I suspect that your daughter is at U Michigan and that the QMSS program is similar to Northwestern University’s MMSS (mathematical methods for the social sciences).
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Yes, this is correct–my daughter is in Wren and it is all sophomores and juniors
Well, even a decade old, a difference of ten percentage points seems significant! Also, the data includes 2015 HS grads, meaning students graduating college in 2019, so only 4 years ago. Whatever the case, elite private institutions have, in the ensuing years, only worked toward greater income diversity, so the “rich kids school” vibe just about everywhere would be reduced–clearly not enough at Tufts for the OP’s kid, but perhaps at a place like Rice.
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The name sounded familiar. There is a class with a similar name which was of interest to my guy. He manages his schedule. But I thought it sounded interesting
Thank you so much for the words of encouragement. I appreciate it. It sounds like your daughter must be enjoying her experience. He likes the change of weather, although he’s just now getting a taste of the cold. He loves the city too.
I’ve been told that freshman friend groups are often temporary and that a lot of shuffling happens by 2nd semester. That would be nice. I think the other significant issue is that he is the kid in our family who was most looking forward to college and probably set his expectations too high. Despite being cautioned, I think he imagined things being perfect from the first day.
Also, he was really disturbed and hurt by the defacing of the cannon early in the year. He loved hearing about the history of the cannon and imagined doing an all-nighter painting in a meaningful or just fun way. I think that act really hurt. It also seemed to me like there was not the kind of outrage on campus that we might have expected after such an event. Some of the communication from administration about some serious issues in the world that are impacting students has also seems somewhat tepid. As several others have mentioned, students from all sides are hurting, some are scared, and others are being careful with their words. All of this must have some kind of impact on students making connections.
I hope you are right about things getting better, and I agree about a back up plan. I hope we don’t have to use it. If you have any other specific suggestions, I’m all ears. Thank you so much.
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Math class: He should politely email the professor (and the TA if there’s one) and ask whether there’s a wait list and how he could be placed on it. Of course there could already be a waitlist that’s managed by the course enrollment system.
He could also look for classes that have 24 students and under and cross reference that with RMP, trying to register/asking to be placed on the waitlist with those highest rated that he has the pre-reqs for. Any highly rated professor in a small class of Tufts students is bound to excite his brain cell connections.
Combination of a topic but as envisioned by 2 or 3 disciplines (like those I suggested above where he could take the science and ethics of food, or the science, economics, and ethics of the environment) could yield fresh perspectives as well as potentially a small cohort of passionate students doing the same as him.
Typically, upper level courses in the Romance Studies (assuming your son took French or Spanish but other programs taught in a world language are similar) are small, interactive, and taken by interrsted students. That can be paired with foreign language film society and X(language) table. Students who’d participate in these would likely be into lively conversation regarding a variety of topics.
Course scheduling could thus alleviate the problem a little, all by itself.
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You do know my son! He is an armchair philosopher indeed! He’s just looking for his group! Right now, Tufts students are posting like mad about Kissinger, so perhaps that will help him find connections 
He’s a first semester freshman so he hasn’t declared a major. He is just considering options. Law and journalism are of interest. He has also expressed interest in philosophy, sociology, IR, and many others. I think his professors have really pumped him up about his writing abilities.
He ultimate goal is to use his talents for justice. Thanks for the suggestions.
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Fwiw, there used to be quite a bit of engagement and activism in the sociology department, so digging into the offerings there might yield some interesting connections.
A friend’s D loved the philosophy department. She is a very cerebral person and found it stimulating.
While Tufts has a fabulous IR program, many of the intro level classes are big so sub-optimal for figuring out who might be a kindred soul.
I haven’t forgotten that you’re looking for alternatives - I just want to help make sure he’s comparing his best experience at Tufts to other options.
I’d also add that Tufts is not one of those "nurturing " schools. At a small LAC, it’s not unusual for profs to have kids over for dinner or to show up at a soccer game, acapella concert, etc. Many kids like that warmth and connection. Others want no part of it, and a larger school, like Tufts, can be a perfect fit.! A couple of students I know well chose Tufts specific because they could be more autonomous, including one who transferred from a LAC! In that regard, there’s some self-selection involved in who’s there. (This may be more of what’s at play than wealth distribution, btw.) It doesn’t mean professors aren’t interested or accessible, but you kind of have to make that happen. If your son was expecting more warm and fuzzy, though, it could be a let down. It’s a more hands-off place all around. It’s easy, reading what hasn’t resonated, how that could not match up with expectations.
