Pros and cons of Tufts times two

Last week, Part 1 of "Becoming A Double Jumbo" explored admissions advantages to staying at Tufts for graduate studies. This week covers the student perspective -- the pros and cons of staying on the Hill.

Josh Ries graduated from Tufts with a Political Science degree in 1999, and like many seniors, was unsure of what to do next. He realized that he did not want to go to law school, and decided, with advice from his parents (his dad is a dentist), to join the health profession. After a little over a year of science courses at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Ries returned to Massachusetts and to Tufts at the School of Dental Medicine. He is president of the American Student Dental Association and graduates this May as a Double Jumbo.

Like Ries, many undergraduate students are interested in attending Tufts graduate schools and programs for several reasons -- comfort with the city and University, the strong academic reputation, and a positive undergraduate experience.

Ries highlights the comfort of not having to move to a new city. "[It was] one less factor to worry about when starting an academic career," he said. "I knew where everything was... so I could get here and hit the ground running."

He added that as an undergrad he didn't take advantage of the city enough, often remaining within the "comfy confines of the Medford campus." Attending classes in Chinatown, where the Dental School is located, Ries can now further explore Boston.

Senior Branden Yee hopes to become a Double Jumbo at Tufts School of Medicine. He applied for one of the same reasons as Ries-the school's academics.

"I believe the attitude of the medical school, or at least my impression, is that it is very dedicated to seeing its students succeed and offers them every opportunity to do so," Yee said. He said that the Medical School remains his top choice, despite the high cost of tuition.

According to pre-med advisor Carol Baffi-Dugan, an expensive tuition frequently deters students from becoming Double Jumbos. "Due to the high cost of our health professions schools, a significant number of Tufts alums who are admitted choose not to attend and go to less expensive schools," she said.

Ries joked that the high tuition is part of feeling comfortable at the University: "You knew where to send the checks every time, it doesn't change -- Trustees of Tufts College," he said.

David Proctor, who currently is enrolled in the Tufts Interdisciplinary Doctorate Program, graduated with a BA in 1994 and a MA in 2001, both from Tufts. He says finances played a role in coming back to Tufts: "I was the recipient of a good financial aid package and a TA-ship which made returning to Tufts for my MA economically feasible," he said.

However, Proctor's reason for returning to Tufts twice (making him a Triple Jumbo when he receives his doctorate) is mainly because he enjoys "the possible connection between students and faculty."

Proctor looked at other schools before deciding to return to Medford for his master's degree, but was influenced by his first four years at the University.

"I really enjoyed my undergraduate years at Tufts and after visiting several other campuses I realized, much as I had done as a pre-frosh years earlier, that the only place I really felt comfortable was at Tufts," he said.

Michael Torsiello, a first year masters candidate, graduated with an engineering degree from the University last year and continues his studies on the same campus - in Anderson Hall. Part of his reason for staying at Tufts is the scholarship opportunities available specifically to Tufts undergraduates, which help pay the cost of higher education.

Torsiello knew that Tufts is where he wanted to go: he only applied to one school. "I just felt comfortable here and liked the faculty... [I like] knowing what my professors expect," he said.

He explained that although he is on the same campus for six years, there is a "different feeling" to being a graduate student. For one, he is a TA and even teaches some of his friends who are now seniors. In addition, Torsiello moved to Malden so that he wouldn't "feel like a college student for another two years."

"People who do stay around, depending on where they live, they may feel like an undergrad," he said.

He added that his graduate student experience is different because most of his friends from Tufts undergrad have moved away and his relationship with faculty members has changed.

"I don't regret it at all," Torsiello said about continuing his education at Tufts. "Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to attend another school, but it's only two years. I don't hate the area... there was no reason for me to leave."

Ries admited that while staying at Tufts has resulted in "very few negatives," he does miss out on a different academic experience. "There's something [to be said] about being educated from different perspectives," he said.

Despite the incentives and possible advantages to continuing a Tufts education, not everyone finds staying in Medford -- or even Massachusetts -- right for them. Alumna Nara Meli (LA '03) chose not to apply to the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. Instead, she enrolled in New York University's masters program in International Relations. She has no regrets about moving to Manhattan. "Basically, I just wanted to get out of Tufts and come to the big city," Meli said.