Tufts University School of Medicine Secondary Essay Prompts

The 2026-2027 prompts

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Collected from public applicant reports. Prompts occasionally change mid cycle, so confirm against your own secondary portal before you submit.

1. 01

   Do you wish to share a specific reason why you have chosen to apply to Tufts University School of Medicine? (YES/NO) Please explain briefly ():

   1000 characters
2. 02

   Please briefly describe your plans for the coming year. Will you be a student, working, conducting research, volunteering, or other activities?

   1000 characters
3. 03

   Please tell us about your journey to medical school and how your background and experiences will positively impact your future as a medical student and physician. If you have experienced personal circumstances or hardships that have helped you develop qualities that you believe will allow you to better serve your future patients and the medical community as a whole, please share those experiences in your response.

   1000 characters
4. 04

   Which of your experiences with clinical medicine or healthcare has best prepared you for a future career as a physician, and why? Please tell us about the specific experience, the skills you acquired, and the insights you gained about the profession of medicine.

   1000 characters
5. 05

   Tufts University School of Medicine is committed to social responsibility, and to serve and advocate for all people. Have you done substantial work or service that has contributed to societal good, or addressed social determinants of health, health equity, or social justice? Yes / No (if yes) Please describe the work or service, and how it has influenced your perspective on the role of a physician in society.

   1000 characters
6. 06

   Do you have any withdrawals or repeated coursework listed on your transcript(s)? (Yes / No) (if yes) Please explain briefly ():

   1000 characters
7. 07

   Did you take any leaves of absence or significant breaks from your undergraduate education? (Do not include time off after graduation.) (Yes / No) (if yes) Please explain briefly ():

   1000 characters
8. 08

   Because your academics will not be shared with interviewers until after you complete your interview, we encourage you to use this space to elaborate on any academic challenges you have overcome. We understand that many applicants encounter academic hardships along the way. Please comment on any academic difficulties that you have encountered since completing high school (grades and MCAT scores). We believe that such difficulties offer an opportunity for growth and would appreciate learning how your experiences have affected your approach to academics. If you have not encountered any difficulties, you may answer 'No.'.

   1000 characters
9. 09

   Have you ever been convicted of, or pleaded guilty or no contest to, a Misdemeanor crime, excluding 1) any offense for which you were adjudicated as a juvenile 2) any convictions which have been expunged or sealed by a court, or 3) any misdemeanor convictions for which any probation has been completed and the case dismissed by the court (in states where applicable)? For more information please visit our web site. (Yes / No) (if yes) Please explain briefly (): Do NOT include: any misdemeanors in which no conviction resulted or in which a conviction has been vacated; a first conviction for any of the following misdemeanors: drunkenness, simple assault, speeding, minor traffic violations, affray or disturbance of the peace; any convictions of a misdemeanor where such conviction occurred more than five years prior to the date of this application, unless you were sentenced to imprisonment upon conviction or you have been convicted of any offense within the five years' period.

   1000 characters
10. 10

    Have you been a participant in any of the following programs? (If so, please indicate the dates of your participation.) Tufts Medical School MS in Biomedical Sciences Program (MBS); Tufts Postbaccalaureate Premedical Program; Tufts Medical School/UMass Boston Enrichment Program; Tufts Medical School / Spelman College Enrichment Program; QuestBridge National College Match Finalist who attends or graduated from a QuestBridge college partner as a QuestBridge Scholar

    Not applicable
11. 11

    Do you wish to include any additional comments (beyond those already provided in your application) to the Admissions Committee at Tufts University School of Medicine? (Yes / No) (if yes) Please explain briefly ():

    1000 characters

How to write these well

• Turn secondaries around within 7 to 14 days of receiving them. Schools read speed as interest, and slow essays land in a bigger pile.
• Pre-write the universal question types (diversity, challenge, why us) once, then adapt per school. Adapting is rewriting the school specific half, not swapping the name.
• Name real programs. A why us answer that cites a specific clinic, track, or community partnership reads ten times stronger than praise for reputation or location.
• Stay under the limit without padding to reach it. Readers are working through thousands of these; a tight answer is a kindness they remember.

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