Tufts University Top Questions

Tufts is a pretty great school. You know it's a great school because all of the students who go here are awesome and they all love it. Actually, most everyone who goes to college loves where they go. If you didn't, then you're either REALLy in the wrong place or there's something really wrong with you. Tufts has tons of cool students (but sometimes you have to find them). Very liberal campus, but that's the way it is. There's lots of rich selfish kids that go here, but you get used to that. I was at first dissapointed with the students here, noticing WAY too many popped collars. But I soon realized that the rich-preppy-white-kid presence was only one part of the people here... you have to find your niche. Supposedly the faculty here are outstanding, but how would I know that? I've never been to any other schools. I'm an engineer, so my education isn't "global" despite anything the tour guides tell you. But I can tell you that you're going to get a great engineering education, and you can take great classes at a wonderful liberal arts school. Perfect for technical people who can be nerdy, but just not all the time.

the best thing about tufts is the diverse student body.

The size is great. Getting involved in extracurriculars is easy, and since it's a sizable university there are a lot of them. That said, playing a leadership role in those extracurriculars is fairly easy because the student body isn't as big as those of most universities with as many extracurricular programs as Tufts has.

Tufts is perfect in a lot of ways...it's a gorgeous enclosed campus, but it's right by Davis Square, which has a lot of restaurants, bars, and coffee shops. Boston is really accessible by T or bus (20ish minutes), and Cambridge has countless fun little neighborhoods to explore. The school is a great size because I always recognize people at events and run into people I know on my way to class, but there are always people I haven't met yet. After four years at Tufts, I never felt claustrophobic--it's big enough that everyone can keep their own business private. The president of the university (Larry Bacow) and his wife (Adele) are SO adored by the student body. They are incredibly accessible and make an effort to be involved in all activities on campus. We can tell that they care so much about this school and its students, and that's clear in the fanclubs the Bacows have amassed over the years. Tufts is fairly old, so we do have some pretty stellar traditions (the Naked Quad Run is famous and it's my personal favorite). Although our athletics aren't well known, they have had a great run in the last 4 years. In general, the student body is friendly, smart, and really fun. Kids care about learning, but they're also here to have a good time. Tufts has a good balance of working really hard, but also knowing how to loosen up sometimes. There are a lot of kids here who may come across as ditzes or slackers, but then you have a class with them or read their papers and you realize they're actually closet geniuses.

The best thing about Tufts is the focus on Undergraduate education, and the strong possibility of receiving funding for any personal projects a student may desire to take on. This students to develop an independent study for credit or not for credit in order to further his or her own interests. The student body size is just right: you can feel like you know a lot of people, but there are still always new ones to meet. When I tell people I go to Tufts people either a) have never heard of the school or b) are pretty impressed. I spend most of my time on campus either with my housemates or in the library. Tufts has a pretty great location for a college. It is just outside Boston, and is complete with its own town square in the town of Somerville. The downside to being just outside of Boston is that transportation late at night, after the T stops running is unavailable. This means if you want to go partying in Boston you need to either have a designated driver or take a cab back (which is not too terrible). I have mixed feelings about Tufts administration. The university is open to student input, but at the same time the window for compromising on certain big issues can be narrow. For instance, the university is currently moving in the direction of being a research oriented institution, meaning that all faculty are basically required to pursue some research and the students are also encouraged to do so. This means that if there is a great professor who is not conducting research, he or she can be removed from their position by the university. I have run into a difficulty with this, as one of my two favorite professors was recently required to leave Tufts due to lack of research. He was voted "Professor of the Year in 2006" by students. I think that Tufts may be forgetting too much about their pride in undergraduate education through its quest for top- level research. I would also say that this is one of the main controversies here at Tufts. There is TONS of school pride. Once you step on campus, you will never stop hearing the three words: brown, blue, and jumbos!

