquainted with Tufts University and your program, we put together an Enrolled Student Orientation on Canvas. This is a new required post-enrollment form.

Once you set up your Tufts credentials, you will be added to the 
Canvas page. Please review all the pages of the Orientation, complete the short quiz at the end, and submit your proof of completion on your Status Page

All students should complete the following sections: How to Use This Site, Welcome to Tufts, Pre-Program Information, Student Policies, Important Student Resources, and End of Orientation. Depending on your modality, please complete Residential Information, Commuter Information, or Virtual Information. 


You must have Tufts credentials, in order to complete this form and the orientation. If you recently set up your account, please allow us 2 business days to add you to the Canvas page. 

You can continue to access this Canvas page throughout your program to reference any information and links. Don't forget to complete all post-enrollment forms by June 15th! You can complete your forms on your Status Page.

Residential Experience

Travel Information

As soon as your travel plans are confirmed, log into your student portal and complete the travel form. We will use this to plan for pick-up/drop-off at Boston Logan, South Station, or North Station and to ensure we know who is leaving by car. Additional information will be provided as we get closer to the summer.

Your arrival date and departure date will depend on your program, please take note of your program dates below as you read through the travel information.

Program

Arrival Day

Departure Day 

Tufts Summer Accelerator (S1)

July 9

July 21

Tufts Summer Accelerator (S2)

July 23

August 4

Adventures in Veterinary Medicine (S1) 

July 9 July 21

Adventures in Veterinary Medicine (S2)

July 23 August 4

Engineering Design Lab (S1)

July 9

July 21

Engineering Design Lab (S2)

July 23

August 4

International Relations

July 23

August 4

Marketing Essentials

July 23

August 4

Leadership for Social Change

July 9

July 21

Mini-Med School

July 9

July 21

Mini-Med School Clinical Experiences July 23 July 28

Lab Sciences: Antimicrobial Resistance

July 23

August 4

Tufts College Experience

July 3

August 11

Tufts Summer Research Experience

July 3

August 11

Studio Art at SMFA

July 9

July 28

Graphic Design Bootcamp

N/A

N/A

Entrepreneurship & Innovation

July 9

July 21

Engineering Investigations (S1)

July 9

July 21

Engineering Investigations (S2)

July 23

August 4 

Coding Academy

July 9

July 21

Climate Resilience Institute

July 23

August 4

Getting to Tufts University

For students arriving from outside a driving distance, Boston is easily accessible by plane, train, and bus. Once you have arrived at one of the three transportation hubs listed below, staff will be waiting to transport you by shuttle to Tufts University’s Medford campus, a ~20 minute drive. Parents and guardians will be provided with an on-call number during the day in case issues arrive. We are unable to accommodate any early arrivals or late departures. 

Plane: Students arriving by plane should plan to arrive to / depart from Boston’s Logan International Airport. Staff will be waiting for students either at baggage claim (for domestic flights) or outside of customs (for international flights). 

Note for Children 15 and under: Many airlines require that children traveling alone agree to travel as an “unaccompanied minor.” The age requirements for these programs vary by airline, but sometimes include children as old as 14 or 15 years at the time of travel. Please check with your airline to learn if this service is required for your child. If the service is optional for you and you are traveling on a direct flight to Boston, we discourage you from taking it, as in our experience it can be more cumbersome than valuable. If you have booked your flight as an unaccompanied minor, please note the following:

  • Please contact Residential Team using precollege@tufts.edu to alert us of unaccompanied minor status.
  • We will provide the name and contact details of the assigned staff person two weeks prior to the start of the program. If you need to provide a name at the time of booking, please contact precollege@tufts.edu.
  • The person greeting you on arrival and escorting you on departure may be different.

Train: Boston is accessible by both Amtrak and Commuter Rail trains to either South Station or North Station. Staff will be waiting for students at the entrance to their platform at either location.

Bus: Buses arrive to South Station or North Station from many points of departure. The South Station website provides a list of all bus lines that arrive at this terminal. Staff will be waiting for students at the entrance to their platform at either location.

For students within driving distance of Boston, plan to drive directly to Tufts University. We recommend that parents drop students off directly at Carmichael Hall, where they can meet our staff and check-in to their room. The best address for arrival is 200 Packard Ave, Medford, MA. If parents would like to see the student’s room and say goodbye, parking can be found in the Dowling hall Garage. Please note that high school students are not permitted to operate vehicles during the program.

Our Residential Team is here for you if you have any questions or concerns while you are traveling. You can reach us by email or phone.

