Tufts

[Anonymous]

Because of the point guard they just brought in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not sure what to make of it. In the 70s it almost went bankrupt. Now it seems more like a liberal arts undergrad school with a university title due to its med schools and such.

It’s decently ranked, but not that high.

It seems like a fine enough school, but what is the real attraction if you aren’t pre-med? It’s near Boston but not in it. It’s an okay campus but not great.

My sister wants her DD to apply there to be relatively close to home. But it just seems like the kind of place where there is no there there. I’d like to help sell it to my niece but am hard-pressed. She is a quiet hardworking kid but not Ivy or MIT level. I just don’t get Tufts though to even try to sell it to her.

If you went there, did you like it? What was the draw?

Unless your niece has a Nobel Prize, she won’t really get to CHOOSE a school like Tufts; the school will choose to bestow admission on her as an act of grace.

Assuming she has decent stats (over 1500 on the SATs; 3.8 unweighted GPA, with a lot of APs; finishing with at least Calculus AB for humanities and social sciences, and at least Calculus BC for math; and either at least 1550 on the SATs or else impressive activities), then she could consider applying to
Wash. U., Tufts, Rice, the University of Rochester, NYU and Emory, and maybe she’ll get into one or two, especially if she’s applying for social sciences or the humanities.

If she likes those kinds of serious, midsize schools, then she could put schools like Case Western and Brandeis in a second tier of applications.

For most non-poor white or Asian kids who don’t have family ties to super selective schools, who don’t have the support of prep school guidance counselors, and who haven’t been in the newspaper or on the radio for some accomplishment, applying to any schools more selective than those is like buying a lottery ticket. The appeal of a Tufts, relative to Harvard, is that the education is comparable, and it’s possible to go to Tufts. It’s not possible to go to
Harvard.

The simple solution is to aim for solid, slightly less selective stats flagships, like the University of Wisconsin or UVA, but that might seem like a disappointing strategy for kids who hate drinking, hate football and basketball, and want to be around a geekier bunch of kids.

At least of DC is in public

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I always liked the name...TUFFFTSSSS. It sounds elite.

really?
It literally sounds like a euphemism for ass, and their mascot is an elephant named Jumbo. I agree it’s a strong university, but from the outside it sounds like a comedy. Similarly to “American University” which sounds like it’s entirely fictional.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m the OP. I suppose I could be unhinged, though no one has certified me as such.

Yes, my sister asked me for help. Otherwise, why on earth would I be involved in this process?!

I am close to my niece and also have more education under my belt than the rest of my family, so I’m the default advice-giver.

Obviously once my niece seriously starts this process she will also have her GC. I told her anything I say (or her mom, for that matter) is just surface advice and she needs to talk through all of this with him/her/them.

I have read the online reviews, etc. Frankly they don’t sound all that positive. When I look at similar schools the culture just seems so much more positive. That’s why I was asking here if people had personal experiences. Maybe it’s better IRL than what I read on paper.

Well if your more educated and perhaps have a buck to spare I’d hire a consultant because you sound horrible and not in a position to advise a young adult.

Bet she knows “your” is really “you’re,” though.

Are you an Oncologist? You sound dead inside, it’s common with Oncologists.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Slightly overrated due to its NE location.

Curious what this means. If you mean people perceive Boston is the best area to go to college in and give a bump to Boston area schools then I don't think that's really overrating the school.

Otherwise, my experience is that the cluster of schools in Mass means that they tend to be underrated vs if they were located someplace else.

When you ask about north east anything n this board, there are a couple of people (who have not usually been, or maybe in limited capacity to advise anything) who get their hackles up.

Disregard, completely.

[Anonymous]

Hi, I am the OP. I said I was the most educated, not super educated. I’m the only one who has completed 4 years of college. I don’t have $$$ for an independent counselor.

This all started because my niece, an URM, spoke to a teacher at school who mentioned Tufts and Emory as places to look at. My sister for a variety of reasons prefers her to stay closer to home in MA.

I am doing my best to research online and talk to people. She is a serious student but is also very school-spirited focused.

