<p>momiac, you’re too kind. Of course, my advice wouldn’t be “invaluable” if someone offered to pay me for it.</p>
<p>re: Lightbearer - I haven’t noticed him complaining about Tufts. (Not that it would be a horrific problem if he did - plenty of people have gripes about Tufts, and far be it from me to tell them that they shouldn’t.) He’s just been curious about how to make the most of his education. And maybe he’s bragged a little. Nothing particularly wrong with either of those things.</p>
<p>re: skateboarder - folks did really gang up on him. Sorry about that, I clearly incited it. I get a little frustrated when people say negative things about my school, especially if they’ve never been there, that’s certainly true. But. When I claim skateboarder shouldn’t go to Tufts, its really not out of spite. I’ve always believed, and I think my comments on this forum will back me up on this, that people should go to the school where they’ll be happiest, for lots of reasons: you’ll do better academically, you’ll network more successfully, you’ll make a better impression on your professors, you’ll make more friends, and, not to mention, four of the most important years of your life will be a lot better. So by cautioning skateboarder not to go to Tufts, I’m really not trying to be mean-spirited and exclusive, I’m trying (perhaps unsuccessfully, because I will admit to letting defensiveness and school pride cloud my ability to communicate) to get him to really think about whether Tufts would be the best place for him if he’s going into it with such a negative impression. People don’t succeed at schools where they’re not happy, and skateboarder clearly wants to succeed, and just as clearly is not anticipating being happy at Tufts. That’s fine; Tufts (just like any school) isn’t for everyone. If he would be happier at a different school, he should seriously consider going. That’s all. He’s not a bad person (as far as I know, anyway), and he’s not doing anything wrong by having doubts about Tufts. </p>
<p>So no. He didn’t “earn” being ganged up on, especially by parents, who should know better. He’s an 18 year old kid, scared and confused about his future, trying to figure out what he should be doing next. Don’t demonize him just because the best choice for you, or for your child, may not be the best choice for him.</p>