Tufts University Top Questions

Yes, completely accurate.

There are a few that might fit these , but that's the case with all schools.

The only one that is true is the strong international presence. Tufts is known for being a very diverse school. We certainly know how to have fun though. I was supprised by party scene because I believed the stereotypes. I couldn't have been more wrong. Plus our sports teams are actually really good. The football team has suffered in the past but its getting a lot better and a lot of teams are either 1st or 2nd in the conference. And most of the Ivy league schools are crap. I wanted to go to Tufts and I applied early decision. Sure there are some good Ivys but c'mon...Cornell? Those weirdos at Brown?

No, Tufts students work hard, but they play hard as well

Not in the least. While there are certainly the nerdy kids, as well as a fair number of Asian and Jewish kids on campus, to say that everyone on campus is like that is far from the truth. I have met every kind of person at Tufts in the past year, and I have yet to hear someone say that they were truly unhappy that they ended up at Tufts (For most of my friends, it was their first choice school).

To a certain extent, the stereotypes are true. There are a lot of wealthy students here, but I (and many others I know) depend on financial aid. That's probably like most New England liberal arts schools. Academic competition-wise, Tufts is pretty laid-back. A lot of students choose to come here to escape high school grade comparing. There are a few crazy pre-meds, but generally students work together on problem sets, for example, and aren't concerned about edging out their friends on tests. As for the Ivy reject complex - it's pretty much over. I chose Tufts over an Ivy and I know many others who have too! We seem to have some stiff competition with Brown though, and I've heard complaints of being waitlisted there. Still, students are happy where they end up.

Yes but there are other types of people that can be happy at Tufts too. Those are just the most visible on the campus

some... a lot of kids who are wealthy from NY or NJ, but many of them are really cool and unpretentious. All the stereotypes about the international kids seem true to me.

Sort of. 99{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of us did apply to Ivys and a most of us did get rejected from them or weren't offered enough aid. There is a healthy amount of competition but it's not cut-throat and even if we came in bitter, with each passing month, TUFTS feels more like home.

I do not believe in or support any stereotypes. Tufts students should be judged as individuals.

Let's face it, all stereotypes come from some truth. Yes many Tufts students are Ivy-League rejects, and some of those are definitely bitter about it. However, those students usually seem to look to transfer in my experience. Also, I know students who have gotten into Ivy-League schools but not into Tufts, so who knows how the college application process really works. I myself applied to Tufts early decision and am friends with a handful of others who did. As far as being liberal, that is pretty accurate. I have only met a handful of conservatives so far at Tufts. Yes, most of the students have money. Let's face it, the tuition is quite high. However, most of the people I know spend and manage their money very carefully and don't just throw it around. As for the girls all being unattractive, as a female I'd disagree, but I know some males who feel otherwise. As for the guys all being nerds, I mean yes a lot of them are, but being a nerd isn't a bad thing. It just means that they are smart and that even most of the frat guys can hold an intelligent conversation.

yes

There is a bit of everything.

yes

Students are generally very smart. Almost everyone was extremely involved in their high school in both academics and extra curriculars. I did not find that anybody was particularly bitter about not going to a "better" school. Tufts has a rising reputation and students were happy there. Many students were wealthy, but there were quite a few who had work-study programs and had to worry about financial issues.

we have lots of IR majors and im sure some kids used to want to be at an IVY league school but have since changed their tune because they realized that Tufts rocks.

Hells to the no! Just kidding, they are. I mean, I've heard that our courses are harder, but having not gone to an Ivy League school, I wouldn't know. As far as I'm concerned, though, it's the student that makes the student, not the university. So this Ivy League categorization can go to hell for all I care.

I find that a good number of students did apply to Ivy Leagues, as Tufts is an elite school and overlaps with that group of colleges. However, even if some did get rejected from their "first choices" schools, a great many came happily and now say they wouldn't want to be anywhere else. The amount of people that are early decision might also surprise the "Ivy-backup" nay-sayers.

Not in my experience. I've certainly come across a few examples of such attitudes, but the vast majority sneer at these stereotypes and just go on being active, enthusiastic Tufts students. Most people I know are happy to be here, and even if they initially did not have their heart set on Tufts, that tapers off pretty quickly. Many actually choose Tufts over big name schools, I feel that the type of person who makes this choice is someone who cares more about the fit of the school and the undergraduate experience than the name cred of attending a school that's mostly well-known because it has a good basketball team, or somesuch. Tufts is no Brandeis. There are a fair amount of Jews, but I think that speaks to the diversity we try to encourage. Also Hillel has an established presence - but I know lots of people who identify as ethnic Jews and don't practice the religion at all. It's true that many people adopt the North face fleece and the Uggs - but I think that's more about the need for warm clothes when you have to walk around outside in the winter. At Tufts I've been exposed to kids of all different socioeconomic backgrounds, even if on average the students do come from families that can more or less afford the costly tuition. Mostly we do not talk about socioeconomic differences, and don't let someone's financial situation ever become an issue or get in the way of a good time. Freshman year it wouldn't occur to me that some of my friends may not have the money to go out to dinner every week - by now we've found different, cost-free ways of entertaining ourselves. I know a pair of girls; one is from rural Pennsylvania and the other lives on Park Ave in Manhattan. You probably wouldn't be able to tell which is which, and they've been best friends since we got here 3 years ago.

While it is slowly changing every year, there are a large number students that consider themselves well-off. The good news is that if you assume a Tufts student is wealthy, you'll be wrong far more often than right. Furthermore, you'll mostly meet well-adjusted richer folk who would never waggle their fortunate background in anyone's face. For the obnoxious few that never learned about humility, most tend to figure it out by the end of their freshmen year.

