Tufts University
“I met a fellow Jumbo on a mountain in France!”
PROSPECTIVE STUDENT:
VDB
Political Science
Currently a Poli Comm major at Emerson College
THE REVIEW:
First Impressions:
Location - 6
(See previous post.)
After actually arriving on campus, we were unsure which building housed the admissions office and it was unclear about how to enter the building once we actually found it (it turns out that you have to go over a giant pedestrian bridge). This sense of confusion was worsened when we were herded to a random green space in the center of campus and then told to “pick your tour guide”. We were uncertain of where we were being taken for this entire trek.
Lobby Appearance - 7
We really appreciated the open floor plan of the lobby. VDB filled out some information at the conveniently located desk while Jay-Z perused various forms of literature on the walls, as well as posters about famous people who had given lectures at Tufts.
Tour Guide:
Taylor, senior community health and American studies major from Maine. Fun fact: as a freshman, he once made the mistake of walking back from Boston all the way to Tufts (we were impressed: we can barely make it from Davis Square to campus).
Personality - 7
Taylor was friendly and outgoing. We learned a lot about his personal interests and he definitely did a great job of talking about all of his friends at Tufts.
Appearance - 8
Taylor was wearing a bicycling shirt (one of the interests that he talked about a lot on the tour) and a nice pair of khaki shorts with sneakers. He looked like a typical Tufts student, and we got to see that he was able to follow his passion of cycling while at Tufts. On the hotness scale, Taylor received a 6.
Ability to answer questions - 9
The other people on the tour didn’t really ask a lot of questions until we started talking about study abroad. This is where Taylor really had a chance to shine. Not only did he give personal experiences relating to his study abroad program in the Alps over a summer (he even managed to come back the next summer for a real job there!), but he was able to discuss the other study abroad options available at Tufts. He also answered plenty of questions about general education requirements and housing.
Ability to relate - 5
At first we were really excited by the amount of personal information brought into the tour by Taylor. However, we would have liked to hear about a different interest than the Tufts cycling team. That being said, we did like knowing about the activities that his friends and roommates participate in on campus.
Tour:
Informative (1) vs Entertainment (10) - 4
We got a lot of useful information about Tufts, but Taylor also did a great job of bringing in some fun facts about the school and going to school in the Boston area.
Quality/Quantity of free stuff - 5
We got a lot of literature. In addition to the standard information book, we received several brochures and the official admissions magazine: very classy.
Quality of literature provided - 7
The literature we got was pretty informative. It was sleek and well-designed, and provided all the information we needed without being too text-heavy.
Length of tour (1=too short, 10=too long) - 6
The tour lasted for an appropriate amount of time, but due to outside factors (the heat, our lack of actual interest in Tufts, and the foreboding walk back to Davis Square), it felt a little long.
Quality of tour content - 9
We learned a lot about getting into the school, what to expect once you arrive on campus, and the social life. VDB realized that she would be a great fit for Tufts socially, but quickly realized that she is not a “try-er” like the typical Tufts student and would probably have to leave.
Miscellaneous:
Was there Dr. Pepper? 0 - We didn’t see it.
Was there a sitcom TV set in the library? 0 - We were going to give partial points because we learned that the preserved body of Jumbo the elephant (Tufts mascot and former member of the Barnum and Bailey circus) was kept in the library. Then we learned that the library had caught on fire (as did Jumbo). One of the professors collected the ashes and put them in a peanut butter jar, which is on display in the library. We also did not appreciate the fact that Jumbo’s tail fell off, as many students liked to pull on it for good luck. All in all, no library points for Tufts.
Font choice/use? 7 - Tufts’ fonts were simple and clean, and added to the classic image of the school.
Favorite tour member? The overwhelming amount of children leaning on their mothers on the tour. We don’t know why, but throughout the tour, we kept seeing children leaning on their mothers’ backs and shoulders for support. Was it really that hot out? Were they dehydrated? (We should have been given water in that case.) Remember, kids, Mom can’t follow you to college.
Meal Plan Breakdown:
There are several dining halls on campus. Tufts is apparently in the top ten schools in the country when it comes to food. All freshman must sign up for the premium plan, but after that, upperclassmen can choose from a variety of plans with differing amounts of meals and JumboCash, the campus debit plan.
This statue of Jumbo was above the doors to the admissions office. We loved it.
Some examples of famous people who’ve come to Tufts to lecture (including Madeleine Albright, Hillary Clinton, and Nancy Pelosi).
The rooftop garden on the library.
This was a statue we found in the library.
Tufts has its very own bikeshare program (similar to Hubway). They have stations all around campus where you can rent a bike.
We loved this girl’s outfit. (Friend of Rate My College Tour CK Sway came to the realization that she has the exact same face as VDB.)
OVERALL TUFTS EXPERIENCE - 7
If you want to know actual information about possibly attending Tufts, head over to Student Advisor to find out if this is the right school for you.
