It Wasn't a Tuft Choice for Me!

Introduction
For me, the college search was not too hard. After all, Tufts has been a part of my family for my whole life, as my dad went there as an undergrad. I went to some of the Homecoming games as a kid, and Tufts was definitely a topic of conversation throughout childhood. Thankfully, my dad did not make a big deal out of it during my college search. He didn't push me toward applying there, because he knew that I would be happiest going somewhere that was fit for me, not because it was right for him. So, I ended up touring 20 liberal arts schools around New England, and started the process touring Tufts. I was immediately impressed and fell in love with every part of the school. My information session was a bit intimidating, but the tour guide was incredibly down to earth and funny (contrary to other schools), and she explained that the Tufts student body in general is the same. So, even though I didn't have anything to compare it to, I knew that Tufts was where I wanted to be. After touring the last school on my list, it was definite and I applied there early. Now I am very happy with my choice and I couldn't imagine a better place to spend four years. However, if you are the type of student who wants a huge party/sports scene, Tufts may not be the play for you.

Campus Life and Social Life
CAMPUS/LOCATION: The campus is the first thing that immediately impressed me during my tour. Even though I had been to the campus before, after I took the full tour I realized how amazing the campus is. I definitely wanted trees, grass, quads, etc., but I didn't want to be stuck in the middle of nowhere where there are more cows than people either. Tufts is the perfect balance of the two. The campus is a 15 minute T ride away from downtown Boston, the best college town on earth. Thanks to "The Joey", which shuttles from Tufts to the Davis Square T stop every half hour, you can stay warm in the winter and get to Boston even faster. Check out the campus map, at: http://ase.tufts.edu/asmap/ , or take the virtual tour, at: http://admissions.tufts.edu/vtour/ .


SIZE: Tufts has about 4800 undergrads, which is a very good number. The one negative aspect of all of the very small schools (around 2000 students) I looked at is that the students can start to get sick of seeing the same people all the time, like it is still high school. I wanted a school where I wouldn't feel like I was just another number and I could make an impact on the community. Because Tufts has the "Uphill" and "Downhill" dorm areas, each with its own dining hall, you can get the small college feel and there will always be familiar faces, but you can still meet new people every day, and it doesn't feel like high school at all. After being at Tufts for one semester, I already have a close knit group of good friends, and several other people that I am still getting to know better on a daily basis. Even the small things like being able to recognize people on the way to classes and say hi are a reality at Tufts.

SOCIAL LIFE: Tufts students work hard during the week, and play hard during the weekend (which usually starts Thursday). There is always something to do on campus, whether it is a drama production (there seems to be one every week or two), a concert, comedian, or dance. The film series offers recent movies throughout the weekend, many of which are not available on video yet. There are also parties at the frats and off campus. At Tufts,
fraternities and sororities do not dominate social life, as something like 10% of students go Greek, but they still give more options to students as far as places to go for parties, and they do many community service events. With so much being offered on campus, I rarely find myself even needing to go into the city. But, it is nice knowing that Boston is so close by, and I go into the city every once and a while to experience all that Boston has to offer. To see what is going on at Tufts this week, check out: www.tuftslife.com .


ACTIVITIES: Tufts boasts more than 150 student organizations. The students here are very ambitious, many of them whom were leaders of clubs in high school. As a result, we have every type of club imaginable, from Tufts Mountain Club, to the No Homers Club, our very own Simpsons Club. If you have an idea for a new club, all you need to do is get 15 people and present it to the Judiciary Board. If approved (it has to benefit the Tufts community in some way), you can get 250 dollars and there you have your own club. Activities and leadership positions do not just fall on your lap, you have to go out and explore. After my first semester, I am already a part of my Class Council in the Programming Board, I am involved in the TUTV news, I am helping out with several Hillel events, and I recently joined the University College of Active Citizenship and Public Service, which is a Tufts program that teaches students important leadership skills. I have met a lot of upperclassmen through these activities, and my overall campus experience is much better since I am so busy doing the things that I enjoy. To learn more about the student groups, go to: http://www.tuftslife.com/campusguide/categorylist.php?Category=Student_Organizations .


