<p>How intellectual would you say Tulane students are? For example, do students enjoy discussing things they have learned outside the classroom?</p>
<p>The intellectual atmosphere is one of the things S2 likes most about Tulane. He raves about his ancient political philosophy course and the discussions it occasions with other students. The last time I spoke with him he said it was like he had always hoped college would be.</p>
<p>To fallenchemist: My dauther and I were at the March Honors weekend at Tulane and we were told that the only study China program in Tulane’s Business School is in Hongkong, no other mainland China cities such as Beijing or Shanghai. Is it true? Considering the huge market and business potential in many places in China, I think Tulane should set some kind of study programs in other major Chinese cities or regions, particularly for American students focusing on business related areas. Thank you.</p>
<p>I honestly do not know if that is true, but I will try and find out more. I agree that Beijing and Shanghai especially would make a lot of sense, but then Hong Kong does also.</p>
<p>I would also point out that the Chinese government sponsors American students to study in China, and they pay for everything except transportation, I believe. Tulane participates in this program in the sense that they will work with students to apply and be accepted into it, but at the moment my understanding is that it is not yet recognized as an official Tulane Study Abroad program and so there is more paperwork and maybe a bit more hassle when you return to get the credits transferred, just like studying at any other university. I know about this because my D has applied for this program and has been told she is very likely to get it (I shouldn’t say that because of course now I have jinxed it). In pursuing what ramifications that has, she has discovered it would involve things like taking a leave of absence from Tulane (which for her is actually a potentially big positive because then she can most likely extend her scholarship another year, if she wanted to stay a little longer), and the aforementioned extra paperwork. Plus there were more applications and paperwork up front, including the most extensive medical tests required I have ever seen for a program like this. But at the same time it can be very rewarding, especially if you do not have full tuition paid for by Tulane and if you are looking for a broader range of universities and locations to select from.</p>
<p>Now I should say of course that it cannot be known if that program would be around in 3 years when your daughter was looking at going over. In addition it would be quite possible that Tulane could have more connections to other universities by then. In fact, if she does choose Tulane I would strongly encourage her to rather quickly start researching and then proposing to Tulane universities in those two cities that are strong in business education. It is a great opportunity for a student to make something happen, but as we all know, and Tulane is no exception, these changes take a lot of time as they have to be considered by various committees and administrators. But I would like the chances for a student armed with facts and determination to make something like that happen. I am sure the China Studies faculty would work with her as well. They have been very helpful to my D. I would offer her up as a potential resource, but she won’t be there in the fall.</p>
<p>However, if your D does choose Tulane, PM me and they can exchange contact info anyway. Once she is over there she may be able to help out, plus she has American contacts very familiar with the China business scene. She took a course at a local college when she was in 9th grade called Doing Business in China. She has since renewed contact with the instructor for that course, who was a consultant in exactly that area (naturally) and who now has started a web site designed for people that need to know everything going on in China. My D is interning for her on that project. So between all those resources, I am confident something can come of it.</p>
<p>I’m a Chinese, and I have to comment on the Universities in China.
The HongKong universities are way more prestige and offer way better education than any single one in mainland China. Even the best of the best: Peking University and Tsing Hua University in Being and Fu Dan University in Shanghai are pretty crapy comparing with many universities in HongKong. It’s because the Chinese education system makes their universities really really horrible! It’s absolutely ridiculous to get in the good ones, and everybody says they wasted 4 years of life after graduating. I don’t know about the experience of exchange visitors, but for local students, they even try to apply to universities in HongKong. It’s a way better education, since the ones in Hongkong were all established when Chinese government wasn’t in control. And after China took HongKong back as part of China, they promised to not interfere with any laws or systems already in effect, so luckily, the HongKong universities were left alone.