I will tell her to wait and just speak to her counselor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hi, I am the OP. I said I was the most educated, not super educated. I’m the only one who has completed 4 years of college. I don’t have $$$ for an independent counselor.

This all started because my niece, an URM, spoke to a teacher at school who mentioned Tufts and Emory as places to look at. My sister for a variety of reasons prefers her to stay closer to home in MA.

I am doing my best to research online and talk to people. She is a serious student but is also very school-spirited focused.

I will tell her to wait and just speak to her counselor.

She should absolutely put Tufts at the top of her list.

[Anonymous]

My sense from peers who went to college with me 20ish years ago is that Tufts was indeed a backup for many who aspired to the Ivies. It was by mo means a safety, but it was slightly more accessible than, say, UPenn and Cornell (which were easier to get into than the other Ivy schools back then).

Having kids in that high school to college time now I would say the profile of Tufts has changed and it is drawing the kids who earlier would only have looked at the top SLACs (Amherst, Williams, Haverford, Swarthmore, etc.). These are very talented students. They seek more intimate learning environments. The only difference now in the digital age is that many more students of that profile prefer urban settings and are looking for small, contained campuses rooted in academic rigor while existing in the context of an urban setting.

We have known 3 to 7 kids each of the past few years who have gone to Tufts. Some from our children’s school, some neighbors, some from our house of worship. They have all been exceptional students. While there are certainly still the kids who go to Tufts as a reliable backup to the most selective schools, more than half of the kids we know apply ED1. That is an important data point and statement. A few others have applied ED2, which tells me they had a top choice that offered ED, it didn’t work out and Tufts was their strong number two - or they just couldn’t decide in time for an ED1 Application.

I’ve always perceived Tufts to be an impressive school. This year’s 11% acceptance rate backs that up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Slightly overrated due to its NE location.

Huh? I'd argue it's totally overshadowed by its neighbours Harvard and MIT

It is certainly, but it's location helps it a ton. Replace Tufts with Vandy, Emory, Wash and Lee, WashU, UVA even location wise and it wouldn't be top 50. Tufts only has 2 top 20 programs (I just checked) Vet medicine and occupational therapy. It's ranked in the top 30 because it's so selective, and it's so selective because of where it is,a feeder for NE prep school students.

I don’t know anything about Tufts, but location always affects a school’s appeal, and therefore its selectivity, doesn’t it? I went to Stanford, which I chose largely because of the location.

Yes, you're right but that's the point. There are schools in much less socially desirable places that are ranked much higher. Emory is in Atlanta, Rice is in Houston, Vanderbilt in NASHVILLE?!, Notre Dame in South Bend etc. If Tufts was in Alabama or Georgia instead in Massachusetts, the wealthy NE'ers would not flock to it. Tufts doesn't have to work as hard or be as academically or socially renowned as the other schools to get top students.

Tufts can attract a high performing cohort of students in part due to its location therefore it “doesn’t try as hard” and is overrated doesn’t compute to me.

I don't see what is hard to understand. Tufts has an advantage in the admissions process to get highly prepped and qualified students because of where it is. However, it cant beat schools who don't have that advantage.

[Anonymous]

My impression of Tufts from just having a kid go thru the application season (so, seeing which of her friends applied, and who is going there) is that it’s become a school for kids who weren’t going to get into the Ivies, but who wanted New England. Wealthy, preppy, full pay. That’s just the impression based on an N of about 10 of my DD’s peers who applied/decided to go there.

Agree there’s no there there.

My friend was on the faculty there in the 90s and had mostly nice things to say about her students, but did say they were mostly wealthy suburban white kids who couldn’t go elsewhere.

Not to say it’s not perfect for some kid, these are just my observations...

[Anonymous]

It's ranked in the top 30 because it's so selective, and it's so selective because of where it is, a [destination] for NE prep school students.

and DMV students whose parents are from New England and cannot stomach the thought of the kids at Tulane, Emory, Wake, or any other location on the wrong side of the Mason-Dixon line

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My impression of Tufts from just having a kid go thru the application season (so, seeing which of her friends applied, and who is going there) is that it’s become a school for kids who weren’t going to get into the Ivies, but who wanted New England. Wealthy, preppy, full pay. That’s just the impression based on an N of about 10 of my DD’s peers who applied/decided to go there.

