Our HS sends a lot of students to Tulane, and I agree with socaldad (I, too, am an MOT lol). Tulane is a very popular school for wealthier families from the NY/NJ area (generally top 10%). That could be a positive or a negative, depending on the student.
I see Tulane as a good fit for your D. Emory…not as much but it’s worth a look. It’s also a popular choice for northeast kids.
It really is amazing how important fit is. My only knowledge of Emory is a good friend of D’s older sister. Asian (Chinese spoken at home), top of her class at a top NJ public and she absolutely hated Emory - felt very out of place as an Asian there. I don’t know specifics, but she left after a semester and is now happily at Brown. Totally anecdotal, but I just find it so interesting how different kids have completely different takes.
Villanova campus is gorgeous. If Notre Dame is too Catholic, I think Villanova will be too. D counted 7 crosses before we walked out of the parking lot. Architecture (and crosses!) felt like we were in Ireland. But then hearing that girls dress up for classes and no sweats were enough to turn her off.
My coworkers niece transferred out of Emory because it reminded her too much of her HS in NJ. My D originally loved it but turned it down to attend another school. I recently asked her if she would attend now if she could, and she said …no…it wasn’t the right fit for her for undergrad.
That being said, Emory is a wonderful school and I know many people who attended and had a great 4 years.
I also think Villanova would feel too catholic for your D. It is a beautiful school in a nice area, but my D took it off the her list after visiting for that reason. Not even the nearby upscale King of Prussia Mall could convince my shop-a-holic D to apply. LOL. She felt the same way after touring Providence (and the surrounding area is not great). A good friend’s daughter is at Loyola (MD) and loves it. Wake Forest and BC were top choices. (So she seems to like similar schools as your D.) Loyola may be a good “likely” consideration. We had a tough time finding a lot of mid-size schools that were not catholic or incredibly selective. My D liked Miami (FL) enough to make her short list but I think the large number of students who live off campus probably would be a no-go for your D.
@xyz123a the midsized college search is difficult. Option A- Jesuit or Catholic. Option B - selective.
It came up a bit earlier in the thread but I just wanted to drop a note about my experience with my S going to college close to home.
After looking up and down the east coast my S ended up at a college that is no more than a half hour from our house (but in a more urban location than our home). It was the best fit school AND he got the largest merit scholarship there. He was always going to dorm on campus.
We sat down as a family and had a serious talk before he opted to attend that college. We (parents) agreed to treat our S as if he was hours away – no popping by, no expecting him home other than for school breaks etc. He (S) agreed to not use being close to home as a crutch – no coming home for dinners, laundry etc. – he understood that he needed to create a life on campus.
And it worked out just great. We all kept to our word and he had a full and wonderful campus life and enjoyed the city in ways we had never explored.
Every child/family is different but I’m glad we did not eliminate a college that is otherwise a great fit just because it is close to home.
And @homerdog I agree… our S really liked urban mid-sized colleges and while we were not particularly looking for a Catholic college, we ended up with a lot of Jesuit schools on our list.
I think I recall you saying at some point that it would be a nice bonus if your D could roll out of bed and walk to class in 5 minutes (or something along those lines) - that reminds me of something my sister mentioned to me when my nephew was a sophomore at Syracuse. He had on-campus housing and needed a shuttle bus to get to his classes…he was hating that since I believe they filled quickly, and he had classes every day starting at 8:00. He’s from New England so quite used to the cold but still wasn’t thrilled about waiting for the shuttle bus at 7:30 AM in Syracuse winters ?..the campus may not be as compact as your D would like ?
@nichols51 yes this is true. She’s looking for a unicorn experience. Smallish campus. 4000-7000 undergrads. Then add on warm weather, social, big spirit and it’s a crazy ask! She will obviously have to prioritize her wants at some point.
I thought bad food would turn her off (Tulane) but she just shrugged and said she would figure that out. But, when she read on Niche that Tulane has a party scene almost every night, she did not like that. Wants fun but not kids throwing up in dorms on a semi regular basis. Honestly, the only school that seems to check all boxes is Wake but there are a decent number of other schools that come close.