Staff waiting to greet you will be wearing white staff t-shirts and will be carrying clipboards so you can recognize them at the airport or train/bus station. If you have any difficulty, again don’t hesitate to call us. For details by arrival location, please see below!

Arrival Times

The preferred arrival time on arrival day is between 9am and 5pm for airport, train or bus arrivals, and 2pm-5pm for car arrivals. Please be in touch with any questions about this prior to booking your travel.

When students arrive on campus, they will proceed directly to Carmichael Hall where staff will be waiting to check them in to their rooms. Students arriving in the window specified above will have the opportunity to unpack, meet their roommate and floor mates and their residence hall staff before heading to dinner at around 6pm. Early dinner will be followed by a Residential Orientation during which key information about the program and life on campus will be shared.

Departure Times

Programs typically end in the afternoon on the last Friday of the program. All programs will conclude by 2pm on their departure day. Parents and/or guardians will be invited to the Closing Ceremony. Commuter students will be expected to leave campus after the last event. The recommended departure time for residential students will be between 9am and 9pm on departure day for students traveling by plane, train, or bus. If a parent or guardian is attending the Closing Ceremony and departing with their student, we ask that you plan your transportation to Logan Airport, North Station, or South Station independently. Please be in touch with any questions about this prior to booking your travel.

Once travel plans are known, students will be assigned a shuttle time in advance of their departure. Students will be responsible for being at the shuttle pick-up point on time. 

Students who live locally may consider departing on Friday after the last program event. Students can be picked up at Carmichael Hall. Please note that students being picked up by car will be released only to a parent or guardian listed on the application. A note is required if an unlisted individual will be picking up the student.

Booking your Travel

As soon as your travel plans are confirmed, log into your student portal and complete the travel form. We will use this to plan for pick-up / drop-off at Boston Logan, South Station, or North Station and to ensure we know who is leaving by car. Additional information will be provided as we get closer to the summer.

We hope this information is helpful to you. We are excited to see you on campus this summer!

 

Fun on Campus

Fun on Campus

Our Residential Team is preparing a whole itinerary of fun activities for you when you’re not in class. Evening activities are optional and designed to help you relax and decompress from a day of learning. Weekend excursions depend on your program, but might include anything from a trip to downtown Boston to a Red Sox game at Fenway Park to a roller coaster ride at Six Flags New England! Don’t worry, you’ll have tons of opportunities to have fun while bonding with your new friends!

Your Home at Tufts

If you are a residential student, once you arrive on campus, you will be living in either Carmichael or Houston Hall, two of our most central dorms on campus. To get a sense of your where your summer home is on campus, click here for the map!

In Carmichael Hall and Houston Hall, you will be living in a standard air-conditioned double room. Each room has two XL twin beds, two desks, two chairs, and two built-in bureaus. If you aren’t used to a shared bathroom we recommend bringing a pair of flip flops, a bathrobe, and something to carry your toiletries back and forth from your bedroom.

Both dorms are close to most of our classrooms and the Res Quad – one of the most popular spots on campus to enjoy the Boston summer weather.

Each student will have an XL twin bed, desk, chair, and a built-in bureau. We will provide sheets, towels, blankets, and 1 pillow per bed.

Please note that you will need to complete the Residential Survey to help us make your roommate assignments. You will also need to complete the Photo ID form to make sure we can create a student ID for you to get access to the dorms, dining hall, and other facilities on campus. Please log into your online account to complete the forms.

Dining

Residential program fees include three meals per day and brunch / dinner on Sundays at the Dewick-MacPhie Dining Hall on the Medford/Somerville campus, conveniently located a few minutes from student housing. Dewick-MacPhie provides a wide variety of menu choices, including vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and an organic salad bar.

The Dewick-MacPhie Dining hall hours are the following: 

  • Monday-Saturday
    • Breakfast 7a-9a, Lunch 11a – 2p, and Dinner 5p-8p
  • Sunday
    • Brunch 11a-2p and Dinner 5p-8p 

Dewick-MacPhie provides a wide variety of menu choices, including vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and an organic salad bar. All meals on the Boston Fine Arts (SMFA), Boston Health Sciences, or Grafton campuses will be provided through boxed lunches or by Tufts staff. Tufts staff will also provide meals for program related activities taking place off-campus. Be on the lookout in May for a survey to select your boxed lunch preferences! 

