I am planning my schedule for fall and want to know if admissions looks at first quarter grades and schedule for senior year for early action or is it based on first 3 years?
Schedule, yes. They always look at strength of schedule, including what you plan to take. Most people take the majority of AP level courses their senior year.
Mid-semester grades, I think sometimes yes is the answer. If your record is such that Q1 grades are not likely to sway their decision, I don’t know if they bother or not. But if they are hesitating based on your 3 year record, I would think they would look at Q1 grades, if your school provides them.
It also depends on when you submit your application and how quickly they make their decision. If they are on the fence about you and do not accept you quickly, then maybe. But, my son received his acceptance on November 1 of Senior year, so they definitely did not have his first quarter grades when making the decision.
Word of advice…apply as early as possible. Write your “Why Tulane?” essay now. If you are using the Common App, you can begin that now as well. For the first time ever, if you start a CA account now, the information you enter will roll over into the new application which officially goes live on August 1. You can fill out all of your biographical information as well as your activities section. They have announced that the essays will remain the same next year, so you can work on that now too.
If you choose to use the Tulane application, which I prefer (note: I work with students on college apps). The instructions ask for a 500 word (approx) Personal Statement and the “optional” Why Tulane? essay (no word limit and not really optional). Also note that on the Tulane app, you can upload an existing resume, so you do not have to worry about the 150 character limit for the descriptions on the CA.