Medford, MA: Tufts University is a highly ranked private institution in Medford, Massachusetts. Although its setting is suburban, students are only 20 minutes from Boston by subway. It’s five miles or less from destinations such as Davis Square, Boston Common, the Museum of Fine Arts, Fenway Park, and Logan Airport.

Tufts offers a variety of resources and learning experiences to its 5,180 undergraduate students. Its two undergraduate schools – the School of Arts and Sciences and the School of Engineering – offer a combined 150 majors and minors. Aside from certain distribution requirements, students have the freedom of double majoring or minoring in completely different fields at both schools so they can design a curriculum that suits their unique interests.

Since Tufts values a well-rounded liberal arts education, offering 200 courses from Feminist Philosophy to Medieval Architecture, it requires students to complete two classes in each of the core subjects: Social Sciences, Physical Sciences, Arts, Humanities, and Math.

One of Tufts’ strongest subjects is International Relations. Tufts students take what they learn in the classroom and apply it in the real world to broaden their global perspective and create social impact. Tufts offers 10 study abroad programs at locations including Chile, China, England, France, Germany, Ghana, Hong Kong, Japan, and Spain. In addition, there are hundreds of approved locations offered by non-Tufts programs that allow students to travel elsewhere. Tufts also has a 1+4 program during which admitted students can gain a year of service experience at domestic and international sites before returning for their regular four years.

Students get the most out of their experience at Tufts with small classes and engaging professors. The student-faculty ratio is 9:1, and the average class size is just 20 students. All classes are taught by professors, not graduate students or teacher assistants. Professors at Tufts really want to connect with their students on a personal level. Current undergraduates at the university recall professors inviting them to performances of the Boston Symphony, on walks through campus, or to their office just to talk. The library’s café offers free coffee to professors and students who meet there to chat.

Unlike many universities, Tufts allows students to engage in their own research starting freshman year. The college encourages interdisciplinary learning so students can combine different fields and explore the gray areas between separate complex ideas. For example, one student recalls writing a 20-page research paper in her economics class about the relationship between fluctuations in the economy and traffic accidents.

Tufts offers a diverse student body with 25 percent students of color, 12 percent international students, and representation from all 50 states. These students participate in over 300 student organizations, and about a quarter are involved in Greek life. One perk of attending Tufts is access to excellent campus food that is ranked #13 by Princeton Review. Tufts constantly adds new options to the menu and will accommodate any dietary restriction.

Admission to Tufts University is highly competitive, with only a 16 percent acceptance rate for the incoming class in 2016. The university looks for students who challenge themselves academically, have high standardized test scores, and demonstrate the kind of passionate personality that fits the university’s ideals. While the average cost of attendance is over $65,000, the university is able to meet 100 percent of a student’s demonstrated need with generous financial aid.

Tufts students are passionate, intellectually curious individuals who love being challenged by their classes, their fellow students, their professors, and the multitude of opportunities provided by the university. At the same time, they are part of a vibrant community that will no doubt create an unforgettable learning experience.