<p>There are more people in the world know tufts than Dartmouth, so don't worry about if it is for "ivy rejects".</p>
<p>I have not come across a single person who was bitter about being an "Ivy Reject", nor have I heard anyone complain about being here instead of an Ivy-League school, since I first came here.</p>
<p>I think you also have to figure that a lot of the people making those claims are probably people who have no connection to Tufts, or teenage Ivy wannabees. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but they should realize that not everyone has the same priorities when it comes to college.</p>
<p>As above posters have said, the only people who put down Tufs on this board are bitter ivy-wannabe high schoolers who probably will end up at a much less sophisticated institution because they are on this board instead of studying or doing something more productive or mature with their time, or the mothers of said students. </p>
<p>As for Brandybeer, if you do get into college, you should know that anyone who goes to a college with any sort of social cache uses the "ivy reject" thing as a joke/sarcasm. </p>
<p>As far as Tufts goes, I'll stand by the statistics, the fact that our SAT median is 2010-2260 (1340-1500 without writing) and our 97% retention rate makes it clear that we are in quite a competitive group.</p>
<p>The bottom line is: When you walk the campus -- pick any campus of any college -- do you feel like you could live there for four years of your life, amongst the people you see hurrying between classes or languishing on the lawn? Did people say hello to you as you toured? Did that make you feel welcome, or did it creep you out? Or, if they did not say hello, did you find it odd, or did you just say "meh"? Were you enthralled by political fervor and hand-painted issues signs and leaflets and a sense of something happening around you? Or was the signage too much for you and made the campus too cluttery? Did everyone look like you, making you feel safe and comfortable? Or did they look like people you have only seen on TV, and make you feel intimdated? Or intrigued? Did the fact that nobody had on shirts or other attire with the school logo or mascot make you wonder about school spirit, or did you like the fact that the latest fashions were in evidence? Was the frenetic pace of the campus something that comforted you, or exhausted you to watch? Was the calm idyll of the campus center a soothing environment, or too morgue-like to you? There are NO right answers. </p>
<p>My sister toured Tufts about midpoint in her college search (Spring 2008). She initially added Tufts to her list because it is within a one day drive, and because it consistently came up on her "hit" lists whenever she did one of those match-maker "find the school for you" programs on-line. After she had toured the school, Tufts immediately displaced in her mind the previous schools she had toured, and all subsequent schools she toured were compared to Tufts as she looked at them. That's her story. It's not yours, or mine. She fell in love with Tufts based on what she saw on her 3 trips there for tours and walk-abouts. She's a smart kid, and she has been accepted EA at a couple of very good schools, and is awaiting RD at Tufts and a couple of others, but if the financial aid from Tufts works out (or if it is even only slightly worse than some others) then she cannot imagine herself anywhere else. And it's not based on a chart from the NY Times 4 years ago, or on what the faculty/student ratio is, or any other numbers or ratios or stats or % who got hired here or there. Sometimes we simply fall in love, and that's where she is at right now with the college on the hill.</p>
<p>Is Tufts right for all of you? Does it FEEL right? Maybe not. If not, then don't go there because you will be miserable. But if it is, then embrace that and pursue it. Either way, it is highly unlikely that the discussion of whether one college is better or worse than another can ever be resolved on here. It is akin to asking "what's better: vanilla or chocolate or strawberry?" and expecting to get it resolved. Especially if the collge in question, like Tufts, is neopolitan. ;-)</p>
<p>PS - In case you wonder, I did not apply to Tufts when I was applying tio schools 3 years ago because due to some external forces I was not diligent in high school, something I will forever regret. Due to family circumstances I am the primary person involved in my sister's college search and I would be very hapy to see her heading to Medford next year. Not because Tufts is "prestigious", but because it is where she will fit and thrive.</p>
<p>^ You know, that's a great explanation and everything, but some people simply can't foot the bill, lol. That's why factors such as prestige and that "chart from the NY times 4 years ago" (being a feeder school/having a high graduate school acceptance rate) are so important. People want a reason more than "I will be able to thrive there." Most people, IMO when deciding on the basis of fin aid, are more flexible when it comes to a school because it's truly just too expensive to attend the school that they love the most.</p>
