Why do top students choose to attend Tufts? What makes it better/ more desirable than other schools on it’s level? What are the best things about the school?
People I know who chose Tufts, chose it in part for its size - not too big, not too small, the location - close to Boston but still a contained campus, and the strength of the Engineering program.
I personally chose Tufts over higher ranked schools (according to US News, not Forbes) for the student body, location, size, and personal fit. It was also helpful to know that Tufts has one of the best returns on investment out of all the schools in the country. Ultimately, it was the humility of the insanely smart yet not ostentatious students and the “quirkiness” of the student body that made me chose it.
@Tufts2021 Out of curiosity where did you find that it has one of the highest ROI’s of schools in the country? I am curious to read about that!
I chose Tufts because of their REAL program for adult students. Those who enroll through it have 100% of their financial need met, which makes an excellent school like Tufts available to those who otherwise lack the means to take advantage of such an opportunity.
The existence of the REAL program at Tufts indicated to me, as an applicant, that this school takes non-traditional students seriously. During the process and after acceptance, I have felt sincerely welcomed. The program does not segregate non-traditional students from the general populace, either: the same students accepted as freshmen right out of high school take classes alongside those admitted via the REAL program. The academic expectations are the same. The rigor is the same. The degree is the same. I don’t feel looked down upon or indulged as an adult student-- I feel like a legitimate part of the student body, where my experiences are valuable both in and out of the classroom.
So far, my experience squares with what I’ve heard from others that Tufts cultivates a scholarly, yet unpretentious culture open to quirky (this may be the most frequent adjective for Tufts students I’ve seen) new ideas. The existence of the REAL program underscores this sense of humility, especially with regard to where new ideas come from.
Regarding ROI, Forbes considered it for this article, @596479:
10 Expensive Colleges Worth Every Penny
- Amherst
- Dartmouth
- Williams
- UChicago
- *Tufts*
- Colgate
- UPenn
- Columbia
- Hamilton
- Vassar