<p>Hey all,</p>
<p>I was recently admitted as a transfer to Tufts from a small, highly ranked LAC that I left because I feel that the size is too small and stifling (I really want to branch out and meet/ see new people as often as possible - who wants to relive high school in college?). I thought Tufts' size was perfect up until I toured recently - my best friend (first-year this past school year) seemed to know almost EVERYONE we passed. He claims that this is ONLY because he ran for class council.... I'm a bit skeptical though.</p>
<p>Input/opinions on the size? Is this the norm? Anyone feel stifled/crave something bigger?</p>
<p>Gracias in advance</p>
<p>Tufts is obviously larger than most LACs and smaller than most universities. One of the things I find so appealing about it is that it has this manageable, fairly intimate size for a university, together with the research aspect and the range of academic disciplines and schools that are more typical of a university. If you want something large, you should be looking for a school with a larger undergrad population: Cornell is about 14K, Penn about 10K, Northwestern 8K. Tufts is only 5K (but it’s a great 5k!)</p>
<p>My S1 will be attending Tufts this coming Fall. He thought it was the perfect size. He definitely did not want to look at any schools smaller than 5k. He also looked at Cornell, actually Penn & Northwestern were on his list too. </p>
<p>He really liked Cornell, but it seemed massive to him. (At this age) However it grows on you as you move into higher years. However, the clincher for him was that he wanted to be near a major city and Cornell doesn’t really have that. He also has many friends attending other colleges in and around Boston and felt that he would get off campus to explore Boston and also visit his friends at the other colleges in the area.</p>
<p>You could certainly attend other college events to give you a different perspective…the neat thing about Boston is that it is a huge college town, so you can meet college students anywhere, not just on your campus! See you in the Fall!:)</p>
<p>If you’re at an LAC with about 1500 students and it’s in a rural location–then I wouldn’t worry at all about finding a new world when and if you transfer. Tufts is not huge, but there’s still a big difference between where you are and where you’re (maybe) going. In the ~5,000 student range, people often feel like they recognize most everyone if they pass them on campus, but there’s always someone new to get to know better. Plus, as chocchipcookie says, if you’ve been in a rural location, coming to the greater Boston area will be a big difference. Unlike other urban areas I’ve lived in, Boston is truly dominated by your age group. It can be a great experience. </p>
<p>Good luck whatever you decide!</p>