I'm currently a high school senior about to go into the application process. My top three choices are Tufts, Northwestern, and Yale, with Yale on top. Based on my transcript, location, and overall fit, I'm confident in my chances, especially with ED. I have friends who go there and know that everyone loves it, but I'm not sold yet for myself. Is there anyone who goes there or has already decided to make Tufts their early who wouldn't mind giving a few reasons why Tufts is the most amazing place on earth?
Three great schools, but I think that Tufts is number three in that group.
I have great familiarity with both Northwestern and Tufts, and Northwestern is the better of those two.
(I don’t think there’s a need to say anything about Yale.)
My Tufts DDs did not apply to Northwestern after visiting. They are very different schools. Tufts is substantially smaller with much less of a Greek life. Academically Tufts encourages much more cross disciplinary studies and has distribution requirements. It is much more difficult to study disparate majors at Northwestern since they may be at different schools. Tufts is much more "global citizen"and “explore your passion” oriented, and Northwestern much more pre-professional and career focused. Both are excellent schools but most prospective students will have a clear preference according to fit. Decide what is really important for you personally, and visit both before applying ED to either.
You are wrong. Northwestern encourages just as much cross-disciplinary studies as anybody. Some of the strongest programs (top ranked and highly regarded by grad schools and employers) at Northwestern are multidisciplinary in nature: Math Methods for Social Sciences, Integrated Science Program, Material Science, Biomedical Engineering, Industrial Engineering & Management Science. The quarter system makes double majoring relatively easy. I don’t get your argument about Northwestern’s different schools. Those schools offer something that many others (including Tufts) don’t have and the academic offerings don’t fit into the arts and sciences school (journalism, music conservatory, education, film). It’s true that many classes in the journalism schools are restricted to journalism majors but most other schools don’t even have journalism so the restriction is a moot point for comparison. OTOH, many courses in the communications and education schools are available to everybody. For a mid-sized U, NU offers a wider array of academic options than just about anybody.
OK. Nothing against Northwestern. It is a great school, I don’t know that much about it. I am sure there are wonderful cross-disciplinary classes. Tufts structure facilitates unusual double majors like Computer Science and Drama, or Economics and Child Development, that are harder to do at many schools. My DDs did not like the separate schools at Northwestern. They did not like the focus on Greek life and sports, and felt it had a pre-professional feel. It is a wonderful school, but I do not think there are many DCs that would have Tufts and Northwestern on the same list. Maybe the OP feels they are similar for his/her needs, but I believe most that visit both would have a distinct preference for fit.