I’m from China, and still Chinese, so I know the Chinese business world and the rules. The key for anything there is knowing the right person, in another word- bribing. That’s why I really can’t deal with it and came to US. If any of your children seek to do business with the Chinese, definitely tell them to get hired by an American company and maybe do international trading with the Chinese. Never tempt to try to find a job in a chinese company, it’s going to be miserable. Going to China to study could be a really good opportunity, and the world needs people like me and FallenChemist’s daughter, people who can fluently communicate with both Chinese and English, since they are turning into the biggest powers in the world. So, it should be a good opportunity to study and learn about the ancient country I’m from- China.</p>
<p>Interesting - I just had lunch today with someone that is doing a lot of business in China and we mostly talked about that. Among the many other things that were discussed, he said exactly the same thing, that it is almost entirely who you know, especially in the context of regulated businesses, which is what we were focusing on. He seemed to have a somewhat higher opinion of the best Chinese Universities on the mainland, if for no other reason than they are so exceeding hard to get into so the students are the absolute cream of the Chinese crop. But we also agreed that they all want to come here for grad school. Again we are talking technical areas.</p>
<p>One of the advantages of going to school in Beijing is that they speak classic Mandarin, and for an American the opportunity to hone that skill is key. That is one reason, at least, my D has focused on there.</p>
<p>That’s true. It’s hard to learn a language and especially hard to have a native tone. I’m blessed with formal mandarin and American English without any accent. well… at least everyone I take to thinks I’m an american bored Chinese.
I find being able to communicate in both languages extremely important, especially when people from both countries think u r from their own country.</p>
<p>Thank you fallanchemist! My daughter and I like Tulane very much; she is now choosing between Tulane, University of Michigan and several other good schools, just hope she could have gotten more financial aids from Tulane. She got Distinguished Scholar Award of $22000 and another Tulane scholarship, but we still have to pay a lot. Tulane’s COA is pretty high.</p>
<p>It is. No question about that. Are you in state for Michigan? Because OOS is about the same as Tulane. So I will assume in state, which is indeed less expensive.</p>
<p>I guess it comes down to choosing between two VERY different schools and deciding if whatever $$ difference exists is worth it to her (assuming of course that she prefers Tulane. If she doesn’t this would be a no brainer and you wouldn’t be asking, lol.)</p>
<p>So let’s see. 3 feet of snow most of the school year vs. shorts and sundresses most of the school year. Really huge classes her first 2 years vs. much smaller classes her first two years. Ann Arbor vs. New Orleans. OK, that last one can actually be a toss up, depending on personal preferences. Ann Arbor is really nice, if you discount the extra 10 minutes it takes to every time you go out to get layered up against the frozen, biting wind. Can you tell I don’t like cold weather? Anyway, obviously I am being unfair, there are a lot of things that Michigan has in its favor as well. That’s what I mean about two so very different schools, other than both being excellent academically.</p>
<p>I do have one question though, and this might just be my ignorance about Michigan’s academic structure. If she was accepted into LS&A but wants to study business, how does that work? Doesn’t UM have separate acceptance into their business school?</p>
<p>I think your views are extreme. My family has some significant experience with Chinese higher education system, and I personally have some Chinese friends, both in China and in U.S. These people have all received wonderful and first-class education from various Chinese colleges and universities; some are now teaching and working in Chinese higher education institutes. I also know some people who have ivy education in U.S. whom I don’t think their academic and intelletual level match the names of their ivy higher education. A lot of China’s most advanced tech innovations and achievements have been made by their home-made scientists. As for social socience or humanities, it is really hard to judge or measure due to their subjective nature. Of course, every university has weak fields and bad professors/students and Hong Kong University is no exception. I personally think Beijing Univ., Qing Hua University, Fudan University, JiaoTung University (some of China’s most advanced tech people are its graduates), Tongqi Univ. (the best in Chinese architecture), Nanjing Univ, etc. are excellent in many academic fields. Even Shanghai Univ. of Foreign Trade is an excellent school, just look at how many of its graduates have been actively and succefully involved in China’s foreign trade and business for the past a few decades! All these Chinese universities (and more) have strong alumini network in U.S. and many other countries.</p>
<p>I have met some Chinese students whose proficiency of English language is amazing! Remember, these students have lived all their lives in China and they’re not Chinese-American kids who have the advantage of learning both languages at home and in school at the same time.</p>
<p>Fairness - I assume you were talking to guhengshuo? I certainly don’t know nearly as much about the Chinese universities as you do, but I can’t see where I said anything bad or extreme about them.</p>
<p>Oh yes, I’m not talking to you fallenchemist. I just followed guhenshuo’s comment. Sorry for any confusion.</p>
<p>Any thoughts about which is a better school? Where my daughter would have the best college experience?</p>
<p>njmaria - I am afraid that is completely impossible to answer for any number of reasons, not the least of which we don’t know your daughter! They are both very good schools, roughly the same in terms of entrance requirements (Tulane has a slight edge there). However GW is completely urban, virtually no green space, while Tulane is a classic self-contained campus with lots of trees and quads. Needless to say DC and NOLA are very different as well, although both great places to be in school. Some would say if she is leaning towards a major related to politics that GW would be the better choice, although I am not sure I even agree with that. No question there are more political events in DC, lol. But there is plenty of local and state politics in NOLA. Anyway, she might be a biology major for all we know. The point is the experiences will be very different, absolutely. But best for her? How can we know?</p>
<p>fairness- you are indeed right that there are good universities in China, and they all have some good programs. But my point is that the current education and social system in China greatly jeopardized the ability for students to succeed. The need for fame and knowing the right people, power of wealth is getting overwhelming. So, the opportunities students get after graduating from top Chinese universities is still very slim, and that’s why many of them try to go to grad school in the US.