<p>It's sad, but true. I know that Tufts is somewhere that I will thrive - the question people (including me) ask themselves, is it worth 200k? Thus all those factors that you readily dismissed. As for myself, I've visited but I haven't stayed overnight, which I think is the best way to really get to know a school. So **if<a href="and%20by%20that%20I%20mean%20I%20HOPE!!!!!%20sigh.">/b</a> I get in, I'm going to do that first before making any big decisions. Most likely that will just make me fall in love with the place and give me more of a reason to go (:P, my secret plan), but if for some strange reason it doesn't, at least I'll know I made an educated choice. And I truly hope everyone else does the same.</p>
<p>Well-thought response, neethus1. I agree with you regarding the need to consider all aspects that are important to you. For you, it is the post-graduate effects of your undergrad choice -- whether it is your concern about grad school or job recuitment. My point is that, for you, you need to consider this because it is what is important to you. For my sis, the 4 years between when she is 17 and when she is 22 are her focus right now, since it is likely that what she thinks she wants to do now will morph into something else during that time. </p>
<p>And I agree wholeheartedly with you about the cost. All the schools she applied to will cost an arm and a leg. You ask is Tufts worth $200K. No. But neither are the other 5 or 6 schools she applied to that also cost $200K. </p>
<p>I think Tufts, like most schools in that band, are in danger of pricing themselves out of the business of educating the middle class in this country. It is inevitable if we stay on this path, and the economy continues to tank, that higher education will again become the sole province of the rich and the occasional underprivileged student who can get sponsorship. The lack of merit dollars at the 'elite' yet non-Ivy schools is a frustrating syndrome. Where is the merit money? The merit money is in the next tier down. The Fairfield, Stonehill, Holy Cross, UConn, Providence College schools that still realize that the middle class can't afford to send half of their take-home pay per year to some college. They are what Tufts was 20 years ago. </p>
<p>Again, thanks for the response and i think we're on the same page.</p>
<p>NO school is worth $200,000 if it's going to put undue financial strain on the student or their family.<br>
It's imperative that students sit down with their families well BEFORE admissions/decision time to get a clear picture of just how much they are able and willing to pay for a college education. I've seen some very sad posts on CC by kids who got into their dream schools, only to find there was no way to make it work. </p>
<p>I recently ran into the mother of one the top students in last year's HS class, who decided to save money for grad school and take the state university/honors program route. She said the biggest shock for him was finding that he was no longer at the top of the heap-- that he was surrounded by extremely talented peers and working his butt off. We also know of two students who passed up Harvard to take full scholarships at Fordham, and are very happy with their choice. In this economy, I'm guessing that the competition for these kinds of opportunities is going to get extremely tough.</p>
<p>I really have to say that reading about the prestige prestige prestige aspects is hard to bear. I dont really do it.. but when I do I think to myself that people are missing the boat on what constitutes success in the world and a good choice in college</p>
<p>If someone picks an ivy based upon what they offer to them that is terrific. If they do it to be a part of an esteemed club of some sort.. that is ridiculous. With all the affirmative action both in terms of connection/wealth/legacy and in terms of minorities-- anyone knows that the the best and brightest do not necessary land there. If anything, if someone relies upon it and uses it as a blanket or shield, that is transparent and offensive to others. Read the pulitzer prize winning book called THE PRICE OF ADMISSION and lose any obsession with landing in an ivy .</p>
<p>Bottom line, pick the school that feels right to you---- and do very well there. College is an opportunity to be who you want to be and to gain the skills that truly enable you for next steps. I for one am THRILLED that my child is going to Tufts. I think it is a fantastic, lucid, proactive, respectful, adjusted place. Kids who are offered space and choose to go there are I believe EXTREMELY LUCKY.</p>
<p>To those who posted that Brown and Tufts have a similar feel, I completely agree. Last year when I visiting schools I felt that these two schools had much in common.</p>
<p>To those talking about prestige-</p>
<p>My dad went to Yale. He is absolutely brilliant in my mind, even if he is too modest to admit it. But you know what? He admits to this day that Yale was the wrong place for him. He floundered around and never really found his direction there. He had aspirations of being an architect, but realized too late that he didn't have the drawing skills necessary. While in my eyes, he is an amazing person and knows pretty much everything about anything, in the eyes of the Ivies and especially his alma mater, he would be considered a "failure". He's no superstar, and despite being a content and perfectly happy human being, he earns a pretty average salary.</p>
