Tufts or USC more respected?

College Search & Selection
41

<p>is studying economics okay then?</p>

42

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<p>Really? I might agree on the Medford side of things (Tufts straddles Medford and Somerville), but Davis Square is a great area with lots of things to do (I lived between Davis Square and Tufts for two years, from June 2007-June 2009), and Teele Square has a few places worth going to as well. And half a mile from the subway is not what I would call isolated.</p>

43

<p>bicoastal07 and RML,</p>

<p>The fact that the number from payscale for USC is the same/higher than the number from Marshall’s employment report means payscale number is nowhere representative. There’s no way the average salary for the whole school is the same as that for business school alone (except maybe places like tech schools such as MIT or GATech).</p>

44

<p>Agree with jessiehl. Isolated is NOT a word I would ever associate with Tufts. There’s lots to do in Davis Square and other areas near campus, too. And a one-half mile walk to get to a subway that, in 25 minutes or so, can take you to the BEST college city in America is awesome!! </p>

<p>USC and Tufts are sooo different. It’s hard to imagine them both being of interest to the same person. But, to each his own.</p>

<p>I’d go with Tufts.</p>

45

<p>I agree with #42 and #44. I don’t know how tsdad can call Tufts “isolated” or the nearby area “uninteresting.” There’s lots of nightlife in Davis Square and I believe Harvard Square is only two stops on the T.</p>

46

<p>When you’re comparing it to the heart of LA, practically any area is “isolated” and “uninteresting” ;)</p>

47

<p>Go to tufts im applying to usc and need less competition haha</p>

48

<p>please explain the fundamental differences between USC and tufts!</p>

<p>right now i think that USC is a large school with lots of partying and in sunny california, while tufts is a smaller school with more academically-oriented students in cold medford, ma.</p>

49

<p>Tufts might have a more academic student body, but USC is no slouch either. Here are the freshman stats:</p>

<p>Tufts:
SAT Critical Reading: 670-750
SAT Math: 670 - 750 </p>

<pre><code>~mean = 1420
</code></pre>

<p>USC:
SAT Critical Reading: 620 - 720<br>
SAT Math: 650 - 750 </p>

<p>Mean ~1370</p>

50

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<p>
where Tufts plays at best third fiddle.</p>

51

<p>bumppppp 10char.</p>

52

<p>Okay, so I go to USC and my best friend goes to Tufts. Obviously I can’t account for the whole school, so take my perspective with a grain of salt.</p>

<p>I think the biggest difference between the two schools would definitely be the culture. Both are solid academic schools and have similar freshman profiles, but the types of students at the schools are really different. </p>

<p>USC has an intense “work hard, party hard” feel to it - the Greek system, while not as dominant as it used to be, has proved to be resilient. If you’re not into the Greek system, you’ll probably still party on the Row and have lots of Greek friends. Off-campus parties are easily accessible, too. This was a funny Overheard conversation at a football game: (concerning USC’s President Sample - this was the guy who changed USC’s party school reputation into a solid academic school. “Stanfordization” we call it) “Before he came here, this school was just a bunch of alcoholics. Now we’re academic alcoholics.” *(Disclaimer, if you’re not into the whole partying/drinking culture, there’s definitely still a niche for you. I have many friends who don’t drink and LA keeps them busy and happy!)</p>

<p>Tufts, on the other hand, has a Greek system but it definitely doesn’t dominate the social scene (I think they only have 3 sororities, not certain, though). My friend said the students are definitely more “nerdier”, but naturally, that doesn’t include everyone, and if you want to have fun and party there, you can find it. </p>

<p>Boston and LA, obviously, have very different vibes. I’m not exactly sure where Tufts is located, but I adore Boston; from my experiences, it’s a city filled with business people during the day which gets taken over by college kids at night. Boston definitely has more of a face-pasted, “go f— yourself” sort of attitude than LA, which is super chill and laid-back. People walk really slowly in LA which is pretty annoying as an East Coaster, but then again, we get amazing weather. Temperate weather all year round makes life vastly more enjoyable. Boston gets COLD. The end. </p>

<p>USC is in downtown LA; sort of shady, but the school has done continuous outreach services to the surrounding community, so it’s definitely gotten better. PLENTY of security on and off-campus. There’s a certain superficiality to USC’s student body that derives from its close vicinity to Hollywood: for the most part, many students are health conscious and keep up with their looks. Kids are smart and definitely not ditzy, but I’m not gonna lie, the student body is gorgeous. As a girl or guy, you’re going to have lots of competition. I honestly don’t know how the school manages to pick such good-looking people, but maybe that’s why they’re so selective! :)</p>

