Has anyone used College Essay Guy's resources for the Tufts supplemental essays?

I've used College Essay Guy's resources while working on my own Tufts supplements, so I can give you some insight based on first-hand experience. Generally, his general brainstorming exercises and the 'Essence Objects' or 'Values Exercise' worksheets helped me clarify what mattered to me most. That kind of self-reflection is useful for any college essay, but especially for Tufts, where prompts often ask you to reflect on your identity and community.

Where you have to be careful is relying too much on formulaic advice, since Tufts is known for creative and even quirky prompts like their 'Let Your Life Speak' essay. The best way College Essay Guy’s materials helped me was in narrowing down strong, personal stories with specific details rather than defaulting to broad or overused topics. One tip I found especially helpful from his advice: when answering a Tufts prompt, make sure you answer the question directly and resist the urge to write what you think admissions wants to hear.

For example, for the 'Why Tufts?' essay, instead of rattling off programs or talking about Boston, I zeroed in on one unique class and a student group, then linked both to a very specific personal experience. College Essay Guy’s examples encouraged me to go granular, which is what Tufts wants. If you use his worksheets as a jumping-off point and then make each essay really about you—using your voice and concrete details—you’ll avoid ending up with a response that sounds generic.

If you’re overwhelmed, try his brainstorming PDFs to spark ideas and use his guides for structuring responses, but don't follow any template too closely. Read some essays on the Tufts admissions blog—they’ll give you a sense of the variety and tone that works.

Overall, College Essay Guy is helpful for introspection and structure but your unique voice should be guiding the content, especially for Tufts. Good luck! If you’re stuck on a specific prompt, share your ideas—sometimes just putting them into words with honest feedback can make things clearer.