<p>In the span of ten minutes, I was blessed with one of the most difficult choices I've ever had to make. I'm sure I'd love both, and that's the hard part. Right now, I'm leaning towards Tufts, because I'm very interested in the worldly outlook and its international relations program.</p>
<p>But I have friends at Vanderbilt, and they think it's the best thing in the history of the world ever. One of them assures me that I can study whatever I want, and it will be fantastic.</p>
<p>I guess transportation to either school would not be difficult for you, then.</p>
<p>I'm speaking from the perspective of a parent of a student; hopefully actual real life students will weigh in also. I like the Boston area a lot, but I think Nashville is a great city to be a student in. The campus is in the city, about a mile or so from downtown, but the area is full of restaurants and coffee shops, bookstores. Very accessible. </p>
<p>I'm afraid I can't address the question of the programs that interest you, specifically. I do recommend that you visit, and make appointments to talk with some faculty if possible, and sit in on a class or two. Find some students to talk to. Visit the office that arranges study abroad, and look into internships.</p>
<p>I'm of the understanding that Tufts and Vandy are vvveeerrrryyyyy different. I recommend you visit before making a decision that might pan out to be a bad one.</p>
<p>If you visit Vandy you will decide to go there. My D and I visited Tufts after Vandy and that led to her ED I application to and acceptance at Vandy. Tufts is a great college but I agreed with my daughter's choice, even over my college and law school which are both neighbors of Tufts.</p>
<p>COngrats! I also got into both schools, and I feel reeeeally honored. I personlly am choosing Vandy because I feel it will be better for me as an Early Childhood Education Major. I honestly think I would be extremely happy at Tufts also. My visits to both schools have been nothing short of amazing. I did feel very different vibes at each school. I think Boston would be a little more to my big city taste, and I'm going to miss major league baseball. But I'm looking forward to the ambiance and school spirit going to a DI school provides. I'm not sure you can beat Tufts IR program though. I really suggest you visit Vandy if possible. We could all give you a million and one reasons to attend Vandy, but I think you should visit and really see if you actually see yourself there for the next four years. One thing I felt at both schools was that students truly do love being Jumbos and Commodores. Congrats again and happy choosing!</p>
<p>I agree with those who are urging you to visit Vanderbilt. If you visit, you will know immediately how lucky you are to have found Vanderbilt and been accepted by them. Tufts was one of the four institutions I visited in Boston. It's a good school, but its atmosphere and location just can't compare to Vandy. And the international study opportunities at Vandy, both on and off campus, are equally impressive. Of course, if you love Boston and six months of winter, then the mid-South will come up short:-) (Yeah, I'm sold on Vandy--applied early decision in November!)</p>
<p>This may seem like an odd reason to choose Vandy -- but in Boston, Tufts is maybe number four or five behind Harvard, MIT, Brandeis, Boston College, Welsley -- and also behind several other Mass. schools such as Williams, Smith, Amherst, Holyoke, etc. in terms of reputation among local employers. (That of course has nothing to do with the relative quality of the undergraduate education available at those schools -- I'm just talking reputation). Students from those other schools will be your competition in getting local internships, etc. Vandy has its region to itself academically. Rice and Emory are in entirely different "markets". Tufts is a great school, and you'd get just as good an education there as you'd get at Vandy. But in terms of weather, neighborhood, school spirit, sports, and the point mentioned above, Vandy wins.</p>
<p>Post #10 may be the single most misinformed post that I have ever read on CC. Tufts is well ahead of Brandeis & BC. Vanderbilt shares its market with Emory and has a deservedly strong reputation in many areas of the U.S.</p>
<p>Actually icy, Vanderbilt does have a very different from “market” from Emory and Rice. Please find some cross admit/apply stats on this, you’ll see what I thought was pretty obvious.</p>
<p>Two great, but very different, schools.
If you really care most about the global perspective and IR program, Tufts absolutely wins. But that still doesn’t mean you can’t get a first rate education in IR at Vandy.
If you want the warmer weather, the spirit that is engendered by a big sports school, the social life that goes with the Greek system, etc., choose Vandy. If you want a more intimate “feel,” that is closer to a LAC, go with Tufts.
As for the cities, wow - a tough choice. I personally love New England and think that Boston is the ultimate college kid’s town, but almost everyone I have ever spoken to from Vandy loves Nashville.
This is win/win for you. Good luck!</p>
<p>i 100% understand where you are right now
i applied ED to Tufts and was deferred, i thought my life was over and all i wanted was tufts
then i got accepted to vandy and wasnt too interested… until i visited
i got accepted to tufts 2 weeks later and STILL chose vandy</p>
<p>the reasons i chose vandy were great reputation…more of name factor at least in maryland, d1 sports and spirit, great academics (pretty similar to tufts there), its campus seriously blows tufts away, and althought i loove boston it turns out nashville is better especially for college kids…also vandy is actually in the city where tufts you have to take a train
and mainly, i know im going to have a great social life at vandy and most people do
also, i was turned off by vanderbilt before i visited because i had always associated a very preppy attitude towards it which it does not have, at least not to the degree i expected (in case that was one of your hesitations)</p>
<p>let us know what you choose! i’m very interested</p>
<p>My son also looked at Tufts on a tour last spring. I thought it would be the perfect school for him. He really did not like the campus and felt very confined. we then flew to Nashville and he loved Vandy. He applied ED and that was the end of story. Good Luck but you really should visit!!</p>