<p>I got into an Ivy league school and turned it down, but not for financial reasons. I just liked Tufts better. But honestly, you need to decide what's best for you, and if prestige is that important to you then base your decision on that.</p>
<p>Wow, Ph0enix might end up pretty miserable in college. I honestly wouldn't be surprised.</p>
<p>This is going to be long, if you don't want to read all of it, just read the last paragraph.</p>
<p>Dartmouth and Tufts are both awesome academically (yes, Dartmouth is "ivy league"). But when it comes down to it, the school needs to fit the student. I got into both Dartmouth and Tufts, and have been offered the same financial aid from both, and am choosing Tufts over Dartmouth. It wasn't a choice I made right away, I had to do a lot of research, talk to a lot of people, and a trip out to New England. I didn't visit Dartmouth, but I actually spent all of today at Tufts after spending half of YESTERDAY at Tufts because I love it so much and love the vibe from the school. I'm from Los Angeles and came to Boston to visit both Tufts and Harvard, accepted and waitlisted, respectively. </p>
<p>I'm choosing Tufts over Dartmouth (granted, I still need to visit Duke before I make my final decision, and maybe some schools back in Cali to make sure I won't be depressed leaving my perfect weather!), because
a) Dartmouth is isolated. I visited another college this week in Boston which is very isolated from any city life in some quiet suburb, and it's not for me. Coming from LA, I would probably get depressed in that environment. If I dont end up liking the people at my school for some reason, I'd even like the option of going into the city and meeting other college students. Thus, Boston is awesome for that (so many colleges here!). Fortunately though, I know I'll LOVE my friends at Tufts. Today I talked to TONS of kids there, even found friends who used to go to my highschool, and they couldn't be any happier.
b) I don't want Dartmouth weather.
c) I think Tufts is absolutely gorgeous and in a perfect location with unbelievably easy access into Boston (coming from LA where transportation sucks pretty hard).
d) I talked to a lot of professors today, one who even came to Tufts after teaching at Harvard for 6 years, and heard so many awesome things about this school from her. She said she was sad to leave Harvard when her tenure was up, but now she realizes that the kids at Tufts are equally as capable and brilliant as Harvard kids (afterall, the application/acceptance process is pretty random when you get to these higher tier schools).
e) social life. I love TUFT's approach to the Greek system, and I am not attracted to how many kids drink at Dartmouth due to little else to do. I don't mind drinking, just don't want to be in an environment where I feel pressured to drink to have fun.</p>
<p>I mean, there are so many reasons. These above have obviously nothing or very little to do with academics, and guess why. Because all the schools I got into, including Dartmouth AND Tufts, are unbelievable in academics, so now my decision has just come down to social life and making sure I'm happy. Afterall, it's where I'll be spending the next four years of my future. I'd sure hate to be sad just because I wanted to attend an "ivy" school. In the end, opportunities and success are less about the school's name, more about what you do with everything you gained from your school resource, friends, happiness, knowledge wise. And EXTREMELY successful people have gone to Tufts. I can name at least 10 off the top of my head that I'm sure mostly everyone has heard of.</p>
<p>I didn't even apply to Columbia because there are so many things I don't like about going to school in the heart of New York. A reason as simple as that. It's a great school, and some of my friends are an awesome fit for the school. I have no regrets about not applying, myself, at all though.</p>
<p>The point is, all of us on this board have applied to the nation's best schools academically, and no matter where we go, we're going to get an awesome education. Howver, those of us who get the most out of these awesome colleges will be the ones that make the best friends in college, utilize our resources, and are just too happy with our experience to regret even one thing.</p>
<p>
[quote]
My daughter was accepted into Tufts, Dartmouth and Harvard. She will be attending Harvard not only because it is more prestigious but it also offered more money than any other "prestigious school". It offers more money because it can!
