<p>I seem to get the sense that the social scene (or lack there of) at Tufts gets a lot of criticism and I was wondering what people on here thought about it. Is there a pretty dominant social scene? Or do most people go into Boston on the weekends? I think that any college has to have some sort of social scene......</p>
<p>lots of criticism? From whom? During the weekends (which may or may not start on Thursday) are usually hopping with people. One of the many of options is the frat parties or parties thrown by houses (Art Haus, German House). The drama dpt also puts on plays i.e. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead. There is usually at least one music artist playing on campus, as well as film showings. In all honesty, I don't find myself going into Boston that often during the weekends. And even if I am off campus for a dinner, a movie or a club, it's usually in cambridge.</p>
<p>i criticize it because there's too much to do. you head into boston and you miss out on a great lecture or production of some sort. you stay in to catch up on work, you miss out on the three or four fraternity parties going on that night. The social life is definitely alive and well at tufts. The challenge is not finding the fun but balancing it with academics.</p>
<p>YES!!!!!!!!!!!!! Gosh, now I want to go to Tufts even more.</p>
<p>I'm actually really curious about this as well. I applied to Tufts, mainly bc my mom works in the Boston campus there and really advocated for it. But I had 2 things against Tufts: 1) It's WAY too close too home, but that can be taken care of (ala turning off the cell phone). and 2) The social life. I've read on the Princeton Review site what the students say about campus life, and it says, "there is not always a party guaranteed on a Friday or Saturday night, which is unthinkable at bigger schools. When there is one, it can seem as if The campus police break everything up." Anybody care to dispel that notion?</p>
<p>Unless a tornado is passing through Medford/Somerville, there will 99.9% of the time be at least a couple of parties on the weekend. Also, the campus police is no more of a killjoy than that at any other small liberal arts school. That is to say, they really don't break up parties unless they get ridiculously out of hand or overcrowded. More often than not, the police just tend to cruise up and down streets to laugh at the antics of the slightly intoxicated party goers</p>
<p>If I want to go out to a party on a given Friday/Saturday night, I can find one. I normally prefer doing other stuff, like going to Film Series, seeing a friend's show/concert, heading into Cambridge/Boston....I like that there's a variety of choices on campus instead of just a bunch of the same-old parties.</p>
<p>Tufts jumped up a few notches in my book...</p>
<p>I just hope if I get accepted and end up going there I don't run into my mom on campus or anything. That would be...awkward, to say the least</p>
<p>Oh please. I can't stand those Princeton Review things, they're so one-sided. There are definitely parties, if not at frats then at SOMEONE's house. And some are really creative and fun. And personally I don't think "Number of parties" determines the hoppin' social life, I think the people and the variety of events do. And I'm still finding new things to do - I'm graduating next semester but this past weekend I went for the first time to Union Square, which is in Somerville, to get some amazing non-greasy Tex Mex. People like being active and social at Tufts, but most do get their work done during the day before they can justify going out.</p>
<p>Yeah, those accusations are really unfounded. If by social life you mean getting drunk Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights, there are people who do that, so if that's your scene, you can find people like that at Tufts. If by social life you mean a good combination of any sorts of things you want to do, you're at the right place. For me, every weekend is different, because you can just plan on the fly and decide that you want to go climbing roofs that night or stay in and listen to records or go sledding or see a show in Boston or play Apples to Apples with friends or go shopping down Newbury Street. Or whatever. There are so many clubs and organizations that always want to throw events that people will to attend. As someone said previously, usually the problem is that there are about 5 things you want to do and you have to just choose one. And if there's really nothing on campus that interests you, there are a million concerts in Boston every weekend, tons of sightseeing, lots of museums, friends from high school at other schools to visit (I love how Boston is such a college town), good food to be et...</p>
<p>It's so nice to hear everyone's opinions on this forum.
I am even more excited about next year :)</p>
<p>Yeah this thread makes me excited about Tufts, and I'm not even in yet. ;)</p>
<p>Speaking here from my experience as a student, not an admissions counselor.</p>
<p>As many of my esteemed Jumbo peers have pointed out, it's easy to find a party. So where does that criticism come from? Speaking candidly, Tufts doesn't fit the label of a "party school." There's so much more to do than just partying, it creates a variety that ensures that there are many people interested in more than hitting up a frat on a Wednesday night. Personally, I'm proud of that, but it isn't what everybody looks for in a college. When a prospective student arrives looking to find a 'party school,' or a rare First-Year student has a distorted sense of what college should be - it creates the kind of criticism you mentioned in the OP. </p>
<p>I was talking to a prospective's parent on Wednesday, and he made a comment to me that he could tell that "balance is something that comes naturally here." That was totally true of my Tufts experience, and I suspect true of the experiences of many of the other Jumbo posters here.</p>
<p>Asked my son about this recently - he's a freshman - and once again, he couldn't be happier.</p>
<p>He agreed that Tufts students know how to party, but also take their studies seriously. Still in the past two weeks, he's been to a couple of parties, seen Broadway star Audra McDonald in concert at Tufts, went with friends to see the Ergs! at a club in Boston, went out with friends to watch the recent lunar eclipse, caught a student production of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, and still found some time to meet me (graciously...briefly...) for a dinner and stroll around Davis square.</p>
<p>Then there's his ongoing participation in the Tufts Outdoors Club, and their weekly treks to some indoor rock climbing emporium. And sledding down the hills. And snowball fights.</p>
<p>And as a father I also have to honestly make note of the empty bottles in his room. You figure it out. I'm sure there's more I don't know about.</p>
<p>Still - he's working hard, pulling As and Bs; and walking through his dorm I noticed lots of students studying, seriously studying, on Sunday night. I think I've mentionned this on another post, but it's worth repeating here. When my son returned home for winter break, he noted that he and many of their friends, while eager to re-connect with family and friends, really didn't want to leave Tufts.</p>
<p>It can't be too much of a non-social grind, don't you think?</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>OldProf, there is nothing better for a parent than to know that their freshman student is happy!</p>
<p>Can you tell me more about the Tufts Outdoors Club? Is it separate from Tufts Mountain Club, an age-old institution that gets students out of their day-to-day groove and up to New Hampshire?</p>
<p>there's always plenty to do at Tufts on weekends (well, except during finals and holiday weekends). People who complain about the lack of social life aren't trying.</p>
<p>That was my mistake - - it is, in fact, the TMC.
Should have remembered that from the orientation climb up Mt Washington!</p>
<p>I went to Tufts during the 1970's and I think there was more going on campus then. I remember seeing Bonnie Raitt, Martin Mull and Genesis giving concerts in Cohen. I went to a talk by Mohammed Ali. I think there may have been more going on campus because there was nothing going on in Davis Sq. then. Now there is a lot to do in Davis Sq. In fact, I think Davis Sq. is a lot more fun than Harvard Sq. Tufts has the shuttle bus to Davis and also a special shuttle bus to Boston on the weekends that runs really late.</p>
<p>It seems to me that there are a lot of college sponsored events on campus during the week, but things seem sparse on Saturday. I know there are plenty of parties on campus and in the apartments surrounding campus on the weekends.</p>