Tufts University Top Questions

What are the most popular student activities/groups?

Emily

(see stereotypes section)

Julia

freshman year i did not love the social life, because i was not connected to a large network of people outside of my floor and the extracurricular i participated in. thus, i went to frat parties even though i dreaded them. it seemed as though they were the only option, although less than 10{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the tufts student body is involved in greek life. as soon as sophomore year rolled around though, i began to realise the myriad alternative offerings tufts had to offer. i started attending many more house parties, i went into davis sq, harvard, and boston much more for concerts, to see friends, etc., and i felt more comfortable actively seeking friends and activities in clubs i attnded.

Skylar

The fraternities are smaller but throw some good parties. Freshmen and sophmores are the usual crowds at the frats. As people become upperclassmen and move off campus, hosue parties are more popular. The school police force is pretty understanding when it comes to drinking. They are mainly there to make sure no one gets sick or injured. Tuesdays are a big bar night for students who go to small, local pubs to chill with friends and have a couple beers.

Dan

Lots of people go to frat parties but there are also parties at people's houses.

Rory

Shit, I put all my thoughts in the Big Picture. Quote from me though Tufts offers opportunity to meet people from so many different ethnicities, it's not a melting pot, but a salad bowl (meaning the diversity is not intertwined). You have to be an independent go-getter with an inquisitive to make things happen. If not, then you'll be part of this homogenous clique.

Alex

suck

Chantel

Athletic events are not super popular. Of course if there's an important game, people will come out for it, but for the most part it's not a gigantic part of student life. Guest speakers, theater, concerts, and other fun events, however, are not lacking at all. Go to www.tuftslife.com and skim over the (probably ridiculously long) list of things happening today. You'll never have a problem finding something awesome to do... the only problem will be choosing among so many options! If you don't drink, never fear! There is much to do on the sober scene. Of course a lot of people will be drinking, but I personally didn't drink at all my freshman and sophomore years, and I am still in love with Tufts and its social life. You might have to work that much harder to invent fun things to do, but I mean, that's how the best nights end up happening anyway. If you're awake at 2am on a Tuesday, you're either playing Text Twist obsessively online or writing a paper that you didn't do ahead of time because you were too busy hearing what Peter Gallagher had to say about his days at Tufts.

Andrew

The Tufts social life is not that strong. I spent most of my senior year going out to the city when I wanted to kick back and relax. It is nice that Boston is only a 7 minute drive or 20 minute T-ride away!

Ash

I only really know what pertains to the Fletcher School, which is a whole plethora of cultural groups and organizations around different international issues. I did notice that there seemed to be a number of inter-mural sports and activities throughout the campus on any given day.

Hunter

There is definitely a night life at Tufts if you want one, although after a while you begin to see the same crowd out at parties. When the gets old you still have the whole city of Boston at your fingertips.

Alex

I guess Tufts doesn't have a reputation for a good social scene. Greek life isn't big, but there seems to be parties to go to every weekend for those who want to attend. Personally, I'm not a drinker nor do I like the party scene, so I found weekend activities on campus kind of lacking. My floormates were wonderful. My biggest problem, however, was that they were really the only people I became close to. It's hard to really meet people in classes other than the occasional hi when you pass them outside of class. I've talked with upperclassmen as well who want to meet new people but really don't know how to grow out of their close residential group.

Andrew

Sophomores and freshmen are required to live on campus, so a lot of people become good friends with people on their floor or in their dorm. The dorms are coed by room, so there's plenty of mixing with guys and girls.

Josh

Fraternaties and sororities are NOT HUGE at all, but definitely there if you want them. Every weekend there are frat and sorority parties. Although a few of my friends are in a frat, I am not in a frat, and I do not feel excluded or regret my decision not to rush.

Rachel

It really depends on the dorm you live in. Toward the end of the year, people in my dorm started leaving their doors unlocked. Theater is really popular. My closest friends are the people I live with. If I'm awake at 2am on Tuesday, I'm probably not studying. Some people party Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, but other people find more interesting things to do. Only about 20{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the student body says they don't drink. It's really fun to go into Boston and explore all the different neighborhoods. At the same time, Tufts is far enough from Boston that it's pretty quiet and safe.

