How to Apply

Application & Key Enrollment Dates for Pre-College Programs

All Summer Pre-College Programs (except Courses at Tufts for High Schoolers, Tufts Summer Research Experience, Adventures in Veterinary Medicine):                                                                                                                                                                                      

Tufts Summer Research Experience:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

Adventures in Veterinary Medicine:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

Courses at Tufts for High Schoolers:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

If financial assistance is essential to your ability to attend the program, we recommend that you wait to pay the $550 non-refundable deposit until you have received your financial aid decision. Award decisions will be issued twice per month.

*A deposit of $550 must be received within 10 days of admission until the payment deadline (May 15), at which time enrollment is secured only by full tuition payment. 

**Applications submitted after the payment deadline will require payment in full on admission to hold their seat.

***Deadlines are driven by the specific courses students intend to enroll in. Please see the academic calendar for more details.

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Who is eligible for Pre-College summer programs?

General Requirements

• Entering high school grades 10-12 *or* a Spring 2023 high school graduate
  • Please note that students entering grade 10 are eligible for specific courses and programs only. Please see individual program websites for grade-level eligibility requirements. 
• English Language proficiency exam results are required for non-native English speakers. See the table below for score requirements.

Residential Students

Students electing to live in the dorms or to attend a residential program must be at least 15 at the start of the program and no older than 19 before the program's end date.

International Students

Both domestic and international students are welcome to apply to and attend our Pre-College Programs, although only Tufts Summer Research Experience and Tufts College Experience are F-1 eligible. You may click here to consult this informational page on the Tufts International Center website for additional information.

Non-Native English Speakers

Please see this policy page for detailed information on proficiency requirements. 

Admissions Decision

Once an applicant has submitted an application and all required admissions documents are received, the applicant will be considered for admission by the Tufts Pre-College Programs review committee for the specific program(s) to which they applied.

Decisions are made twice for the Tufts Summer Research Experience and Adventures in Veterinary Medicine, within 10 days of February 15th and May 1st, and students will typically receive an official email informing them of their admissions status on those dates if Tufts receives all required materials. If application materials (i.e. transcript or recommendation/evaluation letter) are submitted after these dates, you may be notified of your admission decision at the next application deadline. All other programs have rolling admissions, with a final application deadline of May 1.

If you applied to any of our other programs and do not receive your email within two weeks of all materials being submitted, please contact us at precollege@tufts.edu or 617-627-2926.

Disclaimer: This program is not related to Tufts University Undergraduate Admissions. Participation in this program does not result in admission to a Tufts University degree program. Tufts reserves the right to admit as requested, to deny admission, or to offer provisional admission. The program will not provide feedback to applicants if admission is denied.

Non-Native English Speakers

If you indicate that English is not your primary language, you will be asked to submit evidence of English Language proficiency during the application process. The following are our minimum eligibility standards:

Courses at Tufts for High Schoolers - Application Instructions

Step 1: Register for Courses Through Our Student Registration Portal

Clicking the link above will take you to a list of courses open to our high school students through this program. If you find our course registration portal through another link or this list is not working, you can always locate the courses open to high school students by selecting "Open to High School Students" under the Course Features filter.

Registering for courses is simple!

• Select the course you are interested in.
• Review the course details and requirements.
• Click "add to cart."
• When you are ready, click the cart in the upper right-hand corner of your screen.
• Create an account.
• Check-out!

For more detailed instructions on registering through this portal, please see our "How to Register" page. Please note that, although course registration takes place before your application materials are submitted, you will be automatically withdrawn and will receive a full refund (with the exception of the non-refundable registration fee) if your materials are not received or not approved prior to the first day of classes.

After you register for your course, you will be directed to the CATHS application and can follow Step 2 below. You will also receive a link to the application by email. If for some reason you do not see the application, please let us know at precollege@tufts.edu.

Step 2 (All Programs): Complete an Online Application

The online application will ask you for the following information:

• Basic personal information, including parents/guardians and emergency contact (if you are under 18, we will contact a parent for permission to enroll)
• Program-specific information (see below)
• Contact information for one individual to submit a letter of recommendation — this individual can be a teacher, counselor, or mentor. We will contact this individual on your behalf.
• Test scores - optional, unless you must submit scores as evidence of English proficiency
• Warrants and signatures

If you need to log back into this application after starting, click here: Return to My Application.

Step 3: Upload Your High School Transcript

During your application process, you will be asked to provide us with contact information for an official from your high school. They will receive an email with further instructions to upload your transcript.

Step 4: Parental Consent and Letter of Recommendation

As part of your application, you will be asked to provide contact information for both a parent/guardian and a recommender. Once you submit your application, our systems will automatically email the parent/guardian and recommender you listed in the application with instructions for how to fill out the online permission or recommendation form.

Please note your application will not be considered submitted and review of your application will not begin until the materials from Step 3 and Step 4 have been received by Tufts Pre-College Programs.

All Other Programs - Application Instructions

Step 1: Complete an Online Application

The online application will ask you for the following information:

• Basic personal information, including parents/guardians and emergency contact (if you are under 18, we will contact a parent for permission to enroll)
• Program-specific information (see below)
• Contact information for one individual to submit a letter of recommendation — this individual can be a teacher, counselor, or mentor. We will contact this individual on your behalf.
• Test scores - optional, unless you must submit scores as evidence of English proficiency
• Warrants and signatures

If you need to log back into this application after starting, click here: Return to My Application.

Step 2: Upload Your High School Transcript

During your application process, you will be asked to provide us with contact information for an official from your high school. They will receive an email with further instructions to upload your transcript.

