<p>I like bluirinka's comment. It shouldn't matter that a college is more well renowned or more "prestigious"; all that matters is that the student finds a school that fits him or her.</p>
<p>let's stop talking about its undergrad reputation... the question is, will it help get students into top medical/dental schools?</p>
<p>No more or less any other similarly ranked school will or will not.</p>
<p>The idea that some schools somehow give students magical advantages when it comes to getting into professional schools is rather strange at best. But it sure is pervasive on this site...</p>
<p>This whole concept of "reputation," seems to me to be a bit ill-defined and poorly thought-out. Reputation among whom, and in what (occupational) sectors? I think that where Tufts is strong (IR, med/dental, other things I might simply not be knowledgeable about), the people in those fields know and have a great deal of respect for the University. </p>
<p>I wonder to what degree a school's reputation affects a person's life prospects. For some strange reason, I don't think going to Tufts instead of some more commonly known university will set you down the path to destruction! Heck, I can just look at my own family, parent one with three (almost four now) degrees, one of those degrees being from a "high prestige" university, and parent two with two degrees from less well-known and less "prestigious" universities. Parent two earnns considerably more than the other, but they are both intelligent people.</p>
<p>Connections/networking, street smarts, luck, personality and so on all influence a person's occupational/financial successes, and the reputation of a university (either in the general population, and even within a specific sector) is only one part of the package.</p>
<p>Also, any Tom, Dick, and Harry can be wowed by the title of certain universities...that doesn't necessarily mean the value attached to said title is founded in anything more than myth and general, simple beliefs.</p>
<p>fact is that in life people appreciate the types of passionate, well rounded not quite as elitist students that Tufts graduates.</p>
<p>This study is now a couple of years old; it was called the revealed preference study. It is summarized in this chart from the New York Times, which gives a sense of Tufts' reputation at least as reflected in student preferences.</p>
<p>The</a> New York Times > Week in Review > Image > Collegiate Matchups: Predicting Student Choices</p>
<p>I think the fact that Tufts is even on that list speaks a lot about its reputation</p>
<p>Tufts was at our high school college fair and my son was very interested in it. The rep was a med student at Tulane Med School, which is no cinch to get into. He double majored in Biomed Engin and another major, and told my son about the research and projects he worked on. Son was very impressed, and so were we. Good luck!</p>
<p>I think it's hysterical to go back and read the posts made a year ago in october about wall street recruiting when wall street a year later is in complete shambles marked by greed and corruption. I would think Tufts would now be glad to not be on that same page.</p>
<p>As an aside: I do agree the poster who suggests reading school publications (newspapers, blogs, etc) as a way to get a real feel for the school, its student's concerns and it's sense of place. I have actually become a real fan of a few schools that my son is actually no longer interested in. In any event, if you want to know about a school, read it's paper. And if you want to know about how well a community gets along with the school or it's relationship, read the community paper.</p>
<p>Here is a survey from the NYT of where cross admits actually go. It covers approx 16 top schools including Tufts. Seems about right.</p>
<p>The</a> New York Times > Week in Review > Image > Collegiate Matchups: Predicting Student Choices</p>
<p>Of course the cross-admit lists don't take into account the students who applied early to their first choice school. For S and for most of his friends, Tufts was their first choice -- am sure there's lots of that at just about any good school.</p>
<p>I still think the emphasis has to be on the individual's needs. Research as much as you can and VISIT. Sit in on some classes if possible. Read up carefully on your departments of interest. Early on, S tended to focus on prestige and rankings, but once he started visiting, he went with his own opinions. I think students are very good at recognizing what clicks with them. The fact that Tufts wasn't an Ivy became a non-issue. If that's important to you, that's fine too. Everyone has their own criteria for judging what's best for them. At Tufts, the friendliness of the campus and the quality of the IR dept. were probably what sold him most.</p>
<p>FWIW, he found Cornell just too large and didn't want a big Greek scene (Dartmouth). I thought Brown sounded like a good choice, but he thought it sounded a little too quirky for his taste. Of all the schools on this list, I think it probably attracts a student body somewhat similar to that of Tufts, though the difference in curriculum requirements obviously sets the two apart. Liked the sound of Northwestern, though distance was a minus for us...</p>
<p>A lot of people think that Brown and Tufts have a very similar appeal, although as you say, Tufts has a whole different set of requirements.<br>
I absolutely love Northwestern, but it is a completely different atmosphere. Bigger, more urban (even though it is technically also suburban), big Greek life, and then you have the Big Ten.
