<p>Oh, I'm cool with overachieving, but this guy made his future sound like it was set in stone and predestined. In a way, it almost seemed Calvinist!</p>
<p>Thanks so much for answering my questions. I'll keep you up to date. Damn you Jumbos for making me reconsider something I thought was a lock! Haha.</p>
<p>Kofi..students dont talk in classes at Georgetown? That shocks me. I mean, right now, I am the only one in my classes who ever talks everyday in class, and that's really difficult to deal with. I thought it would be different at Gerogetown.</p>
<p>Tufts is not for me. I toured it an felt out of place, and I'd never get in there. I just knew the second i walked on campus that it wasn't right for me, and im not even sure why</p>
<p>Domestican: Haha, unfortunately, every student body has to deal with a few tools. They make life more interesting anyway; at least gives you something to chuckle about, right?....... Sorry for giving you doubts; but it's more, I think, like giving you more options. Why not pick between two great schools, right?</p>
<p>Improvements: I'm not kidding, man, it was like Siberia. Total silence. Not always, of course. But only like three or four kids. I like to chalk it up mostly to those inane international kids who weasled their way in somehow, but it must be more than that. I just felt like a good portion of SFSers were smart kids but smart in the "book smart" sense -- they memorized stuff for their high school exams and got good grades but didn't really retain anything. So they sit in silence, as the small minority of us debate. I haven't encountered that here at Tufts yet. Maybe it's also because the IR students at Tufts are less than an entire SFS school, so they're more, in a sense, self-selected. There are about 100 IR majors per class at Tufts.</p>
<p>Back to you feeling uneasy about Tufts -- if you are into IR-related subjects, you should give Tufts another visit, especially if you have no real, concrete reason you didn't like it. You can always ask me questions, too. Why just write it off? You can always apply and even if you get in, not go.</p>
<p>Well-the big reason is that all of my friends are applying there, and it's two of their first choices. and it's also to close to home. and they have never EVER accepted a student from my community college, so we kind of have a stigma aganist it. Since they rejected brillent kids before. One of which got into Harvard, which accepts like 40 transfer students a year. </p>
<p>LOL siberia? See, that's the thing. I am exstremly street, people, and intelecutally smart. But not so much book-smart in that, I am a horrible test taker and I have bad study skills. I have never studied for a test in my life. Even now, even in college. Yet, I retain tons of knowledge. Obviously, that seems like I am very different type of student then those who currently go there. Darn..now, I am even more confused.</p>
<p>That's interesting. Schools always say things like, "Oh, classroom discussion runs rampant!" but I still wonder how classroom discussions really go about. I'm one of those people who has to discuss subjects to get a real grasp on them, so I really need a school that actually walks the walk and has students who feel the same way.</p>
<p>As far as the feeling restricted issue, I think that's one of the reasons I opted not to apply to the College as a Government major instead of SFS. I really would love to double major in English or History, too. I got the vibe that SFS was its own little Georgetown satellite and didn't really mix with the liberal arts aspect as much as the College does.</p>
<p>Yeah, same here, Domestican. Yeah, I only learn truly learn, by true and deep discussion. And I was under the impression til just now, that Georgetown was like that.</p>
<p>It might also have to do with the kind of people who get accepted to Gtown vs. those that get into Tufts. I applied to Gtown EA actually and was deferred TO MY COMPLETE AND TOTAL SHOCK, as another girl in my school got in EA and she had the same grades as me (the only thing she had going for her was that she took an easier science class so had an A in that while I had a perennial B/B-) and same SAT scores, etc. but ABSOLUTELY NO ECs. It was bizarre! While I ended up getting RD (I guess I'm one of the lucky 15%), I kind of always wondered about that... it seems like Gtown places a lot more emphasis on stats... the only way I can explain why she would've gotten in early and not me, because her science grades were better. Then, in the RD round, she didn't get in to Tufts or JHU, but I did. Which makes me think that Tufts and JHU like well-rounded people, not only book smart people... my ECs must've really shone to those schools, while they didn't shine that much thef irst time around to Gtown.</p>
<p>I don't wnat you guys to think that no one at Gtown discusses in class... It's just IN MY EXPERIENCE that was really lacking, and I hated it because I, like you two, NEED to talk about things to really get a grasp of the material in an analytical and not merely superficial textbook way.</p>
<p>And Domestican, if you want to double-major in English or something, SFS is really not going to let you do that. I love that I can double-major in Classics here. Lolabelle, who will probably come back to the forums soon, will tell you she is IR and English. There's just something really great about taking advantage of a liberal arts education and studying EVERYTHING you're interested in. I think both she & I would say we would pick IR over the other subjects if WE HAD TO, but the nice thing is that at Tufts, we don't have to make that decision</p>
<p>Once, again that's bad for me. Because I have the weirdest exsperince and case in the world. If you heard my SAT scores, you'd tell me, to stay at my community college and get a third assoicates degree. For me, it's kind of the whole package deal. If they don't look at the whole package, I have no chance at all.</p>