Tufts is a rising liberal arts college that has a strong international focus. It is probably the right school to choose if you are interested in going abroad for part or all of your junior year. It has one of the strongest undergraduate IR programs in the country and a large part of the student body is made up of students from outside the US. It is very campus based. Although students enjoy sports, the athletic program is pretty weak. This is not a the right fit if you are looking to spend a lot of time at football or basketball games, since Tufts is a third division school and the games aren't very well attended and a lot less glamorous than a D-1 school.

Tufts is a school of 5000 undergrads. It has good food, okay dorms, very nice people, a variety of things to do, it's near boston (quick train ride), it has it's own police force (weird? yes), a variety of academic situations (Some more structured, some big lectures, some small seminars)...it's an overall good place.

I think Tufts is a good size for a University. At around 5,000 students, it's neither too big nor too small. Medford isn't the best area, but it's a great option for students who want the convenience and opportunities a city like Boston offers, but prefer not to be in an urban environment. Boston is a great city for college students, and it's easily accessible from Tufts. We're trying to increase Tufts' name recognition. When you tell someone back home that you go to Tufts, they're impressed if they've heard of it, but there's a decent chance that you'll just get a blank stare.

Tufts rests right near Davis Square in Somerville - one of the most up and coming areas of Boston. The area around Tufts was once considered a slum and now its nearby Davis Square is getting trendier and more fun by the minute. Everyone who lives in Davis is cute, does yoga, and has tattoos.

The people I've met and the friends I've made are incredible; so intelligent, interesting, funky, hysterical. They really care about the bigger picture, what's outside the university bubble that so few see beyond. also, Tufts has given me opportunities related to my major--international relations--that I never would have had, had I not attended tufts. Right now, for example, I'm taking a semester off and interning at the UNHCR. It's interesting because in the humanitarian field, when I tell people that I go to tufts, they react as people do domestically when someone says that he/she attends harvard; it has an incredible reputation abroad, especially concerning international humanitarian law, human rights, refugee/migration issues, etc. Obviously there are problems. I worked on a divestment campaign with the administration, encouraging it to divest funds from companies that indirectly do business with sudan (weapons cos, oil cos, etc). representatives just kept dishing out the same, transparent excuses, and a fletcher student interested in the movement said that the admin pays attention just long enough to make students feel as htough they've accomplished something, made some headway; then the students graduate, there is no more pressure for the admin to do anything, and the issue dies down. tufts is a business, in it to make money, but this certainly isn't unique to tufts.

Tufts is an amazing community that provides students with so many opportunities. Its not a huge college town type of school and its not like the other NESCAC schools (Bates, Bowdoin etc) which are very small. For me, Tufts is the perfect sized school that isnt so large that you feel lost and insignificant and its not too small where everyone knows everyone by the end of the first week. I will always remember staying up the whole night to paint and guard the cannon(a tufts tradition where anyone can paint a cannon for any event/group/birthday etc). We painted it to wish our softball team good luck at the conference tournament. While it was absolutely freezing outside, it was totally worth it.

Tufts is a good suburban school, you have access to Boston but most people don't actually use it because there is plenty to do around campus.

I would say at first glance Tufts looks pretty homogeneous, a sea of brown fleece. Although there are lots of preppy types and over achievers Tufts also has hidden coves of different, interesting people. Given the opportunity you can meet some pretty kooky people, but don't expect Tufts to be a hub of hipness. There are lots of rich kids. There are a fair number of people that I would identify as "uptight" but who you meet has a lot to do with where you live and who you hang-out with. Both the Arts Haus and the Crafts house(to themed houses where you can live starting freshman year) are places of interest and oasis' from the l.l. bean and j. crew crowds.