These are all spectacular schools. Anyone who goes to any of them is lucky!</p>
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A lot of people think that Brown and Tufts have a very similar appeal
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<p>WCAS - I think many people feel this way because both Brown and Tufts are known to be a little more "loose" and give students a really broad, liberal arts-esque education. Plus, I think the types of students that both attract (generally) are not elitist/into the prestige really... especially when you compare Brown to some of the other Ivys (as someone above also mentioned).</p>
<p>Let me echo the comments about the friendly and somewhat looser feel on campus. Our daughter (Tufts '08) and son (Tufts '11) have been very happy with their decision to attend. Housing issues complicate campus life, but Tufts offers solid teaching, proximity to Boston, strong classmates, and diverse community life. Our two from the West "sell" Tufts whenever possible.</p>
<p>Tufts is not only undervalued, but it also cannot and probably will never be of the same caliber as an Ivy. </p>
<p>Many students I have met from Tufts are Ivy rejects. Very bright and intellegent people but forced to go to Tufts because they were waitlisted at Harvard or Dartmouth. </p>
<p>It's very rare that anyone grows up dreaming about attending Tufts. Of course, some do; however, the majority of top tier students dream of Yale or Princeton. </p>
<p>Therefore, I think that Tufts is underrepresented in the professional world and has a reputation for being an Ivy reject playground.</p>
<p>Ivy's do not give this superior education that so many people claim, IMO. No one can really explain to me how it's so. Do teachers who are good only go there? Are they the only one's with money? I think there are LOTS of schools completely on point with all of the ivies, including Tufts. All they offer in addition is a name. How important that is, is subjective, But I don't see what it is that Harvard and Princeton offer that is so amazing that they belong in a league of their own.</p>
<p>I don't think ivy's actually give one a better education then going to another top college like say Tufts, Northwestern, or Emory. I think what they do happen to do is recruit students that are better than the kids that attend these schools. They get first pick, it is sort of like the argument, "Is the coach the best coach or are his players just the best players." I personally believe that their players happen to be the best in the world. I would say the professors are pretty much on par tho.</p>
<p>I think any student who "dreams of attending (only) an ivy" is limiting their horizons. The individual should do their research and see what school best fits their academic wants AND their personality. </p>
<p>We've seen quite a few students like this-- often pushed by parents who don't know any better. One was considered a disappointment because he didn't get in Stanford or Harvard, and had to settle for Dartmouth. Another got into a number of great schools, but attended Brown, because it was the only Ivy he got into. Socially, it wasn't a great choice for him. Sometimes I think it's the parents who plant those dreams in the first place.</p>
<p>S knew his SAT score would probably put him out of the running for HYP, but considered Tufts his top choice over UPenn, Dartmouth, Cornell, and Amherst, simply because he knew what he wanted. Would he have made the same decision if he'd planned to go into engineering or aimed to make buckets of $ on Wall St? Probably not. But the IR program is great, and he's happier there than we ever could have hoped. Do we wish it was cheaper, or closer to DC for govt internships? Sure. But his experience has been overwhelmingly positive. Also- there's an interest and concern for the overall/global picture at Tufts that we did not find at any other school-- it's not just PR from the administration. The Tisch College is there for a reason. It's a fantastic atmosphere. If the kids at Tufts are miserable, they're doing an awfully good job of hiding it.</p>
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If the kids at Tufts are miserable, they're doing an awfully good job of hiding it.
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<p>Hahaha! I love it!</p>