In applying to college, most high school seniors don't rely on glossy brochures to get an idea of what a school's about. Rather, many turn to the Princeton Review, an annual review of US schools that rates colleges based on everything from professor quality to social life. More than 500,000 students visit the Princeton Review's website, www.review.com, each month to find schools, submit applications, and research career and financial aid options. One of the magazine's most frequently used Web features is its list of The Best 331 College Rankings. The rankings are composed from the feedback of current students at each of the ranked schools, and are compiled into several categories including academics, campus life, demographics, and politics.
One prospective Jumbo visiting campus recently said the magazine's website helped her explore academic options. "I actually use the Princeton Review site to look for the schools that would fit my criteria," she said. "I think it's pretty helpful because it provides the rankings for different categories and it also has little descriptions explaining things like why the school's academics is rigorous and how the professors are accessible."
And just how does Tufts stack up against other national schools? In its latest edition, Princeton Review ranked Tufts seventh among the schools for "happy students," and students described the active campus as one packed with both class-related activities and extra-curricular options.
"I actually was attracted to the University's diversity in activities," the prospective student said. "Tufts is far from my home in New York, and when I came to visit, I wanted to make sure that I will keep myself busy so that I wouldn't be homesick."
Many students agree that Tufts' school spirit lies primarily in the 150 student groups, which include everything from film series and musical theater to culture groups and tutoring. Tufts is ranked third in the "more to do on campus" category. Students also realize, however, that the social lives of most Tufts students involve going into Boston.
Despite the favorable reviews, Tufts failed to make the grade in some Princeton Review categories. Tufts squeaked into the list of top 20 schools where the campus is "tiny, unsightly, or both," at number 18. And though it received recognition for having impressive libraries, Tufts barely made it into the top 20 at number 18. The University was behind University of Virginia in the top spot, John Hopkins in the third, and Harvard in the sixth. Another of Tufts' weaknesses is in the "Little race/class interaction" category, where the University ranked fifth.
But overall, the Review holds Tufts in a distinguished light, describing the University as a school known for "stealing the Ivy wait-list population and offering rigorous academics that keep the school's hard-working, career-driven students on their toes."
Tufts is praised for its small class size, ample funding, noteworthy professors, and a wide variety of solid departments. The school is considered very politically active, ranking seventh on the list.
Professors at Tufts are highly regarded as well. Tufts ranks fourth out of the top twenty schools for having the most accessible professors and eighth on the list for having professors who "bring material to life." Smith College received the top ranking in the category.