campus is alright. It's all on a hill - hard to avoid the hill. College students are generally lazy walkers unless you're a go-getter. Right outside the city - very close to public transportation. The locals, whom Tufts students call "townies" try to bully tufts students. Those students who are mean, ignorant of the locals - to me it's like a dog sense - if the locals can tell you are scared or you're not real they'll be rightfully all over you. But if you're a real person who doesn't mind respecting and talking with locals you'll be alright. School is cliquey (like AAfricans hang with Africans, Europeans hang with Euros and so on) but there are a good amount of people who are past that and reach beyond their ethnicity. There's not much talk about on campus, but like i say if you're a go-getta you can do. People won't do anything beyond their norm unless someone initiates - so the opportunities are there. If you're not from New England, I wouldn't reccommend it. Don't get me wrong, coming to a school in Boston, I reccommend the experience, but the social life gets old fairly qucikly. Be careful with the "pre-frosh" invite. Tufts does nothing all year and then try to dress up the school to basically 'sell' Tufts to students. They try to make it all exciting, vibrant and happy when normal days aren't like that. There is no school pride (our biggest event is a Naked Quad Run - ask somebody about the dumb event), but a whole lot of individual pride. If you are applying to colleges, PLEASE VISIT as many Pre-Frosh invites as possible. Cuz U'll get a better idea of how the school is trying to "sell it" to you and what's reality. I'm from DC and I wish I never went to the school, but at the same time Boston (and the colleges) is very unique. It's a place where you would want to say "I've been there." There's a big disjunct between students and admin. Unless you're already an A student, the admin seems to be out to fail students. One more advice, IF you know you are a Family Person and You Know Thy'll Support U, Don't Go to School Far (more than 3 hrs.) from HOME, especially if you're not from NE. It's one of the worst places to stay if you have that situation. The people of New England are just like the weather, VERY COLD-HEARTED. They won't even speak to you, unless, like I said, you are a GO-GETTER. You have to be a real Go-getta to survive socially (even academically) at Tufts. So I know you want to go to college far from home, but I please know that family support situation. Nobody really likes NE, except NE. I reccommend you don't go to any school more northern than NYC. But do find a friend who goes to school in NE because, like I said, NE is a place where you would want to say "I've been there. And seen that." Peace

worst school ever

The size and location of Tufts is perfect for me. There are enough students that you can make lots of friends but still be able to meet new people all the time, but it's not so big that you're just a number. We're so close to Boston, but don't have to really deal with the city and the T unless it's just for a day. I find that Tufts didn't used to be a name that people knew when I told them where I was applying. That's changed considerably in recent years, with a lot of Tufts grads making important contributions to the real world... Now when I tell people where I go, more often than not I get both recognition and respect. The most frequent student complaints are the things you hear on any college campus-- dining hall options/hours, the housing system, living costs, etc. Tufts handles them as well as any other university. Walking up the hill to class in winter isn't exactly a blast, but what can you do about that? It builds character, anyway.

The great thing about Tufts is that it is big enough that you don't bump into that crazy ex-girlfriend or boyfriend (or both, depending on your preference) all the time and have that awkward glance but it small enough that you at least recognize most people in your class. One of the major reasons that I decided to go to Tufts over some other comparably ranked schools I got into was because it has a campus (with lots of grass and trees) but is still very close to a major city (Boston). You get the best of both worlds. Potentially the most unusual thing at Tufts is our annual Naked Quad Run (NQR) where the student body lets off steam before exams by running around the quad naked in December (which is a bit cold for us guys).

Tufts is a great school to attend. Everything you could possibly want is within reach and you get a top notch education. The student body is very accepting of all cultures and I had no trouble making many different groups of friends during my time at Tufts.

I really liked the size of my graduate program at the Fletcher School and thought that it was an appropriate size and scale for what I wanted. There is certainly some tension between the Fletcher School and the University and it is often stated that Fletcher is exclusive and shut off from the remainder of the University. There are some initiatives to overcome this barrier, and I think and hope that it is changing. I thought that the student traditions at Tufts were really fun, and there seems to be an international presence and interest at the school that is really notable

This school is the perfect size. It isn't too small so it's a change from high school, but it is small enough that the students don't get lost in the shuffle. It's in the perfect location. It has a campus, but is 15 minutes from the great city of Boston. The administration at Tufts is available, but not overbearing. Mostly, there are people pulling for ya every step of the way and help is readily available when college becomes (and it will) a little overwhelming.

