Tuition is the same for both schools, because the aid happened to work out that way. However, a third of the money given by Syracuse is merit-based, so that’s guaranteed for four years.
I have extremely wide interests, but as of now, I’m strongly considering screenwriting or journalism for my career.
TUFTS
Projected major: Double major (English) and (Phil or PoliSci or IR), and Film Studies minor?
PROS
perfect school environment, “fit” factor
intellectually nurturing; I will be challenged and pushed to my horizons
Boston area
strong liberal arts programs - I am a humanities nerd
prestige
strong academics overall, which will accommodate me in case I change interests completely
CONS
harder to find connections into film/journalism industry; it will be up to me to make my own route into screenwriting/journalism
Film Studies/communications curriculum is more theoretical than actual work (which I enjoy more, but I need the experience)
Film Studies is a new minor at Tufts; communications generally much less developed than Syracuse
SYRACUSE NEWHOUSE
Projected major: Double major (Journalism or Television/Film) and Philosophy
offer of a place in Honors program (early class registration perks, a bit of a tighter community)
specialization in film and journalism; strong technical skills, experience, specialized knowledge
even if I change my major, Newhouse covers advertising/PR, and these are likely careers for me as well
probably a higher GPA
I can clearly see where I will be post-grad; Newhouse has a clear and tangible purpose/benefit to me, as opposed to the vague, lofty ideas of helping humanity and immersing myself in the arts and becoming a more enlightened human being at Tufts
CONS
strong Greek dominance of social life (although the school is large enough to find my niche)
will not be as intellectually challenged
less prestigious generally
have absolutely no interest in sports, which I feel will be a dominant school cultural thing (although parties are appreciated)
Please give your thoughts! Any observations about my career fields, line of thinking, schools are appreciated.
Just a thought on the general film community. That community is drawn to grads from top colleges, period, just as the publishing community is. Kids who come out of schools not necessarily well noted for their hands-on film programs but at the tippy top prestige-wise are invariably snatched up by development companies, agencies, production companies, etc. This is my way of saying that I think that a Tufts degree would likely carry more weight. (But I will say, in the interest of full disclosure, that my D goes to Tufts and loves it utterly.)
Also, I’d imagine the Boston area would provide more opportunities as far as internships/ employment/ shared opportunities with BU and such?
Is the merit aid actually guaranteed, with no GPA requirements? I know that need based aid is generally contingent on re-applying every year, but I’d be surprised if your award ever changed that much.
I don’t have much expertise in this industry, but I do remember an article in Jumbo Magazine about Tufts connections in Hollywood:
It is a nice read, but I’m guessing a lot of top schools could write an article like this if they chose to.
I think it’s great that 18 year olds have such a strong sense of what they want to do, but it does not always work out the way you think it will, and this is often a good thing. Tufts is an amazing all around school with a plethora of academic opportunities. If you decide to change majors, I think you’d probably find better teaching in a wider range of departments at Tufts.
If you do pursue English/Film Studies as a course of study in preparation for screenwriting, I think (hope) the prestige and career services/alumni network of Tufts will really put you on par with a specialized department elsewhere.
If the two schools cost the same, I would definitely say go to Tufts. Again, I’m not an expert in film/entertainment, but Tufts vs. Syracuse for the same cost just doesn’t seem like that difficult of a choice to me. My guess is that Syracuse might help you get your foot in the door, but Tufts will provide a lasting benefit throughout your career.
My Daughter will be starting at Tufts in the fall, so I might be a tad biased…
i wouldn’t put off tufts completely for career advancement, because it’s in…well…boston. the tufts daily news is also highly ranked as a student newspaper - but so is the syracuse orange, for that matter. also, with tufts having a strong IR program, you could easily acquire foreign language skills, which would make you pretty employable, and give you background knowledge on whatever you want to write about. and yeah, you might have to work harder for internships, but yknow not everything’s going to be handed to you at syracuse either, since there are probably a lot of kids with the same career interests at you whom you might have to compete against.
haha i think i’m more biased towards tufts because had i not been rejected, i would’ve gone. but from the way you worded your post, i can tell that you would “fit in” more over there. but i would make sure to take advantage of ANY kind of work experience that you can get, as well, regardless of where you go, since - as you probably have already been told - it’s very hard to stand out in the journalism field nowadays.
I wouldn’t necessarily choose a college based on how good their program for a specific major is- I believe the majority of kids actually change majors once they’re in college. It’s a smarter choice to pick the college with better academics overall- in other words, Tufts. And I promise that your career will not suffer if you choose Tufts- it too has a good alumni network, good career services, and, of course, Boston.
It sounds like you would fit in much better at Tufts. It has a much more intellectual environment than Syracuse which, while still a good school, has a lot of Greek life and sport and party culture like you said. I agree that Boston will offer you a lot of career opportunities and connections, even in film, so I wouldn’t be too worried about that.
I think the above posters have given excellent insight and I agree with them completely. I would really encourage you to choose Tufts, I’m sure you won’t regret it. But still, best of luck wherever you choose to go and make sure to let us know where you’ll be going!
