<p>I'm an Indian student from Bombay, and Vassar and Tufts are my top choices. Both of them are targets for me, however, many people from my batch with better academics, extracurriculars and the works are applying to both as safeties, so I really want to apply to one of them ED and be secure.</p>
<p>I'm really confused at this point of time - for the past three months, I was SURE I wanted to go to Tufts, and I spent all that time eating, drinking and sleeping Tufts. I knew it so well by the end that I felt like I'd been there my entire life. What really attracted me to Tufts was its internationalism and its proximity to Boston. However, a month ago, I suddenly (I know this sounds really strange and random, but this is actually how it happened) got Vassar into my head. After spending an entire day on its website, I realised that Vassar really appealed to me as well.</p>
<p>Now I'm really confused as to which to apply ED1 to. I know that expecting people to answer a subjective question like 'Which one is better?' would be stupid considering it's kindof a personal thing, but any advice/feedback/suggestions shall be appreciated.</p>
<p>I go to Vassar; however, I'm pretty familiar with Tufts because my sister, a current senior, is planning on applying to the school this year (I've been working with her a lot on her list and visited Tufts with her). One of the things that's obviously different between the two is the fact that Vassar is a small, undergraduate-only LAC while Tufts is a small university with graduate and engineering programs in addition to a liberal arts school. What can be gleaned from this? Well, first off, I would say that Tufts is probably a better school for students interested in mathematics and the physical sciences. Vassar has strong psychology, biology, and neuroscience programs; however, it's math and physics departments are both quite small and Tufts' seem much more extensive. That being said, keep in mind that Tuft's graduate program is rather sizable (about 3000 students) while Vassar's is virtually non-existent (according to collegeboard, we have 1 graduate student currently in attendance). I'm sure faculty members try to be dedicated to both undergrads and grads at Tufts, but it seems to me that regardless of how hard they try at Tufts, it would be easier to get more attention from professors at a strictly undergraduate institution like Vassar. </p>
<p>The areas in which the two schools are located are also quite different. Tufts is just a few subway stops away from Boston while Vassar is an hour-and-a-half train ride from New York City. City access, of course, has both its positives and negatives. I would say, generally speaking, that if you're a city person who wants to be able to go into a metropolitan area every weekend, Tufts is a better bet. That being said, keep in mind that because access to Boston from Tufts is easier than access to NYC from Vassar, the on-campus social scene does get impacted. From what the tour guide we had at Tufts said, it sounded like a lot more students went off-campus during the weekend at Tufts than they did at Vassar. Thus, if you want a campus where the social scene is primarily on-campus, I would recommend Vassar over Tufts.</p>
<p>If you are considering ED solely as a more secure means of gaining admission, which you seem to state in your post, then it would seem that you should more strongly consider Vassar. This is because Tufts claims, and its statistics pretty much back it up from what I have seen, that applying ED does not give you any better chance than applying RD. When I looked at their admission stats, that was true...the admit rates for ED and RD were about the same at Tufts. I tried to quickly find the difference in admit rates for ED and RD at Vassar before I posted this, but can't find their ED rates. But all of the many LAC's I am familiar with have better ED rates than RD. I'm guessing the same is true for Vassar, but you should verify. I wouldn't choose where to apply to school based on this, but it seems that if you are looking for security and your decision is a toss-up between the two schools, it is something to think about. Both schools also have ED II. So if you applied ED I at one of them and were rejected, you could apply ED II at the other.</p>
<p>Funny you should ask - my daughter just graduated from Vassar, and my son attends Tufts. They are both excellent schools, yet very different. Each school was a great fit for each of my kids- they probably would not have been as happy if they switched schools.</p>
<p>Vassar is more "bohemian" in atmosphere, Tufts more straight laced. Vassar's campus is large, expansive, and spectacularly beautiful. Tufts is a more modest, though attractive, New England campus "on a hill". While it doesn't match Vassar's 1000 acres, it does offer Boston. Enough said.</p>
<p>Tufts International programs are exceptional, as are their science and pre-med programs. (My daughter was a bit disappointed by the biology program). Vassar's English and Arts programs are well regarded.</p>
<p>Both schools have their strengths - each school has a unique character - NEITHER school is a SAFE school by ANY stretch of the imagination. Especially for international students. Apply to both schools if you're interested. The decision may in fact, be made for you.</p>