Ashley

many activities but easy to have no social life.

Sarah

Being an athlete definitely has its advantages when it comes to Tufts social scene. My team has a "frasority"- a combined sorority and fraternity for the swimmers and sailors. This is the main place that I go to hang out on weekends and it is the place where I got to know much of my team in the beginning of the year. Freshman year is very dominated by frats and after usually more dominated by house parties or going to bars. It is definitely possible to party as much as you want, but for the majority of Tufts students, partying is not their main priority. It does have have work hard play hard mentality but there is so much more that Tufts students like to do. Many weekends Tufts brings in guest lecturers and shows for the students. Girl Talk was one of the most popular events this year along with TDC (tufts dance collective) that puts on a show twice a year. There are also two main dances- Fall ball and Winter bash which are some of the bigger events during the year. The other thing you can't forget is Boston is only a 20 minute T ride away. Many weekends my friends and I go into Boston for dinner and a movie or some event that is going on there. Being near a city means there is so much more to do than to party- plays, meals, shopping, and more.

Charlie

This is not a sports school. During Homecoming, there are some people in the bleachers, but most people are in the field over, tailgating.

Arielle

I think political groups and performing arts groups are most popular on campus. I loved going to the football games but the turnout was never stellar. Students do leave their doors open but I think that happens mostly in all-freshmen dorms that are very social. My roommate is my closest friend and my next closest friend is my next door neighbor. Outside of that, I met the majority of my friends through a guy I met in my orientation group who turned out to be my boyfriend. The third day of school I was introduced to all of the boys on his hall and they quickly became my best friends here. 2am on Tuesday I'm usually watching TV with my roommate or hanging out with my boyfriend. Naked Quad Run and Spring Fling are two huge events that happen every year that are SO fun and raved about. Being IN a frat or a sorority is not a big deal here on campus, however as a freshmen frat parties make up a huge part of the social scene. There are ALWAYS events on campus you can participate in if you dont drink...concerts, performances, guest speakers, club meetings...there are definitely options.

Corey

Athletics aren't popular. A capella shows seem to be the most attended thing on campus. Most people seem to be awake at 2AM.

Jessica

There are a few frats on campus that have the standard frat parties. Students in dorms leave their doors open depending upon which dorm they live in - Tilton is very social whereas you could hear a pin drop in Lewis. The dating seen isn't much to speak of (at least not freshman year) as most people are too busy seeing how many people they can hook up with to get to know anyone.

Emily

There are over 200 clubs, and it's hard to fit "most" students into any one of them. Team sports are popular but not many people go to games besides athletes' friends. Lectures and student productions are usually well-attended. I made a few of my close friends through the fencing team, and in general, people tend to make friends based on where they live or the extra curriculars they're involved in. A popular Tufts tradition is the Naked Quad Run, which is at the end of each fall semester. Homecoming and Spring Fling are also fun annual school-wide events. Greek Life is not huge, but during freshman year, frat parties are pretty much the basis of the social scene.

Arielle

Yes, many Tufts students leave their door opens in the dorms. There are a good amount of couples on campus, but many students just randomally "hook up." Many of my closest friends lived on my floor or are also engineers. People party quite often at Tufts. Most partiers go out quite often on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Fraternities are very important and host a majority of the parties, however, sororities are not so important and aren't allowed to have parties. On Saturday nights you can go to performances on campus, shop in Boston, go to the movies, or just chill with friends in dorms.

