New 2 Tulane Questions&Disability Questions

Colleges and Universities A-Z Tulane University
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<p>Hello..im a new member. I have scoured this forum and learned so much about tulane. Thanks to all who have contributed. Sorry if my qestions have been answered somewhere. Its overwhelmingly full of info and Im a little clutter minded these days.</p>

<p>My daughter was admitted with a Presidential Scholarship and invited into the Honors Program. We are excited..but I will be honest...she originally wanted an NE school - Small LAC or Ivy - and applied to Tulane based on a letter they sent her. No fee..no essays..possibility of merit money...seemed a no brainer to just send in her info. The more we read about Tulane and talk to people, who all seem to know someone that goes to Tulane and loves it, Tulane is seeming a top choice. </p>

<p>Questions....
My daughter is legally blind. We will need to speak with or visit the disabilities sevice office. Has anyone had experience with them? Or going to Tulane with a disability? She is a fantastic student and person who doesnt let this aspect of her impact her life, however...it has the potential to. She knows the accommodations she will need.</p>

<p>Along those lines...does anyone recollect if there are audio crossings or textured pavement at crossings? Are stairs marked with either textured pavement or bold striping? We will definitely visit but not sure if we can before the Honors Weekends. As her mom I worry about her safety...are the roads thru the campus busy & high speed? (We visited Wellesley last month and people drive like maniacs thru that campus and no marked crossings) </p>

<p>She was looking at schools maxing at about 2500 students. Her thought & hope was she would be in smaller classes and have more personal interaction with professors. Does participation in Tulane's Honors Program mean smaller classes..maybe a smaller community feel? Im a bit confused about that based on things I have heard and read here. </p>

<p>Also..we would like to plan a quick two night or so visit..where would the best place (convenience without a rental car, safe, nice, not too expensive but not cheap deal -looking to love the area! - place to stay be? On the streetcar route maybe? </p>

<p>Thank u for any and all replies,
CCM</p>

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<p>OK, various issues here. I am no expert on the disability accommodations, but the several students with disabilities I have talked with before (wheelchair access, deafness, never talked to anyone that was blind) have told me that Tulane tries hard to work with them and make sure that their needs are met. But it is an older campus in most areas and sometimes it can be difficult.</p>

<p>The campus is not heavy with car traffic at all. There is one somewhat major street (Freret) that divides the campus that has what I would call moderate traffic. It does have a crossing signal, but to the best of my knowledge it is not audio equipped. Perhaps Tulane would be willing to address that, I have no idea what it costs to modify a signal that way. The other street that divides the academic section and most of the housing from the athletic facilities part of the campus (Willow) is low traffic but has no signal, IIRC. This is the northern end of campus. Whether she would even use that part of campus mostly depends on if she would use the Reilly Center, where the workout facilities are. Otherwise there is only upperclassmen housing, the new football stadium, the baseball stadium, training facilities, and the parking garage for the most part. There is a coffee shop as well, but the main student center (LBC) is south of Willow.</p>

<p>As far as I can remember, there isn’t much in the way of textured stairs or pavement, etc. However, I can tell you that Tulane students are super friendly and I would be shocked if she couldn’t get assistance at any time. I guess it occurs to me that means it might lessen her sense of independence, I am not sure. Just trying to tell you the way it is there as best I can remember from that perspective. Obviously the disabilities office at Tulane can provide more info. There may be updates of which I am unaware.</p>

<p>The classes tend to be pretty small and the profs will definitely interact with her personally, but the Honors Program won’t make much difference in this regard. There are not really that many honors sections, but Tulane is closer to an LAC in feel than it is to a big state school or some of the larger privates.</p>

