<p>BC’s not a school that comes to mind when I think of school’s being known for “free thinkers” the way Davidson, Chicago, Tufts, St. John’s College, Reed. and Brown are, and I am sure there are others. But, maybe, that’s just the press in these parts? :-)</p>
<p>Lol you’re funny. What is your definition of a free thinker? The Jesuits are some of the biggest advocates for “free thinking” in the world, but then again people at Tufts seem to be in their own little isolated world so maybe it’s just better if I end this conversation and say “Tufts is such a wonderful little liberal place (just like Brown!!!) yay!”.</p>
<p>^^Actually, one of the main reasons I applied to and chose Tufts was because of its focus on the outside world and using what we learn to improve our surroundings. As a university, Tufts is in somewhat of a bubble (as all universities are), but much less so than any other school I’ve seen. I think most people at Tufts would agree with this.</p>
<p>I don’t think anyone here is trying to say that Tufts is perfect. I don’t think tufts is perfect. There are several things I wish I could change about the school, but that’s what you get at any college. </p>
<p>As far as BC goes, I don’t think that Tufts students have a negative view of BC, pretty much everyone knows it’s a great school. I actually applied there and was considering attending, but I chose Tufts. I didn’t know much about BC’s “vibe” when I applied, since I never visited when students were there. In hindsight, I definitely made the right decision. BC would not be a good choice for ME, but it’s the perfect choice (and a great one) for other people.</p>
<p>It’s funny, too, that people posting for BC on here accuse Tufts of pushing its intellectual atmosphere and being too defensive about it. I think that a lot of people posting on here for BC push and defend its liberalism just as much. NRG21B, this is not necessarily directed at you, this is just something I’ve observed. I don’t think BC isn’t liberal, I just think this is a case of the pot calling the kettle black. Why don’t we all just agree that Tufts has an academic/intellectual atmosphere and BC is liberal?</p>
<p>Fair enough, ellopoppet, fair enough.</p>
<p>Wow, what a bunch of partisan – not to say ‘rabid’ – responses to this thread!</p>
<p>Yes, Tufts is an excellent university – and one day, God willing, it will overcome its Ivy envy.</p>
<p>Somehow, I just get the feeling that those who continually refuse to even entertain the possibility of BC being anything more than an incubator for members of society with that pitiable inability to be “free-thinkers” due to the (gasp) religious limits placed on them by their Catholicism, are denying their own inclinations to look beyond that hackneyed stereotype. And, for that, they have efectively capped their own “free-thinking”. </p>
<p>Jesuit education has a long and illustrious history – of which any college so affiliated is justly proud. Don’t delude yourselves into thinking that BC aspires to be “just like an Ivy” – it does not. BC has been in been in the ‘backyard’ of that most Ivy of Ivies since its founding, and has known full well what that means and what it does not mean. BC’s mission was, is and always will be different than that of the perpetually changing (with the winds) Ivies and their wannabes.</p>
<p>BC IS out to make the world better – for others – not for themselves. One of the basic tenets of the Society of Jesus is “to be men and women for others”. That is a noble calling and in short supply in this narcissistic world that keeps getting placed on the altar of idolatry.</p>
<p>BC and Tufts have a mutual arrangement (the particulars of which I am fuzzy) between the colleges and BC’s law school and Tufts’ medical school, where undergraduates of one can (if qualified) enroll at the other’s professional school upon graduation. It would be interesting to compare the numbers here…how many apply and get in from each respective school.</p>
<p>I love how BC kids come on this thread and try to bash the opinion of others. That’s not really open minded. People expressing their views and beliefs aren’t being defensive. And if someone in this thread believes that, then they should seriously realize the irony in that. This is a Tufts forum, you will obviously have Tufts fans. Just as you would find BC fans on the BC forums. </p>
<p>And I think AntiDrama’s son is proof that Tufts attracts ivy-calibar individuals.</p>
<p>buzzers: What you are saying of the “BC kids that come on this thread” must be true of the “Tufts kids” as well, for they are engaging in the conversation/argument/debate as well. Obviously there will be Tufts fans on this forum. There is nothing wrong with being a Tufts fan and being proud of what a great university Tufts is. No one denies that it is a great university, but for some reason there are people on this forum that love to misrepresent other great universities as well. I will be the first to tell you that I do not go to Tufts, but I think it is a great school. By bashing other schools, “Tufts kids” on this forum live up to the reputation that they have an inferiority complex and so desperately need to be grouped among the “Ivies” in order to continue their very existence on this earth. Be a Tufts fan. Be proud of Tufts. But you enter murky waters when you start dismissing other schools like <em>some</em> (not all) on this forum have. </p>