[/quote]
</p>
<p>um, what the heck was the point of that post</p>
<p>
[quote]
Wow, Ph0enix might end up pretty miserable in college. I honestly wouldn't be surprised.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>LoL... Yea I am going to be miserable because I think Dartmouth is better than Tufts. Makes great sense!!! 99% of the rest of the world would be miserable in college too right???</p>
<p>And no, I'm definately not choosing schools based on prestige only. But prestige, along with location, are the two most important factors for me.</p>
<p>For some reason, I think you're lying about getting into "all those Ivys". Am I correct?? If you did get in, why didn't you go to Harvard? The ONLY thing that I could think of for why Tufts is better may be its international diversity and their iternational relations program, and you didn't even list that as a reason for why you chose Tufts over "all those Ivys". In fact, most of the reasons you listed are geographical. I'm sorry to break it to you, but there are other schools around Boston, including Harvard, MIT, and a bunch of great Liberal Arts schools, not to mention all those schools around NYC with similar climate.</p>
<p>
[quote]
kids at Tufts are equally as capable and brilliant as Harvard kids (afterall, the application/acceptance process is pretty random when you get to these higher tier schools).
[/quote]
I'm sure some Tufts students are equally as capable as Harvard kids. But are you saying that Tufts is as hard to get into as Harvard?? And no, it's not random. Each school knows what type of students it's looking for. If you don't believe me, ask the admissions counselers at Tufts. I'm sure they wouldn't tell you that they decided admissions based on a coin flip :)</p>
<p>Also... You did not get the same amount of money from both Tufts and Dartmouth(if you actually did get in) unless you got some type of merit or minority scholarship from Tufts. Both colleges use a mathematical equation to determine your need, and Dartmouth's is more generous. I do not know the exact equations, but out of the many people I have talked to, everyone received more from Dartmouth. In fact, it may be mathematically impossible for someone to receive more from Tufts.</p>
<p>In conclusion, when I took two courses at Tufts last summer, I really enjoyed the University, and Tufts remains one of my top choices. But saying that Harvard and Tufts are equally hard to get into?? Common, give it a break.. Like snuffles said, all you're doing right now is "accentuating your stereotype" of being spiteful ivy-league rejects. I LIKE TUFTS UNIVERSITY, or I would not have taken classes there. I also got to know a bunch of Tufts students over the summer, and I still talk to them often. But dont try to pitifully make a personal attack on me just because I stated my PERSONAL opinion that Dartmouth was better.</p>
<p>EDIT: In case you're going to accuse me of not knowing anything about Tufts and just spitefully attacking it, here's my Tufts un-official transcript. Copy and pasted directly from SiS. Do you need any more proof that I'm not choosing colleges based on "prestige" only and not visiting or knowing anything about them?</p>
<p>information regarding your unofficial transcript. </p>
<pre><code> UNDERGRADUATE ACADEMIC RECORD
2005 SECOND SUMMER TERM
ADMITTED PROGRAM:
SUMMER SCHOOL
NO DEGREE SOUGHT
MAJOR: UNDECIDED
</code></pre>
<p>EXP 0015 DYNAMIC WEB DESIGN A+ 1.0 4.333
PSY 0001 INTRO TO PSYCHOLOGY A 1.0 4.000
AHRS EHRS QHRS QPTS GPA<br>
CURRENT 2.0 2.0 2.0 8.333 4.17
CUMULATIVE 2.0 2.0 2.0 8.333 4.17<br>
*** END OF UNDERGRADUATE ACADEMIC RECORD *** </p>
<p>Tufts University
Student Services
Dowling Hall Student Services Center
617-627-2000
email: <a href="mailto:studentservices@ase.tufts.edu">studentservices@ase.tufts.edu</a>
<a href="http://studentservices.tufts.edu%5B/url%5D">http://studentservices.tufts.edu</a> </p>
<p>Fri, 07 Apr 2006 23:23:16</p>
<p>woahhh, I didnt know that A+'s counted as 4.33, I thought it was capped at 4.0? Can any other Tufts students confirm this? Maybe I should try getting some.</p>
<p>Odd. Other people I've known that have gotten A+s only show as 4.0s.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Odd. Other people I've known that have gotten A+s only show as 4.0s.
[/quote]
You mean they got A+s and it came out as 4.000?</p>
<p>Perhaps the College for Juniors program counted differently?</p>
<p>BRAVO to lollerskates, that was an excellent post!</p>
<p>Ph0enix, I'm not supporting the idea that you'll be miserable at college, but why would lollerskates lie about his/her acceptances?</p>
<p>
[quote]
but why would lollerskates lie about his/her acceptances?