Step 3: Parental Consent and Letter of Recommendation

As a part of your application, you will be asked to provide contact information for both a parent/guardian and a recommender. Once you submit your application, our systems will automatically email the parent/guardian and recommender you listed in the application with instructions for how to fill out the online permission or recommendation form.

Please note your application will not be considered submitted and review of your application will not begin until the materials from Step 3 and Step 4 have been received by Tufts Pre-College Programs.

Program-Specific Application Requirements

Deposit to Reserve a Seat

Admitted students may reserve their seats by submitting a non-refundable deposit. Until a deposit is received, the student is not guaranteed a spot in the program. Please note, the deposit does not cover the full cost of tuition to the program. Please review the full tuition costs on the respective program pages before making a deposit. 

The non-refundable deposit is as follows:

This deposit will be requested through the application system and can be paid directly into your application account.

^ Days count includes weekends and holidays

If a program fills before a deposit is made, the student will not be able to participate in the program. 

Enrollment Confirmation

Confirm enrollment with final program materials and fees. In order to be considered enrolled in the program, students are required to pay the balance of their program fees and to submit additional documentation that will enable us to ensure their participation in our programs. Students will not be able to start the program if their payment and forms have not been received by the deadlines outlined below. Final payment for programs can be made through your application account. Please see the “Key Dates” section above for exceptions.

Please note:

• Students not paying in full by this date will be automatically withdrawn from the program. No refunds will be issued if the program withdrawal is after the refund deadline.
• Students submitting applications after the final payment due date will be required to make their payment in full to reserve their seat in the program in lieu of a deposit.

In addition to making the final payment, there are a series of waivers and documents that students must submit to ensure a safe program experience. These forms will be requested through the Admitted Student portal or through email after admission. Below is a sample of the forms, others may be required. 

• Program dependent – Health Information 
• Program dependent – Health Consent 
• Program dependent – Immunization Record demonstrating vaccines or history of the disease for: COVID-19 (2 doses), TDAP, MMR (2 doses), Meningitis (last 5 years, residential students only), and Varicella (2 doses)
• Parent Agreement
• Student Agreement
• Consent to Release Student Information
• Publicity Consent
• Obligation to Pay
• Commuter Students
  • Commuter Travel Information and Waiver
• Other waivers
  • Some programs have supplemental releases due to specific activities in those programs.

Please note: Enrollment in any Tufts Pre-College Program is contingent on the receipt of the fees and materials described above.

Financial Aid

Availability of Awards

Tufts Pre-College Programs are committed to aiding students from all backgrounds. Although we have only limited financial aid available, we do our best to distribute the funds to students for whom it can make the greatest difference in their ability to attend.

Financial aid awards are made on a rolling basis to students with demonstrated need. We aim to provide enough aid to eligible students so that they are able to successfully enroll and participate in the program. Seasonal aid awards are as follows:

• Fall: we currently do not offer aid for the Fall term.
• Spring: we currently do not offer aid for the Spring term.
• Summer: we will typically distribute awards monthly beginning in February and will continue until the enrollment deadline or until the aid is fully distributed.

Please note:

• International students are not eligible for financial aid at this time. Families should expect to contribute to the remaining portion of the program cost, as well as other expenses like travel, books, etc. 
• We currently do not offer aid for students participating in our Leadership for Social Change Intensive.

Process

1. Complete the Admissions Application for the Pre-College Program you would like to attend.
2. During the application process, you will be asked to indicate whether you are interested in being considered for financial aid.
3. After submission, you will have the option of completing a financial aid application in your student portal
4. We will review your financial aid application. Your financial aid application will be considered for the next monthly aid award(s).
5. If you receive an award,
   1. You will be notified by email of the amount of the award.
   2. You will have 6 days (including weekends and holidays) to accept the award by completing your Financial Aid Award Form and submitting your deposit.
   3. Tufts Pre-College Programs will then credit your student account with the amount of financial aid you received.
   4. Please note: Your enrollment in the program is still contingent on payment of any remaining balance after the award is applied to your account, and on receiving your enrollment forms.
6. If you do not receive an award, you will be notified via email.

Post-Enrollment Materials

Admitted students must do the following prior to the start of the program:

• Submit a deposit to hold your seat. This program requires a deposit within 10 business days of the date on which the admissions decision was posted.
• Pay your balance in full prior to the stated deadline.
• Complete all enrollment forms and/or follow-up requests prior to the stated deadline.

Should the above not be completed prior to the stated deadlines, the student will be automatically withdrawn from the program.

If financial assistance is essential to your ability to attend the program, we recommend that you wait to pay the $550 non-refundable deposit until you have received your financial aid decision. Award decisions will be issued twice per month.

International Students

Visa Application 

Tufts Pre-College Programs welcomes international students in all of its programs. However, visa options and requirements will be different depending on your intended summer program and your current visa situation (if applicable).  

Only the Tufts Summer Research Experience and Tufts College Experience programs are F-1 eligible. Through these programs, international students are able to take a credit-bearing course of study. If you are admitted to these programs, please ask for information about how to request your Form I-20. 

International students interested in other noncredit Pre-College Programs may have other visa options outside of the F-1. The Tufts International Center can advise you on your individual situation. Please click here to consult this informational page on the International Center website for more details, or email the International Center directly at icenter.summer@tufts.edu. 

Note that not all of our programs offer housing. We will be unable to admit an international student into a commuter-only program without consent and a waiver indicating that the student has housing and transportation provided by a close relative within 50 miles of Tufts. Both the parent and the close relative must sign the waiver.

Please note that visa delays or denials are not recognized reasons for refunds; it is the student's responsibility to apply for the relevant visa type with enough time for processing and arrival. Tufts cannot guarantee success in the visa process — students take this risk upon themselves.