Tufts vs. Macalester

mathmom
Fri, 01 Apr 2011 23:42:42 +0000

My son didn’t apply to Macalaster because he felt it was too small. It’s obviously a great place, but I think there is a danger that one might grow out of it.

My son is a prospective IR major - a bit of a smart slacker in high school. No aptitude for languages which is proving to be a bit of a problem - he’s hanging on by his teeth in Arabic. He’s already had opportunities (winter break travel grant, meeting the movers and shakers of the nuclear disarmament world) that I can’t imagine freshmen getting elsewhere. The presence of grad schools, other Bostons schoools, and the Global Leadership Institute are all things he’s taken advantage of. He’s working harder than he’s ever worked in his life. He’s planning ahead in a way I’ve never seen him do before. Most of his classes have been very good.

Tufts seems very accepting of a variety of types. They really mean it when they say they believe in active citizenship.