Maureen

Tufts Dance Collective is the most popular group on campus. Friends join and create dances that they perform in front of a huge crowd once a semester, there are no try outs and the dances are hilarious. I am involved in varsity swimming and diving, whose men and womens programs are two of the most successful sports programs at Tufts. The two teams are extremely close and very high spirited. We eat all of our meals together at the dining hall and go to each others meets to cheer each other on. Yes, students leave their doors open. Athletic events could be more well attended, although friends always come and support friends on teams. People are either divided by random hook-ups each weekend or are in serious relationships. 2 am on a Tuesday, either asleep, doing homework, or hanging out with the people in my dorm. Although many students bar hop on Tuesday nights, but I am only a freshman and Boston is very tough on fake I.Ds. Soririties don't have a strong presence on campus. Fraternities can be very exclusive, they should let more people in and have more parties. Last weekend I drove up to Vermont to cheer on the mens swim team at their NESCAC championships, drank in my friends dorm, and went frat hopping. If you don't want to drink you can attend a school play, music concert, or go into Boston.

Shelby

The largest group is the Leonard Carmichael Society, which is a large community service organization. There basically is a group/club for anything you are interested in. It is also pretty easy to make a group if it's not already existing. For example, this year some freshmen created a Harry Potter Society. Most students leave their doors open, especially if you know and are comfortable with the people on your floor. The easiest way to make friends is to meet the people on your floor or in your dorm. If not that way, then the best way to meet people is to get involved in alot of activities and clubs. If I'm awake at 2am on Tuesday, which is usually the case every day during the week, then I am most definitely doing work. People are up pretty late doing work, and not because there is just that much work to do, but most people don't start their work til late, around 9 or 10 at night. Sororities are not that big at Tufts, but Frats are. Frat parties, especially for freshmen, are the most popular thing to do on campus. If you are not looking to drink, you can always go into Boston. There are so many good restaurants, movie theaters, and shopping areas that are nearby in places like Harvard Square, Cambridge Side Galleria, and Newbury Street.

Cody

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).

Shawn

Social life = frats.

Susan

Fraternities are pretty big on campus. They do not dominate social life in that you have to be in one. but as a freshman the fraternities dictate whether or not you have anything to do that night. that probably changes as you get older and more friends live in houses and have parties, etc. tufts democrats is pretty big. a lot of people participate in club soccer or intramural sports. i think there is mostly a well spread out group of people at tufts and there is always someone who does what you want to do. some dorms are better than others. some dorms have warmer hallways than others and this kinda dictates whether or not doors are left open. in the more social dorms doors are always open. athletic events are not terribly popular. but they can be a fun alternative to a typical evening doing work or a saturday afternoon. friends will usually go watch teams their friends play on. depends on the sport as well. football is more popular than boys' soccer. there are loads of guest speakers, performances by dance groups or theater groups - there is always something to do other than go to a party on an given weekend evening. my closest friends are my roommate and my neighbor and then by extension people they have met through classes or their roommate. a lot of my closest friends live in a nearby dorm who we met through my roommates "boyfriend" and then became friends with them either through similar classes or just always being in their dorm. 2 am on a tuesday = doing work traditions and events are a lot of fun at tufts. the most notable is the NQR. tufts tells you it is the night time quad reception. but it is actually the naked quad run. you kind of have to see if for yourself to really believe it. but hundreds of students run around the residential quad at the top of the hill naked at about 10 PM at night. it always takes place on the last day of classes before reading period begins. yes, most people run drunk, but it is obviously not a requirement. people party anywhere from three to one night a week on average. going out thursday, friday, saturday is pretty common, but depending on work load, a lot of kids will take off a night or so to get some extra sleep or get some work done. upperclassmen go to bars on tuesday nights. sororities are not important. they have almost no presense, i couldn't name all three that exist and they are not allowed to have parties. fraternities are the opposite, but the parties are hot, dirty and tend to get monotonous after 3 a week every week. but if you like to dance, they're great. last weekend i studied almost all weekend for the two tests and a paper i had due on monday. but that isn't typical. the weekend before i went skiing on saturday with a friend who goes to a school in boston. we went to gunstock in NH, it's about an hour and forty five minute drive. i went to Sharon, a town about 30 minutes outside of boston to have dinner with a friend from my summer camp. those were both on saturday. friday i went to a fraternity with my friends. thursday some friends came over to my dorm to play apples to apples (this could also be substituted for Kings) sunday is usually spent doing work.