I think you've received sound advice already. I might just say, perhaps redundantly, that Tufts is worth it if the advantages of attending outweigh the economic costs. In some other post, although the topic was about job opportunities after finishing a PhD, someone, quite rightly, pointed out that prestige bias is important - a claim that could also be applied to PhD applications. I don't have hard evidence, but it seems that admission committees do take into account the prestige of the institutions the candidate attended; also, a good faculty and the availability of resources can help one to