Hi, I’m stuck between choosing NYU and Tulane as my first choice school. I’m going to major in psychology, and I also like music/orchestra.
Tulane I like because I’ve never been to the South for longer than a few days and I think it seems interesting because I love travel. Plus they’ve sent me an email offering me up to $32,000, priority consideration, free application, and an interview with an alum if I’d like. They also seem to have very specialized psychology programs and freedom in academics which is nice.
I like NYU because it’s in a very liberal area. I also used to live in New York, so not only am I familiar with the area and do I have family there unlike Tulane, but I miss it a lot. I also like that it’s a bigger school. I like it more for the city itself than for the actual school, but I also really like their psychology program.
Does anyone have any advice?
I attended Tulane and stayed in touch with the city over the years, though I am not very familiar with NYU. Tulane, esp post-Katrina, has the ability to be an island in the nice area of New Orleans, but the rest of the city and its culture is VERY accessible should you choose to look around. NYU is a more urban campus and not as self-contained from the surrounding area, which likely means you will feel far more of a “campus community feel” at Tulane. NYU is in NYC, which is probably the big draw. Academically they are effectively equal in a general sense.
My daughter got the same email from Tulane recently.
I wonder how many people receive it and how her name came to their attention.
Tulane sounds like they have actually developed an interest in you as an applicant, so I would weigh that more heavily.
Lots of students seem much more enamored with New York than NYU itself. I don’t necessarily think that’s a great reason to go there, as you can live in New York later without going to NYU. New Orleans is also a pretty liberal area even though it’s in the South.
My advice is that you don’t really need to specify a first-choice school (unless you’re doing it for National Merit purposes, but it’s too early for that).
Keep in mind that resources in New York for psychology internships, off campus lectures, and graduate study can’t be beat. I’d also enter weather disasters in my deliberation of geographical location.
Unless you have to, for reasons you haven’t declared, there is almost no advantage to having a “first choice” or favorite school. The feeling has to be mutual and you’re only half the equation.
Why not apply to both, and see how the finances shake out? There’s no reason to decide now on a first choice.-- and even less of a reason last June.
NY and New Orleans are totally different places in so very many ways. Once you have two acceptances and financial packages in hand you can decide where you really want to go.
Doesn’'t Tulane have EA? Apply to both
They are both great schools, but Tulane will have better financial aid. The letter you receive is an advertising, don’t take it on its face value, your amount of aid is going to be determined After your application is received.
If you are full pay for NYU then you have plenty of options. The Tulane package is called marketing but it is a free application. Pretty much any student with an address they could harvest will have had one.