<p>Most people consider Tufts diverse, my son came from a high school which is approx. 35% African American, 35% white, 25% Hispanic, and 5% South Asian. In addition incomes ranged from kids in housing projects to ones living in mansions. Most students at Tufts are middle class and white. He misses real diversity.</p>
<p>Mathmom: That’s a lot more diversity than my school has. It’s fine with me.</p>
<p>Hello OP:</p>
<p>I’m a mom and my S will be a freshman at Tufts in Sept. </p>
<p>He looked at JHU and Brown on paper. We looked at several schools “in person”, but not those two. He liked several schools we visited, but fell in love with Tufts and applied and was accepted ED. We also were concerned with the FA, but Tufts gave us what we were looking for.</p>
<p>Brown rejects more qualified students then they accept. It actually never made it to my S’s final list of 10 schools, but JHU did. I also heard about the competitive environment of JHU, not to mention the surrounding area of the school. I cannot fully comment on JHU, since we did not see the school in person. We know two people there who seem to love it.</p>
<p>I am delighted my S chose Tufts and they chose him back. Davis Square is fun, funky, and close to the school. Boston is not far at all by T train. My S will be studying Languages and Econ and will be rooming with an IR major. Some of the Fletcher School courses seem very interesting and my S couldn’t be happier.</p>
<p>Good luck with the college process.</p>
<p>HelloImChelsea, I can’t QUITE put it into words; it was more of a feeling, but I’ll try. I had just visited WashU a couple of weeks before and it felt like a different world. I guess the best way to explain things is to compare the two schools. WashU felt very bubbly and happy because it’s a midwest school whereas Tufts felt a little less personal. Everyone seemed more wrapped up in themselves (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it’s not like they were MEAN or anything). Also, WashU felt more pre-professional whereas everyone at Tufts seemed to have quirky goals (I met someone who majored in public health not to be a doctor, but to go do research in Africa or something along those lines). Even though it was AOH when I visited, not very many people seemed focused on trying to recruit new students. I guess people at Tufts are more… self-absorbed? but I don’t want to say it with that negative connotation that “self-absorbed” has. It also seemed kinda clique-y, but I was hosted by a girl who did theater which in general I believe is probably a clique-ier group than most others since they spend so much time together practicing for shows. Neither student body is better than the other; it’s about personal preference. </p>
<p>Tufts definitely felt nothing like any other school I’d been to, but each school I visited kind of had it’s own uniqueness. Another thing… Tufts students are VERY into their mascot. I stayed in a room where this girl had a mini elephant statue lol. Just be prepared for LOTS of quirkiness. I’m not that quirky, so I didn’t really fit and I personally would like to go to a school where people are more mindful of prospies and other people in general. To be fair though, it was the week before finals at Tufts and not at WashU. I may have just had a bad visit, but I had a great visit at WashU so I felt there was no reason why I should go to the school that gave me a “worse” feeling when both schools cost about the same. </p>
<p>You REALLY have to visit though, because I have a friend who loved Tufts so much that he applied ED. It’s all about personal preference, but I just felt like Tufts had a particularly unique student body that you must test out a bit before you decide to go there, especially since the school is relatively small (~5,000 students).</p>
<p>In the words of someone I met there though who applied ED (he was a sophomore I believe), “I decided to apply ED to Tufts because the people I met when I visited were cool.” I probably put Tufts in a negative light a bit, but you should know that you need to form your own opinion. It’s ALL about personal preference.</p>
<p>EDIT: P.S. SORRY I wrote a novel (that’s probably incoherent at parts lol I don’t proofread my posts).</p>
<p>Tufts DOES have (I think?) the number 1 IR department though, so that’s definitely something to consider. They also have wonderful study abroad programs.</p>
<p>rainbowrose: Wow, thanks! This is great! </p>
