<p>If there are any current Tulane students reading this, please tell me your impressions of how the university is doing now that it's been a year since Katrina. My D is considering Tulane among the schools she'll apply to for fall '07 (class of 2011). I am a little apprehensive due to news reports about crime increasing recently. Are safety issues better, worse, or the same as pre-Katrina? What about academics?</p>
<p>I'm not a student, but I'm the geology chair's son. I visit the campus at least every week and talk to students, professors, staff members etc. I'm also planning on applying for Fall '08.</p>
<p>I can honestly say that the campus is in a much greater shape than before the storm. Many buildings had to be renovated, and they now are. Crime is a very small factor in about a mile or so radius of the campus. The main uptown campus is located about 4 miles from downtown, and it is in one of the nicer, wealthier neighborhoods out there. I'd say the campus is fairly safe. There's a lot of people out there with construction and such. </p>
<p>Academically, standards have remained the same. About 10% of faculty was lost- mostly due to personal reasons. This 10% changes, however, from department to department. Some have lost more.</p>
<p>My honest opinion: Tulane is still the best place in Louisiana to attend college.</p>
<p>Well, my S was a Tulane freshman last year who had to transfer due to the elimination of his Engineering major. He did so very reluctantly and had a great experience there in every way for both Spring and Lagniappe terms. His best friend has returned to Tulane and they keep in close touch. I spent time there in January and my H spent time there in the spring. I would not have any concerns about safety, beyond the normal concerns one has about safety in any campus or urban environment.</p>
<p>I think if you have the opportunity to visit, you will be impressed and excited and have your mind set at ease.</p>
<p>A parent here. Our D is a freshman and seems to be having a great time - just went to the premiere of 'All the King's Men' last night (was on the Tulane campus).</p>
<p>I agree with jmmom - best thing to do is visit the campus - that's what did it for her, and for us. We figured even if she decided against Tulane we'd get a chance to see New Orleans and have a very good meal (BTW, make your restaurant reservations in advance for the better restaurants! We ate at Emeril's and I can honestly say I never knew food could be SO good!!!!). As drummerpilot311 says, the campus is looking good and is in a part of town that was minimally affected by the storm and the ensuing problems. When we were there in early Sept to move her in we saw nothing that was of concern (and as parents, we were looking with much more experienced eyes than she would have).</p>
<p>Best of luck on your decision - we're happy with ours.</p>
<p>My daughter is also a freshman. Tulane looks great. Yes, some parents like you were a little apprehensive and got cold feet in the end. Tulane did not compromise its standards - they could have gone to the rejection pool of 15000 freshman applicants to fill an additonal 400 slots (the freshman class of 900-1000 was short of the 1300 -1400 they would have hoped for).</p>
<p>If you want your daughter to get an education outside of the classroom as well as inside the classroom - this is the place to go. My daughter already helped paint an elementary school. The Tulane president is also very approachable and dedicated.</p>
<p>How bad could things be? - Jude Law, Kate Winslet, Sean Penn used the Tulane campus on Saturday for the All the Kings Men premiere. The Hornets (NBA) will be working out there in preseason. Wynton Marsalis was there. Bush Sr. and Clinton did the graduation speeh in June. </p>
<p>Regarding safety, it appears that there is some concern from time to time. Read the Hullaboo (student newspaper) on line on the Tulane website, they cover local safety/crime issues. Seems to be in line with other urban campuses.</p>
<p>My D picked Tulane over U of Miami, and Coll of Charleston and she is happy with her decision.</p>
<p>I'm a freshman, and I am in love with Tulane.</p>
<p>The campus is completely safe; TUPD does a great job of keeping it secure. The neighborhood outside campus has a lot of money so that, too, is secure. There was an incident of a student getting mugged--but he was drunk, pretty far from campus (coming back from Friar Tuck's) and was walking alone at night. If you venture farther from Tulane, you just need to be smart. It's not THAT dangerous, but you have to take precautions. On Broadway at night when everyone is out, I have no problem walking alone or in pairs back to my dorm. The area around Tulane is great; the crime stories you're most likely to hear in the media are largely drug-related--and drug trafficking takes place in a way different part of the city; Uptown is a bunch of antebellum mansions and college kids.</p>
<p>And I toured Tulane before the hurricane, after the hurricane, and now I'm here... And I have not been anywhere in the city since I've been here that doesn't look completely untouched; Tulane, the neighborhoods around Tulane, Audubon Park, and the Quarter all look better than they did pre-Katrina. </p>
<p>Academically, the school is amazing. The classes are challenging to a beneficial degree, and I get a lot out of them. The students here are brilliant--but they like to have their fun too. Sure, people will go out 5 nights a week, but generally only if their homework is done. It's awesome when you can see two drunk people arguing about calculus. Only at Tulane do you get the best and the brightest students, but also the most fun people ever.</p>
<p>And it's great that, on Tulane's campus in the last three weeks, we've seen Ludacris, Kate Winslet, Sean Penn, Mark Ruffalo, and Jude Lude--twice, because he's hosting a benefit tonight in Dixon.</p>
<p>There's no other school like Tulane. If your daughter goes here, she will get more out of it than any other school, both academically and socially. It's by far the best college in Louisiana, and its image is only going to improve as New Orleans rebuilds and Tulane sheds its weaker programs (like engineering) and stays in the media spotlight with things like "All the King's Men."</p>
<p>I would imagine Tulane is a great place to study biology and/or environmental sciences? Its been in the corner of my eye, I guess I should visit in the spring</p>
<p>Thank you to everyone who replied to my post. I appreciate the info!</p>
<p>On the other hand....
