Tufts
Tufts sits on a hill between Medford and Somerville with the Boston skyline on the horizon — a research university that behaves like a liberal-arts college, an elephant mascot with a genuinely great origin story, and the T now stopping at the campus gates. First-years live in the thick of the uphill–downhill geography.
What to wear in Medford, month by month
This region runs from a humid late summer to a hard winter in about ten weeks. The mistake out-of-region families make is packing the whole year in August.
| Move-in (Aug) | 60–84°F | Warm, sticky Boston-area late summer — the fan is the essential item; most dorms have no A/C. |
| Sept–Oct | 45–70°F | Crisp, blue, and the best months on the Hill. |
| Nov–Dec | 28–45°F | Cold rain turning to snow — waterproof boots before December. |
| Jan–Feb | 20–38°F | Real Boston winter: snowbanks, wind, and the occasional nor'easter. |
| Mar–May | 35–62°F | Slow, wet thaw into a glorious green May. |
What Tufts lets you bring
- A good fan — most Tufts dorms aren't air-conditioned
- Twin XL bedding (confirm your specific hall)
- UL/ETL power strip with a built-in circuit breaker — not a bare extension cord
- Damage-free wall hangings like Command strips — no nails or screws
- Low-draw LED desk and task lamps
- A fan, a reusable water bottle, and UL-listed electronics
- Open-coil / open-flame cooking: toasters, toaster ovens, air fryers, hot plates, electric grills, sandwich makers
- Candles, incense, wax warmers, and anything with an open flame
- Halogen lamps
- Extension cords without a breaker; outlet splitters and multi-plug adapters
- Space heaters and personal A/C units (unless your school provides/approves them)
- Hoverboards, e-scooters, e-bikes, and other e-mobility devices
- Weapons of any kind — including decorative — and fireworks
These come from Tufts's official housing pages and cover the essentials plus the genuinely local rules. Double-check the current official guidance before you buy — policies and renovations change every year.
Getting your room at Tufts
- 01After you deposit
Housing application
The first-year application opens in late spring — Tufts assigns halls and matches roommates from a lifestyle questionnaire.
- 02Mid-summer
Assignment posts
Hall, room, roommate, and mailing details arrive over the summer.
- 03Late August
Move in + orientation
First-years arrive about a week before classes for orientation. Move-in is staggered by hall; parking on the Hill is the hard part — follow the shuttle plan.
Where you'll live at Tufts
First-year halls
First-years live on campus, spread across the uphill and downhill sides of Walnut Hill. Every hall mixes into the same orientation groups and pre-orientation trips, so geography is temporary; the friendships aren't.
The traditional first-year halls near the academic quad and Carmichael dining.
Rooms above one of the two all-you-care-to-eat dining halls — winter's most valuable real estate.
Closer to Davis Square and the T — with Hodgdon's takeout counter downstairs.
The Tufts move-in checklist
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Bedding6
Bath5
Laundry4
Storage & organization6
Desk & study4
Electronics6
Cleaning5
Kitchen — within the rules5
Health & meds4
Clothing — see the seasonal guide7
Move-in day go-bag5
Medford logistics, sorted
How to send a package to a Tufts student
[Room #] [Residence Hall]
Tufts University
Medford, MA 02155
Jumbo is real
Paint the cannon
Medford & around
Davis Square
Somerville's best square — restaurants, music at the Somerville Theatre, and the Red Line — a ten-minute walk downhill.
Boston & Cambridge
The Green Line now ends at the Medford/Tufts stop on campus; Harvard Square is fifteen minutes, downtown twenty-five.
Assembly Row
Outlets, restaurants, and the Orange Line along the Mystic — the errands-and-movie run.
The Mystic River parks
Riverside paths and boathouses that make the urban campus feel less so.
Where to stay near Tufts
Porter Square Hotel
CambridgeThe boutique on the Red Line, two stops from Davis.
Boston & Cambridge hotels
CitywideThe full Boston inventory is 25 minutes away — price by neighborhood, not distance.
Tufts gear & gifts
Tufts — links & contacts
- Residential Life & Learning: Visit page