Tufts University Top Questions

I guess Tufts doesn't have a reputation for a good social scene. Greek life isn't big, but there seems to be parties to go to every weekend for those who want to attend. Personally, I'm not a drinker nor do I like the party scene, so I found weekend activities on campus kind of lacking. My floormates were wonderful. My biggest problem, however, was that they were really the only people I became close to. It's hard to really meet people in classes other than the occasional hi when you pass them outside of class. I've talked with upperclassmen as well who want to meet new people but really don't know how to grow out of their close residential group.

Sophomores and freshmen are required to live on campus, so a lot of people become good friends with people on their floor or in their dorm. The dorms are coed by room, so there's plenty of mixing with guys and girls.

Fraternaties and sororities are NOT HUGE at all, but definitely there if you want them. Every weekend there are frat and sorority parties. Although a few of my friends are in a frat, I am not in a frat, and I do not feel excluded or regret my decision not to rush.

It really depends on the dorm you live in. Toward the end of the year, people in my dorm started leaving their doors unlocked. Theater is really popular. My closest friends are the people I live with. If I'm awake at 2am on Tuesday, I'm probably not studying. Some people party Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, but other people find more interesting things to do. Only about 20{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the student body says they don't drink. It's really fun to go into Boston and explore all the different neighborhoods. At the same time, Tufts is far enough from Boston that it's pretty quiet and safe.

many activities but easy to have no social life.

Being an athlete definitely has its advantages when it comes to Tufts social scene. My team has a "frasority"- a combined sorority and fraternity for the swimmers and sailors. This is the main place that I go to hang out on weekends and it is the place where I got to know much of my team in the beginning of the year. Freshman year is very dominated by frats and after usually more dominated by house parties or going to bars. It is definitely possible to party as much as you want, but for the majority of Tufts students, partying is not their main priority. It does have have work hard play hard mentality but there is so much more that Tufts students like to do. Many weekends Tufts brings in guest lecturers and shows for the students. Girl Talk was one of the most popular events this year along with TDC (tufts dance collective) that puts on a show twice a year. There are also two main dances- Fall ball and Winter bash which are some of the bigger events during the year. The other thing you can't forget is Boston is only a 20 minute T ride away. Many weekends my friends and I go into Boston for dinner and a movie or some event that is going on there. Being near a city means there is so much more to do than to party- plays, meals, shopping, and more.

This is not a sports school. During Homecoming, there are some people in the bleachers, but most people are in the field over, tailgating.

I think political groups and performing arts groups are most popular on campus. I loved going to the football games but the turnout was never stellar. Students do leave their doors open but I think that happens mostly in all-freshmen dorms that are very social. My roommate is my closest friend and my next closest friend is my next door neighbor. Outside of that, I met the majority of my friends through a guy I met in my orientation group who turned out to be my boyfriend. The third day of school I was introduced to all of the boys on his hall and they quickly became my best friends here. 2am on Tuesday I'm usually watching TV with my roommate or hanging out with my boyfriend. Naked Quad Run and Spring Fling are two huge events that happen every year that are SO fun and raved about. Being IN a frat or a sorority is not a big deal here on campus, however as a freshmen frat parties make up a huge part of the social scene. There are ALWAYS events on campus you can participate in if you dont drink...concerts, performances, guest speakers, club meetings...there are definitely options.

Athletics aren't popular. A capella shows seem to be the most attended thing on campus. Most people seem to be awake at 2AM.

There are a few frats on campus that have the standard frat parties. Students in dorms leave their doors open depending upon which dorm they live in - Tilton is very social whereas you could hear a pin drop in Lewis. The dating seen isn't much to speak of (at least not freshman year) as most people are too busy seeing how many people they can hook up with to get to know anyone.