I think the great thing about Tufts is that it's sort of what you wanted high school to be like but never was. It's filled with everyone who really took school seriously (they wouldn't be there if they didn't) but who know how to take a breather once in a while. The size is perfect, for me anyway. I wanted a school bigger than my high school, which was a little over two thousand. I looked at and applied to a fair number of the excellent small liberal arts schools, but I think they'd just be too small. Tufts has a little over 5000 undergrads and around 9000 with grads -- no where near a state school and large university, but still enough that you'll always be meeting new people. I guess the first thing that drew me to Tufts, as shallow as it is to say, is its name. I'm a sucker for rankings, though I feel that Tufts deserves to be higher than it is. It's a tough school to get into and not so easy to do well -- but I think the students going there realize this and want that challenge. The environment is pretty good. I wanted to be in a big city, and Boston definitely has a lot to offer, although I can't stand Red Sox fans. They're absolutely awful. Tufts itself is in walking distance of Davis Square. Davis Square itself is alright -- good restaurants but not much else unless you want to go into Boston, which is only about fifteen minutes away by T. Unless you want to go to parties, though, there's not much to do on campus on the weekends, but there has been a huge initiative to change this and improve "community."

Tufts kids tend to be pretty active, so there are plenty of events going on all the time, but many of them are geared towards a pretty narrow audience, and uninteresting to just about everybody else. A couple times a semester there will be some decent music or a comedian, and some lame speakers. A lot of our facilities are pretty outdated. Some of the science labs are nice (but not all), but we don't take very good care of our athletes. The basketball gym isn't qualified to host an NCAA tournament game. Nobody as far as I know goes to watch any of the football games. School spirit is pretty low. Kids don't leave campus very much. There are a couple bars nearby that will fill up on a Tuesday night, but that's about it. People will say Tufts is "in Boston," but its a good 10 minute walk and 25 minute train ride to get into downtown, and since it's pretty cold most of the school year, most kids don't even bother. The frats will through parties almost every weekend, but it's not always easy (or possible) to get in. As an upperclassmen, there start to be more house parties as kids move of campus.

There is always way too much to do on campus. I love it. Its truly great

I wish the student body had more school spirit. We're really big on the arts, though so there is usually something happening on campus. I think the size is very nice. Most people in the Midwest don't know what Tufts is, but I've noticed that the really educated people tend to know about Tufts. I spend most of my time in my dorm because of the sense of community there.

I love Tufts. I loved it from the moment I took my first tour. It is the perfect size school- not to small and not to big. In one day you can see many familiar faces and also many that are not familiar. Its nice to be able to go into Carmichael Dining Hall and know that you will recognize someone but not everyone. Tufts campus is beautiful. It is a suburban campus that is also so urban- only miles from Boston. The located of the campus is perfect; you have a smaller suburb, Harvard Square, and a booming city. Being an athlete, I have been subjected to school spirit more so than other students. I'm a biased opinion when it comes to this because I see the spirit first hand being on a team but many other students don't even know what sports teams we have. I think each year the school is paying more attention to sports and people are starting to follow them more often. School spirit lies most heavily with our mascot Jumbo, not our football team. In fact, at homecoming I went down to tailgate the football game, but didn't even see it. As my freshman year comes to an end I have so many new amazing memories and I don't think I would be able to pick my favorite. I can say that the things I remember most are the loads of freshman out on the res-quad playing Frisbee during orientation, my first college class, my first frat party at ATO, and my first swim meet.

A lot of people have heard of Tufts in passing, but don't know where it is. I think the board is trying to change that, so we do have a bigger presence in the household. A reliable source did tell me that Tufts is well-known among the Ivy Grad schools - which is a good thing! I love Tufts. It wasn't my first choice, or my second, or my third. To be honest, when I first arrived, I was not excited. After talking to people, however, my opinion has completely changed. The people has are not pretentious, down-to-earth, and really motivated to pursue their interests. I've heard a lot of inspiring stories from students. I have a love-hate relationship with the campus. We're "the light on the hill". This hill can seem like Mt. Kilimanjaro on certain days. Walking from the gym to my dorm takes about 10 minutes, which can seem like an eternity in the bitter cold New England wind. During the fall, though, the changing leaves was absolutely breath-taking, and the Academic Quad is gorgeous! Landscaping needs some improvement though as does the general architecture.

