Hi everyone, I am a rising sophomore transfer student who was just accepted off the Vanderbilt waitlist. I committed to Tufts for Political Science, but now I don’t know what to do. I am from the northeast and only have until June 4th to commit to Vanderbilt, so I will not be able to make it down there to visit by then. I would love any information about the two schools and how they differ. I know Nashville vs Boston is a very different environment, and I like that Vanderbilt has warmer weather. Both schools are the same cost for me. I am very grateful to be in this position, but now I only have a few days to make a decision so I need all the help I can get.
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I’d say - if you like Tufts, then it’s the risk free choice.
But this might also be a case of - heads you win, tails you win.
There’s no wrong choice.
I say Tufts is risk free - only because you’ve been on campus.
I looked at the last CDS for each. Tufts had 66 transfers enrolled. Vandy 280.
Might that parlay into a better transfer experience or orientation? I don’t know - but might be something to look into - how is the transfer integration?
Best of luck to you and congrats on your admissions.
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First congrats! Nice place to be. I wish you could visit bc the vibe at Vandy very different than Tufts. Vandy beautiful and while Tufts is nice enough, although sort of a weird place in the city, whereas Vandy is in the heart of Nashville and a stunning campus. Go to Vanderbilt - take a big leap and you’ll have a terrific time. Way more pretegious etc too and just a warmer, friendlier place and more collaborative feel. Vandy is also more social in a traditional college experience way - football games, tailgates, Greek life etc so if that’s not your vibe be aware it is a big part of the school, although not all. My kid also political science and got off waitlist a month ago - jumped at the chance to say yes! She gave up Columbia, Wash U, UT Austin and UNC among others to go to Nashville. Better reputation, ranking, academics and social life and the Vanderbilt Alumni power and connections are huge. The deciding factor was how happy of a place it is - consistently at the top of the happiest students. Alumni are crazy about the place. Have another kid at an ivy up north and while happy, it’s a far more Intense environment and everything is competitive - everything. This is a more enjoyable feel and kid number two wanted that, and got it. Too many kids at Tufts are the ivy rejects with a chip about it.
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That’s very helpful, thank you! I got the sense about the ‘ivy reject’ thing at Tufts and am not a fan. I want to go somewhere where everyone is genuinely excited and happy to be at that place, not where they wish they were somewhere else.
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different schools- personal decision. I don’t agree that Vandy’s rep and prestige is at another level than Tufts, and I certainly don’t agree that Tufts will automatically be more competitive and less enjoyable. there are plenty of people who choose Tufts not because they were Ivy rejects but because they love it. Proximity to Boston is a big plus for many people (and I think has gotten easier with a new train stop?).
I would say if I was to stereotype, Tufts will have more artsy, intellectual, and quirky types. Vanderbilt will have more mainstream, preppy, sporty types, and more of a Greek scene.
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Culturally, these two are really different. Both are excellent schools.
Can you talk to anyone you know at Vandy to get a sense of the place? Much more Greek and mainstream. Most of the students I know who went there wanted that and loved it.
Tufts is maybe a bit edgier, but again, there are tons of students there who love its vibe.
If i were looking for a metaphor, I’d say Vandy feels like a leafy suburb and Tufts more like a city.
Your choice may be driven by why you are transferring.
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Agree with what others have said. The schools are quite different in terms of location and student culture. It’s too bad you can’t visit Vandy. If there’s any way you can make a visit happen, I would strongly suggest you try. Tufts is in a suburb of Boston, so access to the city when you want it, but in a very suburban neighborhood. D3 sports, small greek life, more of an artsy/social justice vibe. Vandy is in the heart of Nashville. D1 sports, large greek life, more traditional type of school spirit/campus culture. I know several people who applied ED to Tufts, so I wouldn’t say it’s just lost of Ivy rejects and Vandy also has it’s fair share of Ivy/Duke/Stanford rejects. Usually people will definitely tend to be more drawn to one over the other. I have several friends who applied to Tufts or Vandy, but I don’t think I have any who applied to both because they really attract different types of students with different priorities. You really can’t go wrong with either, but I would try to delve more into campus culture if you can (look up some YouTube videos from students, etc.)
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I do know someone who just graduated from Vandy. I’m not sure if I want somewhere more Greek because I’m transferring from a small LAC with no greek presence, so I’ve never had the chance to experience that vibe before. I guess I have to figure out if I want somewhere more artsy or more mainstream
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Not in my view/book/experience. I really wouldn’t consider them different in any meaningful way. I admit this is partially biased by the fact that my HS friends who went to Vandy were pretty average students (admittedly at a prep school), though nice interesting people. On the other hand I know a large number of super-star smart, amazing, recent (well recent in compared to me!) Tufts grads who completely loved it there.
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With respect to your intended major, this site may be of interest:
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Thank you, that’s helpful!
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My daughter just graduated from Vanderbilt last May; I also live near Tufts and know several students who have gone there. I have a definite opinion about this but I’ll try to be fair to both schools. Also realize that WMMV - a lot of times one’s overall experiences can be affected by things you can’t predict, i.e. roommates, a great course that made you decide to change majors v. courses that were ok but nothing earth-shattering, etc. There is also the issue of student protests and how you feel about that can make a BIG difference in how you perceive a campus, especially if you’re Jewish (my family is and although it wasn’t a factor for my children as they have graduated, if we were looking now it would make a very large difference).