ATHLETICS: Tufts is Division III, with the exception of the Sailing Team, which is division I and nationally renowned. There are also a variety of intramural sports, which are very popular. Tufts is not exactly known for having team spirit, and most of the students jokingly cheer for the Jumbos (our beloved elephant mascot), but rarely attend the games. Other than homecoming, where the majority of the school shows up for the big football game, the sporting events are not too well attended. A lot of my friends are involved in sports, though, and many of the teams seem to be on the rise. Also, we recently had an extensive addition to our gym, to add an indoor track, and we have top notch work out facilities. Whether the Jumbos are #1 or not, Tufts students still wear Brown and Blue, the school colors, with pride. It is also a tradition that you will have good luck if you put pennies on the trunk of the Jumbo statue before finals. If you are interested in learning more about athletics, the web page is: http://ase.tufts.edu/athletics/ . Academics
ACADEMICS: Now, as great as the campus and people may be, college obviously wouldn't be worth the money without a strong academic program. Tufts has two undergraduate programs- The School of Arts and Sciences, and the College of Engineering. Every student enters the college into one of these schools, but if they end up deciding that they would be better off in the other program, I hear that it is very easy to switch during freshman year. I can't say as much about the engineering program, since I am in Liberal Arts, but all of my engineering friends seem happy. So far, I have found the Liberal Arts program to be challenging, but not completely overbearing. I have been able to complete my work and still enjoy a social life.

The classroom atmosphere here at Tufts is terrific. With a student/faculty ratio of around 8:1, the majority of my classes first semester had less than 15 students in them. With the exception of some intro. lecture courses, all of the classes here are very small and the interaction between students and professors are always impressive. All of my teachers insisted on us to stop in on their office hours, even if we just wanted to chat. They were also very prompt in responding to e-mails and their enthusiasm in class keeps everyone interested. Many of my professors already introduced me to research opportunities, and it is incredible how involved undergraduates can get with research. There are also an abundance of study abroad programs that students can take advantage of, including Tufts’ very own campus in Talloires, France. There seem to be a good amount of core requirements, but AP credit helped me a lot, and even a requirement in an area that you may not be as comfortable in can be catered to your interests with the vast amount of courses offered. For example, if you hate math, you can take a course on symmetry to help fulfill the requirement, which deals with more of an artistic aspect of mathematics. The variety of courses offered is incredible, especially for a school with less than 5000 students. Learn more about course offerings and majors, at: http://ase.tufts.edu/bulletin/instruction.html , and check out Tufts’ European Campus at: http://ase.tufts.edu/frenchalps/ .


EX-COLLEGE: One of the most unique parts of Tufts is the Experimental College (or as we call it the Ex-College), which was developed in the late 1960s. This innovative program allows students to take (and even teach) courses on subjects that one would normally not be exposed to in a college setting. Anything from Juggling to the Beatles to Forensic Investigation Techniques, these courses are offered for full credit and include many interesting readings and discussions. For my advising course, I took an Ex-College course on Reality TV, exploring why Americans are so obsessed with the phenomenon, and I absolutely loved it. My teachers were two seniors who did a great job introducing us to Tufts and helping us with the transition into college. For more information on the Ex-College, check out their website: http://www.excollege.tufts.edu/ .

Student Body
STUDENTS: As I mentioned earlier, my tour guide said that all of the students at Tufts are extremely down to earth and friendly people. I could not help but be a bit skeptical, however, since any tour guide would obviously be biased and say that their friends are nice, but does that mean that it pertains to the student body as a whole? Well, I went to the April Open House, and many of the current students told me the same. As I arrived at Tufts this August and began meeting my classmates, I could not believe how true the friendly Tufts stereotype was. All of the students are extremely outgoing, and caring people. I have yet to come across a mean person. The thing that constantly impresses me most is how supportive I find Tufts students to be of each other. One of the things I was most worried about in college was the competitiveness of the students. My high school was full of people asking about grades and SAT scores, and I was sick of it. The students at Tufts are all smart, and they are very motivated, but I find students to only be competitive with themselves. It is not surprising to find students going out of their way to help each other. If I am having trouble studying for a test, there are several people in my classes who are more than willing to form a study group and even individually take time our of their schedule to make sure I understand the material, and I am the same way to anyone else in need of help. In my opinion, your friends make or break your overall college experience, and with so many genuinely caring people, it is very easy to meet people and have fun at Tufts.


DIVERSITY: The students are pretty diverse here, but I have to complain about the interaction between students of different races and backgrounds. As nice as people are, I find that many people tend to socialize with students of their own race and socioeconomic status. For example, while there are a good amount of international kids on campus, a lot of them hang out with each other, thanks to the fact that there is a special International Orientation and many of them make friends from the beginning. This is not to say that everyone is extremely cliquey and does not want to associate with people whom are different. But, I just find it somewhat disappointing that I often feel like I have to go out of my way to really get to know someone who is very different from me, and I think that the point of college is to experience just that. Luckily, the classroom still brings everyone together, and the people that I do get the opportunity to meet through classes or other groups are all very outgoing.

