The Truth

Introduction
I chose this school because of the international focus on culture and diversity, but not necessarily because I wanted to major in International Relations, like most of the school; however, the diversity that Tufts prides itself on is, statistically, no different than any other top-tier school.

Campus Life and Social Life
The campus life sucks, particularly if you don't drink. The problem isn't that there is pressure to drink from other people; it is that you will be the only one sober if you decide not to drink. You must be 21 to get into clubs in Boston. Tufts students take drinking and smoking to a new level, especially since this is a school about maintaining an image... all the time. Advertisement
Academics
The academics are manageable. The majority of Tufts students procrastinate until a big assignment is due, and then make it miserable, though. Also, the math and science distribution requirements are a pain, and I recommend taking an AP/IB exam in math or science to avoid it.

The one thing I regret about coming to a liberal arts college, is that there are no pre-professional type majors like business, marketing, or journalism. In lieu, Tufts has weak substitutes like Entrepreneurial Leadership and Communications minors.

International Relations is the most popular major, with rigorous and demanding economics and poli-sci requirements. You will feel left out if its not your academic interest. Most of my friends failed or dropped pre-med courses first semester, and engineering is insane because of the demanding Chem and Bio courses.

Student Body
The student body mainly consists of cookie-cutter liberals, who actually look down on and hate on others' differences just as much as anyone who is not liberal. For instance, there are tons of Bush-haters, a large number of students who look down on the Southern United States, and students who generally don't want to learn or think outside of their bubble, because they think they're enlightened. The school also focuses on an active citizenship 'image', for which students spend thousands of dollars, that could go to non-profits instead, on airfare to third-world countries, and snap pictures in starving children's faces.

The minority population is close-knit, and all but cliquish. The university has separate cultural houses, which are questionable; but the White American students are just as accountable for the lack of interaction in dining halls, etc.

Most students are affluent, and come from very distinguished, yet homogenous schools. So, if you come from a very diverse school or city already, I would recommend looking for schools where students don't fetish-ize the little bit of diversity that is here.

There are tons of international students who look down on America, and act as if the fact that they have lived in one or two other countries means that they understand every country, and you don't. They will also complain about being underage for clubs, and stereotype any instance of ignorance as solely American, as if it does not happen in other countries.

In Closing...
The people, location (brutal and bleak winters), and fads can mesh great with some, horribly with others.