What outsiders really think of Tufts

After watching Oscar-winning “Spotlight” last week, I was inspired to carry out my very own form of investigative journalism.

I wanted to know what visiting high-schoolers really thought of Tufts as they wandered around campus. So I infiltrated a tour group.

I shaved the little beard I had, put on a pair of sunglasses and a beanie to remain unrecognizable. I remember how I first felt when I stepped onto campus. “Shit’s legit, girls are cute,” I told my dad in these exact, wise words. He nodded in approval and so I knew Tufts was the right one.

But it wasn’t like this for everyone. A close friend of mine told me that he initially hated the place. He found Tufts tacky, old-fashioned, preppy (whatever that even means). I didn’t agree, but it pushed me to find out if others felt the same way.

I started asking random kids within the group what they thought of our beautiful school. Natalie, a junior at Westborough high school, said she thought the campus was charming. “The view from the Tisch rooftop is pretty fantastic.” She loved the Academic Quad and liked the fact that, unlike Harvard, we actually have grass.

“A random sophomore hit on me though. That was kind of weird,” she reluctantly admitted. Come on man.

My next witness, Dave, is a self-proclaimed hipster who is applying to Tufts next fall. “I definitely liked the vibe here,” he said. “Our tour guide said Greek life wasn’t big [at Tufts], so that’s a huge plus” – I didn’t want to spoil it for him so I kept my mouth shut. But Dave, don’t believe everything your tour guide tells you.

Another kid was a lot harsher. “It’s like they think they’re Ivy League or something,” he said with an arrogant smirk. “Tufts’ students aimed to be Ivy League stars but ended up Ivy League rejects.”

Ouch. He isn’t that wrong, though. A bunch of us thought we’d get into Brown.

I asked a couple more kids, and the responses were all very similar: “It’s beautiful”, “Wow”, “Great student body”, etc, etc. Nothing interesting enough to be featured here.

So I decided to mix things up. I asked John, a parent, what his take on Tufts was. It turned out John actually attended Tufts in the late 70s and was now visiting with his daughter.

“I love it here,” he said with a nostalgic smile. “I loved walking up and down the hill; it kept me in shape.” He’s literally the only person I know that appreciates the hill. “I miss the pub, though. It used to be in what is now Deck, or whatever that dining hall is called.” It’s called Dewick.

But yeah an on-campus pub must’ve been convenient.

#BringThePubBack