<p>Maybe things will work out and I’ll be able to visit. I live in Missouri, so I’m right in the middle of the country. It makes it hard to visit schools on the Coasts. </p>
<p>That’s interesting about the mascot, though. At least they’re devoted. I’ve heard great things about the library’s roof terrace. Is it as spectacular as everyone says? </p>
<p>I think WashU has an International and Area Studies program and I wasn’t sure about that… It seems like a great school, though. It would be decently close to home for me. I’ll don’t know - maybe I will apply. </p>
<p>I’m glad that you were accepted, though. A friend of mine applied and she was wait-listed. I don’t know what ended up happening. If she didn’t get in, she’ll be stuck in Mizzou’s honor college. It’s not that it’s the worse school ever, it’s just that they didn’t offer her exact major. I think she’ll try to transfer as soon as she can. Either that or she’ll go study abroad in a whole bunch of Asian countries.</p>
<p>chocchipcookie: Hi! Thank you! So far, I’ve heard nothing but good things about Tufts, so it’s definitely up there on my list. :)</p>
<p>I know that I probably won’t get into Brown, but I want to at least give it a shot. I love it too much to not apply.</p>
<p>I’m NOT saying you should like WUSTL because I do. I know plenty of people on this website have problems with it ;).</p>
<p>Seriously though, one thing I DO recommend is trying to go to another part of the country if you can afford travel expenses and shipping and all of that. College is probably the one of the first (and one of few) times in your life where you will actually get to choose yourself to live in another part of the country; don’t waste it. </p>
<p>If you like MO better though, I suppose there’s really no reason to leave. I just really don’t like NY and the northeast haha but I didn’t realize it was different everywhere else until I visited Tulane and WUSTL, so those were my only choices outside of the Northeast XD since I hadn’t visited any faraway schools until after I was accepted.</p>
<p>I will admit though, this packing and shipping is quite a hassle.</p>
<p>Okay… basically I should just sum all of my rambling up with… going away and staying close to your home each have their pros and cons. Everything is all up to personal preference. You can read everything everyone tells you, and you will see that everyone has a slightly (or completely) different opinion. If you can afford it, just do what you want to do (you seem to be a smart girl, you won’t choose anything impractical like underwater basket-weaving). College is one of the only times you will get to pursue whatever you want with almost complete freedom. </p>
<p>Just make sure you weigh the consequences of all of your choices beforehand. I will admit, I’m quite nervous about the fact that I won’t be able to go home whenever I want in case of an emergency, but I have already made plans to see my parents once almost every month first semester from parents weekend to breaks and the like.</p>
<p>If you’re up for Tufts, GO FOR IT! You really can’t go wrong.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t choose a school for it’s view, but here’s the Library: [080701_1148_medfordstock169.CR2</a> | Tufts University Photography](<a href=“http://tuftsphoto.photoshelter.com/image?&_bqG=7&_bqH=eJwdjE8LwiAcQL.Nly5GRCPwYLrM1ZLm6N_lh43FxhqEusI.fXOH906P9xT7oFaftxGWdXXyVZlwLr9mm9Ct53gxgiOjJXDNiG9d1cxe7cMaG5AEVQiQnKiYXG6l_vXng.tPaKqBHjnxCCgryeCsro2tGiRAp7RgO8gVTwlG00DEwXK4bwuPE.fpH0oQLxE-&GI_ID=]080701_1148_medfordstock169.CR2”>http://tuftsphoto.photoshelter.com/image?&_bqG=7&_bqH=eJwdjE8LwiAcQL.Nly5GRCPwYLrM1ZLm6N_lh43FxhqEusI.fXOH906P9xT7oFaftxGWdXXyVZlwLr9mm9Ct53gxgiOjJXDNiG9d1cxe7cMaG5AEVQiQnKiYXG6l_vXng.tPaKqBHjnxCCgryeCsro2tGiRAp7RgO8gVTwlG00DEwXK4bwuPE.fpH0oQLxE-&GI_ID=)</p>
<p>I think one of the interesting things about Tufts is that rather than be pre-professional there’s an attitude that you can change the world now. I think more students than average end up in NGOs and do-good sorts of positions.</p>
<p>It certainly has a very different vibe from Carnegie-Mellon which is where my older son went. Talk about pre-professional! Everyone there knows exactly what they want to be when they grow up - techie or artist. :)</p>
<p>rainbowrose: I’ve been to D.C. and Michigan. That’s really all the traveling I’ve done. I really love D.C., so I’m definitely applying to Georgetown’s SFS. I want to get the heck out of Missouri. I want to see what’s out there.</p>