Do you have a serious food allergy? The specially trained culinary staff at Dewick will make you hot meals, to go if requested, using dedicated equipment and utensils. Tufts dining is able to accommodate most dietary restrictions and preferences. If you would like to coordinate an Alternative Meal Plan with our Nutrition Specialist, please reach out to the Pre-College Program team at precollege@tufts.edu to be connected. 

Roommate Information

Please fill out your Residential Survey as soon as possible! This information is important as we use it to match roommates. We match students by program, age, gender, and preferences. If you have a roommate in mind, please include this on your Residential Survey, and we will do our best to match you! If you have medical accommodation and would prefer a single, please include this on your survey too. This survey is located on your Student Status page. We will share roommate information with you a week before the program starts. 

Packing Information

Please review the Packing List to learn more about what you will need for your Tufts Pre College Program experience. Linens (towels, sheets, blankets, pillows) will be provided to all residential students. 

Each residence hall has a laundry room that students can use at their discretion. We will supply detergent for the laundry. Students can pay for laundry using JumboCash. Each cycle costs $1.50.  

Commuter Experience

Travel Information

As soon as you know how you are planning on commuting to campus, log into your student portal and complete the travel form. We will use this to ensure we know how you will be getting to campus.

Your arrival date and departure date will depend on your program, please take note of your program dates below as you read through the travel information.

Program Arrival Day Departure Day
Tufts Summer Accelerator (S1) July 10 July 21
Tufts Summer Accelerator (S2) July 24 August 4
Engineering Design Lab (S1) July 10 July 21
Engineering Design Lab (S2) July 24 August 4
Adventures in Veterinary Medicine (S1) July 10 July 21
Adventures in Veterinary Medicine (S2) July 24 August 4
International Relations July 24 August 4
Marketing Essentials July 24  August 4 
Leadership for Social Change July 10 July 21
Mini-Med School: Careers in Medicine July 10 July 21
Lab Sciences: Antimicrobial Resistance July 24  August 4 
Tufts College Experience July 3 August 11
Tufts Summer Research Experience July 3 August 11
Studio Art at SMFA July 10 July 28
Graphic Design Bootcamp N/A N/A
Entrepreneurship & Innovation July 10 July 21
Engineering Investigations (S1) July 10 July 21
Engineering Investigations (S2) July 24 August 4
Coding Academy July 10 July 21
Climate Resilience Institute July 24 August 4

Getting to / from Tufts University

Commuter students and their parents are responsible for ensuring that their student travels to and from campus safely and on time for each class or activity. Detailed information about traveling to each of our campuses, including details on parking, can be found here.

Please note that students who are being picked up by car will be released only to a parent or guardian listed on the application. A note is required if an unlisted individual will be picking you up.

Campus Hours (Academic Year)

During our academic year programs, students are only permitted to be on campus during their scheduled course or lab times, as determined by the professor or the lab with which the student is working. 

  • Attendance is mandatory; you must notify us if you are late or will miss a day for any reason
  • There is no programming on the weekends
  • We do not offer supervision for commuter students outside of scheduled course or lab times

Campus Hours (Summer)

Each weekday, for students participating in our intensive programs, you should plan to arrive to their program location by 8:45am to check-in before programming begins for the day. The exact location and schedule will be posted to their Canvas page in June. Programming will end no later than 6pm each day. When you are finished for the day, you will check out with program staff and depart campus. Please note, that on the final day of the program, there will be a Closing Ceremony. Parents and/or guardians will be invited to the Closing Ceremony. Commuting students should depart campus after this event.

Students participating in the Courses at Tufts for High Schoolers program are permitted to be on campus during the hours of their courses, workshops, labs, and recitations, and generally, between 9am and 6pm.

Important Information 

  • Attendance is mandatory; you must notify us if you are late or will miss a day for any reason.
  • There is no programming on the weekends.
  • Lunch is provided on the commuter meal plan. If you would like to stay on campus for breakfast or dinner, you will need to pay via JumboCash, debit/credit card, or cash. Each additional meal costs about $13. 
  • We do not offer supervision for commuter students after 6pm or on the weekends
  • July 4th is a holiday and students should not report to campus on this day 
  • As a reminder, commuting students are not permitted to enter any of the residence halls on campus for safety reasons.
How To Get Your Photo ID

  How to get your photo ID:

  1. Activate your Tufts account: In order to get your photo ID, you must first log in and activate your Tufts email account (you must do this regardless of whether you plan to forward your Tufts account to another email account you have)

  2. Go to Picasso site: Once you have activated your account, proceed to Tufts' Picasso website to upload your photo.

  3. Load your photo: Please carefully review the guidelines below and upload a passport-style photo to the Picasso portal.

