<p>When my D started looking at schools, she put Tufts fairly high on her list and I have to admit that I was surprised. Some thirty years ago when I was looking at schools Tufts was a solid but decidedly mediocre choice -- I had friends who attended both as undergrads and on the grad level. I have learned since then that it has improved markedly and is now considered among the more elite -- or at least clearly up and coming -- colleges in the nation. I'm just curious. How did Tufts work it's magic?</p>
<p>First of all, I’m not sure your characterization of Tufts as Mediocre 30 years ago is correct (unless you view any non-Ivy school as mediocre).</p>
<p>In answer to your question, though. A number of schools have ‘improved’ over the last 30 years. There are a number of theories for this. I personally think it’s a combination of commitment to excellence in education and population growth.</p>
<p>On the latter point – in 1980 (30 years ago), the US Population was about 225 million. In 2010 it’s about 310 million. So, we’ve had about a 35% increase in population in the period, and (one presumes) a 35% increase in the number of students that would have been considered ‘top’ students (by whatever criteria one would have measured ‘top student’). Since the number of slots in the ‘good’ schools (again by whatever criteria you use) hasn’t gone up by very much, if at all, certain schools had to increase in reputation, purely by the numbers.</p>
<p>The schools who provide an excellent education and meet the needs of the talented students have had an opportunity, and many, like Tufts have become hotter schools.</p>
<p>I had Tufts on my list 40 (ouch, that many) years ago as a good school, so I don’t know what you mean by that. However, schools like Duke, Rice, Tufts, GT did not have the selectivity that they do these days. Nor did the most selective schools. With financial aid, internet, rankings and college buzz, more folks are looking at school on a national basis which make those schools become more selective. From there, it becomes hype. </p>
<p>Now with the economy the way it is, it’ll be interesting to see which schools are affected. I think people will still be willing to pay top dollar for the top schools, but there will be more hesitation to pay the $55K+ for schools that are not in that tightening circle. The apps for our state schools have gone way up and kids who were accepted to schools like Brandeis, Tufts, Holy Cross, are choosing state options due to cost. I am seeing this increasingly. 10 years ago, with my oldest son, few kids at his school would make such a choice. This year, and the year before many are.</p>
<p>There’s a book on the subject: [Amazon.com:</a> An Entrepreneurial University, The Transformation of Tufts, 1976-2002](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/Entrepreneurial-University-Transformation-Tufts-1976-2002/dp/1584654163/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1300726634&sr=8-2]Amazon.com:”>http://www.amazon.com/Entrepreneurial-University-Transformation-Tufts-1976-2002/dp/1584654163/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1300726634&sr=8-2)</p>
<p>There are only 6 more in stock; move quickly or you might miss your chance!</p>
<p>I would assume that a mixture of good University Presidents and smart moves have helped propel Tufts and other elite schools.</p>
<p><<<some thirty=“” years=“” ago=“” when=“” i=“” was=“” looking=“” at=“” schools=“” tufts=“” a=“” solid=“” but=“” decidedly=“” mediocre=“” choice=“” --=“” had=“” friends=“” who=“” attended=“” both=“” as=“” undergrads=“” and=“” on=“” the=“” grad=“” level=“”>>></some></p>
<p>This feels uninformed and inaccurate. The actual institution of Tufts (undergrad/med/dental/vet/other grad depts.) has not changed much over the past 50 years (more and expanded course offerings and some additional and beautiful buildings, yes) as far as quality of instruction and education–as perceived by academicians, for example, no, Tufts was never considered mediocre, not by a long shot.</p>
<p>What has changed, which is true for many top-notch (what you call “elite”) institutions, at Tufts is the selectivity of the applicant and accepted applicant–higher GPAs, higher test scores, and applicants who have done an unprecedented quantity and quality of interesting things with their lives. Maybe Tufts is benefitting, too, by the “magic” of the Internet, both in publicizing itself and by any number of websites devoted to student satisfaction with respective colleges, where praise for Tufts is rampant.</p>
<p>We know many Tufts alumni, who attended Tufts in the 80s, who readily own that they could have never gotten into Tufts, now–such alumni say, however, that the education they got at Tufts and the level of happiness attending Tufts, then, was nonpareil.</p>
<p>I can’t quantify it, but I believe Tufts is very different from the way it was 30 years ago. Thirty years ago, a significant fraction of Tufts freshmen really wanted to be somewhere else. Now, it’s not that way.</p>
<p>A college friend who is now a professor at Tufts says that part of the university’s success may be due to its really excellent faculty advising and mentoring. He’s proud of it, and Tufts is proud of it.</p>
