Hi all,
I am a rising soph originally from Tulane University, and I have been accepted to both Tufts University and Cornell University as a transfer sophomore. I need help deciding, as these two schools are so similar I’m not even sure which criteria to look at! (For reference, I would be studying IR at Tufts, and Government at Cornell)
Thanks in advance!
Have you visited both schools? If you haven’t visited, I’d recommend you do so to learn more about the people and campus life in general. Whichever one you feel a greater connection with, I would strongly consider attending. That being said, personally, I would choose Cornell just for the alumni network, resources and diverse array of both classes you’ll take and people you’ll meet. Plus, Ithaca is gorges! #3 college dining in the nation doesn’t hurt either. I would also think that Cornell would be able to provide a better aid package than Tufts, but I know this differs from person to person and this is just an assumption. However, Tufts is a great school as well, and I’m a little biased since I was admitted to Cornell earlier this year, so you can’t go wrong with either choice 
I visited Tufts but have not visited Cornell (i was just admitted a few days ago!), and from what I gather both are beautiful. I’ve seen a lot of people tell me that Cornell is the better choice for lots of reasons but your advice is really constructive and sound! I personally am leaning towards Cornell as well.
I have a son who’s at Tufts, and chose it over applying to Cornell bc he wanted to be in a more urban environment. Cornell was too isolated for him, particularly bc he wanted to explore internships while at school. He’s worked for the Tufts legal dept last semester and is now interviewing with Bain for a fall internship, as he’s trying to decide between going to law school or to business school after working in consulting for a year or more (more if going for a MBA), and this summer is working at a govt consulting firm in DC. Every internship he’s gotten, including two precious summer internships in NYC, he got through contacting tufts alumni.
Friends of his who are IR majors have semester & summer internships with govt offices in boston, including with senator Elizabeth Warren, and with the Fletcher School and with the Kennedy School of Gov’t at Harvard. Nothing like this exists anywhere close to Ithaca. Something to consider, as resume experience is as important as education these days.
My D2 graduated from Cornell, transferred into there, chose it over applying to Tufts. She transferred there from a school in a big city, and based on her first experience she knew she wanted a campus-centered school where students did not drift off into the city and sap the campus from vitality. Which happens at some other suburban schools we investigated, particularly on weekends. Don’t really know about Tufts in this regard (but why would it be different…).
I toured Tufts with my son, I really liked it. It’s a ton smaller than Cornell, FWIW. It does have a nice campus, IMO, but of course nothing like Cornell/ Ithaca.
One risk about transferring is that it can be challenging at first to get integrated socially, since students who were there from the outset have already established their social connections, and consequently will likely be less outgoing. . A good thing about Cornell is that they have a sizable contingent of incoming transfer students, who will all be in the same boat as you. A lot of first contacts will be among fellow transfer students.
re: “semester and summer internships” : Believe it or not, Cornell students are not obligated to stay in Ithaca during the summer. They can do whatever they want during the summer. Including internships. They can even do internships in Boston. They can do stuff during the semester in Ithaca too, but it will indeed be different, and more limited, stuff. Students don’t necessarily have to stay in Ithaca every semester either, IIRC, there is a “Cornell in Washington DC” program OP might check out, if interested. My D2 did plenty of extracurricular stuff at Cornell.
So as for “so similar”, I don’t get that. There are lots of differences, many of which are referenced above. Even your intended major/ program of studies is different. Which program of studies- including non-major distribution requirements- do you want more?
Suggest you visit Cornell, and then decide which might work best for you. I don’t think either is necessarily “better”, but maybe “better” for you.