TUFTS PARENTS AND FAMILIES (TPF) NEWSLETTER | JANUARY 16, 2025

Dear Parents and Families,

It's been a very cold start to the spring semester. This is a good time of year for indoor activities like the Career Center's Career Fairs—opportunities for students to meet with employers and learn about jobs and internships. Details are included in this month's Career Corner.

Also in this edition, Associate Director for Residential Education and Off-Campus Housing Engagement, Angy Sosa shares insights about the off-campus housing search and resources for students who live off campus. (An Off-Campus Housing 101 webinar for parents and families is scheduled for the end of the month.)

For those of you whose Jumbo will be graduating this spring, be sure to visit the Commencement 2025 website for the latest information, and look for webinar details in the events section below. 

Lastly, as students returned to campus this week, they received a reminder about Undergraduate Student Resources that are available to help them sort through any personal or academic challenges. I want to make sure you're aware of these too and can remind your student as needed. 

Best wishes to you and your Jumbo in this new year,

Carole McFall
Family Engagement, AS&E Student Life
carole.mcfall@tufts.edu
617-627-2797

While a new residence hall is planned, which will provide juniors and seniors with more options to live on campus, upperclassman who live off-campus now, or in the future, have access to Tufts resources. Associate Director for Residential Education and Off-Campus Housing Engagement, Angy Sosa is a dedicated point of contact for students during their search and throughout their time living off campus.

Timing
Sosa encourages rising juniors and seniors who are looking to move off-campus, including those who are on the waitlist for Fall 2025, to start exploring off-campus housing to get a sense of apartments in the area and associated costs, but she says they should be cautious about signing a lease too soon. “Students sometimes sign a lease a year in advance and then their plans change but they are already committed to a lease, which can be difficult to break. Generally, starting the in-person search about six months in advance works well; it allows enough time to secure an apartment without committing too early,” according to Sosa.  

Resources
There are several off-campus housing Facebook groups,* but Sosa wants students and families to be aware that these groups are not affiliated with Tufts. Instead, she recommends students and families use the university’s off-campus housing resources on Residential Life’s Off-Campus Housing website, which includes links to resources for rentals, roommates, furniture exchanges, and sublets.

Beyond the off-campus housing search, Sosa offers individual guidance and support to students. “I'm available to meet with students to help them navigate various off campus living scenarios and connect them with on- and off-campus partners and resources,” she said. Students also receive a new monthly newsletter that includes updates, tips, reminders, and best practices for living off campus. 

Last month, Sosa and Residential Life colleagues also launched a pilot program with three student off-campus liasons—Jumbassadors—who each cover a specific off-campus region where Tufts students live. Jumbassadors will run programs for off-campus students and help keep them connected to Tufts’ on-campus community and resources. They are also available for peer-to-peer support and guidance.

Webinars
Students can attend Sosa’s monthly webinars: every first Wednesday, she covers the search process and every third Wednesday, she focuses on a specific topic such as subletting or off-campus housing for international students. Students can register for these webinars via the Off- Campus Housing website.

Parents and families are invited to an Off-Campus Housing 101 webinar on Wed., Jan. 29 at 6:30 p.m. ET. “Families play an important role in supporting the off-campus search for their student so I hope they’ll participate and look forward to answering their questions,” said Sosa.

(*Note: While there are several off-campus Facebook groups that are not affiliated with Tufts, there is one official Tufts Parents and Families Facebook group.)

The Career Center offers extensive resources to help your student explore career options, gain skills and experience, build a professional network, and develop strategies for pursuing goals. Here are a few of the resources and opportunities available for Spring 2025:

We look forward to supporting and encouraging your student.

Your students can choose from an extensive selection of courses and flexible options to advance in their degree, catch up on credits, or tackle a challenging course with the leisure of summertime. With in-person and virtual options, taking a summer course at Tufts has never been easier.

The European Center’s Tufts Summit program offers rising high school juniors and seniors who have completed a minimum of two years of formal French instruction an opportunity to take a college-level course on International Relations while they improve their French language skills. Classes are complemented by local excursions and students also enjoy a variety of extracurricular activities. Students live with carefully selected host families to complement language classes and provide a firsthand experience of French culture. 

Dates to Remember
Jan 20 – Martin Luther King Day (University Holiday)

Jan 21-24 – Career Center team tabling in the Campus Center for students to learn about upcoming Career Fairs

Jan 27-31 – Student Org mini-fair in the Campus Center for students to learn about newly recognized student organizations

Feb 1 – Applications due for education abroad during the fall or spring term, academic year 25-26

Feb 16-22 – Engineers Week

March 15-23 – Spring Break

Class of 2025 Senior Memory Book
The final round of senior portrait sessions begins the week of January 27. A free portrait session on campus with photographers from Legacy Studios is the only way for your student's photo to be included in the portrait section.

Events and Opportunities for Parents and Families

WEBINAR: Off-Campus Housing 101—Jan. 29 at 6:30 p.m. ET
This webinar will cover supporting your student's off-campus housing search process and highlight ongoing resources that are available to them.

WEBINAR: Countdown to Commencement 2025—March 26 at 6:30 p.m. ET
You'll hear from campus partners about the various events and logistics to help you plan for this milestone. 

Show Your Jumbo Pride

From athletics to theater and musical performances, view details and tickets for in-person and virtual events 

TuftsNow
First Look: A Renovated Eaton Hall

Resources for Your Student There are many resources available to help your student sort through any personal or academic challenges and make thoughtful, independent decisions. 

TuftsAlert
Enroll in the TuftsAlert system to be notified directly by text, phone, and/or email in case of significant emergencies affecting the Tufts University community.

Communications Archive
Emails and other communications to parents, families, and students are archived online. 

Family Engagement