what did I miss at Tufts?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Their applicant quality hasn't waned. Since BU and NEU are in the city, and BC is kind of in the city, its location has some looking elsewhere.

SAT 25%-75%

Tufts 1460-1540
BC 1430-1510
BU 1450-1500
NEU 1450-1535

BC is not kind of in the city; Tufts is close to Harvard/MIT location-wise

[Anonymous]

We toured Tufts and thought the school had so much more to offer than BC. BC doesn’t have even have a real engineering program. The kids at Tufts seemed like regular smart kids. Most kids we know who attend applied ED but they were top students. Ultimately, DC didn’t want to ED Tufts but I think the school is getting bashed for no reason.

[Anonymous]

Tufts is a prison

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm not a Tufts booster and I think it used to be sort of a second choice school for many or even most of its undergrad student body. But that has changed as everything has gotten more competitive. And Tufts hits a sweet spot of a medium-sized (mostly) liberal arts undergrad education with the advantage of excellent grad programs. The T is coming on campus, and Somerville/Davis Square is very popular with Gen Z locals. But it's always getting bad reviews here; I don't really get it.

It's a "2nd choice school" for those that apply to several T20/25 schools (tufts is ~30). So it's just below those, but not really because it's acceptance rate is still single digits.

Tufts is 40

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm not a Tufts booster and I think it used to be sort of a second choice school for many or even most of its undergrad student body. But that has changed as everything has gotten more competitive. And Tufts hits a sweet spot of a medium-sized (mostly) liberal arts undergrad education with the advantage of excellent grad programs. The T is coming on campus, and Somerville/Davis Square is very popular with Gen Z locals. But it's always getting bad reviews here; I don't really get it.

It's a "2nd choice school" for those that apply to several T20/25 schools (tufts is ~30). So it's just below those, but not really because it's acceptance rate is still single digits.

Tufts is 40

That lower ranking is because of the stupid revision to the US news methodology. Tufts is way better than 40. It has not changed in one year from the Top 30 where it should be.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Their applicant quality hasn't waned. Since BU and NEU are in the city, and BC is kind of in the city, its location has some looking elsewhere.

SAT 25%-75%

Tufts 1460-1540
BC 1430-1510
BU 1450-1500
NEU 1450-1535

BC is not kind of in the city; Tufts is close to Harvard/MIT location-wise

Right, all of BC's lower campus, where upperclassmen live, is inside the city of Boston.

While Tufts is on the north side of the Charles River, Medford isn't all that close to Cambridge, though certainly Cambridge would be accessible by taking the green line into Park Street and red line to Cambridge or taking the green line to Union square and then walking a mile to Harvard or MIT.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm not a Tufts booster and I think it used to be sort of a second choice school for many or even most of its undergrad student body. But that has changed as everything has gotten more competitive. And Tufts hits a sweet spot of a medium-sized (mostly) liberal arts undergrad education with the advantage of excellent grad programs. The T is coming on campus, and Somerville/Davis Square is very popular with Gen Z locals. But it's always getting bad reviews here; I don't really get it.

It's a "2nd choice school" for those that apply to several T20/25 schools (tufts is ~30). So it's just below those, but not really because it's acceptance rate is still single digits.

Tufts is 40

Most realize US News rankings have jumped the shark with their emphasis on equity/low income metrics that have nothing to do with getting a quality education. Who cares how many pell grant recipients attend a college? Arbitrary metrics are just that, arbitrary. The private schools got hit while the massive public schools suddenly became the bee knees. Most see through this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We did a swing around New England this break and learned a lot, got a vibe check at a half dozen campuses. Some colleges surprised a bit to the upside or a bit the downside.

Then there was Tufts.

What is going on there? It was so dull, the architecture looked blah, the food was terrible, the dining room was leaking. the kids all seemed bored, sitting alone (except for some teams that were eating together). No life on campus - my kid asked if they were on break. The information session was .. okay. The tour was ridiculously boring.

I know people like Tufts. What did we miss?

Quite a few academically strong, well adjusted kids ED d from our private school this year. I think Tufts hits a sweet spot-mid-size, near Boston, has strong programs in STEM and Humanities, not a lottery school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Tufts is a prison

…without the active social scene.

[Anonymous]

We live in the Boston area and my son’s BF’s mom went there and loved it in the late 90s. She pushed to have them do a summer program last year. They enjoyed the program but came back with horror stories about roaches in the dorms. I lived in NYC so have experienced roaches there, but never in the Boston area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s amazing if you want engineering but also have other (very different) interests. Their approach to engineering is unique and one that can potentially help more kids make it through. Other than that I agree that it’s meh.

Can you elaborate about their engineering approach?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The dining situation is terrible. they have two cafeterias and one of them is totally gluten free, nut free etc. I get the need to isolate some of the nut stuff, but why make 50% of your dining gluten-free exclusively? Why not just offer gluten-free options.

The other cafeteria is not great, frozen food in bags heated up style. But take a burger like that and put it on a gluten free bun and it's basically inedible.

No skin in this game but having toured a lot of colleges with my kids, Tufts seemed to have great dining services compared to many other colleges.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Their applicant quality hasn't waned. Since BU and NEU are in the city, and BC is kind of in the city, its location has some looking elsewhere.

SAT 25%-75%

Tufts 1460-1540
BC 1430-1510
BU 1450-1500
NEU 1450-1535

BC is not kind of in the city; Tufts is close to Harvard/MIT location-wise

Right, all of BC's lower campus, where upperclassmen live, is inside the city of Boston.

While Tufts is on the north side of the Charles River, Medford isn't all that close to Cambridge, though certainly Cambridge would be accessible by taking the green line into Park Street and red line to Cambridge or taking the green line to Union square and then walking a mile to Harvard or MIT.

Omg I grew up in Boston and lived in Medford and Harvard Square. You can literally walk from Tufts to Cambridge! Davis Square is right there!

[Anonymous]

Why the hate on Tufts? DCUM seems to pick a few schools and just pile on, for no reason. Last time I checked Tufts is broadly respected, the students who attend are whipsaw smart, the outcomes are good.

Now it's a roach infested turd of a school...

[Anonymous]

Pros: - Top-notch international relations program with the Fletcher School on campus.
- Great Ultimate Frisbee team (D1 despite Tufts small size)
- Close to Cambridge/Boston but plenty to do on campus.
- Great program in child study and human development
- 100% meets need
- Fun neighborhood (David Sq)

Cons:
- We don't have any 'need' acccording to them but not wanting to pay full price
- Housing situation is getting tough for students