@OHMomof2 I work in the city every day. One of my kids went to school in the city recently.
While he lived near 96 on the east side, not west side, it was a very sketchy area if you walk north.
I recall on the news gang related gun fights a few blocks from his dorm last year, not in the 1970s.
recently there was a gang related gun fight in midtown west right near my office, blocks away from where
tourists wander near Times Square. Difference is these things tend to happen late an night, when hopefully
your student would not be out and about.
Yes it’s much better in NYC than in the past, but of all the places to live in NYC, I would not move there
unless I was working at or a student at Columbia. I would have said that about most of Manhattan
in the 1970s, I recall when Grand Central station was covered in grafitti and the floor covered completely with
homeless such that one could not even walk across the station at night. I agree it’s not that bad in general,
but there are safer places to live than above 96 St still today. And yes of the schools I listed, this is the one
I would worry about least. I would have sent my kid to JH in Baltimore but we would have worried, had it worked out.
As I said, I could have stayed at Tulane and been fine, but I had other options. This thread was to compare options.
There is no doubt Boston is a nicer city to live in that New Orleans, it’s not even close.
But that is not the only factor, Johns Hopkins is a much better school than BU, worth the risk I suppose.
Not sure if Tulane is worth the risk. Even New Orleans may have improved, but Katrina was just 10 years ago,
not the 1970s. The resident’s reaction to crisis was very very bad. Residents behaved well after 9/11 in NYC,
but not in New Orleans.
@merc81 Not sure a pre-med student is looking for the top party school.
But yes, frat parties and heavy underaged drinking are much more prevalent at Tulane than BU.
Back when I lived there, the #1 industry in New Orleans was the sale of alcohol.
Louisiana was the only state to fight the US federal government on the change to a drinking age of 21.
It was easy for underage drinkers there, tougher when I went to Boston.
Not sure that puts Tulane ahead of BU.
I found myself bored at Tulane after going to many frat parties and Bourbon Street many times.
I was NEVER bored in Boston, so much to do there.
Does anyone know about the grading system? I hear a lot of BU having grade deflation but I have not heard that about Tulane. I personally think grade deflation can cause a lot of unnecessary stress and can take away from the joy of learning. I’m not saying everything should be an easy A but it should at least be possible without having to study 24/7.
Sorry for all my seemingly biased comments. Again I absolutely loved my professors at Tulane.
I know kids who go there now and love it. I am sure it is a better choice than many many others,
but if my son got into both schools, NO DOUBT AT ALL which I would send him. Maybe a large disparity in costs would be the only factor that might sway me. PS, when I transferred to BU, the tuition was higher than Tulane and I was glad to pay it, worth every penny.
Just goes to show, being below 96th is no guarantee of safety. Morningside Heights does now have one of the lowest crime rates in the city, though that is probably because it has so many institutions and so few residents, relatively speaking. Central Park precinct is really low too.
Tulane was one of my D’s college finalists. We saw NOLA as a plus to Tulane, not a negative. I’m a city person though, and it seems my criteria for a good college town/city would be different from blevine’s. She also seriously considered Temple and plenty of people had things to say about the crime rate in North Philly. She and I rather liked the neighborhood. To each their own I suppose.
Tulane has enjoyed quite an upswing since Katrina because everyone wanted to go there to do community service stuff. They get a gazillion apps now…as many as the Ivies, etc. That has brought in alot of money. BU is stingy with money. Not surprised that Tulane gave more…