Tufts vs. BC vs. WashU

<p>im having trouble deciding. can anyone help give me a clearer idea of tufts to see if its a good fit for me?</p>

<p>to give an idea of what i want, i had wanted to go to duke but didnt get in. i want a school with a lot of school spirit and sports are very important to me but i also want to go to a school with a lot of diversity. on another note, im kind of scared tufts is just for artsy, weird people though... is there a wide randge of personalities and people there? im also wondering what the party scene is like there? the main area i want to study and pursue is political science/pre-law. </p>

<p>waht do you guys think? could you answer some questions i have? do you think tufts is a good fit? or would bc or washu be better for me?</p>

<p>“A lot of school spirit and sports are very important” is understating things at Duke, where they are so over-the-top they are just insane (in a “good” way). If that’s what you like, Tufts is not the school you should choose, even though it is great for PoliSci. College is not a “one size fits all” sort of thing, and I don’t think that Tufts sounds like the best fit for you.</p>

<p>I don’t know much about WashU but I do know more about BC and Tufts so here’s my two cents:</p>

<p>If you want a school with tons of school spirit with and emphasis on sports…BC would definitely cater to those interests. I hear they have tailgate parties all the time and football is HUGE around campus. The party scene is also bigger at BC. However, since you also mentioned that you want a lot of diversity, Tufts easily wins that contest (BC is kind of notorious for its lack of diversity…). If you just take a walk around both campuses, you’ll see what I mean. As for the “artsy, weird” student population you fear at Tufts, I don’t think it’s true at all. I’m not really sure about poli-sci at either schools but I’m pretty sure neither have any pre-law programs (most colleges don’t). </p>

<p>As someone who has also been accepted at both, the tipping point for me is the lack of diversity at BC. When I walked around campus, everyone looked exactly the same to me and that turned me off a lot. But every school is different to every person–if diversity isn’t as significant a factor as the other traits you listed, I would say go to BC. If it is, I would recommend choosing between Tufts and WashU instead. </p>

<p>Hope that helped a bit. :)</p>

<p>so after talking and emailing with my college counselor and talking to my parents, i think im going to decide between Tufts and Washu (though i will still visit BC again), so does anyone know about any differences or anything between them?? about the schools themselves, and also about the students? </p>

<p>esgee- thanks! seriously, great to hear. and the same goes with me. ultimately i decided diversity is far more important than a good football team.</p>

<p>Even though WashU is division 3, it is my impression that things like football games engender more interest among the students there than at Tufts. WashU also has a beautiful, well-designed campus with American Gothic sort of architecture which is pretty cool looking.
Tufts is not a big sports school. Its school spirit comes from the excitement of the student body, which does not seem to need a football game against an arch-rival to get things jumping (not saying that WashU does, however). It has eclectic architecture and has the look and feel of a New England liberal arts college; no uniformity, and no American Gothic. It has a very “comfortable” feel to it. In autumn, the campus and the surrounding area are simply gorgeous. It is also on the outskirts of a VASTLY SUPERIOR CITY to St. Louis. No comparison on that front. Cambridge and Boston are great.
Bottom line: these are two of the greatest schools there are. I absolutely love them both. The students are bright and enthusiastic at each, the faculties at each are great, and their reputations are great. You have an embarrassment of riches and I cannot imagine you going wrong.
Good luck!</p>