It was hard getting a feel for the student body at these schools because I toured them during the summer.
I want a school with a close knit and collaborative community, very liberal leaning, the most diverse the student body the better (not only racially but geographical and mixture of preppy and artsy types)… I can really adapt to any social climate, so I really just want to be around cultured and interesting kids.
Also want a lively residential life and small class sizes where discussion is encouraged. Strong study abroad programs as well.
What are your thoughts on the best fit? Reputations of the schools I’ve seen? More info on them? Anything will help.
Nether Tufts or WashU are commuting schools. For the most part the students who are not living on campus are upperclassman who have moved into nearby apartments.
Our sophomore student at WUSTL is a STEM major, Great Books/Latin minor. Loves both sides of the spectrum. Is doing research at the Med School for a faculty member there while taking Literary Modernities (laughing at Don Quixote) and Survey of Latin Literature: The Republic. Minor classes are typically less than 10 students. Even a took a dance performance class last year.
Loves the social life and St. Louis. Tons to do with Forest Park, Art Museums and light rail within easy walking distance.
My Daughter is a Sophomore at Tufts but did not consider WUSTL due to location and a bad experience by a teacher who she really respected.
She loves Tufts, but it is far from diverse ethnically, and seems pretty well stocked with New England students. It is also not what I would call “very” liberal leaning- very little in the way of campus protests that are student driven. And I would call the mix Preppy + Nerdy rather than Artsy.
Politically I would say it probably mid-way between Trinity/Colgate and Brown/Wesleyan. For example, I don’t think there were too many BLM protests last year, or if there were, they were short-lived. The percentage of AA students is low relative higher ranked schools (Ivies mostly). Unfortunately the school you are looking for is probably Columbia.
“a lively residential life and small class sizes where discussion is encouraged. Strong study abroad programs as well.”
This sounds like Tufts, although the class sizes are not what you would get at a 2,000 student LAC.
I think Wesleyan might be more what you are looking for.
@samantha827 There is an excellent thread on College Confidential from May 2015 titled “My (semi-coherent) Admission Story” by the Original Poster (OP) “butterfreesnd” --go to College Admissions and then click Admissions Hindsight and Lessons Learned category where an applicant takes us through his or her college application experience and narrows down the two final choices to Tufts and Washington U. in St. Louis. The OP explains in good detail the pros and cons of Tufts and Washington in St. Louis. I think you might find it helpful. The OP chose Washington in St Louis. I am copying and pasting the link to that thread: i hope this link works. If not, you can find it by following the steps i mentioned above. http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/discussion/comment/18428515#Comment_18428515
I can either pick one or the other to do an overnight and revisit. I am a pretty social person and I do believe Boston is a better city to be near. Any thoughts?
If I were in your shoes, I would pick Tufts precisely for the reason you stated: It’s in/adjacent to Boston. For what you are seeking, the Boston student scene would be a best bet.
^ Also not just Boston- NYC is an easy train ride, Portland Maine is a nice day/weekend trip, Providence RI is, well, not that great, but it has a lively student scene. And we have ocean and beaches.
I live in Cambridge (between Tufts and Boston), and have family around St. Louis and have visited but have never lived there. I would certainly choose Boston area over St. Louis any day of the week. You will quickly get used to how rude people are here.
And you very well may end up in Cambridge after you graduate:
That said, I really think that cultural fit with the school and student population is more important than location. If you have to pick between these two schools for a visit, I would say that it sounds like Tufts would be a slightly better choice given what you are looking for.
Location, while you should consider it, should not be a top factor in choosing a college, IMO. You will be spending most of your time on campus anyway. Wash. U is GORGEOUS and has stronger academics. Tufts is known for study abroad if you’re into that, but I’ve always thought this school was overrated. I think Wash. U has much more to offer.
However, if Tufts offers you a compelling financial package, I would consider choosing it over WUSTL.