I also agree that Emory might hit her boxes. People I know that went there loved it.
I went to school at UT-Austin, 20 minutes from my parents’ house. Not only that, my dad was one of my professors! I had no problem at all acclimating. To me, it was the best of both worlds. I could see my family if I wanted, but there was no obligation. I loved my six years (BS and MS) as a Longhorn. 
@homerdog has your D prioritized her wishes, or do you think she won’t be able to until she visits?
I think she will find her people at every school on her list…I don’t think every student at Tulane parties 6-7 nights a week. ?
I was at a local Starbucks (pre covid) and overheard a group of students who all attended one school on your D’s list of possibilities (not Tulane). The conversation focused on the amount of vomiting that was going on at parties that semester.
Any group of kids with any school could have the same stupid kid conversation. And who knows if they were trying to impress or be funny.
Edit. The post above mine was in fact response to another post that was absurd about Tulane. Totally agree that it wasn’t a fair post originally. @twogirls
@privatebanker …really???
The OP reported that her D was turned off by something she read online about Tulane…that there were parties almost every night. She didn’t want to attend a school where there was that much partying. IMO you can find your people at most schools. The kids I know at Tulane did not party most nights a week (maybe some do, but that happens all over).
The point of my post was that there is partying at every school…but I guess my message was not interpreted the way it was intended.
Oh ok. That’s nonsense. I’ve known lots Tulane students of late and that’s just not the case. It’s actually ludicrous. Weekend parties and a bit more as a senior like every school on the planet.
I’ve never heard that about Tulane. I think it’s a beautiful school and is a premed hotbed in my area. Only the most serious and accomplished students I know in our schools apply. Usually ones who are a bit more well rounded with sports and spirit but down to earth in my experience - as a general stereotype only of course.
The only thing I’ve heard is the city outside of the college area is a bit dangerous like most big cities. I do t know that to be the case at all.
@twogirls. I took your first reply at face value and updated my post. Even gave my thoughts about Tulane.
Then you have to change it. Good lord.
Two wrongs don’t make a right. I don’t think Tulane parties 7 nights a week. And not everyone vomits as a pastime at the other schools.
Maybe these Tulane stories are carry overs from the “old days” (not that I’m old!l. But I had friends in the early 90’s at Tulane who made it sound like a party jungle - literally passing out drunk in the streets. I think times have changed vastly at many of these schools. YOU can probably classify just about any of these schools as a party school, depending on who you survey.
I am confused as to what needs to be changed. I was responding to Homerdog…about something her daughter read online. I was in no way suggesting that students at a particular school party most nights a week. I am also fully aware that “not everyone vomits as a pastime at the other schools.” I am not sure why my post was interpreted that way.
Tulane is a wonderful school with lots of academically strong kids. I have nothing negative to say about it. As a matter of fact, I stated that I see it as a good fit for this particular student.
All schools have parties. And all schools have students who choose not to.
D21 read that comment on another site where students comment. There’s also a poll on there asking about partying and a decent percent said every night. She will have to find an actual student to talk to about it and get the updated school. Tulane does check so many boxes.
My H works right next door to Emory at the CDC and went to Emory for one of his grad programs…we used to live a couple of miles from there - he’d bike to grad school as we only had one car at the time. The area has had a lot of development since we lived nearby - restaurants, apartments, etc. in the past 10 years or so. I think Emory ticks a decent number of boxes…not sure about the school spirit piece, though - not to say Emory doesn’t have any! But I’m not sure it’s the flavor your D is seeking? Hard to get a read on that without talking to some students and/or visiting, of course.
I agree that Syracuse isn’t a great fit, but if she decided to apply, I think it’s an easier admit than Villanova and Lehigh. And at full pay status, it might even be a safety. (Though some schools there are tougher admits than others.) Looking at D20’s school, kids with GPAs and scores far below your D’s have been admitted. The problem is that Syracuse is known for being stingy with their FA calculations.
FWIW, D20 didn’t see a huge difference between the vibes at Villanova and BC. She spent the summer of her junior year at BC and was a bit disappointed.