Wesleyan vs Tufts?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Tufts is more prestigious. Wesleyan smokes more pot.

Apparently, you have not become acquainted with the Tufts Crafts House, sailing team, or large percentage of boarding school grads that make up the student body.

Should have clarified--this is in reference to the pot, not the prestige.

OP, these schools are very similar.

[Anonymous]

In my day, which was 15 years ago so keep that in mind, Wesleyan was considered very alternative compared to where I went to college, which was Brown. So that tells you something. Tufts was seen as a generic NE university with little personality. It was "normal" versus the alternative lefty-artsy Wesleyan.

[Anonymous]

They're both very good schools. Think of it this way - if you're hiring someone and all you have is their college, what comes to mind? For me Wesleyan makes me think creative writing, English lit, hippies. Tufts is more brookas brothers hard science. Tufts is VERY urban. Wesleyan is basically middle of nowhere.

[Anonymous]

Wesleyan has smaller class sizes, a better music scene, and more diversity.

[Anonymous]

Wesleyan can be a pretty intense place that challenges your beliefs, and requires you to find your own tribe. There is not a set structure to follow. It's not for everybody, but can be very rewarding for kids who are up for it.

[Anonymous]

My sense is that a Wesleyan draws more students who want to go there as a first choice, while Tufts is often a fallback. That might be just what I've seen at my kids' school over the past few years, so YMMV, but, if others see this as well, I wonder how that affects the atmosphere on campus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They're both very good schools. Think of it this way - if you're hiring someone and all you have is their college, what comes to mind? For me Wesleyan makes me think creative writing, English lit, hippies. Tufts is more brookas brothers hard science. Tufts is VERY urban. Wesleyan is basically middle of nowhere.

Actually, all that would come to mind is...too stupid to get into a better-ranked school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My sense is that a Wesleyan draws more students who want to go there as a first choice, while Tufts is often a fallback. That might be just what I've seen at my kids' school over the past few years, so YMMV, but, if others see this as well, I wonder how that affects the atmosphere on campus.

I wouldn't put too much into this. These days Harvard/MIT are such a stretch for anyone that just because a kid throws a hat into that ring doesn't make Tufts really a fall back at all, but more likely a realistic first choice for a kid who wants to be in the Boston area at a small university. I agree the Wesleyan culture may attract some as a first choice in areas such as film studies in particular, but beyond that I'm not sure it is any more first choice except for kids who want to be within 2 hours of NYC in a strong liberal arts school -- that could be W, Vasaar, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My sense is that a Wesleyan draws more students who want to go there as a first choice, while Tufts is often a fallback. That might be just what I've seen at my kids' school over the past few years, so YMMV, but, if others see this as well, I wonder how that affects the atmosphere on campus.

Agree. At DC's school, Tufts is the fallback school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They're both very good schools. Think of it this way - if you're hiring someone and all you have is their college, what comes to mind? For me Wesleyan makes me think creative writing, English lit, hippies. Tufts is more brookas brothers hard science. Tufts is VERY urban. Wesleyan is basically middle of nowhere.

First , Tufts is not very urban. Have you ever seen the campus? I went there. It is a campus in a suburb of Boston. It has grassy quads and is not in the city. True, it is not in the middle of nowhere as Wesleyan is, but I certainly wouldn't describe it as "very" urban. I do agree with the description and posted earlier about Wesleyan attracting a more alternative crowd (at least 15 years ago). Yes, there were those types at types at Tufts too, but when I toured Wesleyan I felt like I was back at a Hiippie Fest (which is great for some, but was not my thing). Finally, when I went, it was not a fallback school for everyone. For myself and a bunch of my friends it was our first choice. I really liked it when I toured, thought the location was excellent, and I had no interest in waiting to see if I would get into Harvard (which I probably would not have anyway, and didn't want to be around such intensity all the time.) Yes, I knew a couple people where it was not their first choice, but that was certainly not the case for everyone.

[Anonymous]

My science/artistic DD toured Wesleyan yesterday and absolutely loved it. It certainly didn't hurt that she was fortunate to also have lunch with three students who talked about everything from academics, food, campus activities, study abroad, and more.

The admissions director addressed the optional test score submission saying "if you are a C student, do not apply. If you are in the bottom half of your class do not apply. We recognize that a strong academic record should not be penalized because of a modest test score. Show us everything else about you." The 'C' student reference was made because of the rigor of the academic work at Wesleyan. I heard the same sentiment echoed at an Ivy at an info session.

