<p>I have noticed several threads about students choosing between Tufts and BC (I myself am choosing between those two schools, along with some others!)</p>
<p>I have done some research about the math programs at Tufts and BC, but I’d like to hear what you all think: which school has a better math program? I visited BC a few months ago, and I was very impressed by their program. However, I have heard that Tufts may have a better program because of their strong engineering. I also like the philosophy of the Tufts math program (which is that there is a common misconception that math majors can only go on to graduate studies in math, and Tufts does not believe that). If you have any input to help me decide, that would be wonderful.</p>
<p>Thanks!!</p>
<p>The reputations of their math departments are pretty much the same, with maybe a slight edge given to Tufts. There’s really not that much of a gap that I feel would warrent you choosing one over the other. You would be better off to find which one you like best as a college and going to that one, as neither is really known for math, and neither has a poor math department. As far as philosophy, unless their philosophy changes what classes you can take/how many classes you have to take, i don’t think that should play a factor. Even if BC stresses going on to grad school in math, you could go on to something else if you wanted.</p>
<p>I’ve worked with the tufts mathematics staff. They are top notch most with ivy phds with extensive research. Id go with tufts although their grading is slightly deflated. BC has the sports though!</p>
<p>^^ But the same is true for BC.^^</p>
<p>BC also has top notch teachers with Ph.D.s from Harvard, Brown, Princeton, MIT, Berkeley, CalTech, etc. who have done/are doing extensive research. The dept. chair – Solomon Friedburg – is very well-known and has has won several national awards for both research and teaching.</p>
<p>And BC’s Math Dept. has the same philosophy as Tuft’s: acknowledging that some math majors will go to graduate schools but others won’t. They do not “stress” graduate school, although they will certainly prepare you for graduate studies. But the faculty will also prepare you for a career right after receiving your BA in math – for example, they run review classes for the first couple of actuarial exams each spring.</p>
<p>My son – who is a math major – looked at both BC and Tufts. He decided to go to BC, as he felt the two math programs were very similar but BC had all the other (non-math) college attributes he was looking for (size , curriculum, school spirit, activities, etc.).</p>
<p>OP, you won’t go wrong with either school. Just choose the one where you feel you will be happiest.</p>
<p>In my experience as a student here, Tufts’s math grades are not deflated; if anything, they’re the opposite.</p>