Admitted! - What's a Tisch scholar?

lolabelle
Sat, 31 Mar 2007 10:52:07 +0000

OldProf:

Please take everything I say with a grain of salt until you get your financial aid package information – just in case something I said is wrong!

In the meantime, let me clarify something: there is a difference between a TISCH SCHOLAR and a TISCH SCHOLARSHIP. The latter is what I believe you have been offered – which is a big financial aid package tied to the fact that Tufts’ adcom believed your son to be a huge asset to the “active citizenship” community that is so strongly emphasized here at Tufts, and that they saw your family as having a strong enough financial need that you might pick another school over Tufts if you didn’t get enough money. The former is the program I gave you the link for through the Tisch College. In receiving the Tisch Scholarship, though, your son will be offered the opportunity to bypass the Tisch Scholar application process that others will have to go through during their first year at Tufts.

(A bit of history: I told you that the Class of 2010 was the first class where a few students were picked to receive the Tisch Scholarship. Well, as a member of the Class of 2007, I receive a $3,000 check every semester as a Tisch Scholarship for being a Tisch Scholar – but ever since the Class of 2009, these scholarships are no longer given. The problem was that they were giving these scholarship based totally on merit – for having become a Tisch Scholar – and therefore people like, well, me, who did not qualify for a single cent of financial aid, were getting $6,000 a year in financial aid. It’s basically become money in my savings. Tisch College decided that it would be more fair to gather all the money they give to 20-odd Tisch Scholars each year, and give really big financial aid awards to three or four students instead who /really/ need it and who might not come to Tufts if they don’t. So while my classmates and I still get the scholarship, due to the fact that it had been promised to use from day 1, newer classes do not.)

OK, about the Tisch Scholar program, you asked if it’s fully integrated to other Tufts programs, and the question is yes because it’s not a different academic program. The Tisch Scholar program is intensive and demands your full commitment, but it is COMPLETELY extracurricular; i.e., you do it in addition to all your curricular requirements.

For a list of projects that Scholars are doing this year, go here: Homepage | Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life. Mine is on there. ;-)

As for how my experience has been, it’s just incredible having the opportuntity to receive all the funding necessary to do any community service-related project I want. Oftentimes it’s really just the access to money that makes things possible that’s missing. (FYI: this funding is seperate and in addition to, in the case of people like your son who receive the Tisch Scholarship.) The Tisch Scholar community is also very tight-knit and supportive (weekly meetings, retreats, etc.).