<p>As far as where to stay, right now the streetcar line in the area of campus is being repaired, so the streetcar now stops a couple of miles from campus (at Louisiana Street I think my D told me) and they run a bus up St. Charles the rest of the way. I have always liked the Hampton Inn on St. Charles for convenience, the streetcar runs right in front of it. There are some bed and breakfast places close to campus as well. But if you stay at the Hampton Inn you can easily check out Magazine Street also, and get a feel for what walking around New Orleans might be like for her. I think it is not the easiest city to walk for someone that is blind, because the trees are very old and the roots have made many sidewalks quite uneven. It is one of the charms of the city for most, but for a blind person might be difficult. You will just have to experience it for yourselves to know.</p>

<p>Finally, another resource you might find useful is the New Orleans Lighthouse for the Blind. [Lighthouse</a> For The Blind - Home](<a href=“Home | Lighthouse Louisiana”>http://www.lighthouselouisiana.org/) It is on the other side of Audubon Park from the campus and I would think they would have the most information about navigating New Orleans for the blind, probably even more than Tulane. Just my intuitive guess. Something to check out, anyway. Hope this was of some help. Let us know what you find out and experience, it might come up again in the future.</p>

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<p>Oh, and congrats on the very nice scholarship and all!! That is really great. If you do wait for Honors Weekend to go to New Orleans, you should still make your hotel reservations now. They tend to fill up fast.</p>

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<p>Thank you! :slight_smile: Ah… we love old and charming… but I understand about tree roots, uneven pavement etc… she will most likely have to use her white cane. </p>

<p>And thanks for letting me know about the lighthouse for the blind…and that it is located right there - that could be a great resource.</p>

<p>Every state is different and I was kind of surprised that our Midwest state seems to be a little ahead of the ADA game for VI accommodations than MA is. </p>

<p>OK…my visiting plan was to kind of try and get around without a car as my daughter will be doing if she attends TU. But maybe with the situation of the street car/bus it would just be easier and more convenient to rent a car. We are from a rural area and not used to public transportation anyway - I just kind of thought the streetcar reminds me of San Francisco and taking that there was pretty easy… So my next question, coming off a Massachusetts visit, where parking is a bear…Is parking difficult in the Tulane and/or NOLA area? I was looking on the Tulane Visitor Portal and the Park View Guest House looks to be a 2 min walk… maybe staying there and just walking to where we can would be the best for us… but I may feel too isolated without a vehicle. I’m not sure.</p>

<p>Any feedback on the Park View Guest House? I have never done a B&B but it looks charming…and maybe we’d be getting a real NOLA feel…we have stayed at Hampton Inns a lot and do like those also :)</p>

<p>And thanks for the heads up on the visitor weekends. I will look at hotels for that time frame so we don’t miss out. </p>

<p>CCM</p>

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<p>My advice is to not rent a car. It’s much easier to get around my streetcar/bus. We’ve been visiting NOLA for 20 years and have only rented a car once, and that was to drive out to the plantations. It will end up causing you more problems in the end. Never stayed at Prk View but it had good reviews on Yelp [Park</a> View Guest House - Uptown - New Orleans, LA](<a href=“http://www.yelp.com/biz/park-view-guest-house-new-orleans]Park”>http://www.yelp.com/biz/park-view-guest-house-new-orleans)</p>

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<p>Totally agree with dolphnlvr. The streetcar is a great way to go, and transferring to the bus while the Uptown portion is under repair is very easy. I have also heard good reviews of the Park View, but also have never stayed there. And yet another also, I have only rented a car once, when the extended family was there one time. Taxis are not too expensive either, since NOLA is a smallish city. There are almost always taxis at the corner of Willow and McAlister, close to the dorms and cafeteria. Also handy to just program United Cab into your phone and they get taxis there pretty quickly, usually. Cars are kind of a hassle in NOLA, IMO. But if you do decide to get one, the parking garage is in the north section of campus, near all the athletic facilities. I think you can get a temporary permit from campus police.</p>

<p>If she is seriously considering Tulane, as it appears she is, I would think about scheduling an extra day or even two just for yourselves, either the Saturday prior to Honors Weekend starting and/or the Tuesday after. That way you can take in Audubon Park, Magazine Street, some things like that and really get a feel for how it will work for her.</p>