My D was accepted to Tulane for this year's freshman class. She (we) chose a different school even though the financial aid at Tulane would have been much better. We weren't concerned with Tulane and the quality of the education but rather the infrastructure of New Orleans which hasn't been fixed yet. On orientation weekend at her chosen school, I met another freshman parent from New Orleans. He confirmed that we made the correct decision because according to him, New Orleans is not the place it was, crime is high and the infrastructure (health care, police, transportation, etc) is not conducive to living yet.<br>
I applaud those of you who brave the conditions in New Orleans. But please do not sugar coat the situation.</p>
<p>ShesOnHerWay:</p>
<p>Sugarcoating is hardly the word I would use - that implies we made an irresponsible decision to allow our daughter to go there, hardly something any caring parent would do. </p>
<p>We carefully evaluated all the facts, and allowed our daughter to make the best decision she could, as I'm sure you did. </p>
<p>My advice remains: make a visit and base your decision on that, not on hearsay.</p>
<p>To She's on Her Way - I could understand your apprehension - clearly you are not alone - but I do not agree with the "sugar coating" comment and here is why. Talk to the current students who were there before and after Katrina and why they love New Orleans and had to come back. Except for the programs that were cut, why did more than 90% or more of the freshman last year return, when they all had temporarily transfered to other schools and could have easily stayed away? Some transfered to the best schools in the country - - NYU, Columbia, Emory, Vanderbilt, UF, Miami, etc. and so forth, for last year's Fall semester - it didn't matter - they are back in the Big Easy.</p>
<p>Yes, the infrastructure of the city is a problem. Yes, I've warned my daughter to be extra careful. </p>
<p>The students who are here are here because they want to make a difference in the city of New Orleans. The volunteer committment from Tulane students is amazing. </p>
<p>The Federal Government turned their back on the New Orleans. The students have shown more character than the government. Having witnessed 9/11 from my office in Manhattan, I was excited that my daughter selected Tulane. I think it's going to be one of the most invigorating times of her life.</p>
<p>By the way, a friend went to JazzFest and it was great. Put on Monday night football this Monday and see the 80,000 plus Saints Fans come back to the Dome in a sold-out event. You'll see what I mean.</p>
<p>I can't really say I would or wouldn't send a child to Tulane, because I have done both! It was to be my son's senior and last year at Tulane when Katrina hit. He ended up living at home and attending a local LAC for the fall semester. January didn't come fast enough for him; he was hot to get back to Tulane and the New Orleans he loved. No, it wasn't the same New Orleans, but he was so happy to be back. He doesn't not regret returning to New Orleans and as a matter of fact, he is back this year for graduate school.</p>
<p>My daughter was looking to transfer schools after her freshman year last year at a northern LAC; she found her current school too small and isolated. She applied to Tulane as well as othe school and I will admit, I did not want her to attend. I realize I was being a hypocrite by allowing my son to attend but not my daughter; but I felt at the time my reasons were valid. My daughter has an immunity issue with a life threatening food allergy. I was really worried if she needed health care over the 3 years that maybe all that she needed might not be available. Of course, the thought that my son might need some sort of emergency also crossed my mind. I convienced myself that my son would only be there one more short year, while my daughter would be attending 3 years. Yes, I am concerned about the infrastructure, but the campus and the area around Tulane as a whole are great. I know if my daughter had really wanted to attend Tulane we would have let her go, but it wasn't on the top of her list even before Katrina.</p>
<p>Everyone needs to make there own decision about New Orleans and what is right for their family. I will still visit New Orleans and enjoy the great restaurants there, but I will also be happy when my son isn't living in his home with mold on the ceiling!</p>
<p>BTW, my son will be attending the Saints game on Monday, but he will be wearing red and black for his home team-the Falcons!!!!</p>
<p>Has anyone seen the Volvo commercial with the little girl babbling on to her dad? I went to visit my freshman d this past weekend and that's what she was like. Non-stop, bubbling happiness. It was absolutely wonderful to see. </p>
<p>She's thrilled with her dorm (Wall), her friends, her classes, her profs, and even the food. Last night, she met James Gandolfini and learned that they have the same "favorite" deli in New Jersey. She was walking on cloud 9. </p>
<p>She too has spent a Saturday painting a school (perhaps she was with your d lewmin!) and another one gutting a house in the lower 9th ward. I'm so proud of all the students' commitment to the community.</p>
<p>Don't get me wrong, I had all the same concerns as everyone else. But, after visiting, they disappeared. I would like to think the students have access to excellent medical care through Tulane Univ Hospital, but pokey, I completely understand and respect your decision. If my daughter had ongoing medical concerns, I probably would have encouraged her to make a different decision. </p>
<p>Please don't believe what others are saying. Visit for yourself, talk to the students, and make your own decision. When we made the rounds of accepted students events, I couldn't believe the number of very proud and happy alumni who came to Tulane's reception in Manhattan. It struck a real chord with me, and I'm beginning to understand the loyalty.</p>
<p>Tulane sophomore checking in.