<p>Tufts is predominately filled with white, upper-middle to upper class kids from the suburbs, but they’re definitely really friendly and welcoming. Tufts is a pretty liberal school, while USC tends to lean on the conservative side, as a Californian school. As a private school though, I’d say USC is more liberal than most. USC has this old stereotype (University of Spoiled Children), which isn’t exactly relevant any more. Lots of students are on scholarships and financial aid (USC has one of the biggest FA budgets in the country and they’re pretty generous) so there’s tons of diversity, especially with our huge population of international students. Of course, there’s still a presence of wealthy, WEALTHY kids around. Especially old money. </p>

<p>And this is getting long, so I’ll just end it with football. Tufts’ sports culture? Pretty non-existent. (Aside from this season) USC has a solid football reputation, and the fan base to go along with it. The school spirit is infectious and ridiculous, and coming from someone who didn’t watch a single football game before college, everyone (and I mean EVERYONE) becomes wrapped up in Trojan football. It’s pretty heartwarming to see parents come on game days with their little kids, all decked out in cardinal and gold USC attire. This is hands down, the biggest reason I chose USC over any other school: the Trojan family is like none other. It’s not just about the alumni connections, but it’s the unity of the school that makes campus such a beautiful place to be in. Students have immense pride just LOVE going to USC. I don’t know how to say it in a more articulate way. But it’s true what they say: once a Trojan, always a Trojan.</p>

<p>My friend is happy at Tufts, but we have very different personalities and I simply could not imagine being there. It’s a great school, but I just wanted a school with a different sort of student body/wanted to escape the East Coast. I’d say both schools are well respected and you shouldn’t base your decision on prestige or rankings. Lots of kids on my floor chose 'SC over traditionally higher ranked schools (including Duke, Stanford, Princeton, Cal) and they couldn’t be happier. Hope it helps!</p>

53

<p>Tufts
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54

<p>Reputation depends on where you are. Both are phenomenal schools, but here on the east coast (in ct at least) tufts has more prestige and name recognition.</p>

55

<p>RML,
Success is not always measured in monetary terms. Many graduates from SC are in the fields of social work, fine arts and teaching. These graduates may not make the highest salaries, but do contribute to society in meaningful ways.</p>

<p>Also, alumni such as Dan Bane (Trader Joe’s), David Bohnett (Geocities), Henry Caruso (Dollar Rent-A-Car), Ronnie Chan (Hang Lung Group), Chris DeWolfe (My Space), Pat Gillick (Philadelphia Phillies), Brad Hughes (Public Storage), Rich Knerr (Wham-O), Terrence Lanni, MGM Mirage), Gordon Marshall (Marshall Industries), Paul Orfalea (Kinko’s), George Lucas (Director), Forest Whittaker (Actor), LaMar Burton (Actor), Frank Gehry (Pritzer Prize), Bear McCreary (Battlestar Gallactica), Suzanne Johnson (Goldman Sachs), Kyra Phillips (CNN-4 Emmys), Ed Roski (LA Lakers), Andrew Viterbi (Engineering), Ming Hsieh (Engineering), Sonny Astani (Engineering), Yang Ho Cho(Korean Airlines), Mark Stevens (Sequoia Capital) are just a few examples who certainly fit your criteria of financial success.</p>

56

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<p>I LOL at the “Stanfordization” and “academic alcoholics”. With my luck I’ll probably would have one kid at UCLA and the other one at USC. Oops that’s another thread. :D</p>

57

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<p>You left out this SC alum: Joseph R. “Joe” Francis (Girls Gone Wild).</p>

58

<p>So I got into both USC Tufts, and I frankly have no idea which one to pick. Both schools have great academics but there are certain circumstances that make this really complicated.</p>

<p>Tufts:

  1. I have free tuition
  2. I want to do Poli Sci+IR
  3. I have a congressional internship I could easily continue, and I have been offered a position in DC for summers.
  4. I ultimately want to be in national politics
  5. Tufts has the Fletcher School, and as a senior, I can take classes there if I want. This also makes it easier to get the MA in Law and Diplomacy (I was planning on getting this then heading for law school).
  6. I definitely know I will go to law school.</p>

<p>USC:

  1. I LOVE the school unity and spirit.
  2. The alumni are extremely passionate.
  3. Campus life seems so much more lively.
  4. USC has the better business and econ.
  5. My entire family is from CA, and I really want to be in Cali. I am quite sick of the east coast.</p>

<p>That pretty much sums up the issues. Also, keep in mind that I don’t have any FA from USC and that I’ve lived in the Boston area my entire life.</p>