<p>Maybe, I'll look at Tufts a bit more.</p>
<p>Improvements, I know that Wesleyan looks kindly on community college transfer applicants from Connecticut CCs, maybe Tufts does the same for Massachusetts CCs... I wouldn't write it off. Don't worry. You could be that exception to the rule you said about Tufts never accepting transfers from your CC. I know that a great essay can really sway the decision in an applicant's favor. I actually think that Tufts is emphasizing that by placing exceptional application essays on their admissions website this year, from Class of 2010 applicants. You could take a look. Also, you should take a look at the "Active Citizenship" stuff -- shows you what kind of kids Tufts likes.</p>
<p>Yeah, and I can't apply as a transfer I have to apply as freshman, even though in the spring i'll have two associates degrees.</p>
<p>Yeah, well, still, that's pretty impressive! Don't worry. Visit again, andi f you shake off that initial feeling you had when you visited, apply.</p>
<p>Is there anything about the college experience you liked better at Georgetown than Tufts?</p>
<p>Well, due to the athletics at Gtown, there's a whole lot of school spirit that molds itself around basketball games, etc... While at Tufts, kids go only to homecoming and don't even watch the game (they only go to the tailgate). I mean, the mascot IS an elephant! </p>
<p>But, personally, that doesn't bother me, even though there were some pretty fun bball games I went to with some buddies at Gtown. Hoya Saxa, right? School spirit at Tufts is more -- and dthis is going to sound strange -- molded around being in student groups like the Sudan Genocide Awareness group or community service (the Leonard Carmichael Society, the communtiy service umbrella group, is the largest student group on campus), etc. People here at Tufts are much more involved in student groups than at Gtown, so you could say those are the "teams" at Tufts.</p>
<p>If you like the whole idea of going to college sports games, then Tufts really won't be for you.</p>
<p>Acutally, I have anoter question. Is Tufts a liberal school, and by that do I mean are the students liberal? I know Gerogetown is about 50/50.</p>
<p>Mhmm, I did kinda get that feeling when I visited Tufts. I think there is something fun about having a good sports program that you can get excited about and root on without going to Big State U.</p>
<p>Oh, man, the conservatives here call themselves an underrepresented minority. The Tufts Republicans group is very active, but probably at least 50% smaller than the Tufts Democrats group. There is a conservative magazine called The Primary Source, which I read for laughs, but it's very well put together, even though I don't agree with the content.</p>
<p>Tufts is in BOSTON! This place is totally liberal. I believe this is also one of the top 10 best schools for LGBT students, according to a ranking by the Gay Advocate this year. Gays abound. This is really a liberal arts type school, and the people who want to come here are the kinds of kids who'd be happy at Wesleyan and Brown, if that helps put it into context for you.</p>
<p>This definitely isn't a Jesuit school. BTW, how creepy was it that a priest lived on my dorm floor? ugh.</p>
<p>Tufts students are notorious for protesting injustice on campus and elsewhere ALL THE TIME. I love it.</p>
<p>Domestican, yeah, going to sports games really wasn't too big of a priority to me, and I don't really miss it, especially since I feel I gained a lot more important things by transferring here. But just keep in mind that I'm a transfer -- for every person like me at Gtown, there were tons who loved it. But I figure you should probably hear what I have to say anyway.</p>
<p>I should point out that to make up for a lack of Jumbo athletics pride.... everyone comes here and becomes a Red Sox fan. And a Patriots fan. Boston sports make up for what Tufts sports lacks.</p>
<p>I never thought I would be into baseball, but whaddaya know? The Red Sox stadium is like my second home during the season!</p>
<p>Well, that does make tufts sound good. Yeah, Boston is liberal. But don't kid yourself there is a lot of underlying racism, and homophobia there. For example, I had to leave my high school because of the amont of racism, anti-semetism, and homophobia there was there, that was affecting me. When I talked to the D.A office, as well as some organizations in Boston, they said it was a wide spread problem, the elephant so to speak that no one talked about</p>
<p>That being said, I would love that the students at Tufts, protest injustice. Since it has become such a huge part of my life now, I was featured a national magazine article because of my fighting injustices etc. Which from what you say, might help me get into tufts. (minus the 450, 470, 570, 620, and 610s that make up my SAT score catalog)</p>
<p>yeah, everyone said Brown is the school for me, etc. But I also need to learn to deal with Republicans. That sound's rude, but I cant think of how to rephrase that.</p>
<p>Haha, my best friend here is actually on the staff of that Primary Source magazine I told you about. Don't worry, Dems & Republicans do interact here, even if they will fight FOREVER about Iraq.</p>
<p>You're right, Boston isn't perfect, but it's not the Bible Belt, thankfully.</p>
<p>I think that you have a lot of interesting things going for you. Like I said, a great essay could really do wonders for you. Research Tufts a little more. Emphasize your 'active citizenship' components; talkinga bout that magainze article would certainly draw attention away from your SATs. Adcoms understand that not everyone can do well on standardized tests, because we're not standard. Period. And you have two associate degrees - that's impressive.</p>
<p>Tufts is as much of a reach as Gtown is, but if you don't reach, then you'll never know, right? Good luck</p>