[/quote]
To support his claim that he "chose" Tufts over all those Ivys.</p>
<p>
[quote]
To support his claim that he "chose" Tufts over all those Ivys.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Well that would seem rather petty. You seem to have this notion that it doesn't happen very often, but it does.</p>
<p>
[quote]
You seem to have this notion that it doesn't happen very often, but it does.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>That would depend on what your definition of "often" is. If you mean more than 50%(usually that's what people mean by "often"), then you are mistaken. In fact, I am willing to bet money that cross-admits to any Ivy league school and Tufts will choose the Ivy 90+% of the time. There are some statistics done on cross-admits, although I'm not sure if Tufts was every involved.</p>
<p>And no, normally I would not accuse someone of lying. But his feeble reasons of why he chose Tufts over the Ivys, all of them being geographical except one, were obviously fabricated. The one about how Tufts is as selective as Harvard was clearly false. There are plenty of good, non-financial, reasons of why people choose Tufts over Harvard and the other Ivys. But sadly, he did not list any.</p>
<p>Again, this is pointless. Rather funny, but pointless. I just had to respond to lollerskates's ludicrus claim and personal attack. Too easy to pass up :)</p>
<p>Haha geezus. I didnt lie about anything in my post. Youre good at putting words in my e-mouth though, or maybe youre only reading what you want to read. For example, I didnt say I was accepted to Harvard, I said I was waitlisted. But I have been fully accepted by two Ivys so far, and I am pretty sure at this point that I will be turning them down for another school. However, I still dont know exactly which of my schools that is yet. </p>
<p>My reasons for Tufts werent fabicrated. In fact, I said exactly what youre claiming I said: I believe all the schools I applied to are excellent academically, so now my decision has just come down to comparing geographic and social aspects. So thanks, I guess, for reaffirming everything I had written about my decision process.</p>
<p>Also, I didnt say Tufts is as selective as Harvard. Im not even going to bother retyping what I had really said though, just scroll up and learn to read. Or maybe come back and try reading this board after your 4 years at whatever Ivy you choose. Seriously Ph0enix, I wouldnt be e-bragging about how too easy to pass up my post was. Considering that it doesnt even look like you read it correctly at all. Im not personally attacking you either; I dont even know anything about you and couldnt care less to know anything about you. All I was doing was giving my input on the discussion.</p>
<p>Chill out man.
I really dont think anyone cares to see your 4.0 transcript rom the summer program either. Pretty much everyone in this thread, or in this Tufts board, did pretty damn well in highschool to get into the schools that we got into, even the beautiful Tufts. Personally, my gpa was well over a 4.0 weighted, but I bet Im only one of 2384729384728934234234 posters who can say the same. But who really cares about grades, highschool is almost over with for most of us, and now the competition can finally be laid to rest. We all have successful futures ahead of us. We could all post our perfect gpas and nearly perfect SATs, all the hours of community service we did and the cool things we accomplished over our summers, but no one does cares to do so but you because hmm I guess the rest of us dont feel the need to find self-validation on the internet.</p>
<p>Also, Im a she.
TTYL Ph0enix.</p>
<p>
[quote]
I said exactly what youre claiming I said: I believe all the schools I applied to are excellent academically, so now my decision has just come down to comparing geographic and social aspects. So thanks, I guess, for reaffirming everything I had written about my decision process.
[/quote]
I'm sorry, but there are other academically better, socially stronger, schools in the Boston area. ;) You basically gave "reasons" of why you want to go to school in the Northeast next to a major city.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Also, I didnt say Tufts is as selective as Harvard. Im not even going to bother retyping what I had really said though, just scroll up and learn to read.
[/quote]
HAHA obviously you were implying that when you said the "decisoins were pretty much random". You sounded like a pathetic ivy-league reject trying to make yourself feel better by calling the admissions proccess "random". Is that why you're not "retyping what you had really said"?? :0</p>
<p>
[quote]
did pretty damn well in highschool to get into the schools that we got into
[/quote]
That would depend on what your meaning of "well" is. Other people would think that the majority of students here are ivy-league rejects. Where do you think the "Tufts Syndrome" came from?</p>
<p>
[quote]
even the beautiful Tufts
[/quote]
For some reason, I don't think the average GPA for Tufts undergrad is a 4.</p>
<p>
[quote]
I guess the rest of us dont feel the need to find self-validation on the internet.