The "Ivy envy" stereotype is totally inaccurate. It seems this stereotype started as a rumor but really isn't very applicable to the student body at all. People are at Tufts because they want to be, not because it was a last resort. The stereotype of Tufts students having their faces in their books all the time is also quite false. I, like most of the people I have met at Tufts, would have gone crazy if all we did was work. But there is a great balance at Tufts and everyone manages to have an amazing time socially while surviving academically. The liberal stereotype is very accurate, and it would be a rare sighting to come across a conservative student at Tufts. The socioeconomic stereotype is pretty exaggerated; students come from different background and situations and Tufts is, by no means, a snobby or especially preppy school.

I met a wide variety of people while at Tufts. One of my best friends is from Korea and studying to become a doctor. Another one of my friends went to high school in Geneva. Another grew up in Japan. The people at Tufts are very diverse and have very interesting backgrounds, you just have to strike up a conversation with them to hear their interesting stories. It's true that many students who apply to Tufts also apply to Ivies, but Tufts is many people's first choice too.

Yes

These stereotypes were completely inaccurate. First the social life at Tufts depends completely up to you. If you want to hang out at the fraternities or sororities you can do so. Or if you want to go to the club in Boston it is also possible. In my perspective the social life at Tufts is totally up to you. Now there are many international students, but not as many as you would imagine. Also, many times the international students mingle solely amongst each other and so you do not really feel their presence on campus.

Yes

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!

It does seem to be a trend, but we learn to embrace the fact that we are all at Tufts, and I like that even better. The students are very smart!

For the most part

yes

There are plenty of attractive people, but most of us are dorks. It's good to embrace it.

Yes. The social scene is actually fine, the prevailing opinion being that not enough places to get smashed = weak social scene. That is bollox.

Somewhat. I think it's true that Tufts was the safety of choice for a number of Ivy League applicants. That said, there are a number of kids who wanted to go to Tufts above all other universities.

Not accurate- I know plenty of people who turned down Ivys to come to Tufts. Also, every school that is a very competitive school that is not an Ivy is going to have this stereotype.

No, although for example, Tufts has a huge Hillel, Tufts is much more diverse than many other small colleges/universities, probably because of its larger size and relatively urban location, as well as a strong commitment to diversity.

unfortunately they are

What I have seen at Tufts has ranged from high calliber students who show passion for intellectual stimulation to students who don't want to participate, don't do there work, or even just don't show up to class. Does that make a new ivy? I don't know because I can't say if the actually ivy schools are any different. What I can say is that I've much more enjoyed the classes I've had with a high percentage of the former, and as I've moved away from introductory lectures to smaller upper level courses, I've started to experience this more often.

It is pretty accurate to say that Tufts students are those who were rejected by ivies. However, in many ways I think this is a good thing, as these kids do not have the attitudes of many Ivy League students.

You can find those types, but you can also find a lot of different people here

Both of these stereotypes are only half true. Yes, Tufts is typically liberal, and we have plenty of tree-huggers and plenty of pot smoking. But that's not to say that we don't also have plenty of conservative students, and drugs are up to you: if you want them, you'll find them, but there's not omnipresent. As far as the "bitter ivy-league rejects" stereotype goes, yes, lots of kids at Tufts applied to and were rejected from the ivy leagues, but I don't think there's all that much bitterness. In general, people are really happy to be at Tufts. Almost everyone I know loves Tufts!

Tufts students definitely do party. I would say at least half of the student body goes out regularly. We work hard, but we also hit the bars, frats and house parties whenever possible. The girls are not as good looking as at state schools or as in California or in the south, but they are much better looking than girls at some of the other small New England Schools.

there are some people like that but most are not. i would say that almost everyone there is actually very happy

Yes.

Maybe, but so is everyone at the top schools. It's just that we are so close to Harvard. Students at Wesleyan and other similar schools are Ivy League rejects too. Furthermore, there are certainly people that chose Tufts over Ivies.

Do we even have an athletic program? Yes, it's very true that Tufts is oblivious to sports, except for Homecoming weekend, but even then, students rarely know who Tufts is even playing against! I personally have not experienced the lack of parties AT ALL while at Tufts. If you want to find a party, you will. I am heavily involved in the theater community at Tufts, and I almost find that I am looking for a break from parties sometimes because the weekends are crammed with cast parties and many other off-campus festivities. The wealth factor at Tufts is apparent, but Tufts is extremely diverse. I know people who are getting almost full rides to Tufts because of financial aid and people who could probably pay for 7 tuitions without breaking a sweat.

For the most part, yes, but there exists some diversity within this homogeneous mixture

Well, I don't really know about how much people drink, because it all seems like too much too me. Sometimes the smartest people are the ones who make dumb decisions... strange, eh?

no. lots of kids have fun and work hard

To some degree--there are all types of people on Tufts' campus, though

Especially in the last couple years, I really think Tufts has outgrown its place as a wannabe Ivy. It's a prestigious university in its own right and we've attracted smart kids who want to be here. Kids aren't as bitter as they used to be that they are at Tufts (instead of an Ivy) because they realize what a great school it is and they appreciate that Tufts kids know how to have fun. I will admit that we are all a bit socially awkward, but it's usually hilarious; I also think our generation is obsessed with awkwardness, so Tufts just basks in it. In terms of preppiness, Tufts definitely attracts its share of Connecticut preps (especially in the frats). We seem to be getting more indie/hipster kids in the last couple years, so we have a pretty varied group. As a prestigious school, Tufts does tend to attract kids from fairly wealthy families, which is why we do have some preps and japs.

Nope. I would agree that Tufts is not a "Michigan" but it sure does know how to have a good time. While Greek life is not huge on campus, they still are home to lots of weekend parties. Tufts has themed houses that have parties, and lots of kids throw house parties. Overall, we find our way to have a good time.