I’m so nervous about going to college and making new friends. Is life at Tufts cliquey? When I visited it didn’t seem like it but I have heard that it is. I’m done with the high school scene where people just stick with their friend groups.
Do different groups interact? Is it easy to join new clubs and stuff and get over homesickness?
I would really appreciate responses to this please be honest!
Tufts is a very welcoming community. Sure, people hang out with friends … just like they do at every other school. That’s human nature. But you will have no problem meeting new people through classes, dorm life, a multitude of EC activities, or through other friends.
I’m also a parent – students make friends at the pre-O programs, at the orientation week (two of D’s closest friends were made on Days 1 & 2 of orientation, not pre-O), and then it’s also pretty easy to get involved in any number of organized (or not), groups – newspaper, radio, theatre opportunities, community service (D’s friend does dog walking for members of the community), club sports, religious groups (Hillel is pretty active), juggling fire on the quad. She was friendly with her roommate, but they ended up in different crowds, which was completely fine. Frats probably make up the bulk of party life for freshman and sophomores (I believe the parties are open), and then things tend to move off campus for upperclassmen.
hello! i am a soph @ tufts 
umm in my opinion tufts can get kind of cliquey. you just hang out who you spend the most time with. like the athletes spend all their time with each other and culture club exec boards are also super tight knit (which by the way makes the club seem a little inaccessible and unwelcoming, but i heard they’re trying to change the structures of culture clubs this year). there’s also definitely a subtle divide between people of color and White people. greek life (what remains of it) is pretty White as well.
however, i think if you make the extra effort to reach out to people from other groups, they’ll respond. it’s not like everyone here are jerks. it’s just a matter of if you vibe with that person