Hey y’all! Right now I’m trying to (like most people…) order my college list.
I really, really love both Tufts and Wesleyan, but I’m having trouble determining which is my top choice. If anyone can tell me a bit more about some of the aspects that make them different (from one another or in general), that would be really awesome.
I’m mainly looking at comparing the overall vibe of the student body, access to research opportunities (particularly in social sciences), campus life, how serious the academics are, and professors, but any description of what makes either really unique would be appreciated.
Thanks!
I think the main difference is in their general scale and academic organization. As late as the late 1960s, Tufts was not much bigger than Wesleyan is today. But, it had already acquired a med school, a dental school and was widely known for its Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy even before Wesleyan initiated some of its own doctoral programs in the 1960s. Tufts underwent further expansion in the 1980s under the administration of Jean Mayer, with a school of nutrition, veterinary medicine and massive endeavors in the life sciences before officially being designated a Class I Research University by the Carnegie Foundation in 1987.
Wesleyan, despite the presence of a small number of doctoral students in physics, math, biology, chemistry, molecular biology-biochem, biophysics and in world music, is still essentially, a LAC. It has put a great deal of effort recently into reorienting its campus center of gravity away from High Street, the main drag that bisects the college, and towards a wide greensward surrounded by legacy buildings and a hill that overlooks it all. Foss Hill is a natural stadium for watching football in the Fall, baseball in the Spring and for the occasional music concert whenever weather permits. The general vibe one gets is that of a relaxed community of all different kinds of people, with different passions and achievements, all sharing the same space.
Wesleyan has a fantastic rep across the board academically, but, in terms of social sciences, one could point to the Wesleyan Media Project which tracks campaign advertising at the national level and is widely cited by news services and television networks. And, currently, it alone among NESCAC colleges, has two sitting governors (Colorado and Vermont) and a senator (Bennet, Colorado), among its alumni.