Tufts University Pre-College Programs Marketing Essentials

Tufts professors and thought leaders run the daily workshops, and Tufts says they're the same people who teach these ideas to its undergraduate and graduate students. The program is run in partnership with the Tufts Gordon Institute, the university's center for leadership and innovation education.

Alongside the teaching, you're paired with mentors drawn from Tufts students and alumni, who point you to marketing and entrepreneurship resources around campus, and guest speakers from industry come in during the two weeks. Tufts hasn't yet named the 2027 program lead.

On weekdays you check in at 8:45 a.m. and programming wraps up by 6 p.m., built around interactive workshops, time with mentors and talks from guest speakers. The first Monday opens with a required orientation, and the last Friday ends with a closing ceremony that families are invited to, finishing by 2 p.m. There's no programming at weekends.

If you live on campus, you check in on the Sunday before the start and eat at Dewick-MacPhie Dining Center, a few minutes from the dorms. Evenings and weekends are planned by the residential staff, with things like ice cream socials, midnight pancakes and trips to Davis Square. Past weekend trips have included Six Flags New England, Crane Beach, Downtown Boston and the Museum of Fine Arts, although Tufts says trips change from year to year.

Residential students are overseen by a director, senior staff and one resident advisor for every 10 students, and Tufts makes reasonable efforts to background-check and Title IX-train everyone who works with them. Residence halls need a Tufts ID card to get in, and curfew on Sunday to Thursday nights means being in the hall by 10 p.m. and your room by 11 p.m., moving to 10:30 p.m. and midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. You use the buddy system in free time and can't leave campus without a staff member or official parental permission.

Breaking curfew is grounds for dismissal without a refund.

Tufts runs its own police department around the clock, and staff meet students arriving at Boston Logan, North Station or South Station on arrival day. Commuters are supervised only during program hours, so getting to and from campus is the family's job. The full rules are in Tufts' pre-college policies.

You need to be entering grades 10 to 12 or graduating high school in 2027. If you want to live on campus, you also have to be at least 15 when the program starts and no older than 19 before it ends. Homeschooled students can apply too.

International students are welcome, but Tufts can't sponsor a visa for this program. If English isn't your first language, you'll need a TOEFL iBT score of 100, IELTS 6.5, PTE 68 or Duolingo 120, or a transcript showing at least a year at an all-English school.

Tufts doesn't publish an acceptance rate. A review committee looks at each complete application as a whole, and Tufts says your transcript and recommendation letter are the best way to stand out, so pick a recommender who knows your work and your curiosity well. Admission is rolling and places can fill before the 1 May deadline, and Tufts gives no feedback if you're turned down.

Living on campus costs $5,750 and commuting costs $4,225 for the two weeks. Both prices cover program activities, materials, the opening and closing events and daily activities. The residential price also covers your dorm room, three meals a day (brunch and dinner on Sundays) and weekend trips, including transport and entrance fees. Commuters get a free lunch on weekdays and buy breakfast and dinner themselves.

A few extras can come up. Tufts charges $55.16 for health insurance if you can't show valid US-based coverage for the whole program, and $55.00 for vaccinations if you can't show the required records. Any medical care is billed separately, laundry costs $1.50 a cycle, and spending money on outings isn't covered.

Once you're admitted, you have 10 days to pay a $550 deposit, which counts toward the fee but is never refunded. The balance is due by 15 May 2027, which is also the last day tuition can be refunded, so after that date you've committed the full amount. Visa delays or denials don't qualify for a refund either.

Tufts offers limited need-based scholarships, which it says typically cover 75% to 100% of the program fee, with decisions issued twice a month from February. International students aren't eligible. If you can't attend without aid, Tufts suggests holding off on the deposit until you hear, although the program could fill while you wait.

Everything goes through Tufts' online application portal, which Tufts says takes most students 30 to 45 minutes.

1. 1

   From 14 December 2026, fill in the online application with your details, a parent's and emergency contact's details, your recommender's contact and two statements of up to 300 words each, one on why you're interested and one on what you hope to learn.

2. 2

   Give the contact details of a high school official, who'll get an email asking them to upload your transcript.

3. 3

   Tufts then emails your parent or guardian for the permission form and your recommender, a teacher, counselor or mentor, for the letter.

4. 4

   Review starts only once all of that has arrived, decisions usually come within 10 business days, and every piece is due by 1 May 2027.

5. 5

   If you're admitted, pay the deposit within 10 days, then the balance by 15 May 2027, and finish your enrollment forms by 1 June 2027.