[/quote]
I was simply trying to prove that I knew took courses at Tufts. The grades are irrelevant ;)</p>
<p>
[quote]
Im not personally attacking you either
[/quote]
"I think he will be miserable in college" isn't a personal attack? :0</p>
<p>Look, ph0enix, people on this board have tried to be patient, but your condescending tone is not appreciated as you are not trying to show restraint as others are attempting to do. You continue to make inflammatory responses and do little to try and remedy the conflict - you accuse others of making personal attacks against you, but you instead stereotype them as sounding like "bitter ivy rejects." Dare I suggest what your tone sounds like? Are you trying to make everyone here angry? Think about what you're doing here. Are you really trying to make a decision about Tufts or are you rationalizing something else that you seem to be disconcerted with? There is a common saying for this type of napoleon complex: arguing on the internet is like the special olympics, you may have won but you're still retarded.</p>
<p>and quit insulting Tufts on its board. Go enjoy life at an Ivy or another Beckham school... not gonna change the fact tht we all like tufts...</p>
<p>I have to agree. Tufts is indeed a top university, regardless of what the mindless, media-pandering US News Rankings says. Many students who go to Tufts, like those who go to Bowdoin, Amherst, etc. are perfectly qualified to go to an "ivy" school but were bumped because of something as trivial as geographical residency, or that a department needed a certain prospective major one day. And remember, the same idea applies to such top-tier schools as Tufts - for a every student who was offered a place, many others were simply denied for the same reasons as those at ivies. As long as you are able to go to what is refered to as an "elite" institution (of which there are about 25 in the US) you will be relatively secure in going to a top graduate school.
To boot, it is widely considered that Tufts and Georgetown are the top IR schools in the nation, and, if you want to pander to the "ivy" name - Tufts a) is a big-name school, and b) is more selective than Cornell, and over the next few years will probably fall in line with UPenn and Dartmouth for acceptance numbers. All these elite schools do is "split hairs" - look for certain things of top students that they might need on a particular day. Tufts acceptees are, on the whole, as intelligent, creative, and wordly as their Harvard, Yale, or Princeton counterparts - but may have been one of too-many "New Englanders" or "Mid-Atlantic" residents, when their percentages were filled through the chaos that is ED. In fact, every year, for example some students transfer from Tufts to Brown and vice-versa. In my case, I have top numbers, truly unique EC's (none of that "Student Council" rubbish that everyone has), Dual US/British citizenship, and excellent interviews/recs. Regardless of whether it's Tufts, Yale, Amherst, or Stanford (etc, etc.), graduates from those institutions have wonderful opportunities in going to the premier international graduate schools. The qualifying tools - SAT's, Grades, etc. - are pretty much the same for all of thse schools, so, as I have said, it comes down to what each particular school is looking for at a certain time, on a certain day, for certain reasons.</p>
<p>Bravo to everyone. In all honesty, I have been trying very hard to remain impartial and see that Ph0enix has often been diplomatic, but I can't abide by his/her constant accusations that we are all bitter ivy league rejects, and if we say we are not, then we are obviously lying. I wish people could comprehend that we are happy to be where we are.</p>
<p>I agree wholeheartedly with WorldBandX about the idiocy of US News rankings, and as a WHITE GIRL FROM NEW JERSEY (the hardest possible type of person to get into college demographically) I know the pain of kids who are just as, if not more, qualified than many students who get into "better" schools, just because they had the fortune to grow up in a beautiful place like Massachusetts or New Jersey (yes it is beautiful. Take a trip to Northern NJ and THEN try calling it an armpit, lol).</p>
<p>If you take it one step further, in fact, you'll see that maybe there is some benefit to going to a place like Tufts where they accepted the super-qualified kids from the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic region and California...instead of underqualified but less-represented groups, like inner-city minorities or residents of states like Wyoming. I love diversity, but I would rather have a friend that is just as smart and talented as I am but from New York than a friend who is NOT as qualified, but hails from South Dakota. And if people argue that Tufts suffers in terms of diversity because of our high populations of kids from these places, I totally disagree because things like our IR program attract SO many internationals - I feel like everyone I meet, whether they're white, black, or what, is from Singapore or Zimbabwe. Our lack of Oregonians is compensated for, in my opinion, and MORE than compensated for by the presence of students from Turkey or the United Arab Emirates. And never did we have to surrender our standards for diversity's sake.</p>
<p>If I enroll, they will be one more Indian.. :D</p>
<p>Anyway, well said blurinka and worldbandDX..</p>
<p>Thanks :) </p>
<p>And bluirinka, excellent point about the rush to grab minority/underpriviledged groups.</p>
<p>:bows: why thank you kindly, lol :-D</p>