High stats DD loved Tufts (also loved Yale and Brown, which seemed similar in many ways). Did not like Penn, Columbia, Cornell…I don’t understand kids who apply to all the Ivies- they have such different vibes!

Right now she's got Tufts as her ED1. Nice to hear your DD liked it too!

if there's a college you love, want to attend, have the stats and can pay for, definitely ED 1

We visited this past week and DD loved Tufts! College counselor is telling her to ED if she loves it... are you thinking ED1 or ED2?

Our DD (who also has competitive stats for a more selective college) also fell in love with Tufts on our recent April tour and is planning to ED there now. We visited on two days at different times. We were there for a morning tour and had a great info session (AO Will?) and then a decent tour guide. DD was pretty sold by then, but the next evening stopped by around 5:00 to see a friend and saw the campus looking socially vibrant to a degree we didn't observe in the morning - everyone was out on the lawns, talking, playing games, and students in the dining hall were all sitting in groups and talking. No one was alone or on phones. We had this experience at a couple of other schools too - visiting at different times of day and getting a really varied social impression.

It's funny to hear the range of opinions about the curb appeal of the Tufts campus - I had read online that many people don't like it and that kids cross it off their list after visiting, but we found it to be lovely and were pleasantly surprised. We're also encouraged by the fact that the few kids we know who have landed at Tufts in recent years are complete gems.

@PP who mentioned the Amherst info session: we had the same negative experience last week. AO with the red lipstick giving a stuffy and self-congratulatory speech and displaying outright condescension in response to questions and comments from the audience. Shockingly bad for a school of that caliber. Then we had a tour with the most personable and articulate kid I've met in years and he completely saved the school for our DD. They should make him AO.

Tufts is extremely popular at top privates in our (nonDMV) area. It seems like it’s a top choice for a lot of high stats kids who also love Brown but who don’t have crazy stellar ECs and/or have no hooks.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When we visited Boston area schools it was #1 on our child's list. After the visit, it dropped off their list completely. On the top of a windy hill,l and not actually in Boston, looks/feels more like a hodgepodge than a school community, and the students we met were ultra competitive rather than collaborative, which is what was the final nail in the coffin for our kid. But hey, you do you

campus is meh.
could be a great fit for a kid who wants to be in boston area or didn't get in elsewhere

I know several kids who have applied ED1 to Tufts from my kids school. It may not be your first choice but it's not always someone's second. I wonder if, in part, this is a regional thing? I am in NJ and many kids like Tufts (it's more popular than some similar schools like Emory that are popular on this board).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When we visited Boston area schools it was #1 on our child's list. After the visit, it dropped off their list completely. On the top of a windy hill,l and not actually in Boston, looks/feels more like a hodgepodge than a school community, and the students we met were ultra competitive rather than collaborative, which is what was the final nail in the coffin for our kid. But hey, you do you

campus is meh.
could be a great fit for a kid who wants to be in boston area or didn't get in elsewhere

DC wasn't interested in visiting Tufts when visiting Boston area colleges. Will go to Boston U in the fall.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I cannot believe how juvenile seniors and some parents are when it comes to hanging everything on a single tour guide.

And parents allow this?

Because we were all seniors once and there are _so_ many colleges out there. I ruled out Brown because it felt depressing. My mom was upset and made me visit again, but it didn’t help. I ended up attending a different competitive college (HYPMS).

I wouldn’t let my kid apply ED to one of these schools if he were a recruit and great fit at my alma mater. But if a school meets the minimum requirements (program he wants to study, size and location), I’m not worried that he’s swayed by the somewhat silly factors that influence a 16 or 17 year old. It’ll be fine. I’m focused on grad school.

Also, because there are so many schools and so many possible combinations for a nice, “balanced list,” kids should be arbitrary. What matters is that they end up with a good list of schools they can be happy attending; it doesn’t matter so much how they got there.

Anonymous wrote:When we visited Boston area schools it was #1 on our child's list. After the visit, it dropped off their list completely. On the top of a windy hill,l and not actually in Boston, looks/feels more like a hodgepodge than a school community, and the students we met were ultra competitive rather than collaborative, which is what was the final nail in the coffin for our kid. But hey, you do you

campus is meh.
could be a great fit for a kid who wants to be in boston area or didn't get in elsewhere

Anonymous wrote:I dont see Tufts mentioned on this board a lot but if you its in the decision pool i just wanted to give a shoutout - the professors are great and deeply caring and overall my child is absolutely loving it there. The campus is not in the heart of Boston but there is a T train stop right on campus and its easy to get to the city. Good luck to all students making their choices.

yep, easy enough to get to boston on the T if they want

Anonymous wrote:Agree Tufts and BU not nice campuses and no school spirit

I can't talk about Tufts since we didn't visit, but I disagree about BU.
It was nice, especially the East Campus along with the Charles River. Make sure you visit all campus areas, including housing, not just Commonwealth Avenue.
Also, I felt the spirit was high and positive, but this can depend on who you're around at the time.

Anonymous wrote:I cannot believe how juvenile seniors and some parents are when it comes to hanging everything on a single tour guide.

And parents allow this?

Right. It’s much better to hang everything on a USNWR ranking.

Anonymous wrote:I cannot believe how juvenile seniors and some parents are when it comes to hanging everything on a single tour guide.

And parents allow this?

Because we were all seniors once and there are _so_ many colleges out there. I ruled out Brown because it felt depressing. My mom was upset and made me visit again, but it didn’t help. I ended up attending a different competitive college (HYPMS).

I wouldn’t let my kid apply ED to one of these schools if he were a recruit and great fit at my alma mater. But if a school meets the minimum requirements (program he wants to study, size and location), I’m not worried that he’s swayed by the somewhat silly factors that influence a 16 or 17 year old. It’ll be fine. I’m focused on grad school.

I cannot believe how juvenile seniors and some parents are when it comes to hanging everything on a single tour guide.

And parents allow this?