I pretty much want to second everything onlyatest said and respond to some other posts:</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>That pretty much seems to be the general consensus. Everyone that is here WANTS to be here. I know for a lot of people Tulane wasn't their first choice school, but once you get here, it's really, really difficult to leave. I was on a sports team that got cut (but we might get reinstated, so who knows) and I certainly could have transfered to a better athletic program for my sport, but I love it here and can't imagine myself anywhere else. I chose Tulane over some better academic schools (time to name drop - Wake Forest/Davidson/Georgetown) - because being in New Orleans is an experience. And that's what college should be - not just an academic experience, but a complete experience of the self. Being at Tulane and in New Orleans - especially now - is something that you can't find in any other college town in America.</p>
<p>
[quote]
The campus is completely safe
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Very true. Muggings will happen OFF-campus every so often, but rarely does anything happen on campus grounds. This is same stuff that always happens when you mix alcohol and vulnerable college kids, though.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>As someone who's been down at the medical center every day for the past two weeks (I contracted an MRSA staph infection by being bitten by a brown recluse spider on my leg. . .I guess the only advice/con I can give is NEVER live in Phelps Hall) I completely agree with this. The doctors are so helpful and quick to act, helping me out as much as they could and making sure I get the best treatment available. It's been ten days and it's almost completely healed - these things usually take six-to-eight weeks to get better.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Hahahaha, give that a few months ;-)</p>
<p>My son is a senior at Tulane. I visited him last June to see his new off-campus house that he moved into. Many of the houses around the campus that the upperclassmen move into have been renovated. His had a brand new kitchen and no mold anywhere including the ceilings. (Much nicer than what he probably would have rented pre-Katrina). Granted, the rents are higher, but not outrageous. The campus looked great as did the surrounding community. He loves it there - the school, the students, his classes, the music scene. I'm very proud to see the commitment the students now have to community service and to the city (very changed from before the hurricane). My second son is applying there now and seriously considering going there (if accepted).
Regarding health care - while I was there last June my son hurt his arm playing sports. I took him to the emergency room in Metairie (suburb a few miles from campus). The care was wonderful and much faster than what I've experienced here at home. I was very impressed.
I agree with everyone above - if you're interested in Tulane - you really need to visit and see it for yourself. I personally love the city more than ever.</p>
<p>Hey, I'm currently a Tulane student. Firstly, the national perception of crime in New Orleans is a major misconception. The national media (i.e. CNN, Fox News, etc.) oversimplifies the situation here. Like all large cities, there are areas of New Orleans that are safe and unsafe. </p>
<p>Fortunately for Tulane students, the more crime ridden areas are in the outlying areas of New Orleans. The more historic and touristy areas of New Orleans, such as the CBD, the Garden District, and Uptown, where Tulane is, are extremely safe. These areas are actually even safer now after Katrina since the entire NOPD and the state police are patrolling these areas. The National Guard is patrolling the outer fringes of Orleans Parish, and this has allowed the local police to concentrate on patrolling our area of New Orleans. </p>
<p>I would most definitely encourage your daughter to persue her interest in Tulane- the application has been made very easy this year and this school gives an extremely high proportion of scholarships away. If you have any other questions along the way, don't hesitate to e-mail me at <a href="mailto:amcpeek@tulane.edu">amcpeek@tulane.edu</a>.</p>
<p>I'm also a new freshman at Tulane and love it here. The people are fantastic, I enjoy my classes, there is just no where else I'd rather be. Please come visit if you're interested, it's an amazing place and easy to fall in love with. I'm so glad I chose Tulane in spite of Katrina and I haven't met anyone one yet that doesn't agree with me.</p>
<p>I transferred out of Tulane. It's a good school, but it wasnt' the school for me and I know it's not the school for a lot of people, so please be wary. </p>
<p>If you aren't into the greek scene, like a sense of community, and don't want to be surrounded by super intense partying, it's not a good choice.</p>
<p>I'm a freshman now at Tulane, and I agree with ClaySoul entirely. This school's definetely not for everybody.</p>
<p>This might be a silly question...but what exactly is the "greek scene" other than the presence of fraternities and sororities? How does it change the feel of the college?</p>