<p>My mom went to Wheaton College in Norton, MA. Barely anyone has ever heard of it, although in recent years its reputation has grown. It was still an all-girls school when she went. But you know what? She was incredibly driven, and knew exactly what she wanted to do. She was happy there, and looks back on it fondly as a place where she needed to be. She worked hard in her undergrad years, and went on to Stern for graduate school at NYU. She has since done marketing research for top personal products/pharmaceutical companies, and earns a six-figure salary. She LOVES her job, too.</p>
<p>So yeah, when you tell the average Joe, "Hey I went to Yale!" sure, he might be impressed. But at the end of the day... in the real world no one is really going to care what your SAT scores were or where you were accepted. It's what you make of your life that's important. Many of my teachers at my high school went to Princeton, and you know what? They're teaching next to alums from Rutgers or TCNJ. They're no superstars, either. People applying to college tend to have the misconceived notion that going to an Ivy will somehow automatically make a person a superstar: famous, rich, and perfectly content with life. This is completely absurd. While I think "prestige" can maybe get a good first impression from someone for about .2 seconds, in reality... it doesn't really matter. If you work hard at some average no-name school but produce wonderful work and receive great recommendations from professors, you'll be fine.</p>
<p>On a topic more related to Tufts, I am pleased with the comments some posters have made about the similarities between Tufts and Brown. I love Brown's atmosphere but certain things about the school irk me. I applied to both Tufts and Brown (both for their dual degree programs with art schools), but all-in-all given the choice, I think I'm going to choose Tufts over Brown. If anyone who applied to both would care to comment further on your reasons for choosing Tufts (or choosing Brown), or your opinions regarding the atmosphere at Tufts, I would really appreciate it.</p>
<p>awesome post. your parents should be proud!</p>
<p>My father went to Harvard and my mom went to Wellesley. I went to a public university and had a much better experience than either of them did. So yes, it's about what fits for you and more importantly, what you make of it, regardless of where you go.</p>
<p>For those making the difficult (but fortunate) choice between Tufts and Brown, see this recent thread on CC:</p>
<p>Hey...I went to Tufts 30 years ago when I wasn't accepted into Brown. Never looked back. The people I met were phenomenal and have gone on to great achievements- national newspaper reporters and editors, TV and movie stars/producers and commercial authors. The proximity to Boston was not like it is now (no Red line connection then) but we got into the city all the time, especially jr./sr. year. The thing about Tufts is - or was - that it's a blast. If you want to party heavily, you can. Want to protest, you can. Want to be a serious scholar, that too. Want to travel - yup. It's kind of an Uberman's university.
Wish I could do it again....</p>
<p>I think the two schools have a similar feel, but Tufts has a fairly extensive required curriculum, while Brown has none. Doesn't Brown also give students the opportunity to form their own majors? </p>
<p>Also, if comparing IR programs, Tufts requires 8 semesters of foreign language. This was a definite concern for S1, who hated language study in HS. So far, so good, though. He has a great professor, and definitely feels that being fluent will be a plus for his future plans.</p>
<p>And even for non-IR majors, the language requirement is pretty hefty-6 semesters. If you take an AP Language test, however, and score well (5), I think you can finish the language requirement in one semester. My D did this. And if I remember correctly, you also take a placement test during freshman orientation to be sure of placement in the proper course. In general, the requirements at Tufts (distribution, etc.) are quite extensive, but if you believe in a true liberal arts education, then you are right where you want to be!!</p>
<p>Remember that Tufts may be revising their college credits earned from AP scores soon, so this may change.</p>
<p>I agree with cherrycrush. Everyone should go to a school where they are truly happy. Both of my parents went to Rutgers University in New Jersey (rated ~#60? 65?). They're doing very well for themselves. My dad can more than support us, and he has an amazing job that he absolutely loves. He knows many people from top schools (Ivies, etc) that have trouble finding work or are in lower positions than he is in.</p>
<p>The point being -- no matter where you go, if you do well and are seriously driven, you will be successful. </p>
<p>With that said, Tufts is a prestigious school. In the Northeast, most people know that Tufts is amazing. Personally, I applied because I know that I would be happy at Tufts -- not because it is rated so highly. Sure, the rating helps, but in the end, if you aren't happy at the school that you are attending, the rating doesn't matter.</p>
<p>Here's my anecdote, and then I'll shut up: </p>
<p>Tufts was one of the only schools I toured (and I was obviously a high school geek wandering with his parents) where just about every student I passed said hello or smiled. That has to be worth something.</p>
<p>^^^^^^ My experience, too!</p>