Tufts vs UMich for Math

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Michigan
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<p>I am a Math/CS major and planning to go to graduate school.
I recently had this doubt of NYU vs UMich where most people told me UMich.</p>

<p>Which of UMich or Tufts will be better?</p>

<p>I dont have any financial Aid. (International student)
UMich costs 58k Tufts costs 64k so not much of a difference.</p>

<p>I have heard Tufts is a great school for International Relations but Math is not too good</p>

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<p>It seems you already answered your own question. You are an international student. Michigan has a much bigger international reputation than Tufts. </p>

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<p>@rjkofnovi‌ - Undergraduate school will not matter if I am going for a PhD in Math/CS right??</p>

<p>How are placements of PhD in Tufts vs UMich?</p>

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<p>Ashley: Michigan’s graduate programs rank, in aggregrate, 4th in the country: Berkeley, Harvard, Stanford, Michigan. </p>

<p>Michigan’s ranking in math is top 10, including ties, and closer to top 5 when viewing clusters/cohorts of schools as fungible: <a href=“http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-science-schools/mathematics-rankings”>http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-science-schools/mathematics-rankings&lt;/a&gt;. </p>

<p>Michigan’s political science is generally ranked #1 to #4, inclusive of ties. Michigan’s Ford School is probably ranked around #12: <a href=“http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-public-affairs-schools/university-of-michigan-ann-arbor-170976”>http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-public-affairs-schools/university-of-michigan-ann-arbor-170976&lt;/a&gt;. </p>

<p>Michigan’s Institute for Social Research is probably the largest and best such organization in the world: <a href=“U-M ISR renews global partnership with Qatar University | University of Michigan News”>U-M ISR renews global partnership with Qatar University | University of Michigan News; and has global outreach via a number of agreements with other countries.</p>

<p>Michigan law is also ranked in the top10 with a particular emphasis on International law.</p>

<p>Michigan also has the Chinese Data Center: <a href=“http://chinadatacenter.org/default.aspx”>http://chinadatacenter.org/default.aspx&lt;/a&gt; as well as a long standing (150 years or more) relationship with that country and a large cohort of such students in Ann Arbor.</p>

<p>If you seek to go into IR or Math or International Law or research, there are few places like Ann Arbor for killing many birds with one stone.</p>

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<p>Tufts IR (and this includes masters, PhD. AND undergraduate programs) is #5; U Mich # 19</p>

<p><a href=“http://internationalrelationsonline.com/education/international-relations-program-rankings/”>http://internationalrelationsonline.com/education/international-relations-program-rankings/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Re: math, you want the better undergrad experience, regardless of graduate school program rankings, which are what blue85 has posted. Tufts, being smaller and more LAC-like, would offer you more direct access to profs and research opportunities. </p>

<p>Tufts for undergrad and U Michigan for grad. Best of both worlds.</p>

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<p>“Tufts, being smaller and more LAC-like, would offer you more direct access to profs and research opportunities.”</p>

<p>Prove it. </p>

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<p>“Tufts IR (and this includes masters, PhD. AND undergraduate programs) is #5; U Mich # 19”</p>

<p>Did I miss something? Is the OP looking for an IR degree? </p>

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<p>Obviously none of these statements can be “proven”, including yours, rjkofnovi, but I’m not the first on CC to note that attendance at smaller LACs and universities, by dint of size, can mean less competition for and greater access to personal contact with profs and research opportunities. </p>

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<p><a href=“http://www.shanghairanking.com/World-University-Rankings/University-of-Michigan---Ann-Arbor.html”>http://www.shanghairanking.com/World-University-Rankings/University-of-Michigan---Ann-Arbor.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p><a href=“http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/world-university-rankings/2012-13/world-ranking/institution/university-of-michigan”>http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/world-university-rankings/2012-13/world-ranking/institution/university-of-michigan&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p><a href=“Top 200 QS World University Rankings 2013 | Higher Education Network | The Guardian”>http://www.theguardian.com/higher-education-network/table/2013/sep/10/qs-world-university-rankings-2013&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>Gondaline19: not sure where you are getting your numbers, but they appear to be pretty inaccurate. You state above: “Tufts IR (and this includes masters, PhD. AND undergraduate programs) is #5; U Mich # 19”
^^^ ^^^^</p>

<p>^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^</p>

<p>From Wikipedia: "“Inside the Ivory Tower” is a ranking of the top university graduate and undergraduate programs in international relations. The ranking is produced by the Teaching, Research, and International Policy (TRIP) Project at the College of William and Mary and is published periodically by the magazine Foreign Policy. The TRIP project attempts to interview “international relations faculty from every four-year college and university in the United States, as identified by U.S. News & World Report,” although the methodology has changed over the years.[1][2][3] The survey design and compilation of results are done by the College of William & Mary’s Institute for the Theory and Practice of International Relations.[4] The survey began in 2005 as a survey of International Relations Scholars in the United States. </p>

<p>One of the questions asked respondents to rank International Relations graduate schools in the U.S. The survey has since been expanded to include undergraduate programs.[5] The survey began including universities outside of the U.S. in 2009.[1] The next iteration of the survey will be conducted in late summer of 2014.</p>

