<p>I’m a Cal alum with a junior at Tufts.</p>
<p>First off, are there any money issues? Is the cost of attending any of the schools significantly more expensive/unaffordable? Will going to school on the east coast or west coast make it less likely that you’ll be able to go home for break?</p>
<p>Cal’s science programs are the strongest of the three schools. But its class sizes–especially for intro courses during your first two years–are going to be much larger than what you’ll have at CMU and Tufts. It can also be far more difficult to get into courses at Cal. I’ve not kept up on if admission to any majors is competitive, but you should check on that–it could be an issue with some of the social sciences. </p>
<p>Cal has milder weather (though winter can be cold and rainy), easy access to San Francisco and the mountains, and a huge student body mostly made up of students from California. It’s a great fit for someone who is independent and who can advocate for themselves. That’s going to be your parents’ big concern–so how well do you do when you’re the one who has to push to get attention? Among the three schools, it’s probably got the most competitive student body, though that depends on the major. You get the classic college experiences of football (sob–the Bears just haven’t done well for a long time…).</p>
<p>Tufts has freezing cold winters and easy access to Boston and Cambridge. Its student body is more geographically diverse. It has a strong international relations department, and that interest permeates the rest of the school–students tend to be interested in the world at large. D1 has been able to get plenty of attention from professors, though it doesn’t just drop down on her–if you’re interested enough to talk to professors etc etc they’ll be eager to give you their time. There’s football, but it’s not as big a thing as it is at Cal.</p>
<p>Can’t speak to CMU except that the school is located right near Pitt and it’s possible to cross-register for courses between the two schools. I’d personally prefer the college experience of being in Berkeley or Boston. </p>