My DD has definitely added Wesleyan to her list (and I like it too). Interesting that Wesleyan is compared to Swarthmore in the Fiske Guide, but DD did not get the same positive vibe that she got at Wesleyan.

[Anonymous]

Wesleyan is the better school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My science/artistic DD toured Wesleyan yesterday and absolutely loved it. It certainly didn't hurt that she was fortunate to also have lunch with three students who talked about everything from academics, food, campus activities, study abroad, and more.

The admissions director addressed the optional test score submission saying "if you are a C student, do not apply. If you are in the bottom half of your class do not apply. We recognize that a strong academic record should not be penalized because of a modest test score. Show us everything else about you." The 'C' student reference was made because of the rigor of the academic work at Wesleyan. I heard the same sentiment echoed at an Ivy at an info session.

My DD has definitely added Wesleyan to her list (and I like it too). Interesting that Wesleyan is compared to Swarthmore in the Fiske Guide, but DD did not get the same positive vibe that she got at Wesleyan.

Probably because kids at Wes have more fun. Seriously, Swarthmore offers a top-flight education, but it's not a fun way to spend one's youth.

[Anonymous]

This thread is a good indication of why you ought to look elsewhere for advice. Tufts has changed dramatically over the last 10-15 years, where it used to be a mid-level school and now is much more competitive with a distinctive social justice component to its education. They have made serious strides in the last decade with strng and ambitious Presidents. It is an excellent school that is harder to get into than Wesleyan but that is still trying to rise up into the upper echelon, so like a lot of similar schools, it may be a little more unpredictable in admissions as it will reject highly qualified students who they do not expect to attend. It is neither urban nor suburban (we used to live a few years back blocks from Tufts) but is a short walk from Davis Square which has a red line subway station into Cambridge and Harvard and contrary to how that area was 15 years ago is now vibrant and hip. Wesleyan is a college so by definition totally different than Tufts and as others have noted half the size though larger than many of its peers (Wesleyan is about 3000, most similar schools are 2000). The writer and star of Hamilton did go there so it is getting a boost from that publicity but last year they had a serious drug problem on campus with arrests and overdoses and that is counterbalancing the positive press from Hamilton. It is an excellent school but would generally be considered a tad below its peers like Amherst and Williams and a tad above its neighbor Connecticut College. Tufts is different but these days would generally be considered the stronger school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This thread is a good indication of why you ought to look elsewhere for advice. Tufts has changed dramatically over the last 10-15 years, where it used to be a mid-level school and now is much more competitive with a distinctive social justice component to its education. They have made serious strides in the last decade with strng and ambitious Presidents. It is an excellent school that is harder to get into than Wesleyan but that is still trying to rise up into the upper echelon, so like a lot of similar schools, it may be a little more unpredictable in admissions as it will reject highly qualified students who they do not expect to attend. It is neither urban nor suburban (we used to live a few years back blocks from Tufts) but is a short walk from Davis Square which has a red line subway station into Cambridge and Harvard and contrary to how that area was 15 years ago is now vibrant and hip. Wesleyan is a college so by definition totally different than Tufts and as others have noted half the size though larger than many of its peers (Wesleyan is about 3000, most similar schools are 2000). The writer and star of Hamilton did go there so it is getting a boost from that publicity but last year they had a serious drug problem on campus with arrests and overdoses and that is counterbalancing the positive press from Hamilton. It is an excellent school but would generally be considered a tad below its peers like Amherst and Williams and a tad above its neighbor Connecticut College. Tufts is different but these days would generally be considered the stronger school.

Yours is one opinion like the others. Wesleyan is also a university, and both Tufts and Wesleyan have excellent attributes and academics. I guarantee there isn't one university out there that isn't dealing with some level of underage drinking or drugs. There will always be kids experimentin with booze and/or drugs, and nothing has changed since I was in college 30 years ago. We educate our kids to the best of our ability hoping our words and experiences carry a modicum of weight as they venture into college independence. Of course, if there is a proliferation of drugs and alcohol at a college, I would steer my DC elsewhere, but I don't have a problem with either Tufts or Wesleyan. Both are great schools.

I cannot reiterate enough, OP, that it is about fit and preference. I would have no problem sending my DC to either school if they met DC's academic needs. They are both good choices.