<p>In the year 2012, UM ranked #9 in IR at the PH.D level; Tufts is unranked at this level: <a href=“Inside the Ivory Tower - Wikipedia”>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inside_the_Ivory_Tower&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>In the year 2012, UM ranked #13 at Undergraduate level and Tufts is ranked 17th
<a href=“Inside the Ivory Tower - Wikipedia”>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inside_the_Ivory_Tower&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>The same knee-jerk rankings you put forth on every other U Michigan thread, rjkofnovi. Does not address OP’s question, does it? </p>

<p>And where did you get the assumption that just because the OP is international that he/ she won’t stay in US? OP is interested in the better math/ CS undergrad program and ultimate grad school placement, not which school is more prestigious internationally. </p>

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<p>“Obviously none of these statements can be “proven”, including yours, rjkofnovi, but I’m not the first on CC to note that attendance at smaller LACs and universities, by dint of size, can mean less competition for and greater access to personal contact with profs and research opportunities…”…at schools not the quality of Michigan. </p>

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<p>Here’s a helpful earlier post for OP, with pertinent info on Tufts’ CS program:</p>

<p><a href=“Computer Science - Tufts or Macalester? - Tufts University - College Confidential Forums”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/tufts-university/1487518-computer-science-tufts-or-macalester.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>

At Michigan, you can do research in the first semester of your freshman year. All you have to do is sign-up for the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP). UROP targets freshmen and sophomores. Five years ago, the program was opened to transfer students with an emphasis on those from community colleges. </p>

<p>UROP turns 25 this year. Today, more than 1,300 freshman/sophomore students and 700 faculty researchers are engaging in cutting-edge research under the program.</p>

<p>Now prove that you can do better at Tufts.</p>

<p>Michigan is ranked in the top 10 in both Math/CSE, compared to Tufts at the 70’s. It’s obvious that Michigan has much stronger faculty and facilities. It’s especially important in math … that is, if you are very good.</p>

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<p><a href=“Compute Engine Solutions from IONOS Cloud”>Compute Engine Solutions from IONOS Cloud;

<p>Michigan 21 Tufts 76</p>

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<p>Here’s a helpful earlier post for OP, with pertinent info on Tufts’ CS program:</p>

<p><a href=“Computer Science - Tufts or Macalester? - Tufts University - College Confidential Forums”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/tufts-university/1487518-computer-science-tufts-or-macalester.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>And to clarify, blue85, the link is here re: Tufts ranking in MASTERS IR programs, which derives from the same “Inside the Ivory Tower” list put forth by Foreign Policy Magazine:</p>

<p><a href=“http://internationalrelationsonline.com/education/international-relations-program-rankings/”>http://internationalrelationsonline.com/education/international-relations-program-rankings/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>And Tufts tops in diplomacy programs:</p>

<p><a href=“Guide to top diplomacy programs - CSMonitor.com”>Guide to top diplomacy programs - CSMonitor.com;

<p>But then, this is probably all off topic, as OP in fact didn’t note an interest in IR, only noted its reputation at Tufts in final sentence of original post. Somehow, the IR mention developed a life of its own?</p>

<p>Ultimately, OP needs to decide which among many factors–rankings, particulars of individual programs, quality of life, small vs. large, etc.–are most pertinent. </p>

<p>And my D at Tufts knows several peers who are doing research in their freshman year. She herself was able to garner a coveted research spot next year in her STEM field based on the personal encouragement and tutelage of one of her profs. </p>

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<p>If OP cares about class size:</p>

<p>Tufts:
Classes with fewer than 20 students: 68.5%
Classes with 20-49 students: 25.4%
Classes with 50 or more students: 6.1%</p>

<p>Michigan
Classes with fewer than 20 students: 45.7%
Classes with 20-49 students: 36.2%
Classes with 50 or more students: 18.1%</p>

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<p><a href=“https://umich.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/487/~/average-class-size”>https://umich.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/487/~/average-class-size&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Sometimes the way information is arranged matters. </p>

<p>Yes. Michigan is a bigger school than Tufts. There are lots of advantages to a large school, and there are fantastic opportunities to make the community smaller within your chosen field. And because of the school size, connections, endowments and reach, it can provide opportunities that some smaller schools cannot.</p>

<p>To the OP? I hope you have visited both, but failing that, I would look at some of the numbers presented here, think hard about your goals and what YOU imagine your ideal college environment to be, and press the yes at the school that clicks. </p>

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<p>Source for class size data:</p>

<p><a href=“http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/tufts-university-2219”>http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/tufts-university-2219&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p><a href=“http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/university-of-michigan-ann-arbor-9092”>http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/university-of-michigan-ann-arbor-9092&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>From Tufts site:</p>

<p><a href=“Undergraduate Orientation | AS&E Students”>Undergraduate Orientation | AS&E Students;
<a href=“Academics | Tufts Admissions”>Academics | Tufts Admissions;

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<p>Small class sizes does not necessarily mean quality. UofM ranks 12th in nation for undergraduate teaching. Tufts did not appear on the top school list. UofM also is ranked 13th on the peer assignment rating, which ranks colleges based off their reputation by officials at other top universities. Tufts is once again absent from this list. I do not mean to knock Tufts too much. It truly is an excellent university, and the OP should be proud to be accepted to both schools. </p>

<p><a href=“http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-universities/undergraduate-teaching”>http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-universities/undergraduate-teaching&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p><a href=“http://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/college-rankings-blog/2013/02/28/which-universities-are-ranked-highest-by-college-officials”>http://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/college-rankings-blog/2013/02/28/which-universities-are-ranked-highest-by-college-officials&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;