Tufts University Top Questions

Sure.

Well there is certainly some truth to all of them, but (thankfully) not all Tufts students are awkward IR or pre-med kids that were rejected from yale...but some are. :)

Tufts has become so competitive in the past few years it's ridiculous to call it any kind of safety school. I think kids at Tufts generally work hard, but play hard too - at least they have in the past - it's becoming more and more difficult for students to party as the administration cracks down more and more on Greek life on campus. The sorority system is almost unrecognizable to what it was when I was a new member only three years ago. It seems the school is trying to weed Greek life out of Tufts, but the truth is that, at least historically, most of the parties and fun stuff on campus happens within Greek life. It plays a vital role for most students regardless of whether or not they want to become formally involved. I know boys who still show up to frat parties as seniors that have never pledged a fraternity in their lives. Freshman definitely all rely on the frats to party though, because they are forced to live on campus under strict watchful eyes, rather than off campus where upper classmen enjoy the freedom to do what they want.

to an extent

Students definitely take their classes very seriously. However, there isnt much competition between students. Its primarily students being competitive with themselves and holding themselves to high standards.

There are a lot of students who were rejected from ivy league schools, but Tufts is a ton of fun, there is plenty to do.

Yes, but that doesn't imply that the students aren't excellent or that Tufts isn't a really good school.

sort of, yes (some students fit)

yes.

No way! Tufts was my number one choice, and I applied ED. I know so many other people who were thrilled to have gotten in to Tufts and would never have chosen elsewhere-- even a couple who turned down Harvard to be a Jumbo.

There is some truth to this stereotype. Many students at Tufts had applied to ivies and likely did not get in. While many first year students start off their Fall semester somewhat bitter, the effects of the stereotype are soon gone, and students are largely happy with being at Tufts regardless of whether or not it was their first choice.

YES

They were true relative to my experience at Boston College, where I did my undergraduate degree.

Tufts is very academically-based and I find it comforting to know that every students recruited there for their athletic ability got in first on their academics and second on their sportsmanship. Tufts students (or at least a good portion) are really smart, sometimes intimidatingly so, and very active citizens. In fact, at times it's overwhelming how many causes everyone wants you to be involved in. There is certainly a rich and preppy crowd as well, which you'll find at any school, but probably more so at those with a big price tag. Tufts has a large international population as well and they give out very little financial aid to international students, so a fair amount of foreign students are quite wealthy. However, I've found that most of the people I've met are easy to get along with.

That pretty much sums it up. If you look hard enough, you can find people who are more interested in screwing around, but overall, the school attracts kids who are serious about their academics.

yes

The liberal stereotype is very accurate - most students are really concerned about the environment. The Ivy League reject stereotype is NOT accurate. Sure, some of us got rejected, but I actually have a lot of friends who were accepted to Ivy League schools and decided to go to Tufts instead.

No

tufts is very international and diverse; the students are only concerned with international issues and are usually not informed at all and are socially awkward

true about the boys i think the social scene is great--there's something for everyone: frats, house parties, school-sponsored events etc

I don't think all the stereotypes are true. I can definitely say that Tufts students are extremely intelligent and the majority really care about globalism and politics. I can say that there are the fair share of extreme nerds and extreme jocks. Whoever said that Tufts students don't have fun though was very wrong. It is very possible to have a good social life here and believe me most Tufts kids know how to have fun- even if they learned a little later in life than most.

I'd say 50{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} accurate. There is some truth in the stereotypes. Many of the people I've talked to were rejected from Ivy League schools, including myself. At the same time, this was the first choice for lots of people. The school is 33{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} Jewish, so probably 1 in 3 men are Jewish. Walking around campus, a lot of the guys who do look the same, but there are a lot of athletes, too.

The emphasis on global leadership is accurate. International Relations is an extremely popular major here and even if you're not majoring in IR you are in a diverse environment that encourages global thinking when possible. As I just said, the student body at Tufts is diverse, so the stereotypes are partially true but what I have seen in my time here is that as many nerds as there are, there are jocks, artists, the works.

Yes. More than half of the people were denied by ivy's, and the people who weren't, applied to Tufts Early Decision.

I think the stereotype is true for the most part - the only students I've met who don't care about activism and global affairs are those who either didn't research Tufts before they came here or for whom this school was not a first choice.

Mostly yes. You can find all types of workers, those who lock themselves in their rooms for 2 weeks before a test, and those who study only the night before. Big spread in majors. Very preppy, and indie growing along with the nation. Large Jewish population. And very vocal minority groups eg republicans, LGBT center members.

No.

This stereotype is somewhat accurate, because I know many students, including myself, that didn't get into top universities.

From what I have seen, alot of students have indeed applied to Ivy-league schools as their first or second choice. This leads to a population of very smart and intelligent students. But there are of course students who's first choice or even reach school was Tufts, so I think it's pretty balanced. The party scene may not be as big as some of other college campuses, but it is definitely not pathetic. There is usually always something to do-frat parties, house parties, etc. The workload is definitely demanding. Tufts is far from an easy school. The professors, although very good teachers, require alot from their students. It definitely is not an easy ride; you will have alot of homework, tests will be pretty hard, and good grades won't come easy. But it's still manageable and fun!

To a certain extent. As I said there are some perfectly attractive people here, Tufts students just don't put much emphasis on appearance. Also there are a lot of activist kids, some of whom go overboard in my opinion. But these kids just really want to create a brighter future, which is a good attitude to be around.

Not at all. Many of my friends have turned down the likes of Harvard, Brown, and Princeton to come to Tufts.

students do enjoy class and learning, but most kids really aren't that dorky. almost everyone enjoys going out to parties, whether or not they drink. my friends and i do joke about tufts goggles (we put them on when we're out at frats and have to lower our standards) I don't think students here are really that much less attractive than any other university to the point where it's a problem.