I am a current freshmen in Tulane University’s Altman Program in International Studies and Business. Throughout my first semester I have encountered many students who have been disappointed that they did not know of the program in time to apply, so I wanted to make a quick post explaining some of the details!
The program targets a variety of different students who share a common passion for international studies. Each student will earn a degree in both the business and liberal arts schools, specialize in a language, and go on two different study abroad trips. The first of these trips is right after you finish your freshmen year, and currently is a 4 week stay in Vietnam. The second lasts your entire junior year and you chose the locations based on your target language.
Joining this program was easily the best decision of my life. I was immediately welcomed into a small group with amazing resources that complimented those of the University. The program just graduated their first class of students who have found extreme success at many prestigious institutions (Goldman Sachs, Deutsche, Credit Suisse, etc).
For more detailed information on the program, check out http://www2.tulane.edu/altman/ , and feel free to reach out and ask me any questions! If I can’t answer one I’ll be sure to put you in contact with someone who can
Hey I am an admitted student for the class of 2021! Couple of quick questions.
Can you give a ballpark estimate of what the salaries are of graduates? What do graduates end up actually doing in their jobs (like regional manager, investment banker, etc)? What did you need to do to apply and what were the admissions committee looking for?
Hey I also had a question more regarding balance and workload. Obviously the program is very intense as you receive two degrees at the end, but is the workload overwhelming or manageable? For example does it limit your possibility for extracurriculars at the university? What about being able to spend time with friends or occasionally enjoy the social life at Tulane? Also seeing as the Altman scholars is such a tight-knit community does it limit interactions with other non-Altman students at Tulane?
KC1789- Since I am a freshmen in the program and we just graduated our first class, I did not get a chance to meet and interact with a majority of them so I do not entirely recall what they are up to outside of the investment banking world. I’m sure if you contacted one of the advisors they would be happy to tell you! (Information can be found on the site). The way the application process works is that after being admitted to Tulane you fill in and submit an online application along with a letter of recommendation. Some students are then offered a Skype interview and then selections are made. In my personal opinion I think the most important factor was the international component and commitment to a language. The current scholars have a wide variety of primary interests some are very liberal arts oriented while others prefer business, but all are passionate about the international component. Sramir971- It technically depends on the amount of AP credits you bring into the program, but for the most part it has been reasonably manageable. A lot of the students are in Greek Life, and one of my friends is even on the varsity track team. Time management skills are definitely important, but the program does not prevent you from being social or having extracurriculars. You also make a bunch of friends outside of the cohort, especially in your residential halls. The Altman cohort is more of a supplement to your friend group as oppose to a replacement
KobeJordan- Every year the applicant pool is really different so honestly it depends on the year, but as a rule of thumb the advisors are looking for people who they feel will do well while taking a lot of credits in a smaller window of time (usually more than the typical Honors student). I think the Honors Program is based more on your stats (GPA and Test Scores) while the Altman Program is more about a commitment to the international studies (particularly through EC’s). There is definitely a strong baseline of scores, but someone with a slightly lower GPA but with better language skills and some international experience will look better than a 4.0. I don’t know if I articulated my point very well, but in the end the competitiveness depends on how many kids are applying and their own individual profiles.
Thank you for that! You articulated your point well. I’ll try to get more involved in some similar ECs. Would you mind stating what your ECs were when you applied?
You can read the profiles of most of the scholars (The current freshmen are not up yet) here http://www2.tulane.edu/altman/altman-scholars-2016.cfm . Personally I was involved with a decent amount of ECs in High School, but the most important ones were probably DECA and my 5 weeks studying in France. I also hosted French exchange students and was involved with my local French Club. The advisors clearly state that not having study abroad experience won’t hurt you, but you should have a decent amount of experience in the target language. I was also a captain of the track team and held elected positions in a few clubs but I figure those were slightly less relevant.
Thank you so much for posting this! I am in the middle of my Altman application right now. Couple of questions. Did you have to speak much in your target language(I’m guessing french) in your skype interview? Also, what do you think made you stand out as compared to the other applicants?
JNC- I actually was very worried I would have to speak it in my interview, but luckily I did not . I can’t guarantee that it will be the same this year. To be honest I am not sure exactly what made me stand out but I would guess that it had to do with my passions for what the program was. Before learning about the program I actually intended on studying both business and french, and had focused a lot of my ECs and reading on the two subjects. I also had a decent amount of applicable APs (I say applicable because even if you place out of Physics, Chem, and Bio, you will only satisfy your one lab science requirement) which I think helped a lot. Good luck with the application and let me know if you have any more questions!
@Caughton This question is probably out of your realm of knowledge, but on the AP credit section of Tulane’s website it seems to state that we only can receive 4 credits even if we pass both Literature and Language (https://www2.tulane.edu/advising/ap_ib_credit.cfm). Is this true?
So I believe only one of them would be applicable. They both count towards the same class (English 1010 I assume). This is sort of the university version of what I was talking about earlier with applicable APs. If you place out of a lot of science classes but you are studying business, all of them will only replace the one required lab science class for 5 credits. In the context of the Altman Program (and I believe most non-english majors but don’t quote me) we only need a single English class and either of those two will count but not both. If that explanation was not particularly helpful you can definitely contact one of the advisors of the university and/or the Altman Program.
Hello! I have an interview with Altman this Thursday and I’m very excited! Do you remember what you were asked about last year? I would really appreciate any advice you might have.
@bianca19 Congratulations on getting an interview! You should absolutely be excited. I do not remember all of the questions, but I know they had to do with why you were a good fit for the program and vice versa. Think about your interests, why they interest you, and why they would make you a great Altman Scholar.
Perhaps the best advice I can give you is to relax. They understand that you are a high school student and your interview skills are likely not perfect yet. They are genuinely trying to find out more information about you as opposed to trick you. They want to see that you are passionate and would be a good fit for the program. I remember thinking I was too fidgety and awkward during my interview but it worked out! Also as a general interview tip, always have a few questions for them at the end of interview. It shows you have done some research and they always appreciate that.
I wish you the best of luck, let me know how it goes!
-Connor
Hi! I recently had an interview with Altman (last Thursday) and believe it went well! I was curious if you remember the timeline of acceptances following interviews or have any knowledge towards the percentage of applicants who are interviewed and accepted? The Altman program at Tulane is my top and anything nice you could say about it would put a smile on my face during this stressful waiting period:)
@danielle18425 - The timeline is varied, some people tend to hear back by mid March and others by late April. Every year there are people who are offered a spot but end up declining it to go elsewhere, so in reality there are even more than 20 acceptances! I’d say if you had an interview you are in a good spot, nothing is guaranteed but definitely stay hopeful! Good luck, hopefully we’ll be seeing you next year!
