I took a tour, have done years worth of research and am absolutely in love with everything about Tufts. However recently I have heard horror stories about the social life (you feel isolated from other Boston schools, that everyone is quirky/ introverted, lots of “safe space” people, no gatherings/parties). I don’t mean to come across as crass, I am by no means a “party bro”. However I would like to have some diversity of personality, thought etc. at the college I attend, and I’m worrying that Tufts may be too homogenous for me. Can anyone comment?
Tufts definitely has had that vibe in the past. However, the social scene nowadays is especially vibrant and alive - if you seek it. As a freshman who has gone to parties every weekend (greek life and sports houses) I can attest. Tufts also has a ton of social events like concerts and game days. The location makes it super accessible to go out at other campuses (Harvard, MIT, BU). I personally had the same fears, but the social scene here is damn fun.
If you want to go to parties you can, but you don’t have to. I went to school in Boston back in the day and never met anyone else from another Boston school, so that seems like a weird expectation. My son actually did meet people from other schools and institutions through https://www.tuftsgloballeadership.org/programs/allies. He managed to get out to Wellesley College to see his girlfriend, but I will admit he met her while studying abroad. My son felt there were too many people talking politics and not enough people playing board games, but I think in fact he just didn’t look hard enough as other posters in the past have given me links to clubs that would have been right up his alley.
D is now a senior, Tufts was her ED1 choice. She loves her major, her classes, her professors, and the friends she’s made, but only 10% of the students are in Greek life, and Greek life accounts for at least 80% of the parties and social life on campus. It’s a bit one dimensional in her view. I would say the limited social life at Tufts is her biggest disappointment. She’s really active in the radio station, but it doesn’t seem that they organize many social events outside of the station. The wilderness group seemed overly clique-ish. She studied in Barcelona for a year, which was a fantastic experience, and made her eager to return to Tufts. But she’s still underwhelmed by social life there. Having said that, she concedes that no school is perfect, and she is branching out, studying in Cambridge, doing more things in Boston, and not relying on Tufts to provide her with entertainment.
I used to go to Tufts last year- applied ED and it was my dream school. However honestly, there is no social life. The parties and social life is basically very limited and people do not tend to branch out to make new friends. There are very few organizations that try to build a social life or community. Hardly any parties or fun things to do due to the cold and being very far away from other schools, and Boston isn’t really any fun if you are under 21. Out of all my good friends at Tufts, all but one of them dropped out. (And the only person I know that still goes there gets free tuition due to their parent employed there.) I wish I had known this before I went there, but from upper class members I spoked to, it was really something that shifted in the year I began attending (2017).
My guess is that the above poster just didn’t reach out much as a first year. I find things to do/parties to go to every weekend here, and rarely I go to Harvard/Northeastern/MIT also. For a top academic school, I find students to be very diverse in their interests as well as being extroverted. I party at frats most often but also find myself going to off campus houses, friends’ suites/apts, etc. I find Tufts to be a super social environment, but that may just be because I’m more or less a social person. Joining clubs/sports/other organizations will definitely give you options for nights out. Love the people here, the amazing conversations I have, and the overall day-to-day life.
Hello! I am a current student at Tufts, and I am here to give you the rundown on the social life at Tufts. It is true that we are described as “quirky” but all that really ends up meaning is that people are not competitive and everyone brings something unique to the table. As for the social life, there are plenty of parties, you just have to hear about them! By reaching out to people, just listening around campus, being in clubs, and having a few friends guarantees you’ll have some fun at parties. Parties are thrown by the sport houses, clubs, special group houses, and Greek life. If you want to party, there is always a few parties going on during the weekends. If the big party scene isn’t your style, there are literally HUNDREDS of dorm parties happening from Thursday-Saturday night. If you find you do not want to go to those, and as long as you or someone else knows someone at Harvard or MIT, you can head to those campuses for a fun night. However, academics ALWAYS come first at Tufts. If you’re looking for a party, you just cant live under a rock and only attempt to talk to 2 people. If you’re a social person, you’ll have a great social life. If that isn’t for you, there are plenty of other things to keep you busy. The rumor that tufts is boring in regards to their social life is antiquated, but it is true that you do have to at least try to seek them out. Hope this helps (Junior at Tufts).
What percentage of students go live off campus (e.g., in Cambridge)?
The Tufts undergrad campus is located in Medford/Somerville. About 30-35% of the students live off campus - in Medford and Somerville, not Cambridge. The Cambridge border is about a mile from campus (on the Somerville side}, but it is more expensive. When Obama attended Harvard Law, he lived in Somerville on Winter Hill (which in an earlier time was made famous by Whitey Bulger).
That’s so cool about Obama, did not know that!
If you live in Somerville and don’t pay your parking tickets, then there is no limit to the career possibilities…
https://patch.com/massachusetts/somerville/barack-obama-once-called-somervilles-winter-hill-home
Michele partnered with Tufts for her active kids programs…
https://www.wbur.org/commonhealth/2013/02/28/michelle-obama-tufts-active-school-kids
And, if Malia had not been a double legacy at Harvard, she just might have been your classmate 
https://www.boston.com/news/local-news/2015/03/26/malia-obama-spotted-touring-harvard-tufts
Edit to message above - “and as long as you DO pay your parking tickets”
That slip up could get me in trouble with the Somerville police! 