How do you know that Tufts has the best placement? They don't publish their placement records on-line, last I checked. My understanding is that their placement records vary year to year.
An underage drinking ticket will definitely not affect your chances of admission. They can't ask you if you have ever committed a crime - they can't even ask you if you have ever been arrested - all they can ask (which they won't) is if you have been convicted of a crime, which you have not. Don't sweat it.
It's really the writing I am worried about. I suppose if my sample is good they won't take the writing score so seriously. I hated that part of the test!! It was 9am, I had underslept (from nerves). That's why I think I could do better a second time around.
Except...they announced today that the new GRE is being cancelled, which I personally think is a good thing.
http://www.ets.org/portal/site/ets/menu ... f95190RCRD
This fall I will be enrolling in an MA program in philosophy (U.Wisconsin-Milwaukee). While my GRE scores are high (800Q, 700V, 5/6 analytic), I think I can do better if I take them a second time. I really want to do my PhD at Harvard or NYU, so there might be practical value in taking them again and doing better. Any thoughts?