<p>I'm currently trying to decide between Pomona College and Tufts University, and my decision changes literally by day. Unfortunately, I have not been able to visit Tufts (although I live in NYC), so I don't have a feel of the school. But, from the perspective of current students, I would really like to know the disadvantages. Thanks.</p>
<p>The weather. I loathed those winter months. But then again, it's part of the experience, and I'm from Brazil, so it was doubly shocking is all. :)</p>
<p>I hate walking up the hill.</p>
<p>The hill does get tiresome, but it keeps people in shape lol. Many of the dorms aren't in the best shape, but that's only if the dorm itself is important to you - most people will go "Yeah, the dorms aren't too great, but the people in them is what makes the dorm experience." </p>
<p>Juniors go abroad, and sometimes it sucks to be left on campus without as many familiar friends/faces. It forces you to make new friends, which is good, but sometimes it might mean missing your good friends for a year. (For example, some of my friends went abroad in the fall, others in the spring, so they won't see each other until we're seniors.) </p>
<p>We also don't have a business program - I knew some kids who took it for granted that once they came to college they could follow through on their parents' yelling that they needed to take some business classes. But we have Entrepreneurial Leadership Studies classes, and some business/investment classes are taught through the ExCollege. It's just that there's no set department.</p>
<p>The fact that the art studio courses at the SMFA are ~4 hrs long. I'd really like to take 3 art courses one semester, but they are impossible to manage when taking into account the regular Tufts courses.</p>
<p>Oh, and speaking of cross-registration woes - Fletcher is on a completely different time-slot schedule than Tufts. Really annoying when trying to pick a class, and also they'll do Monday on Tuesday while Tufts does Monday on Thursday, and just now they had classes on Patriot's Day. Can cause some serious scheduling difficulties. I wish they were more in sync, but I guess a grad student's life might have different demands than an undergrad's? (shrug)</p>
<p>Easy answer: housing</p>
<p>The dorms are nothing to brag about, Res Life is not the most efficient office on campus, and many juniors don't get housing.</p>
<p>But like bluirinka said, people make the experience.</p>
<p>Actually the day studio art courses at the Museum School meet for six hours a day, which really makes it tough to schedule art courses and academics at Tufts. The evening studio art courses at SMFA meet for three hours.</p>
<p>6 hrs? Even worse that I had thought. I tried to take an experimental drawing class at the SMFA, which was 4 hrs, but the commute made it close to 5.</p>
<p>That damn hill makes you feel kinda sweaty after you climb up to the top.</p>
<p>unless it's in the winter, then you're freezing your butt off on the way up the hill, but you'd be ridiculed if you took the Joey uphill.</p>
<p>haha...since the Joey GPS was installed, I take the Joey uphill ALL THE TIME. B/c I work at the campus center and eat at Carmichael, it's great to hitch a ride when my shift's over to grab lunch :)</p>
<p>I have to say, these are pretty weak complaints. </p>
<p>Is this indicative of something or are you all holding back?</p>
<p>The lettuce is soggy at the salad bar.</p>
<p>(jk)</p>
<p>I just realized that a good way to answer this question is to look at the campaigns of Duncan, CJ and Elton for TCU President. They're running on ideas that they have to change Tufts in accordance with the wishes of the student body.</p>
<p>I found their campaign websites through tuftslife.com, it may not be readily available now, though, b/c the election's over.</p>
<p>Ummm...apparently tufts doesn't treat its janitors well. I was at the open house today and there were students picketing for better health insurance for them. And they only get 3 sick days. That explains why there was not a scrap of garbage in sight, but yeah that could be a negative. The president lives in a jimongous house while the janitors are abused.</p>
<p>On a positive note it was nice of the tufts students to care at all. That's definitely a wow factor.</p>
<p>Was anyone else there? It was kinda funny XD</p>
<p>The hill is not a weak complaint - that thing is a monster!</p>
<p>Oh, and Tufts doesn't deal directly with the janitors, they hire them through another company or something, fyi.</p>
<p>I actually like the hill. The view wouldn't be as nice without the hill. I wish the hill was larger though, so more of the school would be ON the hill. The campus is split b/c half is just in the neighborhood along with the houses and the other half is on the hill. But the neighborhood is nice so even the buildings off the hill are in a good location.</p>
<p>I saw an orange millipede in haskell once. That really freaked me out.</p>
<p>Its not very well known or prestigious</p>
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