I thought Tufts was good, but . . .

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Growing up in MA it was always quite clear that Tufts was much better than BC (and always got better MA students). There was no question.

This was my impression as well.

I grew up in Mass too. Although Tufts was considered academically respectable, that was ALL it had going for it. No real distinct identity. Campus, sports, parties, location were all mediocre. Whenever it is mentioned in any discussion board, about the best thing people can say about it is it’s near Harvard/Cambridge. And the name sounds ridiculous to many people.

[Anonymous]

USNWR is meaningless

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Growing up in MA it was always quite clear that Tufts was much better than BC (and always got better MA students). There was no question.

This was my impression as well.

I grew up in Mass too. Although Tufts was considered academically respectable, that was ALL it had going for it. No real distinct identity. Campus, sports, parties, location were all mediocre. Whenever it is mentioned in any discussion board, about the best thing people can say about it is it’s near Harvard/Cambridge. And the name sounds ridiculous to many people.

Tufts was a 90s, 2000s “adorkable” thing

In 2024, the value prop of tufts is fleeting

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP when were you applying to colleges? IME in the early 2000’s, Tufts was more desirable than BC because it would be grouped in with prestigious, culturally-similar SLACs like Williams.

I went to an elite high school close-ish to Boston and pretty much all of my friend group went to ivies, with some Gtown, Duke mixed in. In this environment Tufts was considered second-tier (out of let’s say 4) and totally respectable, while BU was definitely a safety and not too many people matriculated there.

I have never heard of “smaller version of Harvard” though and do think that’s hilarious.

Tufts is a UNIVERSITY not a SLAC. It is nothing like Williams.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I went to Duke and was accepted to Dartmouth, Amherst and Williams. I was flat out rejected by Tufts. This was in 1995. It has never been any sort of a safety nor easier to get into than BC.

This thread is so odd.

Tufts is well known for rejecting highly qualified applicants (it's called Tufts Syndrome) because it hurts its yield rate. Tufts is a back-up school for those with excellent qualifications.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:USNWR is meaningless

Except if you are about to invest 4 years and $400,000 in an undergraduate degree.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:USNWR is meaningless

Except if you are about to invest 4 years and $400,000 in an undergraduate degree.

Especially then. The current rankings are centered on social mobility which isn’t a consideration for our family.

[Anonymous]

Tufts is oddly parochial about American students. They really like admitting kids from the Boston area, the wider Northeast, boarding school kids, and then tons of wealthy full pay foreign students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:USNWR is meaningless

Except if you are about to invest 4 years and $400,000 in an undergraduate degree.

Especially then. The current rankings are centered on social mobility which isn’t a consideration for our family.

yeah, I wouldn't think being able to afford a school $300K all in+ is a family with "social mobility" issues

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just starting to look as we have a junior DD. I've had both coworkers who have gone to Tufts and friends whose kids go there. They've all acted like Tufts is just a smaller version of Harvard or a bigger version of Williams. But I just read USNWR and it's 40, below BC and Rutgers! I feel like the joke's been on me all these years as I put up with the arrogance.

USNWR jumped the shark. Their ratings no longer matter to any normal person.

[Anonymous]

Agree with above. I always considered tufts a respectable step down from Harvard and Williams, and on an individual student level more or less equal to duke, northwestern etc.
Anybody who thinks otherwise is just ignorant

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP when were you applying to colleges? IME in the early 2000’s, Tufts was more desirable than BC because it would be grouped in with prestigious, culturally-similar SLACs like Williams.

I went to an elite high school close-ish to Boston and pretty much all of my friend group went to ivies, with some Gtown, Duke mixed in. In this environment Tufts was considered second-tier (out of let’s say 4) and totally respectable, while BU was definitely a safety acc and not too many people matriculated there.

I have never heard of “smaller version of Harvard” though and do think that’s hilarious.

Tufts is a UNIVERSITY not a SLAC. It is nothing like Williams.

Isn’t its whole branding like lac campus and vibes with university resources

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Agree with above. I always considered tufts a respectable step down from Harvard and Williams, and on an individual student level more or less equal to duke, northwestern etc.
Anybody who thinks otherwise is just ignorant

This is crazy talk-Tufts is not in the same stratosphere as these top 10 research universities. Get a grip!

[Anonymous]

Tufts Fina aid is terrible and scholarships are even worse. It's not worth the cost for how difficult it os to get in. Cornell, Vandy, GU, Emory, Rice, WashU, ND etc are all better bang for your buck and equally as difficult to get into.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Agree with above. I always considered tufts a respectable step down from Harvard and Williams, and on an individual student levelheaded more or less equal to duke, northwestern etc. Anybody who thinks otherwise is just ignorant

Anyone who disagrees with you is ignorant?

Did you go to Tufts?