My daughter LOVED Vanderbilt and was very, very happy and successful there (graduated summa cum laude, did a lot of clubs, had lots of friends). This was despite the fact that she lived off-campus the first year (due to COVID, everyone had singles so no room for transfers), I don’t think that’s the situation now. I also have to say she’s very outgoing, which helped a lot on the social front. I met her professors and spoke with them for a while, I thought they were great and it was easy to make personal (not just academic) connections with them. As said the campus is lovely and well-situated, although Nashville in general does have a higher crime rate than many cities, I wouldn’t let that put you off. (I’m only mentioning it to be honest). I don’t believe that many students stay in Nashville after college and about 1/2 of students are from the southern U.S. although they’re trying to diversify. It’s a very international campus, as is Tufts. I also got the feeling that most students were happy with the school and with their lives - it’s a very positive spirit there which I did not see at Tufts. Finally, Vandy’s President is a very nice and approachable but no-nonsense figure about campments, blocking classrooms, disturbing classrooms and graduation, shouting anti-semitic slogans, etc. It is the only school to have expelled students who were extremely disruptive (which I agree with - protesting is fine, preventing students and faculty from accessing buildings is not), so I don’t believe it has the hostility found elsewhere. My daughter wears a Magen David (star of David) and never had any issues. She was also friends with a VERY diverse of students including many foreign and U.S. minority students (and not just Asian, all types of minorities). Again I think this is partly because she is very social, but I’ve also been to (and lived in) campuses that were very racially segregated, and I sense (though I could be wrong) that this is less the case at Vanderbilt, although the issue is still there.
You’re already at Tufts, so you have a better idea of what it’s like than I do, but I’ll tell you my impressions. IMHO one of the best things about Tufts is being near Boston and being able to do internships, etc. there and know the city. Boston of course has lots of people in college and early 20s, it’s a place that many people stay with after college. Other than that, I was less impressed with Tufts after I got to know it than before. The campus isn’t as nice as Vanderbilt (IMHO) and students in general seem stressed, although that’s part of the Boston experience as well. IDK about the quality of the classes, it has a good reputation but I think Vandy has a better one although it’s not very well known in the Northeast. I also have the sense (this is from newspapers, not personal experience) that the Israel-Gaza war has been very polarizing and that there are a lot of student protests, and that it isn’t particularly good for Jewish students.
I hope this helps. Let us know if you have any more questions. And best of luck to you! (and you know by now that I think Vanderbilt is great, the real question is - is Vandervilt better than Tufts FOR YOU? Only you can answer that.
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The area surrounding Vanderbilt is far superior to the neighborhoods surrounding Tufts.
Look up “Hillsboro Village”, "Music Row’', “West End” and “Elliston Place” to get a feel for nearby destinations within walking distance of the VU campus.
Depends what somebody seeks. It’s business oriented and there’s Centennial Park and the Parthenon and it’s a quick uber ride to downtown.
But not everyone likes that type environment.
It is a college area though - with Belmont adjacent.
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Don’t think you were responding to me. But someone else may have comments about the surrounding area.
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Hi! This is super helpful, thank you. It sounds like your daughter loved Vandy! I also think I may have relayed my initial conundrum incorrectly; I’m not a current student at Tufts, I was only accepted there as a transfer this spring but I have had the chance to visit. Also, and I definitely should have mentioned this earlier, that means that I am not guaranteed housing for the next three years. I was waitlisted for on campus housing, essentially guaranteeing that I will have to find off campus housing this fall if I do decide to attend Tufts. I think this would be very unfortunate because I imagine it will be much harder to integrate with other students and get to know the campus if I don’t actually live there. So, that’s an added thought I suppose
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Wow, these responses are surprising to me. I know a lot of kids who attended or will be attending Tufts.
Students are happy.
The neighborhood is great. Boston is right there.
There is a wonderful vibe at Tufts.
The students are in no way Ivy rejects (frankly, a preposterous claim.)
If you plan to stay in the Northeast, Tufts is very well connected. It is not less prestigious than Vanderbilt.
But it sounds like you prefer Vanderbilt. If you seek a more traditional college vibe and Greek life, Vandy is probably the better choice for you. You can’t go wrong either way.
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Guaranteed housing at Vanderbilt is a very big deal (given how stupidly expensive Nashville is. If my somewhat dated experiences with the Boston area are still accurate, it’s the same deal there). Aside from that, I can only say that my son is at Vanderbilt and loves it there (he’s at the music school, though, so I don’t know how transferable the vibe is).
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DD had Tufts as her ED2 choice. We visited Tufts during the fall season.
On a whim right after New Years 2 months later, we drove to Nashville to see Vandy, stayed at the Loews right across the street from campus.
Vandy’s campus is a 5-7 min ride from the strip. DD & Mrs. Hoops loved the Vandy campus from what they saw during winter break.
In the end, DD chose Vandy as her ED2. The housing issue (which was a significant issue in Fall 2022) and the campus attitude (we sensed what @DragonBoatGirl illustrated about the Tufts campus experience - to be honest, during the campus protest moment last spring, the three of us kind of wondered “Jeez, I can’t imagine what the protests must be like at Tufts right now.”) Again, that’s our opinion based solely on 2 visits.
Let me put it in these terms. If I could “buy stock” in a college/university, my number one investment in America right now would be Vandy (followed by Alabama, but that’s an entirely different conversation. 
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While I was at Belmont for Master’s work, I lived just west of West End near Centennial Park, which is about 0.5 - 1 mile from Hillsboro Village and Music Row. It is quite a nice area, and Belmont and Vandy are in it.
The Villager Tavern on 21st serves up a mean roast beef po’ boy sandwich. (or did when I was there.). There may still be a few photos of me on the walls. I played darts there for years.
Next to the Villager Tavern was Bookman. And next to Bookman was Book Woman. I can’t make this up.
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