This is what I meant about articulating what’s off (which you did). The reality is that most schools have a sizable portion of kids who are well off. How that manifests is different. At some, it could be that they go off campus to do things that require disposable income - a big issue in expensive cities, for example. At others, they might participate in Greek life with frats and sororities that are very stratified. At some schools, wealth may be flaunted through clothing, etc whereas at others, you might not have any clue that your lab bench-mate is heir to an empire!
He might like Bates. Just tossing that one out there. Very nice sense of community.
It’ll be too small and middle of nowhere, but we loved the vibe at Earlham, and I am repeatedly wowed at how thoughtful and engaged their alums are. They sound like your son’s tribe! (But in an unlikely spot.)
Really hoping everyone here is helping you in this process. So hard to see your kid unhappy.
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I wanted to add two points that I hope are not redundant with other posts:
First, the fact that you are being open to the possibility of a transfer may in itself be enough of a comfort to your son. I used to focus on “It will get better, be patient, things will improve,” with my kids. I learned, especially for one of them, the preferable approach was to tell her that we would love her and support her no matter the decision. The tact you are taking is likely far better than a stick-it-out one…and may lead to a higher likelihood of him sticking it out because he knows he always has a safety net.
Second, your son sounds like a brilliant, cerebral, fantastic kid. He does seem to lack some big picture understanding, though, which he will gain with time and maturity: Not all kids go to college for the deeply intellectual explorations that he desires, but that does NOT negate the validity of their motives or goals, and it doesn’t make his superior.
One of my kids is very bright and an extraordinarily high achiever in and out of the classroom, but she does not have those nerdy/geeky (I mean both terms in a positive way) inclinations that your son has. She has many goals of bettering the world that aren’t far removed from what you have described for your son, but her methods are quite different. She is very much a doer (not that your son isn’t), a collaborator, and an organizer. Her role in the world will likely be different than your son’s, but they may work together one day on similar causes. Part of going to college is finding your people, which I think your son will in time. But another part of college is recognizing and respecting the unique talents that others bring to the table and finding ways to work together.
While finding his people is a completely understandable desire, I hope he isn’t missing all the really cool people that aren’t just like him, too.
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Every word of this resonated with me. Thank you. It’s like you know him!
The kind of deep connections he is looking for, I think take time. I really hope he can find those connections where he is. Thank you for the support about looking for alternatives, even if an alternative is a safety net he doesn’t use and may not need.
Your daughter sounds like an amazing person. He could definitely benefit from a friend with the qualities she possesses. Thank you for sharing. I appreciate it.
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Frosh retention rates (like graduation rates) do have a lot to do with admission selectivity and student ability to afford the college.
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Such a minor would likely require substantially more advanced math than Tufts’ MATH 19 “The Mathematics of Social Choice” course (which is likely of interest to political science majors and others who want to compare electoral systems), which looks like one of the five non-calculus math courses offered for students who are in non-math-requiring majors and do not have a strong math background (see course numbers 14, 15, 16, 19, and 21 at Courses | Department of Mathematics ).
How “likely”? Here’s one such minor program where that doesn’t appear to be the case:
QUANTITATIVE METHODS IN THE SOCIAL SCIENCES
MINOR INFORMATION
The requirements don’t appear to involve calculus (and I don’t think that’s an issue: IMO, decent stats analysis skills are going to be a lot more useful in many fields than calculus).
I was thinking of something more like Northwestern’s MMSS, whose core for the major starts with linear algebra and multivariable calculus: Core Curriculum: Mathematical Methods in the Social Sciences - Northwestern University
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What is his freshman dorm? Maybe you want to PM me… I might have some suggestions based on where he lives. Also, he might want to think about some of the community interest based houses for next year. You can like in houses or large suites with others that are all interested in things like a certain foreign language, the environment, etc. That could be a fun thing for him to look forward to and an instant community if he has not yet formed some of his own by then. I think kids apply soonish?
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Not sure where you are going with that…
One book is about women who excelled at math working to put astronauts into space while suffering discrimination, another is about flaws in the use of big data and algorithms, and the last is about a program to teach math to underpriveleged and minority kids. Are those the types of things that would be covered in a class like “Math for Social Change”?
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It doesn’t, but the also mentioned Northwestern version seems like it would.
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Yale always had a class the students called “Physics for Poets.” It was kind of like a history of science course, but it was in the physics department and it counted for the Group IV science distribution requirement.
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@JackH2021: These works share a theme of placing math within a societal context. Insights gained therein can then contribute to social change. These books do not teach mathematics, however.
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I think every college has that (I did terribly at it at Cornell - way too much reading and writing 
) along with “Stars for Stoners” and “Rocks for Jocks.”
Note do those not familiar with this: these classes all have proper names, but the kids always know which ones they are.
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