I’m not against Syracuse in this case, @saltana, since you have so clearly defined what you want out of your college education. I just wish the overall academic differences between these schools weren’t as great as they are. Of course the honors program at Syracuse would partially compensate for that, as well as looking good upon graduation. As stated above, best of luck whichever you choose.
Thanks so much for your responses! I misread the Syracuse Honors e-mail. I have till today to commit to the Honors program, but this doesn’t commit me to the university itself, so I have until May 1st like everyone else.
I am so split. I really love the Tufts community and culture. But every time I lean towards Tufts, I get pulled back by my inner cynic. I keep thinking, “Why am I not going for the school that does what I want to do better? Am I just chasing prestige?”
@merc81 How do you think the higher GPA and Honors label at Syracuse will compare to a general Tufts diploma post-grad?
I’m glad you have more time. Regarding your specific question, a high GPA and honors label will give you terrific confidence as you near graduation and begin your job search. This in my opinion, along with the skills you have worked for, can get you a job on a more or less equal footing with a more prestigious diploma. Graduate schools might be different. Regarding prestige, the average person outside academia can name about ten prestigious colleges before they confuse Caltech with a California junior college. Tufts, through no fault of its students or programs, is outside of this ten.
Normally I suggest to ignore SAT differences between schools unless they are significant, but they are in this case. Syracuse’s number one ranking as a party school on an annoying student “survey” does not help matters. Too bad we don’t have some statistical information on the Syracuse honors students. Seeing they resemble Tufts students – if they do – would make any recommendation easier.
You can read through a similar thread between USC film school and Penn in this same forum. The student (@LayraSparks) ultimately chose USC using considerations not much different than your own. Any insight may help you at this point. Bear in mind I was the lone wolf on your thread and that the other posters probably fairly reflect – with what appeared to be some nicely unbiased opinions – what most students would do in your situation. Once again, good luck.
There’s such a significant difference in educational quality between Tufts and Syracuse, that I must agree: choose Tufts, if it will be affordable for you and your family. Syracuse honors will still leave you with a Syracuse diploma when you graduate. I hate to be a wet blanket, but that’s just not as impressive as a Tufts degree for many career and graduate school tracks.
@saltana…if you are undecided on your major I would suggest Tufts. My daughter is dual major at Newhouse and Whitman and carrying a minor. Syracuse was the perfect choice for her. Newhouse is a special place. She has friends on her floor that got into Duke, UVA out of state, and BU that are trying to transfer into Newhouse from Arts & Sciences. She also has a friend that turned down Harvard as he was able to enter Newhouse as a first year junior.
The best students at Cuse will have two or three majors or a major with multiple minors. These students also are very active on the campus. My daughter is a student athlete and very active with ECs and Greek life. If you know what you want and willing to go for it, Cuse is a wonderful place. The Newhouse Orange Mafia helps greatly with Communications internships and job placements.
I do have a friend with a student athlete son studying engineering at Tufts and he loves it.
I would suggest choosing the place that fits you best. What you do in college will mean a lot more than where you go. It will help that you really like being at the school you choose. Folks tend to get caught up with names. I work for a huge company (part of one of the world’s largest corporations) with numerous other Ivy grads, Ivy MBAs, and Ivy JDs that report to a Cal State CEO with a BA. He’s brilliant.
Tufts and Newhouse are great choices. Pick what’s best for you and where YOU will thrive. Good luck with your decision.
For film probably Syracuse. My daughter once interned at a company that made well known movies and the big shot has daughter there. So he kind of biased toward Syracuse.
@gondalineNJ Interesting point. But even if Newhouse’s film/journalism is not as prestigious as NYU’s film or Northwestern’s journalism, isn’t it still a very close call between Newhouse film/j-school and the career prospects of a Tufts liberal arts education? After all, that is my question - USC/Wesleyan/etc aren’t the rivals here, sadly enough.
No, gondaline is correct, and that is what I was implying as well. The film industry is not as clear-cut as other career tracks. If you are not a graduate of one of the premier film production programs named above, you may well do better by general university name-recognition in liberal arts as a stepping stone. Unfortunately, film and television is most assuredly not an equal opportunity arena. Tufts, aside from a more rigorous education, fits in well with a caliber of schools that garner distinction, and can offer a leg up when seeking initial positions. And as pointed out by several, it is not a subtle reputation difference between Tufts and Syracuse.
There is an area where film production programs of lesser repute contribute to the industry-at-large, and that would be geared towards local markets: for example, some of the film programs in Florida train students in production, who are then able to gain traction on productions located in the area. And there are always exceptions to the rule; no doubt there are success stories from Syracuse, as there are from any major university. But they are not necessarily the rule.
True, Tufts may not be the first school I would have chosen for general studies to advance in film per se, but it will serve that purpose, and a good deal more. I have been commenting on another thread about the benefits of elite liberal arts vs. film production programs, and while the schools in question differ, the general intent is the same.
As a final note, I think the initial post states film studies as a minor at Tufts (not production), and again, that would be appropriate.