Photo Guidelines:

  • The image must be in color and feature a clear, full-face view of only you
  • You must be wearing normal street attire
  • You may not wear a hat or dark glasses
  • The background must be plain white or off-white
  • The photo must sufficiently recent to be of a to be a good likeness; normally within the last 6 months
  • Image files must be in JPEG format and must be no larger than 6MB
  • It's okay to smile - after all, you’ve just joined the Tufts community!
Dining

Commuter program fees include one lunch meal per day, Mondays through Fridays at the Dewick-MacPhie Dining Hall on the Medford/Somerville campus. Students can purchase breakfast or dinner onsite with credit card, debit card, cash, or JumboCash

Dewick-MacPhie provides a wide variety of menu choices, including vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and an organic salad bar.The Dewick-MacPhie Dining hall hours are the following: 

  • Monday-Friday
    • Breakfast: 7a-9a, Lunch 11a – 2p, and Dinner 5p-8p

All meals on the Boston Fine Arts (SMFA), Boston Health Sciences, or Grafton campuses will be provided through boxed lunches or by Tufts staff. Be on the lookout in May for a survey to select your boxed lunch preferences! 

Do you have a serious food allergy? The specially trained culinary staff at Dewick will make you hot meals, to go if requested, using dedicated equipment and utensils. Tufts dining is able to accommodate most dietary restrictions and preferences. If you would like to coordinate an Alternative Meal Plan with our Nutrition Specialist, please reach out to the Pre-College Program team at precollege@tufts.edu to be connected.

Virtual Experience

Technical Needs and Support - Virtual

Technical Needs and Support - Virtual


 

PLEASE NOTE: Due to the unique nature of each of our Pre-College Programs, virtual opportunities for our programs will vary and this program has not yet defined its specific Virtual opportunities. We have outlined below what a sample version of the Virtual experience would be like. Please check back for updates regarding the details of your Pre-College Program's Virtual options.

Technical Needs

Students will need access to the following in order to participate in this program:

  • Computer: either a Mac or PC with the following
    • Mac - running at least OS 10.6 (Snow Leopard) 
    • PC - running Windows 7/8/10. Users on Windows 10 will have to download the Windows 10 Anniversary Update.
  • Smart Phone: any phone capable of accessing social media platforms like Instagram
  • Internet Access: A reliable, high-speed (cable or broadband) internet connection is required. Students are expected to log into Zoom and Canvas and to check email daily, and will need regular and reliable access to the internet.
    • If you do not have reliable access to the internet, programs may have internet hotspots available for students with demonstrated financial need. While this cannot be guaranteed, and supplies may be limited, please check with your program for availability. 
  • Web Camera: either integrated into your computer or external, set up and working
  • Web Browser: one of the following browsers updated for the latest updates: 
    • Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, Edge, and Safari.
  • Software*: programs capable of

              *software may vary by program

We will provide you with access to other software that is required for your program for the duration of your program. As long as you have technology that meets the above requirements, you should have no trouble accessing the software. Depending on the program, this software may include Zoom and Canvas.

Trial Run: Getting Connected

Most programs will send software in advance with instructions to complete a trial run before the program begins. We will also use orientation time to ensure everyone is connected and comfortable! 

Getting Help/Support

First, please try contacting the Pre-College staff at 617-627-2926.

If they cannot answer your question, they will pass you along to our technical support team who is available 24x7 to students who are actively enrolled in a program.

 

Tufts Virtual Campus

We endeavor to make each moment of the student experience at Tufts memorable for our students. Tufts Virtual Campus brings new meaning to this as we strive to recreate the critical learning and social environment students expect from Tufts University through digital tools. Tufts Virtual campus exists on a series of software platforms to which students will have full access during their program. In particular, the following two platforms will be used for the majority of our activities:

  • Zoom: allows students to connect for lectures, webinars, breakout sessions, one-on-one mentoring, phone calls, chat sessions ... and more!
  • Canvasprovides a collaborative space for course content, assignments, and grading. Many programs will host course material (syllabus, readings, review questions, etc.) on a Canvas course site.

Academic Experience

    Tufts Virtual Campus programs are being designed to provide high-quality, flexible, and interactive experiences to our students. We are carefully designing them to have the same academic rigor and expectations for teaching, studying, and achievement as their on-campus counterparts. The benefits of learning in a virtual environment include giving students greater freedom to interact with course content (lectures, presentations, discussions, forums, etc.) on a schedule that works for them, using a wider network of resources to achieve educational goals.