In Closing...
HOUSING: There are a variety of housing options on campus, from typical doubles in dorms to suites to specialty houses and apartments. There are also female only and healthy living options. I am currently in an all freshman dorm, which is an option incoming students have. I am very happy that I chose to live in this type of dorm, since everyone is on the same boat and experiencing college life for the first time. The weekends might be a little crazier and people might stay up a bit later than the normal mixed dorms, but I am glad that I have so many freshmen to meet right nearby. Every dorm has an RA (Residence Advisor) , and so far I have found them to be there when you need them, but not too strict when it comes to drugs and alcohol. Obviously, if you raid the halls drinking beer they will report you, but if your door is closed and you are relatively quiet, they will leave you alone. My RA has been a great resource and they all seem to be well trained in case of an emergency.

As I said before, there are the uphill and downhill sections of the campus. Each area makes a little community and I find that everyone prefers their own area, as each has its perks (uphill is closer to the academic quad, which has all of the humanities buildings, where as downhill is closer to the science buildings, and a shorter walk to Davis Square). There is definitely a problem with housing availability, though. It is rumored that Tufts will soon construct another dorm, but until then, it is almost impossible for Juniors to find on-campus housing. Our lottery system guarantees housing freshman and sophomore year, and then gives priority to seniors, so most Juniors who don’t go abroad get an apartment off campus. This seems to be a plus as well, as by Junior year many students are excited to experience living in their own apartment with friends, and there are so many nearby that distance is rarely a problem. Check out the Res. Life website: http://ase.tufts.edu/reslife/top/residence_halls.html .


FOOD: The food at Tufts is amazing! I heard on the tour that it was recently ranked 2nd in the nation (behind Cornell, which better get first because of its hotel management school), and I have found it to earn that honor. There are many dining options on campus, from dining halls to a sports bar. The uphill dining hall, Carmichael, is a little smaller, yet it still has great food and it has specialty nights (Monday- Indian food, Tuesday- stir fry, Wed.- Chicken Caesar Salad, Thurs- Mediterranean Pasta, and Friday- Omeletts) in addition to it’s daily offering of pizza and pasta, salad bar, sandwiches, burgers, soups, cereals, ice cream, bagels, vegetarian specialties, and more. Dewick-Macphie, the downhill dining hall, is larger and has just about all of the daily offerings that Carmichael has, but it does not have the specialty nights. Both are very good and I rarely miss my mom’s cooking when I can get things like Belgian Waffles, or shrimp penne Alfredo.

As a freshman, you are required to get the 20 meals/week option. This allows unlimited entry to the dining hall, so you can stop by for lunch, and then head back for a snack an hour later, without having to miss dinner. Another option that fulfills the meal plan is Hodgdon-Good-to-Go, which serves Chinese food, Italian pastas, wraps, and other market-like goods that you can take to go. There are also dining dollars, which can be used in the campus center, where there is a sports bar, Hotung Cafe with subs, pizza, etc., and Campus Commons, which has sandwiches, soups, salads, etc. Jumbo Express is also in the Campus Center, which is Tufts’ own convenience store. Brown & Brew (get it?), is a coffee shop and a favorite student hangout, with its couches and comfortable feel. I have never had trouble finding something good to eat at Tufts, and if I ever have a late night craving, there are tons of local eateries that deliver to Tufts, many of which even accept dining dollars. For more information, check out Tufts Dining Services, at: http://www.tufts.edu/dining/ , and local restaurants at: http://www.tuftslife.com/dining/ .


LIBRARY: The newly renovated Tisch Library is fantastic. It is easily my favorite building on campus, and it makes studying/ researching at the library something I can look forward to, just because the facility is so great. It has over 1,000,000 volumes and is very wired, with wireless internet and cable access in every seat. It also features a media center with thousands of movies, many of which students can rent for free (it’s like having a Blockbuster right on campus). If there is a movie you want that is not available, you can even request it. Researching, a previously daunting task for me, is very easy with Tufts’ on line library collection, which features a wide array of databases and electronic journals. They are also in the process of putting a cafe in the Library, so that students can take a break and get a coffee right next door as they are studying. Be sure to check out the the grass covered Library Roof, which has one of the best views of the Boston skyline in the area. The view is even better at night, with a date! Check out the library website, at: http://www.library.tufts.edu/tisch/index.html .

I loved my first three years at Tufts, and I cannot wait to continue my experience. I am always glad that I chose a school where I am so happy, and highly encourage prospective students to tour the school. I always like to think of Tufts as a “kind of” place where you get the best of both worlds. It is kind of an Ivy League school, but it’s not. Tufts is right near the city, but it still has a beautiful suburban campus. It is a research university, but the smallest in the category and still has an intimate, college feel. Go to www.tufts.edu or go to the links I provided above to explore more about the school. I hope this review was helpful, and best of luck in your college search. GO JUMBOS!