<p>And, not to take anything away from Tufts itself, it probably enhanced the university’s appeal a lot when the T extended the Red Line through Davis Square in the mid-1980s.</p>
<p>Tufts was a very popular safety school for those of us applying to Ivy or Seven Sister schools a million years ago. (And that was back when U Penn was a safety for some.) :eek: What I don’t remember is it having the niche cachet it has now for International Relations.</p>
<p>Mediocre? Never! Even some 30 years ago! </p>
<p>My sister was a top student in our h.s. back then, like in the top 10 students of the class, not top 10%. She was rejected by Tufts and went on to another Univ. and became a fulbright scholar…we have cousins and aunts who were turned down by Tufts, who clearly had the academics, but maybe lacked somewhere else…</p>
<p>I’m proud to say that my S1 will be a freshman at Tufts this coming Sept. and my sister is also very proud…</p>
<p>It’s always been regarded as a top school regionally and now they’ve branched out nationwide and worldwide…Businessweek 2007 named Tufts a new ivy.</p>
<p>I agree with SWharborfan…a couple of acquaintences we know that have congratulated us on our S’s acceptance have stated that they probably would not get in if applying today.</p>
<p>My experience from 30+ years ago was that there were quite a number of people who had wanted to go to Harvard–it was one of the things that I liked least about the place. On the other hand, no one thought we were mediocre when it came to academics. There were lots of students who had gotten into Brown but chose Tufts. Jackson College, the women’s school when they were separate, regularly made top-school lists. I think that the lure of the Ivy League over all others has grown over the past 30 years just the concept of the “hot” school is relatively recent.</p>
<p>I’m pretty sure that nearly all colleges have better reputations than they did several decades ago, purely because so many more people are going to college (so the competition is far fiercer). Tufts in particular has probably grown “hotter” than most because of its proximity to a major city; a lot of kids look for that in a school.</p>
<p>…and ironically, most Jumbos probably go into Boston for non-academic/volunteer/job-related things maybe 5 times a semester :)</p>
<p><a href=“Private Site”>Private Site;
<p>The New York Times had an article almost 25 years ago that documented the changes at Tufts. The article even uses the adjective “hot.”</p>
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<p>See [JEAN</a> MAYER’S DECADE AT TUFTS - A STAMP OF PASSION - NYTimes.com](<a href=“http://www.nytimes.com/1986/06/08/us/jean-mayer-s-decade-at-tufts-a-stamp-of-passion.html]JEAN”>JEAN MAYER'S DECADE AT TUFTS: A STAMP OF PASSION - The New York Times)</p>
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<p>That may be true in part because Davis Sq. is a lot more vital than it was a generation ago.</p>
<p>and harvard square is also very accessible and satisfies most needs for a casual outing ;)</p>
<p>Thanks for that link, coarse! I can affirm that there was a definite change with the coming of Jean Mayer. Burton Hallowell, who was president when I was there, had a simple mission of improving the Tufts financial situation. I only met him personally once, and I was much more impressed by his depth and breadth of knowledge than I’d expected–but it remains that his reputation was as a bit of a plodder. Jean Mayer opened new doors. He had a romantic past as part of the French resistance and a dynamic present in nutrition studies.</p>
<p>Since then, I think Tufts has done a remarkable job in choosing university presidents. Larry Bacow’s tenure has been great for the school as a whole, including a huge increase in alumni involvement. And I can’t wait to see what the Anthony Monoco years bring.</p>
<p>^^Mayer was a game-changer, for sure.
Larry Bacow has been fantastic. (I feel a little sorry for Monaco, because as the saying goes, “never follow Sinatra.”)
But in between, there was John DiBiaggio. I don’t think he was a good choice or his presidency a successful one.</p>
<p>Tufts was a very good school 30 years ago, but back then I don’t think we were so obsessed with status of much outside the Ivies. My wife is a Tufts alum and had a wonderful education there. SInce then, a number of mid-tier schools (e.g., Tufts, GW, even Cornell) have gone on an up-market spree to make themselves more elite. Here is a great article about GW’s transformation:
[The</a> Prestige Racket by Daniel Luzer | Washington Monthly](<a href=“http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/college_guide/feature/the_prestige_racket.php]The”>http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/college_guide/feature/the_prestige_racket.php)</p>
<p>My son just got accepted to Tufts today. He had a strong application, with many unusual credentials (private schools w no grades, extensive community service, policitical advocacy work, etc.) Got in UNC ed (We’re from NC); GW w Prez Scholarship in Dance, American, and Tufts. Waitlisted at Georgetown. Rejected from Brown, Swarthmore and Columbia. Waiting to hear from Harvard. So, Tufts is in an upper range of selectivity, but not amongst the most selective of all.</p>