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<p>We stayed at the Hampton Inn on Charles Street when we visited and I did not rent a car. Even though the streetcar does not go all the way to Tulane, the shuttle bus was very easy. We got a good rate at the Hampton Inn by booking on line through the link on the Tulane website.</p>

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<p>Thank you all so much for the great info and advice. I am going to give the Park View GH a try and no rental car. I think we will just do a fast visit next month to check out the campus etc and see if TU is still a top contender based on the visit…and when I book this trip tomorrow, I will also put something on a hold for the April Honors weekend. I was perusing a bit this afternoon and looks like plenty -including the Hampton Inn near TU are already sold out…we will probably stay downtown as a family…looking at the Lowes Hotel. If anyone has an opinion on better id love to hear it. Im leaning toward Lowes for the good room size and queen beds vs doubles (which are a deal breaker) </p>

<p>thank you :)</p>

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<p>The Lowes seems nice (I have had business colleagues stay there during conventions) and being downtown gives you a different perspective on New Orleans. It’s all good, you really need a week to even start to get a real feel for the city. So for a one or two day visit, no matter which area you choose to stay in you get a small peek into that side of things. You will mostly be busy at Tulane anyway, given the brevity of your visit. Let us know your schedule when it is nailed down and we can throw some dining suggestions at you, depending on where you will be at what times.</p>

<p>If you are going in January, as you say, I only suggest you do so when classes are back in session. As I am sure you already know, it is much harder to get a feel for a school when the students aren’t there. Tulane starts back Monday, January 13 but is off for MLK day Monday the 20th. Should you decide to push it into February, there are no days off that month. Mardi Gras isn’t until the beginning of March.</p>

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<p>Thanks for tne feedback re Lowes… yes…a 2 night 2 1/2 day visit wont include a lot of fun and sightseeing…maybe I can push it to three, but the purpose of this would just be a tour, meet with the disability serv office and just check out the over all feel of the place. When we were in MA we saw Wellesley, Amhurst, and Harvard…loved Wellesley (with a few reservations)and Harvard was ok…Amhurst…meh. We all (family of 4) were ready to leave after 15 minutes but we stuck out the 2 hour tour waiting 2b wowed…never happened. Its funny how you automatically just know if a school would be a fit. </p>

<p>I will post tomorrow what I end up booking for next month. Id love some dining ideas. This trip is a little out of my comfort zone. Im used to traveling with friends or family…not being “in charge” & I have my usual places I travel to…so any advice is greatly appreciated.</p>

<p>thanks</p>

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<p>No problem. There are several of us on here that love being New Orleans tour guides. It is such a great city.</p>

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<p>I’ve never stayed at Lowe’s but it’s a great location and we have spent a lot of time in their bar/restaurant! It’s a fun place- the restaurant has great desserts.Cafe Adelaide and the Swizzle Stick Bar- Part of the Brennan Family restaurant dynasty! It’s a short walk to the French Quarter too!</p>

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<p>We are booked! Mid January…just the quick 2 nights at the guest house this round…I also booked 5 nights at the Lowes hotel for the April Scholars Weekend…thanks FC and Dolpin 4 that feedback. My daughter and I are excited. She will contact the disab serv office and hopefully we can take a tour and meet with them. We also know somebody who knows somebody who is a student at TU and we will (hopefully) get to meet up with him also :slight_smile: </p>

<p>I am booking a town car I think for airport tansfers…and then im going to have to read up a bit on the streetcar/bus…believe me this will be an adventure for us.</p>

<p>:)</p>

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<p>You will do great, and definitely ask for information while there. Locals are extremely friendly. That would be great if you can have a current Tulane student show you around as well. Do you want to stay Uptown to eat this trip, or do you want to try a restaurant in the Quarter or Business District, both downtown? Basically the FQ is on one side of Canal Street, the Central Business District on the other. The old warehouse area, which is in the latter, has many fine restaurants, as does the FQ naturally. Of course this is NOLA, so there are great places to eat all over. There are at least half a dozen truly excellent ones Uptown. Depends on price too, of course.</p>