The best thing about Tufts is the people I have met here so far.I've been able to meet unbelievable people that I never would have had the opportunity to get to know elsewhere. I would definitely change the residential life services here if I could change one thing. Tufts is the perfect size; with about 5000 undergrad it's large enough that you don't feel constricted to one field or group of people, but it's small enough that you see familiar faces everywhere and have a clear sense of community. Tufts' size was a definite factor in my choosing to attend it. On campus I probably spend most of my time in my room during down time during the day. At night during the week I usually hang out with my friends in a neighboring dorm. Boston is not FAR from Tufts, but that doesn't make Medford a college town by any means. Davis Square in Somerville is a nice place to go to get away from campus or go to dinner and the T takes you right into Boston from there, but other than that there isn't much here. Most students complain about the food, which is good but gets old as any cafeteria food would after a while. There are also a lot of complaints about Residential Life.

Most people don't really know what Tufts is, and until the "peer" schools, meaning the Ivy's, start to see Tufts as an equal, most people won't really know what/where Tufts is.

I think that this school is pretty small - there's a huge division between "uphill" and "downhill" so if you live in either place those are the people you will see all the time. When I tell most people from California that I go to Tufts they have no idea what I'm talking about.

Coming from London, not many of my English friends knew the school, but parents knew and definitely people in the States are impressed. The school can be a little on the small side. if you don't know someone, you know someone who does. and the same people go out to parties, so you see the same people a lot. however, boston and all its schools are right here, so there's plenty to get out and see. as an upperclassmen i spend my time on campus in the campus center (also as i work there). a lot of seniors live in houses surrounding the campus, so evenings are spent hanging out there. There is a surprising amount of school spirit considering going to school games is not the thing to do. i love having the city right next to us, yet feeling like a liberal arts college. the most recent and large controversy is the Student Activities Director embezzling money. The weather can suck in the winter and there are no towels in the dorm bathrooms.

Tufts is a great size - large enough that there's always new people to meet, but small enough that there are plenty of familiar faces around campus. The most popular reaction to hearing that I go to Tufts is "My mom went there" or "Do you know...?" Everyone knows the school and hears good things about it. A lot of my time on campus (outside of class/home) is spent in the library, which isn't as terrible as it sounds..a large part of the student body spends weekends there, but that makes it a lot more enjoyable. But that doesn't mean that everyone spends all of their time studying. People go into Boston on the weekends, but at night there's enough stuff on campus that it's easy to go weeks without leaving. Boston is close enough to go for a few hours, but not as convenient as I had thought. College administration is good enough..there's always something to be frustrated about, but it never much matters. Students just need to stay on top of things. There have unfortunately been a bunch of problems recently with racist entries in one of the conservative campus publications, and a school administrator was fired this year for embezzling $300,000 in student organization funding.

The best thing about Tufts is its diversity. I would have more school spirit. My school is slightly too small. Many people are impressed that I go to Tufts or they never have heard of it. Yes, I spend most of my time on campus. We live a perfect distance from a college city. I like the administration. The biggest controversy would be alcohol abuse. There is not enough school pride. I will always remember going to the culture show and seeing how many students at Tufts have such cultured backgrounds and so much talent to accomapny that. Students wish the athletic facilities were better and that sport events were attended more.

