Twenty years ago, Tufts was a relatively unknown school, leagues away from being mentioned in the same breath as the vaunted Ivy League.
But in August of this year, Tufts cracked Newsweek's list of the "25 New Ivies," continuing a trend of Tufts' recent creep up the college rankings. Last night, roughly 45 students and 40 faculty and staff members met in Ballou Hall's Coolidge Room for dinner and a discussion about "Scaling the Ivies."
The dinner was the Experimental College's 17th annual installment of its "Opening up the Classroom" event.
Students and faculty met at small, nine or 10-person tables to debate the merit of college rankings, where Tufts belongs on them, and whether or not climbing them is really desirable.
Associate Director of the Experimental College Cindy Stewart said that the topic was unusually popular with students this year, with 47 students on the list to attend. Appropriate to the topic, the ExCollege had to start a wait list for approximately 15 students.
Dean of Admissions Lee Coffin told the group about the importance of a school's reputation to the college admissions process.
"Reputation is the lifeblood of the work we do, for better or for worse," Coffin said. "Our reputation is currently moving in a positive direction at Tufts, which presents a great challenge and a great opportunity."
Admissions statistics bolster Coffin's remarks about Tufts' rising reputation. Ten of the last 12 applicant pools have set records for the university, and Tufts' acceptance rate has dropped from 47 percent to 28 percent since 1990.
In September, Annette Riffle, a contributing editor to the Kaplan College Guide who worked on Newsweek's "25 New Ivies" list, said that "Tufts used to be a hidden gem. It's not so hidden anymore."
Currently, Tufts accepts 28 percent of applicants, placing it within the top 20 schools in the country in selectiveness, Coffin said. Harvard accepts the fewest applicants, at nine percent.
Tufts is currently ranked No. 27 in the U.S. News and World Report ranking.
Coffin explained that Tufts' reputation is a crucial factor in attracting top applicants. He told a story about an applicant who told him that he was deciding between Tufts and Cornell. The student loved Tufts and thought it was a perfect fit, but his mother insisted on Cornell, Coffin said. The son told her, "Do you realize you're making your decision based on an athletic conference?"
After Coffin's speech, each table began its own discussion on college rankings, which was spurred along by a student member of the ExCollege Board.
One table showed the range of opinions that existed about the rankings system.
History Professor and member of the Admissions Committee Peter Winn said that applicants should think of schools as "more like a marriage than a ranking. The best school is a personal decision; it's the best school for you, not for Newsweek."
Freshman Arielle Schilit said that rankings mattered a great deal to her when she applied to college, but that she changed her mind about them since arriving here.
Sophomore Adam White said that he was surprised when he looked at the criteria on which the rankings are based.
"The factors include alumni giving and the endowment," White said.
Winn agreed, saying that those factors "had nothing to do with education."
That prompted Director of Career Services Jean Papalia to chime in that the factors also "had nothing to do with careers."
Nearly everyone at the table found fault with the rankings system as it currently exists.
Junior Jen Bokoff said that she even thought it was a good thing that Tufts is not in the top 10 schools.
"We have a really unique culture here," Bokoff said, claiming that Tufts students are "passionate and intelligent" without being arrogant.
Romance Languages Professor Dave Pauling was particularly vehement.
"I do not appreciate the ranking system at all," Pauling said. "I think they stink."
Still, while no one sang the rankings' praises, Coffin's closing words may have set the tone for the night.
"Why don't we just drop out of the rankings?" Coffin asked rhetorically. "Reed College did that. Their application pool collapsed and their dean of admissions was fired. I like it here, and I want to stay," Coffin joked.
So while the rankings may not have many fans among college students and faculty, they seem to be here to stay, and Tufts is trying as hard as ever to climb them.
