Tufts is great in many respects. I love the academic first and foremost and that is the reason I chose to attend. But then again I am a "nose to the grindstone" kinda cat so that is what I was looking for. The cold is awful and the social scene needs a booster shot but if you want to go to a school where the international community feel is present and you can finally feel like you are making a difference now that your out of that silly high school waste-of-time, then this is the place to be. It is a lot of work and that is not joke, but there is a lot of partying going on at the frats to provide a counter balance if that is your bag.

I applied to Tufts on a whim, simply because my mom told me so. I took a tour of the school for one hour. Tufts was not my first choice. Despite all of this, I am so incredibly glad I came here. I just finished my freshman year, and I can decisively say that I was very sad to leave for the summer -- not just the people but school itself. Tufts becomes your home after the first month. The campus is beautiful and if you're lucky, you'll meet really great people. I am not a school spirit sort of person, but I am so proud of my school. The college admissions was long, grueling, and expensive. Of all the tours I took, I think the most important statement I ever heard was that no matter what college you choose, you'll be happy eventually. This definitely isn't true for all cases, but I think for most people, you learn to love where you are.

Housing is not the best. Dorms are random sized and junior/senior housing is not guaranteed, which can be a real problem junior year when about half of the student body goes abroad and everyone has to find housing.

when you get to Tufts, be proactive: seek out people, find out what activities there are, and what opportunities you have to go places, get jobs, etc. And if you have a bad attitude because your class rank wasn't high enough to get you into Brown, we don't really want you here. :)

I am trying to avoid a litany of woe, because I really believe that Tufts is a world class institution. I do, however, have serious reservations about my time here. Many people regard college as their halcyon years and look back on their Alma Mater with nostalgic fondness. This is not my experience. Although I learned a lot during my tenure, I didn’t have enough fun. Only part of this can be ascribed to a failure of character. The university bears real responsibility for the happiness of its students. Unfortunately, Tufts has a long way to go in improving the non-curricular aspects of its campus life.

Tufts colors are baby blue and brown. People tend not to like it at first but they eventually grow on you. Its HOT.

Tufts ROCKS!

Tufts is the shit

The size honestly is just perfect. As a senior, I still felt like I was meeting new people all of the time, and that they honestly didn't have a pre-conceived notion of me, like everyone did in high school. But at graduation, I felt like I was surrounded by people I knew and loved. The location is also perfect, you feel like Tufts is your home and you identify with the place, but you can walk easily to restaurants and bars, and the T is close. What I would change is school pride. I am glad that we don't revolve around sports, but people could be a little more into school spirit.

About a quarter total nerds, a quarter athletes, and the other half pretty normal kids who like to go out. Certain frats tend to interact with athletes, while others interact with the other kids who like to go out.

Haven't ever been to a professor's house or out to dinner with a professor--wonder if that's all a myth, at least for undergraduates. Still, I do get to know about half my professors personally. I really like the faculty I've dealt with at Tufts, and the workload is pretty appropriate. The distribution requirements (two classes in each of five categories) are annoying, and a nuisance.

Absolutely love love love studying at Tufts! Unless its an intro class my professors all know my name and know all about me. I absolutely love every single one of my teachers. It is way too hard to pick a favorite- but if I had to do a top five I'd pick: George Norman, Oxana Shevel, Prof. Eichenberg, Felipe Fernandez-Armesto, and Paul "Khalid" Wulfsberg. Class participation is common and people always have some pretty stimulating conversations outside class. But the great combo is that kids at Tufts know how to work hard, are genuinely interested at understanding and achieving and also know how to have a life. A lot of people are involved in volunteering (our volunteering club has over 1/5th of the students in it). I've spent the most time with my Arabic professors, because they're always putting on culture nights or film dinners. The academic requirements are really easy to fulfill, sometimes at face value they seem like a lot but if you actually go through the coursebook and see the listings you can see that most of your classes fulfull the basic requirements. I feel like my time here is well spent because I'm learning a lot more than most of my friends back home- I really feel like I'm working hard, enjoying learning as well as my other activities, meeting so many interesting people. I just love Tufts- I can't say it enough.

To generalize the party scene... Tuesday: Pub Night. Those who are 21 or older, or at least those whose ids claim they are, can go off campus to drink and hang out. Most people who do this go to Powder House pub, which isn't very far away. Thirsty Thursday: Some frats will hold parties on Thursdays... the frat scene isn't as big on Thursday as it is on Saturday, but there's usually something to do (especially during the beginning of the school year). Friday: The on-campus social scene is a bit less exciting on Fridays. "Date night" for those with significant others. Saturday: On campus, frats will hold parties (usually with some sort of theme). It's mostly freshmen and sophomores who stay on campus because of Tufts' proximity to Boston (that has all of the fun bars, clubs, etc. that juniors and seniors are old enough to get into).

yes

Tufts is pretty white and middle class - like most private universities. There are a bunch of international students, which makes the mix a lot more interesting. There is a bit of religious diversity too. I'm very critical about diversity because I'm from New York City, but I think Tufts does an okay job at diversity compared to other small liberal arts schools. In terms of interaction...I think that the campus is fairly racially segregated, which is lame - it could be worse, though. Students wear pretty regular clothes to class - nothing particularly interesting. Sometimes sweat pants, sometimes jeans and a t-shirt. Students are mostly left (but certainly not as liberal as they think they are). There are also some conservative students on campus. I think that there are few radical thinkers - also lame. There are some politically active students. Sometimes they're hard to find, but they're definitely there.

There are nerds, but that's true anywhere you find smart students. For the most part, the student body is indeed liberal, but there is a pretty decent mix. I, personally, am conservative, and I don't feel at all threatened or intimidated or challenged by other people's beliefs in any kind of negative way. As for "ugly"... I can't say I find the young men particularly attractive... but as a girl, I'm hoping I don't fit that stereotype!

Social life could be better, but it's a pretty typical college nightlife, for the most part. That the average Tufts student hangs out in Boston more than sporadically is an "urban" legend.

Whenever I tell someone from back home that I go to Tufts, I normally get a blank face or a "So a UC wasn't an option?". Not many people know of Tufts in California; it's not exactly a "brand name" school in the west. Even though I have to end up explaining where and what Tufts is a million times, I would never think of going anywhere else. I love Tufts. I love the size (you often see people you know around campus, but if you really wanted to, you could be anonymous), I love the people (everyone is interesting and friendly), and I love the academic environment (it's studious but relatively laid back).