The best thing about Tufts is the overall atmosphere. There is a niche for every student and their diverse interests. Everyone is really nice. The school is the perfect size, not to big, not too small. Some people have never heard of Tufts. But when you tell people in the know that you go to Tufts, they are really impressed. I spend most of my time on campus at the dining hall, which is beautiful and has great food, talking to my friends. Tufts has a great location, having its own campus but having plenty of options off campus to go to. Boston has a million things to do and Davis Square has great places to eat. Tufts administration is the worst thing about Tufts. There is a lot of red tape and a lack of organization. I wish there was more school pride at Tufts. As an athlete, I know that every team has great spirit at Tufts but I wish more students came and supported the teams. The most frequent student complaints are about Greek life and housing

The best thing about Tufts is that it's a medium-sized school. This allows for both diversity and intimacy among the student population. The campus is also pretty medium-sized, so it's easy to get around, but not too small where you feel clustered. When I tell people I go to Tufts, most often I get a very positive reaction with much admiration. However, there are times when people (usually from the south or west) have not heard of Tufts. Boston is the nation's largest college town, which is why being at Tufts is so awesome. Harvard, MIT, BU, MCP, Wellesley, Northeastern, etc. are all pretty close to Tufts, so it's cool that you are surrounded by other college students. School pride is not as great as other schools. This is probably because our sports teams, mainly our football team, isn't has popular. Something that I find unusual about Tufts is that it is a very "hilly" school. This can be a good and bad thing. Good because you are always working out, bad because you are always working out. But it balances out because the campus is gorgeous; the academic and residential quads are beautiful, especially during nice weather.

Tufts has a uniquely understanding, nonjudgmental student body. Whether you want to study incessantly or slack off, whether you want to party or stay in on the weekends, or whether you want to dress nicely or wear sweats, I've found that most people will understand where you're coming from. There is a certain sense of flexibility with the choices people make at Tufts which is really cool... there is no specific mold or stereotype that students feel the need to fit. Biggest recent controversy at Tufts: townies come up to campus to watch NQR (the annual Naked Quad Run or "Nighttime Quad Reception" before the reading period) and take pictures of the hundreds of naked students running around. The university sanctions the event, so a wide and well-lit course is set up in hopes of giving some over-imbibed students room to stumble without injuring themselves. Unfortunately, this fenced asphalt runway facilitates documentation of the event. Most people don't want sloppy pictures of their family jewels surfing the Internet.

I think the best thing about Tufts is how much everybody loves learning. I go to frat parties and end up talking to kids about class because everyone is so excited about whatever they are doing. Also, kids here are very interested in what you are doing and what your opinions are, which makes for excellent dinner conversation. They also know how to have a great time and party, while still knowing when to stop and do their homework. The student body is so so so friendly; I haven't met a single unpleasant person. Overall they are a very adventurous, interested, passionate group of kids. When I tell people I go to Tufts, they either haven't heard of the school or are impressed. I spend most of my time in the dorm or in the dining hall but I also go to the library and sometimes the campus center. There is school pride but school sports teams aren't a central focus.

Tufts is great for so many reasons. If I had to change one thing it would be the small size of our athletic center, but that is being changed and will be completed by 2011. Tufts can seem too small at times, but after checking out larger schools, I realized it was the perfect fit. The Tufts administration is friendly and easily accessible.

For me, the best thing about Tufts is how easy it is to fit in. I can be myself here in that i can study all i want and not be made fun of for it, but also have people to hang out with if i need a study break or it's a saturday night. The size is just right, there is a prevailing person here (middle class jew) but there are all different kinds of people and there is acceptance rather than just tolerance of individuality. Depending on who i tell that i go to tufts i either get a response of respect and admiration or one of not having heard of the university. so then i reply that it's in boston and they get excited about that. the college town for tufts is one of its best features. we are not secluded. it is very easy to get to and has everything you might need including easy access to the rest of boston. there is school pride in the sense that almost everyone loves it here, but there is not a lot of sports pride. not everyone goes to the big games and most people don't actually remembering anything about the football on homecoming. student complaints are usually about housing problems. last year there were a lot of issues with it and students can be unhappy about whether they live uphill or downhill (everyone has a preference). studying abroad here is made really easy by the tufts abroad programs and its compatability with other programs.