<p>I want to report on my D's first year at Tulane. She must be one of the happiest college students around. She has had interesting classes with great professors (with an exception or two). She has been inspired to study different subjects and to double major. She has worked on research with a favorite professor and had a lot of other academic opportunities. She was a very good student at a top high school, and is plenty challenged at Tulane. She has to work hard for her grades.</p>
<p>My D has become great friends with students from La., the Midwest, the NE and foreign countries. She has had time to explore NOLA, volunteer in the community and take on other projects at Tulane. Per secondhand report, while there is drinking going on, as on most campuses, it may not be as frequent because there are other entertainment opportunities.</p>
<p>She is a very cautious kid crime-wise but says she always feels safe. The campus and adjacent areas are busy.</p>
<p>Her biggest complaint is that the term ends so soon. She said the time flew by.</p>
<p>This is wonderful to hear! My D’s first year has been a bit more mixed and we’re hopeful that sophomore year will be better on the academic front. She has done very well academically but she was hoping for more “engaged” peers. She too went to a uber-high achieving high school. We’ve talked to her about trying to engage with her professors and to see if there are research opportunities - but strangely, she seems to be a little reticent to engage them herself. Any thoughts/advice?? This seems to be her main beef with Tulane - otherwise, she has fallen in love with New Orleans and has gotten involved with some great activities, including a sorority.</p>
<p>Hi – as I am not familiar with sororities, esp. at Tulane, can you tell me more about them? For instance, do they have separate housing? Which are th ‘good ones’ (ie the ones whose life is not dedicated to partying, but more wholesome pursuits) – any advice would be very welcome, thank you.</p>
<p>The sororities at Tulane do not have residential houses, although they do have houses. You will hear it is because of a “bordello” law, but I am pretty sure that is a myth, or at least not applicable any longer. I think it more because of the location in uptown New Orleans, and therefore the availability and costs associated with getting a house that would allow for meaningful numbers of women to reside there.</p>
<p>Other, current students will have to give you the info regarding the current sorority situation. I can tell you that like many schools now, Tulane does rush in the second semester, so you would have time to find out about this first hand if you decide to attend.</p>
<p>MiM- In my D’s case the prof recruited students from class. Thinking back oh so long ago to my college days, in one case the prof recruited students in class, in another I had to present a proposal to a prof who was interested in a similar area. A third was basically a class where everyone did field research and worked on their own paper. I didn’t pursue any of these opportunities as a freshman though. Would you mind if asked your D’s major? You can PM if you like.</p>
<p>Hello – both your messages sound reassuring about launching a 17 year old into the ‘wild’ Tulane environment.</p>
<p>I very much appreciate your candor, it truly helps. Would you be so kind as to giving me some pointers for DORMS (she does not want an all girl, but I don’t want her at all into a party dorm, neither does she) - she is very fun, but is focused on her studies. Same thing with sororities (but I am more interested in dorms at this point) – and any other suggestion you might have, being moms of smart daughters… Do you have any safety recommendation (e.g. are there any ‘blue lights’ or night-time shuttles around campus?)</p>
<p>My D is still debating between Tulane, UCSD and Wake Forest. This is so stressful. You may answer publicly or privately, I truly appreciate your time and feedback.</p>
<p>If she wants to stay out of the total party dorm environment, then she needs to avoid Monroe and Sharp. That leaves Wall (requires a separate application), Paterson, and Butler. Butler is the freshman honors dorm, but some non-honors students live there, especially if she can find a roommate that is honors who wants to live there.</p>
<p>The other freshman dorm is JL, which is all women. I know you said she wants to rule that out, but I will just relate that most women that end up there who hate the idea at first, end up loving it. Many of them appreciate having that sense of “refuge” and sisterhood, and many of the rooms have individual sinks. Given that classes tend to run 55-60% female, Tulane ends up having to put a lot of the young women in JL. My D was there 2nd year and she liked it very much.</p>
<p>Gigica - My D lives in one of the two total party dorms that fallenchemist mentions. My sense is that Sharp and Monroe are very similar in that way. That was what she wanted - she was interested in meeting a lot of freshman and living in a very social environment. She is now done with that and will be living in honors housing next year - with a number of her friends from her dorm - which she is very much looking forward to. She was pretty dubious about joining a sorority but seems to be really enjoying it now.</p>