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<p>When people ask for recommendations of where to eat, it’s easier to list where NOT to eat! You have to work hard to find a bad meal in NOLA. I’m excited for you and your daughter and hope you have a wonderful trip and find Tulane to be accommodating. Be sure to report back what you find out about Disability and accessibility services at Tulane. I’m sure it will come in helpful for others! If nothing else FC will be able to add to his encyclopedia of Tulane!</p>

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<p>Hello again, my wonderful tour guides…</p>

<p>heres my basics…we fly into msy arriving about 240pm on a Thursday. Planning to town car to Park View Guest House…check in…dump our bags and then head out…not sure what time this will be but probably late afternoon. What do you think we should do from there? </p>

<p>Friday we do want to concentrate on TU…a tour…meeting with disability svc…possibly meeting with someone involved in the music dept, Music would jot be my daughter’s major but involvement in music is a top priority for her. </p>

<p>We fly home about 430pm Saturday afternoon. I plan again to towncar transfer from PVGH to MSY.</p>

<p>I havent had a lot of time yet to focus on this trip but in spare time I have been reading the wonderful blog linked on this forum…admissions officer Jeff writes…I saw his things to do articles and it seems there is plenty within walking distance…true? Maybe we should just stick around the campus area of NOLA? As it seems we are so crunched for time…? </p>

<p>I opened my pantry yesterday and loled…as cafe du monde beignet mix stared at me…we had been to disneyland last summer and enjoyed!! Ralph b jazz kitchen in DTD…loved those beignets and I bought the souvenir mix…my daughter would love to hit cafe du monde…but not sure its feasible…fyi…we love spicy food…but neither of us are much for seafood. </p>

<p>Thanks for ideas and suggestions on dining…plans…anything. </p>

<p>:)</p>

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<p>You should have a good amount of time Thursday afternoon to venture to the French Quarter. Go for dinner and hit up Cafe Dumonde for dessert, maybe take in the first set at Preservation Hall and either take the streetcar or cab it back to the Guest House depending on your comfort zone. Friday after spending the day at Tulane you could enjoy dinner at one of the many restaurants up in that area. Saturday you do a brunch before you have to hit the airport. (Mojito’s Rum Bar does a Saturday Jazz Brunch. I’ve never been but it comes highly recommended. )</p>

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<p>I am going to suggest a bit different plan. Since you are staying Uptown this trip and coming back in April to stay downtown (unless she rules out Tulane, heaven forbid!!), I would focus on Uptown this time and take in more of the FQ and other parts of that area of New Orleans next time. Especially since your stay this time is rather short.</p>

<p>With that in mind, there are several good restaurants in the vicinity. Dante’s Kitchen, Upperline, Dick & Jenny’s, Clancy’s, Jacques Imo’s, La Petite Grocery, Pascal’s Manale, …That is already far more than you can possibly hit. But you have time to look into them and see what strikes your fancy. If you want a local po’ boy, Domilise’s is a good choice. I guess breakfast will be served at the Park View. And I suppose you will want to see what lunch is like on campus. Tulane might provide you with passes to Bruff, or you can eat at the LBC, which has both chain and local food, about a dozen or so choices. If not, there is a crepe place at the corner of Zimple and Broadway, especially if the weather is good enough to eat outside (80 degrees in New Orleans today!!). And of course everyone should try out the Camillia Grill, a local institution.</p>

<p>If the weather is good on Saturday you can walk through Audubon Park. I wasn’t sure if you were going to stop by the lighthouse or not. It is walkable by going through the park and down Magazine, but it is a healthy walk. Anyway, lots of choices and once you narrow down where you will be when, exactly, you can get out a map and probably kill two birds with one stone, so to speak. Like seeing Magazine Street and eating at a place nearby as well. Whatever works.</p>

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<p>Oh I totally forgot about the crepe place! Good Call!</p>

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<p>I cannot forget about it, my D adores it. Not that I don’t like it too! And so convenient.</p>