I’m not an American Chinese, by the way. My nationality is China. And you can characterize me as “some Chinese students whose proficiency of English language is amazing”… or not. Haha. But I can say this confidently: I doubt anyone can tell that I grew up in China from my accent, if I even have any left.
The reason I came to US was for education, and after experiencing the social system, and the rights US citizens have, and how the government is different than that of China, I’m sure that I would love to live in the US in the future. Maybe I’ll do some job associated with both China and US, but the Chinese government and most people’s corrupt moral values caused by the government has disappointed me so much that I can’t stand to live in the society like that. Maybe I’ll try to change it, but it doesn’t seem promising.
Any ways, that’s kinda off topic. My view is sorta extreme, and I apologize for that!</p>
<p><<<can someone=“” here=“” convince=“” me=“” that=“” tulane=“” will=“” be=“” the=“” right=“” place=“” for=“” me?=“” i=“” hope=“” to=“” join=“” a=“” fraternity=“” when=“” get=“” there,=“” which=“” is=“” definitely=“” strong=“” point=“” at=“” tulane.=“” how=“” premed=“” program=“” there?=“” what=“” are=“” strongest=“” weakest=“” programs?=“”>>></can></p>
<p>Friend’s daughter, four years ago, got into Wash U., Tufts, CAL, Penn (she said that she couldn’t suffer the students she had met at Penn) and a few other schools. Tulane offered major money, and her parents were willing/able to give her 25k for school, max, yearly. The girl, however bright, was fairly provincial–everything was “weird” to her, really ironic since she had grown up in such a cosmopolitan and progressive area.</p>
<p>That girl is about to graduate Tulane, magna cum laude. She absolutely LOVES New Orleans (which I happen to think is the greatest city in No. America besides Vancouver, Canada), is eating food that no one ever never dreamed she would try (she really only ever ate a kind of Midwestern diet–a lot of meat and potatoes and hamburgers–before Tulane), has a collossaly nice and bright group of friends (one is headed to dental school at Emory, while another two got plumb jobs, and another is headed to UC Davis for veterinary medicine). She says that were she to choose all over, again, she would choose Tulane, hands-down.</p>
<p>The girl heads to one of the top 3 MBA programs in the country, this coming Fall. </p>
<p>Are you a little more convinced that Tulane might be a really good choice for you?</p>
<p>Well… I know I’m pretty convinced. I don’t know about anybody else! Haha</p>
<p>After you have lived here for at least over 15 years (like many of my Chinese friends have), you will have a much better understanding of both countries. No country is perfect and they all have pros and cons. For instance, in media coverage, national interests and political correctness (invisible rules) have always placed ahead of the principle of free speech/free information here. Again, we’re talking about college choices, not ideologies or political systems here. Not many people are interested in discussing Chinese politics.</p>
<p>Haha! yeap, there’s no point of discussing politics. But, here’s one thing I need to clarify. I’m a college applicant too. I’m heading to Tulane next year. This is my 3rd year in US, so I’ve only lived here for 3 years, and 15 years in China. Not that it matters, just want to make it clear that I’m still a student.</p>
<p>You are both right that we won’t solve Chinese (or American) politics here, but I do hope you maintain that passion and debate attitude when you are at Tulane, guheng. It would be really interesting for my D to share her impressions of China with you when she gets back your sophomore year, and see how they compare with your memories. China is changing so fast! Anyway, as I once said a long time ago, back to regular programming.</p>