tufts vs. temple: advise please

[aagopal]

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what's up guys

i learned today that i got into tufts. i have until may 22nd to make a decision, and as it stands, i am choosing between tufts and temple.

i was hoping anyone w/ relevant advice/info about the two schools would be willing to impart their knowledge.

how would you compare the academic reputation and opportunities at the two schools? research (neuroscience, specifically)? student quality of life?

do you think tufts is worth its cost (w/ respect to temple)?

in terms of city life, how does one distinguish bw philly and boston?

i think that's it, although i welcome any questions that would help me clarify my situation.

please help me out. thanks.

peace🙂

 

[Lpgovard]

Hey
Congrats on your acceptance to Tufts. I have no clue about Temple, but Tufts seems like an awesome place to be. However, there is that issue of mulahhh. Personally, I think Tufts' match list is awesome!
Good luck deciding

 

[aagopal]

bump: please post advice if you have any

thanks

 

[JlazyMD]

I live in Boston, so can tell you a little about it. Its more expensive than Philly, the high cost of everything may wear on you after a while. In terms of cultural stuff, its kind of on the high end-- Symphony, museums are popular, but for pro wrestling and monster truck bashes you'd have to travel to Worchester. Full range of pubs and chic clubs, but town shuts down early (2am) compared to NYC or LA. Lots of trendy, intellent, urban-hip people. Low minority presence in the city itself- a difference I really noticed when I visited Philly. I've heard Temple has a diverse student body. Tufts definately does not-- a lot of private school, Ivy types from what I could tell. However, Tufts certainlty has a better rep than Temple. I guess the question is, how much is that worth to you?

 

[aagopal]

that kinda sucks: i was worried that diversity would be a point against tufts.

can anyone else speak to the question of diversity in tufts/boston vs temple/philly?

 

[Izlude_Tingel]

Hi,

Congrats on be able to choice here. Well, I can give you my opinion as I am a first year here as well. I love it here and being in Boston, I think it is a great place with lots to do. As to the diversity, I know nothing about Philly, but I can say things are just fine with diversity. Alot of people from my class are from big name schools, but I feel there is a lot of diversity in the class. There are a good amount of each race in the class. As for the city itself, the school is in the heart of china town, and you'll see alot of different people around. I wouldn't worry about diversity here. I do agree the cost is high, but i turned down a couple of state schools back in NY to come here and I definitely don't regret it. If you have any questions, you can email me. Good-luck!

 

[bridgie]

OT: Can I ask why you chose Tufts over a SUNY? I might have to decide between Downstate and Tufts.

 

[kcrd]

aagopal,
I just finished my 2nd year at temple, and I'm very happy there. My class is very diverse - I think we have every region of the world represented. There is also a very active minority recruitment and retention program. Send me a pm if you have any other questions about Temple.
kcrd

 

[Lara]

Do you have any preference whatsoever between Boston or Philly (now or perhaps later for residency?) Financially Philly is cheaper to live in, but how much less is the tuition?

For basic sciences I'm sure both schools are pretty much equal, and I don't think either has P/F grading which is most preferable. However Temple has an excellent reputation for clinical education. Temple's "ghetto" location is both its worse and best aspect since you get a lot of pathology and responsibility on the wards (much more than at an affluent private hospital), and tons of opportunities to get involved in helping the community. 🙂 I really don't know how Tufts compares, but it's definitely something that Temple is known for.

The flip side is that Temple isn't very focused on research, though there are always opportunities. And it's probably more primary-care oriented than Tufts (which may be either good or bad for you), but here's the most recent match list to give some idea:

http://www.medschool.temple.edu/studentaffairs/pdf/Match_Results_03.pdf

The student body really is great - I've been nearly a full year and have *still* yet to meet a single arrogant jerk. 🙂 There's competitiveness but it's fairly low-key here, and people get together for things like barbecues fairly often. And the diversity is definitely excellent. If you're a URM you'll get great support from the RAR office which I seriously doubt would be matched at Tufts. But even if you're not, it's still worthwhile for the exposure.

Finally I want to say that the facilities, while not great really haven't been an issue for me. I honestly think Temple was unlucky to get singled out for probation in that regard, and I'm sure a lot had to do with some previous class sizes (since the auditoriums were crowded as a result). In any case, don't be scared off by it since it really had zero to do with academics.

Hope this helps! A lot really depends on what you're looking for and what kind of environment you'd prefer (which I know is easy for me to say, since I'm sure there are good points for you personally at both schools!) If you have any more specific questions just ask, I'll check in in between studying respiratory physiology. 🙂