<p>Brown, USC, Barnard (I love their affiliation with Columbia), Georgetown and Tufts are my top five choices. I love Claremont McKenna too, but it’s also in LA so it’s kind of tied with USC. I would be honored to attend any of them that are on my list. </p>
<p>One thing that I don’t really like about USC, Tufts and Georgetown is housing isn’t guaranteed all four years. I would really prefer to stay on campus because it’s more convenient.</p>
<p>mathmom: Thanks for the link! It looks awesome. </p>
<p>I’m hoping to really get involved in my community. My town needs all the help and support it can get. I just want to do what I can. </p>
<p>I have a plan all laid out for my future. I want to double major in political science and IR and minor in Middle Eastern Studies. Then, I hope to go to law school and concentrate on either International Law or Human Rights Law. Then, eventually I’ll be able to work for a firm or, if I’m lucky, the UN or the International Criminal Court. It’s also my dream to become secretary of State, so maybe I’ll run political office while I’m at it. I don’t know how do-able this is, but surely I can accomplish some of the my dreams. :)</p>
<p>Tufts definitely seems to be the better option for you. Tufts tends to attract folks in the IR field who want to do ambitious things to go out and change the world. Personally, that’s not what I’m looking to do with IR, but there’s plenty of things for me to do. </p>
<p>While I encourage you to reach for the stars (and Tufts is a great place to do that), be aware that the IR field is very tough to get into professionally. Don’t count yourself out, but also don’t get too attached to your plan. </p>
<p>Unless you’ve taken Arabic already, don’t be too sure about whether you’re going to do IR. If you’re starting a new language, you have to do the 8 semesters in order to meet your language requirements (I started Russian last year). Arabic is one of the toughest languages to learn. If you find that you aren’t able to manage it, you can take the path that many prospective IR majors do and instead major in political science with an IR concentration. Regardless of which path you take, you’ll have excellent resources available to you.</p>
<p>If you don’t think you’ll be comfortable in a school where a lot of people party and engage in adult diversions, you might be uncomfortable at Tufts (heck, there aren’t many colleges you would be comfortable at). Drinking and pot use are pretty wide (and deeply) spread here (and are not challenged by campus law enforcement), but this is not the type of school where you’re pressured into doing it if you don’t want to or are left with little else to do on the weekends. There are a good number of folks (myself included) who aren’t into heavy drinking and casual intimacy. </p>
<p>One of the frustrations I have with Tufts (which goes somewhat with what rainbowrose had to say) is in how its political orientation manifests itself. The Tufts student body is pretty solidly on the left, but is pretty tolerant of all reasonable political views. However, as someone who sits on the centre-left, I find it frustrating sometimes that I’m surrounded by what feels like a liberalism not well-grounded in the real world. Also, the kind of social and political awareness I find at Tufts sometimes comes off as elitist. It’s not that there’s anything wrong with wanting to go out and make the world a better place. It just seems like there’s sometimes not a good understanding of the establishment and the people whose lives are guided by it. I guess an example would be that, at least in my impression, people are far more likely to condemn an institution like Wal-Mart for the social costs it inflicts than to understand how and why Middle America uses it so much. </p>
<p>Like Mathmom said, definitely check out the Institute for Global Leadership. It offers unparalleled opportunities. In my experience with it so far, I’ve gotten to learn things about current events (particularly nuclear issues) that go so much deeper than what you find in the public discourse. In the colloquium on nuclear issues I took this year (called EPIIC), the class’ instructors were top minds in all different aspects of the nuclear field. The IGL also sends people all around the world to get an experiential education about the things they study. A group called NIMEP (New Initiatives for Middle Eastern Peace) sent students to Kurdistan over winter break. Some of my classmates went on a trip to both Koreas. Yes, BOTH of them. I’m looking to travel to Moscow over winter break to research the viability of a tactical nuclear weapons reduction agreement from the Russian perspective. If you have an idea for a research project anywhere in the world, odds are the IGL will be able to send you on it. Its leader, Sherman Teichmann, is a human rolodex and a God among men.</p>