<p>And yes, it does look as if Tufts attracts some ivy-calibar individuals, but I could say the same thing of BC beacuse off the top of my head and in real life (not on a forum), I know a number of people that turned down Ivies and similar schools for BC. I also know someone transferring from UPenn to BC this year.</p>
<p>Yes, Tufts kids come to Tufts forums. Shocker, isn’t it?</p>
<p>I don’t anyone on here has an “inferiority complex.” I think you are confusing school pride with self-conciousness. Tufts SAT range for the most recent USNWR surpassed Stanford. The average student at Tufts is in the top 5% of their high school class. On a numbers basis, it’s not an issue of being ivy-calibar, it’s the fact that Tufts IS a top competitive school (to be ivy caliber seems weird seeing how you have very different schools from Harvard to Cornell; thus, top schools seems more appropriate). Tufts kids don’t need to justify themselves. The thing that makes Tufts unique is that people really are proud of their school. Students are happy, cheerful, and brilliant.</p>
<p>I don’t think people are bashing BC, but rather expressing their belief that Tufts is a better school. You can disagree with that all you want, but by critiquing other people, you avoid a reasonable discussion on comparing two institutions that, in all honesty, are very different yet distinct.</p>
<p>So perhaps instead of just chastising people for a certain belief, why not pursue an educational dialogue on the unique features of BC as they compare to Tufts. Show the strength and weaknesses of both, etc. Don’t be reactionary, but complementary. If you honestly believe other people are being unfair, be the better person and complement things rather than just do the same thing they do.</p>
<p>My compliments to you , buzzers, for that offering.</p>
<p>How about answering the question I had at the end of my last post?</p>
<p>Well, to be completely accurate, according to College Board, Tufts’ SAT range did not surpass Stanford’s (if we are going by the most recent numbers posted on there now), but I admit it is silly to give much weight to differences in SAT ranges that are rather small. (And of course SAT scores do not define schools, for if they did, rankings and prestige would be based solely on them, and that would certainly eliminate a lot of the controversy surrounding such rankings like USNWR, would it not? SAT scores are one aspect of a school, and it would be completely unreasonable to compare two schools by their SAT scores alone. Yes, Tufts has very competitive score ranges, but I think most people would agree that Stanford has somewhat of an edge on Tufts.) And Tufts is not unique because “people are really proud of their school” and “Students are happy, cheerful, and brilliant”. I mean, in all honesty, this is something anyone who loves his or her respective school would claim. I’m not saying it is not true of Tufts, but I am saying that I and many others would say the same exact words about other schools.</p>
<p>And as you well know, I did engage in a reasonable discussion comparing the two institutions because I had that discussion with you (and you were reasonable yourself). I know that people on the Tufts forum will express a belief that Tufts is a better school, just as people on the BC forum would express a belief that BC is a better school. That’s fine, but both the Tufts and BC people who express these beliefs should be prepared for them to be challenged; that’s what’s great about CC. </p>
<p>So, I disagree with you that I have just been chastising people for a certain belief. I believe that I and some others on this forum, including yourself, did pursue an educational dialogue. Of course I’m no saint (and may have thrown out a couple Tufts jabs here and there <em>guilty as charged</em>), but I don’t think I was being unreasonable.</p>
<p>BC is a great school. Tufts is a great school. There are differences, some are laid out in the more respective posts in this thread. </p>
<p>After that, what’s going on here? I’m not sure I see what anyone is actually arguing about. </p>
<p>Besides, this is the internet: no one’s opinion actually counts.</p>
<p>Yes yes yes. I agree. Both great schools. End of conversation.</p>
<p>BC was much more religious than I expected. As an athiest, I felt extremely out of place during the tour and speaking to the students. There were even nuns and priests walking around. I will not be applying.</p>
<p>Wow, really!? Nuns AND priests? My God, it’s like the Vatican…</p>