Agree there’s no there there.

My friend was on the faculty there in the 90s and had mostly nice things to say about her students, but did say they were mostly wealthy suburban white kids who couldn’t go elsewhere.

Not to say it’s not perfect for some kid, these are just my observations...

+1 there's good students at Tufts, but my impression is the acceptance rate and test scores don't tell the entire story. Notre Dame, and Emory have higher acceptance rates but I've seen students get rejected Early from those schools just to get into Tufts RD. Tufts practices yeild protection expertly. I personally think BC is the slightly better school, but they are both ranked around where they should be.

[Anonymous]

it’s become a school for kids who weren’t going to get into the Ivies, but who wanted New England. Wealthy, preppy, full pay. That’s just the impression based on an N of about 10 of my DD’s peers who applied/decided to go there.

This. This is also entirely relevant to a couple of PPs who made different points: Tufts is ED1 and ED2 for a lot of strong, affluent students who weren't going to get into HYPMSC, anyway.

These current (not 1990s) kids have great resumes with high stats and private college counselors who have driven home the reality that Princeton is a lottery for perfect stats applicants with curated ECs -- and you shouldn't waste your EDs on it. It's not happening.

My N of 5 or 6 is that Tufts is the destination for serious females from high income households.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My impression of Tufts from just having a kid go thru the application season (so, seeing which of her friends applied, and who is going there) is that it’s become a school for kids who weren’t going to get into the Ivies, but who wanted New England. Wealthy, preppy, full pay. That’s just the impression based on an N of about 10 of my DD’s peers who applied/decided to go there.

Agree there’s no there there.

My friend was on the faculty there in the 90s and had mostly nice things to say about her students, but did say they were mostly wealthy suburban white kids who couldn’t go elsewhere.

Not to say it’s not perfect for some kid, these are just my observations...

+1 there's good students at Tufts, but my impression is the acceptance rate and test scores don't tell the entire story. Notre Dame, and Emory have higher acceptance rates but I've seen students get rejected Early from those schools just to get into Tufts RD. Tufts practices yeild protection expertly. I personally think BC is the slightly better school, but they are both ranked around where they should be.

IMO BC had (and maybe still has) a better alumni network in the Boston area but I don’t think it’s as good a school, maybe because a catholic school is appealing to some but not to most.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I went in the 90s and I liked it enough. Strong academics, safe campus, and there’s enough stuff to do. When I went it was an intelligent somewhat nerdy, crunchy granola student body. Lots of Birkenstock’s. Greek system was preppier but they represent a small portion of the student population. Overwhelmingly though the vibe from the place was ivy-reject with a chip on their shoulder and lackluster school spirit. Most students who were there didn’t want to be there and were vocal about it. It’s a good backup to Brown. It’s also good for engineering, pre med pre vet pre dentistry, IR. Other than that, I think the academics of other schools match it and have better student cultures. Outside of academia, no one really knows of tufts, haven’t encountered an alum in any of my corporate travels. I think most grads go on to grad school, med school, etc. I think tufts is good for a certain type of kid. A colleague’s son went for two years on a lacrosse scholarship and then transferred to UVA for the last two years. He says the academics at UVA were like high school compared to tufts, but the culture was way better. In hindsight no real regrets, but I would have had a blast at BC.

I went there in the ‘90’s, too. It wasn’t my top choice, but it worked out really well. I got to live off campus in a wonderful dump with terrific friends (truly, that was a highlight), all my friends were those Birkenstock wearing crunchy kids, and we were all part of the Mountain Club and spent lots of weekends at Tuft’s house in the White Mountains hiking and cross country skiing. I was an English major, and everyone I knew there was super smart. I was also an athlete and loved being able to do my sport at the division III level - serious, but not TOO serious. Somerville was great for art films and music and coffee shops. That was a long time ago, but if the vibe is still the same it’s a great place to go to college.