Academics

I’ve had mostly positive experiences with teachers. There are duds here and there, but I’ve had some life-changing professors, and I still keep in touch with some from past semesters. I found them to be really accessible and concerned for their students’ well-being, both academically and personally. I’ve even had professors invite the entire class over to their houses and cook dinner!

Athletics

A lot of people are on teams, but they don’t really have followings. Our football team sucks, but Tufts sailing is the best sailing team ever. We’ve won more championships in our sailing history than any other school. We have a bunch of club sports that compete close to varsity level. Intramurals are really just a bunch of friends who are on a team.

Campus Dining

Dining halls are for freshmen and sophomores. Once you get to be an upperclassman, you usually eat at the Campus Center, which I love as much as the cafeterias. There’s plenty of selection, and a huge salad bar.

Campus Housing

As a freshman, they place you into a random dorm with a random roommate. I say ‘random roommate,’ but it’s not quite random—you fill out a survey describing your interests, and Tufts does its best to match you up.

Campus Strictness

The RAs spread the board really—some are really strict, and others really don't care at all. The cops will usually write you up for an offense, but once you get sent to the Office of Judicial Affairs, the penalty is usually not that bad.

Computers

At Tufts most students are well-off enough to own their own computer, usually a laptop. As a result, the labs aren't utilized so much, but they have been kept in good shape. I haven't used the Eaton Lab once. Having your own computer is pretty much the standard at Tufts, but it's not required to get your work done. However, we'd probably all be better off without the Internet . . .

Diversity

We definitely represent the upper-crust financially, although there is some diversity there. There is a fair amount of ethnic diversity, but the integration is lacking. Most people here are atheist, agnostic, or Jewish. Campus definitely leans left. There are not as many openly gay people on campus as I've seen on other campuses, but there's a fair amount.

Drug Scene

Druggies manage to keep themselves away from people that don’t want them to be there, if that makes sense. People into the scene usually hang out with other people that are into it, and they do a good job of hiding their problem. That’s right, I said ‘problem.’

Facilities

Some of the older places, like the Campus Center, could use renovations, but the Mugar computer lab was remodeled recently, as well as Ginn Library, and a new athletic facility opened up, as well. It’s big enough to house an indoor track and tennis courts, and the school holds a lot of big functions there. We get speakers like Bill Clinton, Madeline Albright, Al Gore, and Colin Powell.

Greek Life

I am in a sorority, but there are only three—they definitely do not dominate campus. A lot of people who go out to party are in the Greek system—mostly the boys. Most of the sports teams have houses on campus, but frats aren’t everything at Tufts. There are always house parties, and Boston rocks.

Guys & Girls

Guys have the reputation for being short, Jewish, and dorky. There are exceptions to this, obviously, and all you really need is one or two guys to focus on. The guys at Tufts aren’t the best part, but you can find your match, and the other benefits outweigh this seemingly negative aspect. The girls here are awesome—I didn’t have many close female friends in high school, but at Tufts, all my friends are girls.

Local Atmosphere

Tufts bridges together two towns, Medford and Somerville. If one was to look at a map, it would read: Downtown Boston, Cambridge, Somerville, and then Medford, and as you go further outwards from the Boston area into Massachusetts suburbs, you go towards the New Hampshire border. Tufts is on the border between Medford, a boring and old-fashioned (yet safe) suburb district, and Somerville, which has been growing at an exponential rate from an almost slummy area into the new alternative district for college students.

Nightlife

The Somerville Theater gets a lot of musical groups, Johnny D’s has live jazz most nights and a DJ a couple nights a week, and the Burren has live Irish music and a cover band that plays good rock. The big dance clubs are mostly on Lansdowne Street in Boston, which is a short T-ride away. If you feel like getting all dressed up, the best choice is Avalon, which is 19-plus on Thursday and Friday nights. It’s rated among the five best nightclubs in the world!

Off-Campus Dining

The off-campus restaurants are the highlight of Tufts. We have some incredible food. SoundBites offers delicious breakfast brunches. Rose’s Chinese Restaurant offers incredible Chinese. Anna’s Taqueria and Mexican Picante both offer Mexican food to die for, and Diva offers an incredible taste of Indian cuisine. There is a heavy Asian influence in the area, as well, besides the usual Chinese take out. Asian options include many fine Thai and Vietnamese restaurants, as well as French Cambodian options.

Off-Campus Housing

Off-campus housing is probably the single biggest complaint of the junior class. They’re not guaranteed housing, and most people, depending on the lottery numbers that determine housing preferences, may have to go find a place to live off campus where the rent is pretty high. Some people prefer to live off campus because they like the freedom, but on-campus housing is substantially cheaper, and it’s nice that you don’t have to clean. It’s not hard to get a place to live around campus, because most of the area surrounding Tufts is residential, but it’s tough to find the right house at the right price unless you get started early.

Overall Experience

All around, Tufts is a solid school. It doesn’t have a lot going for it that would make you jump up and down in joy, but if you get involved, there’s no reason you shouldn’t have a good time and meet a lot of cool people. I’m glad I came to Tufts, although I kind of wish there was more of a character to the place, but that’s tough when you’re in a suburb. A lot of people like Tufts because it’s just outside the city, but I’d rather be right in the center of things. It’s a small place, so be prepared to know everybody, but it’s big enough that you shouldn’t feel claustrophobic.

Parking

It is much easier to park as an upperclassman. I think you can get a $220 pass per semester. Honestly, the campus is not that big, and it’s in an urban area, so having a car is not really necessary. There is also a shuttle and train access, which makes getting around much easier. I did not have a car until senior year, and I did fine.

Safety & Security

Tufts has its own police department, which is really committed to making Tufts and the surrounding area safe. We do live in a city, so there are occasional incidents, usually incited by a non-student, but there are lots of ways you can avoid rough situations, like asking for a free, no-hassle police escort. For the most part, the police are not out to get you and they walk a delicate line between protecting us from the outside and keeping drinking under control without arresting people left and right.

Transportation

The T is the worst public transport system I have ever experienced. It closes early, which forces you to use cabs or a DD if going out at night, and cabs are expensive. It also has a lot of gaps of where you can go. I've lived here, NYC, and DC, and Boston is way behind. Having a car is almost necessary to be able to have access to everything. I'm so glad I brought one during the end of my Tufts career.

Weather

During school, you get great weather right when you start and right when you end. Sometimes, there’s a lot of snow during the winter, and the fall is beautiful in Boston—it’s quite a sight to see!