<p>Thank you, atxgirl. My son knows how hard the 6+1 will be but seems he really wants to try it. You are right, it is definitely not for everyone! But if Tulane ends up to be his choice (and it is among his top choices) he clearly wants to try this program. He too wants to wait until April 1st before making a final decision.
It is unlikely not that we will go the 2nd Honors Weekend. Turns out it is the same weekend as the French Quarter Celebration and hotel rooms are very hard to find!
And we visited NOLA and Tulane for 5 days in February, so he knows the lay of the land.</p>
<p>Hi atxgirl - That is a first, I bet. Attending Honors Weekend twice. I think that is something you will have to call your admissions counselor and ask about. We don’t know how full it is and if you might be taking a slot from someone that hasn’t attended yet. I know there is a limit to the number that stay overnight in the dorms, not sure about just attending. If there is no limit on just attending or they have plenty of slots open, then why not? Of course as momwithpride says, getting rooms might be a challenge.</p>
<p>Otherwise I would say definitely attend Destination Tulane. Obviously it won’t be as geared to your situation as HW, but he will get to see the campus and the city and learn some things about Tulane. It would be more for him, no doubt. In either case you probably have enough information from your visit to help you decide, although I do understand wanting to attend even more sessions, talk to more profs, etc. In fact, if you do end up doing Destination Tulane, what you can also do is make appointments with a professor or two in areas you might be thinking about for your major, and ask if you can sit in on a class. That would enhance the experience for you.</p>
<p>That is great that you thought so highly of Tulane and are considering it right alongside such academically strong schools as Dartmouth and Rice. That’s wonderful that you have these outstanding choices (well, maybe Rice). Let’s assume for now Rice is a yes. What factors will sway you one way or the other? Have you visited both these schools?</p>
<p>fallenchemist-I will be sure to call my admissions counselor. My father has gone on all my other college visits and now he is really eager to tour/hear more about Tulane!! I actually didn’t stay in the dorms during the 1st Honors Weekend because there wasn’t enough space. Is Destination Tulane just a tour and info session? Thanks for all the tips.</p>
<p>I have visited Rice three times and Dartmouth twice (my Dad also was a debate coach for a year @ Dartmouth). I really really love both schools but financially it looks like Tulane will be the best option with the DHS scholarship. I have 3 other younger siblings who I’m sure will want to go to decent colleges and we won’t be receiving any financial aid even at schools as generous as the ivies. Money aside, Dartmouth would probably be my first choice even factoring in the fact that it is far from home and very cold. I also received a likely letter from Columbia, but it too, is so far away and very pricey. Rice is a great option for pre-med and is only 3 hours from home. It is also slightly cheaper than Dartmouth, U Texas Plan II, Columbia, Vanderbilt, & WashU where I have been accepted thus far. I am willing to acknowledge that all these schools are higher ranked, but I just love Tulane and don’t think I could turn down graduating debt-free. Money aside, it has really stood out to me due to the enthusiasm and friendliness of the students, strength in my areas of interest (science, business, polisci, spanish), amazing and accessible professors, and various programs (such as the Newcomb women’s program). I honestly think that I would do very well at Tulane academically. Another major issue for me is the quality of food at various schools as I am a vegan. Tulane had great vegan options and seems to accommodate various dietary restrictions. Lastly, I am a southern girl and I HATE the cold. I complain here in Texas constantly during the two weeks of the year when I actually have to wear a jacket. As stupid as food and weather sounds, I think its really important for me to consider ALL the factors when making my final decision. I’m not 100% sure as to where I’ll end up, but Tulane is for sure up there. I’m still waiting to hear back from Rice, Northwestern, Stanford, & Duke, but there is a good chance I’ll be attending Tulane next year.</p>
<p>momwithpride- That’s a good point about the French Quarter Celebration. I’m going to have my Dad look into hotel costs tonight and make a decision as to when he would like to visit. Once again, good luck on your visit, Tulane is an awesome choice for your son :)</p>
<p>atxgirl - I can totally understand everything you said, because except that you are dealing with more schools than she was, we were in the exact same situation last year with my D. Wash U is the major overlap. She visited and stayed overnight on their Discovery Weekend, and really liked it a lot. But they offered no merit money, and we wouldn’t qualify for any or extremely minimal FA. I always thought Dartmouth and Columbia would be the two Ivies she might have liked, but since we knew there was no money (coming our way) involved with either, why bother? BTW, food and weather are totally valid factors when you are comparing schools that otherwise can offer you everything you want academically and socially. But your list is an outstanding one, no doubt about it. Congrats on your acceptances so far. But that DHS is sure hard to turn down, isn’t it?</p>
<p>I do believe that Destination Tulane is mostly a tour and info sessions, but I think you are free to attend classes also. Since it is every day except Wednesday, there is no reason you couldn’t make it a 2 day thing and do a lot of the arranging yourself, as I suggested before. That way you can not feel rushed about talking to profs and sitting in on an extra class, not to mention it gives you more flexibility to fit into the profs schedules if you do want to talk a couple of them. I do suggest that if you find a couple of classes you want to sit in on, that you e-mail the professors ahead and ask permission. It is the polite thing to do, plus they might be giving an exam that day, which wouldn’t be very exciting for you! If they say OK, then just either take a seat or, if the prof is already there before class starts and it is convenient, introduce yourself beforehand. That way he won’t be surprised by the new face.</p>
<p>I hope it all works out for you.</p>
<p>If hotel rooms are a problem during the 2nd Honors Weekend, why not go to one of the almost weekly events for non-honors students? I’ve been to both, and the seminars are a bit different, but at least 70% of the activities are the same, and the quality of the presentations (band, food, student panels, etc.) are just as impressive.</p>
<p>Avenue Inn is a great bed and breakfast up on St. Charles about one mile from campus! We stay there often, usually with other Tulane parents, and it is very convenient!!! My son is finishing his freshman year and has been very happy with the school!! We are thrilled. Tulane was not at top of our list til we went to Destination Tulane. We were SOLD.</p>
<p>fallenchemist- it’s so hard to turn down!! esp as a pre-med student, i’d like to save $ for medical school instead of spending it all on undergrad. may I ask if your D was happy with her decision? does she like it @ Tulane? Dartmouth and Columbia are VERY different, but I liked them alot better than say Harvard, Princeton, or Yale.</p>
<p>scorpio1- I will look into it, thanks!</p>
<p>indygirl- what was your son’s major? can you elaborate on his first year experience as to balancing work with social activities, difficulty of classes, interactions with professors, etc?</p>
<p>also, does anyone know anything about the science dept? i’ve heard & read both good and bad things and would love to talk to a student (or knowledgeable parent) about their experiences as a science major.</p>
<p>atxgirl - She is VERY happy at Tulane. She is in Butler dorm and has made friends with very similar interests and values. She is not a science major though, so can’t help you there. But I would think that Tulane’s track record of sending pre-meds on to med school, at least as I have heard it, must mean that their science departments can’t be bad. My experience with the chemistry department was AWESOME, but that was __ years ago, so not much help for you either.</p>
<p>@ fallenchemist</p>
<p>My admissions counselor sent me that link when I asked for the impossible-to-find information. </p>
<p>I guess the advice if anyone needs something is to email someone at the school for the info, because they will probably give it to you. I got a reply within an hour, which I was not expecting.</p>
<p>reparker - totally agree. I didn’t personally need to find it that badly, but you are 100% right about using the resources at Tulane as much as possible.</p>