<p>OP, since you’re looking for good financial aid, are you planning on applying to both Tufts and JHU? Offers can really vary between schools, so don’t fall too in love with one school until you know if if will be affordable. </p>
<p>My D didn’t look at JHU, but a friend’s daughter just finished there in IR and will be starting grad school in IR at the JHU program based in DC. She apparently had a wonderful academic and social experience at JHU.</p>
<p>SlitheyTove: I’m currently going to apply to just Tufts. I will have to take a look at their financial aid website, though. </p>
<p>I know that this is just based on its website, but Tufts seems like a better fit for me.</p>
<p>I really want to visit, but my mom said if I visited even five or six schools, it could easily cost five or six thousand dollars.</p>
<p>I definitely want to visit Brown. Something may work out.</p>
<p>IBfootballer: Maybe I will stick with political science and concentrate in IR. I know it’s a lot of work to double major.</p>
<p>As long as I can get away from the partying I’ll be fine. I just don’t want to constantly be surrounded by it. </p>
<p>Hopefully I’ll be too busy to notice. 
I’m fine with Tufts leaning to left. As long as people don’t get too extreme, I can handle. I have two friends who are very, very liberal, but it seems like they only believe that way because that makes them different. I would be very interested to get to know people who are liberal because they actually believe that way. :)</p>
<p>I’ll look up the Institute for Global Leadership. It sounds neat.</p>
<p>IBfootballer: I’m trying to convince my guidance counselor to let me take Spanish II as an independent study, but he keeps saying I can’t. I need to be proficient in the language before I’m in college. </p>
<p>Because I’d like to minor in ME studies, I thought it would be good to learn Arabic, but you’re right, it’s gonna be very difficult…</p>
<p>Trust me, you don’t need to be proficient in another language before you enter college :). </p>
<p>however, colleges like Tufts are definitely looking for several years of foreign language study. if your guidance counsellor does not understand this, you need to be very firm about the point.</p>
<p>Tufts is not UC Berkeley. There isn’t anything that is really fringe on campus. </p>
<p>You should not have to spend 5-6 thousand on a college trip. you can swing a good tour for much, much less</p>
<p>IBfootballer: Thank you! No one from my school has ever gone to anywhere close to a top college, so I don’t think my counselor is used to me having “strange requests”. </p>
<p>Hopefully next summer, I can talk my parents into visiting a few colleges. I know that I’ve already asked about this, but Tufts is fairly generous with financial aid, right?</p>
<p>My mom told me that she isn’t letting me go off to college until I learn how to drive. I’m not going to be being a car with me anyway… I simply don’t want to drive…</p>
<p>You would not be allowed to have a car on campus freshman year at Tufts, and you would not want one. Boston area roads would be hell for a rookie driver.</p>
<p>My family is pretty fortunate money-wise, but we were still pleasantly surprised at the financial aid Tufts has given me. That being said, the generosity will likely cease once my brother (also attending a very expensive school) graduates. Moreover, one of my buddies (who I’m pretty sure is 0 EFC) had to work his ass off to find enough scholarships to cover the difference between what Tufts was giving in grants and what his family could pay and take on loans for. He’s also in ROTC (not on scholarship), so I think that he might be expecting debt relief from GI Bill Benefits once he completes his first tour of duty.</p>
<p>Tell your mom you are going to college and not driving school. :)</p>
<p>Nah, but you don’t need a car in Boston. Tufts aid is usually pretty good. They really go by need (95% need blind).</p>
<p>IBfootballer: I’ve heard that traffic in Boston is awful. I guess it’s true. :)</p>
<p>It sounds like their financial aid is pretty good. Yay! </p>
<p>I find Tufts very intriguing. :)</p>