Discovering Tufts: Beyond the Rankings

When I first started looking for graduate programs, I approached my search in the most straightforward way imaginable—obsessing over rankings and acceptance rates. I was searching for a program that would allow me to leverage my engineering skills in order to build a business. Business and entrepreneurship have always been my passions, and I wanted a program that would cultivate that spirit. Tufts University consistently ranked high on the lists for my chosen program, but in the end, my decision to attend was driven by something more than just statistics. 

There was something about Tufts that captivated me from the start. Maybe it was the vibe I picked up from campus photos, or the way students spoke about their experiences online, but I felt compelled to dive deeper into everything Tufts had to offer. I scoured professor bios, connected with current students and alumni on LinkedIn, and essentially became a one-person research machine. By the time I decided to apply, I was already in love with the place. 

This was probably the only application I reviewed at least five times before sending it off because it meant so much to me. I had filled out applications for five or six other colleges, but the only one I was truly anxious to hear back from was Tufts. Not that other universities weren’t great, but my gut told me that Tufts was the place for me. 

On December 28th I was down with a fever, so sick that there was no way anyone could have pulled me out of bed. I wasn’t even checking my phone because I wanted to rest. Then, my Outlook notification chimed. I wasn’t planning to check it because all I had recently been receiving were emails from universities or coaching centers urging me to apply. However, something made me look at my phone two minutes later, and there it was - my acceptance to Tufts MS in Innovation & Management program!

Getting that acceptance email felt unreal. I was over the moon, dancing around my room, but then reality set in—I had to convince my parents. Back home in India, everyone knows about the Ivy Leagues, but Tufts? Not so much. My parents, bless them, had no idea why I was so determined to attend this American university they had never heard of. I had my work cut out for me. 

I showed them videos of the campus, photos of student life, and shared stories about Tufts that I had gathered from my connections. I even managed to chat with someone living in the U.S. who couldn’t stop raving about how well-regarded Tufts was over there. I also emphasized one of the key selling points for me: the mentoring program at Tufts. As a student coming to Tufts from abroad, it was a huge relief to know I would have guidance from alumni who had once been in my shoes and gone through the same experience. 

Finally, my parents were convinced, not just because of the “proof” I showed them, but also because of my determination to convince them that this was the right choice for me. 

As soon as I landed at Tufts in August, I knew I had made the right decision. The place was buzzing with energy. People were genuinely friendly, the professors were approachable, and I felt supported in all my goals from day one. Everyone seemed eager to help, to chat, to push each other forward. It’s hard to put into words just how much those early days at Tufts meant to me, but I’ll say this: it changed my life. 

Within the MS in Innovation & Management program, I had the opportunity to work on two ventures, one of which led me to the  Tufts New Venture Competition finals, Techstars, and the Tufts Venture Accelerator. Most importantly, I got to meet 38 amazing people in my cohort who made my year at Tufts one of the best years of my life. I went from being an ambivert to almost an extrovert, from being an engineer to an entrepreneur, from being dependent on my family to becoming independent and surviving on my own in a foreign country — this program has transformed me into a much better version of myself. 

Looking back, I realize that focusing solely on college rankings could have made me miss out on what truly makes a university the right fit. Tufts taught me that it’s not just about prestige or numbers. It’s about the people, the atmosphere, and the personal growth you experience there. And for me, Tufts was the perfect fit.