<p>Did everyone get this?</p>
<p>I sent them my SAT scores before Katrina and basically lost interest after that.
Yesterday, I actually went to New Orleans and fell in love with Tulane all over again. It's my #2 choice right now, but are the chances of getting into Tulane harder than they were because of the easy application process? Are there fewer highly qualified students applying because of the hurricane situation, or is it still a highly competitive application process?</p>
<p>And does anyone know if the amount of scholarships they're giving out have gone down?</p>
<p>There's still time to apply to Tulane - the deadline is February 1st. I'm not sure how the admission process is going. I've heard that they have more applicants, but I"m sure it's going to be tough for them to predict what their yield will be. As for scholarships, I believe the will still offer the same amount of scholarships.</p>
<p>The Tulane undergraduate admissions website has a message board with admissions reps answering questions.</p>
<p>I think the application process will be harder, but Tulane will be looking more at people who will ENROLL. So show interest! </p>
<p>Could you tell us a bit about how everything seems over there? I'm considering Tulane (I just got my acceptance on Friday!), but I'm worried about how Katrina would affect campus life. I know the campus is OK -- but how is the AREA? Are there still things to do? This may sound harsh, but living in New Orleans isn't really that fun anymore I imagine.</p>
<p>I'm the parent of a current freshman, and my son is extremely happy to be back in NOLA and at Tulane specifically. He is in demanding but great classes, and he is in four extracurricular activities, three campus-based. He's doing one based on his major and one that is based on community service (which some people who have posted here will deride, and if you do not want to do any community service, then Tulane is NOT for you since some service will be a requirement in the future). Two other ECs for him are copoeira, an African-Brazilian martial art, and Ultimate Frisbee. There are dozens of other campus-based activities, and the new student center will be open in 2006. More student housing will also be available in the future, and from now on, incoming classes will live on campus for two years rather than one. </p>
<p>All that is to say that on-campus life is more important and richer than ever at Tulane. The parts of the city that students went to for fun are still there, and many places are already open. More will be soon. The parts that need students to help them are getting help now (including my son and many others who go there by choice). We were there for three days at Orientation Deja Vu, and the campus looks beautiful already. The students, staff and faculty are amazingly friendly and supportive and delighted to be back where they want to be.</p>
<p>I went to two huge public unis, and I never knew what I was missing. I am so happy that my son is at Tulane, I can't tell you. The difference is astonishing. That's my contribution from a parent's perspective.</p>
<p>Your mileage may vary.</p>
<p>Going into NOLA was kind of shaky. The outskirts still had blue roofs (the plastic that covers the damaged roofs. I'm not sure if you've ever been through a hurricane or not...) and there were temporary dumps.</p>
<p>But when we got in to New Orleans, it wasn't like anything was different. Sure, it was dirty, but what is New Orleans without dirt? </p>
<p>On St. Charles, it didn't even look like Hurricane Katrina happened! The Tulane campus was still as beautiful as ever, without any obvious construction, besides on the inside of the buildings.</p>
<p>I didn't get a chance to go to the French Quarter or Bourbon St- but I've heard those weren't affected that much either. I was basically in the business district and there was a little construction, but again it wasn't too noticeable or jarring. </p>
<p>There were fewer people, but I wasn't sure if that was just because it wasn't tourist season or because of the hurricane.</p>
<p>Either way, New Orleans seems to have gotten through most of the main areas. I think it was mostly homes and the 9th ward that were affected, but that's not what most people see or visit when they go to NOLA.</p>
<p>themagster-</p>
<p>when did you send in your application? and what were your SAT scores etc? </p>
<p>i have a 1310/1960 SAT
4.45 weight./ 3.77 uw GPA
i'm in a lot of clubs and an officer in about 6 of them (including co-president of the energy club)</p>
<p>would this be competitive enough?
i think a lot of people applied to tulane thinking it'd be easier to get in even with their lower stats. but i don't have a very good idea of what it's like now. what were yours?</p>
<p>Tulane has extended the application deadline and this despite claiming applications are up 20%. However a good chunk of those apps are probably not very serious ones. You could apply online, for free, and did not need an essay. The fact that the deadline is being extended strongly suggests they expect a drop in yield - probably based on early deposits.</p>
<p>As for merit and other financial aid that is an interesting question. I have not heard of too many kids being rejected or waitlisted. Even in normal times Tulane admissions is pretty numbers driven with the main number being SAT score. They accept pretty much anybody with good scores and expect to lose most of them to higher ranked schools. Yield is usually around 20%. They may be gathering more apps and extending deadlines this year because they are planning on offering less merit money and so expect yield to drop further. If that is the case they may not be lowering standards just lowering their tuition discount and expected yield.</p>
<p>As for housing and the administrations announce intent to require two years in campus housing the only way they could do that would be to throw out the upper-classment on campus. Pre-katrina there were 3500 beds on campus and one of the dorms (for marries students) was destroyed beyond repair. Their is also not really any place to expand on campus housing. The dormitory under cronstruction is replacing one that was torn down (and which was included in the 3500 bed count) and will not be ready before fall 2008. Entering freshmen classes have been about 1700 so you do the math.</p>
<p>The administration has brought in FEMA trailers and leased a cruise ship but the ship will probably be gone by Fall and the FEMA trailers I believe are at least partially occupied by faculty and staff. The good news is since they have ****-canned two thirds of the graduate programs you won't have to compete with nearly as many grad students for off campus housing. The bad news is you may have to compete with a vast influx of undocumented workers for it.</p>
<p>Tulane is not going to be the school it was but if you know what you are interested in and it is not one of the ones that dropped its graduate programs then it could be a good choice. On the other hand if it was one of the departments that was on the chopping block (Engineering, English, Economics, Political Sciense, Sociology, French) you might want to look elsewhere. Faculty has already started hitting the bricks in those disciplines.</p>
<p>Having no intention of getting to an argument, I can only advise you to go to the uni's own website and inform yourselves to avoid basing a decision on bad information here.</p>
<p>ctymomteacher: While the web site was informative, it's probably more than a little biased. I'm just asking around ;)</p>
<p>fromdistantstar:<br>
My stats were </p>
<p>SAT: 600M 760V 780W (11 essay)
SAT II: 750 (French w/ Listen) 710 (Lit)
GPA: 3.7UW 3.8W<br>
Rank: 60/380
Classes: Total of 7 APs (5 classes though), as many gifted/advanced classes I can take
ECs: Varsity Swimming, French Club, Violin, run a freelance web design company, run a Mariah Carey fan club, etc. </p>
<p>Good luck!!!! </p>
<p>I have a question: Do you hear for scholarships when you get your acceptance letter? Or would it come later?</p>
<p>My son received his DSA offer in the same envelope in which his acceptance letter arrived. His Honors Program offer came a bit later.</p>
<p>You may well be correct about bias on the website. My only thought was about info regarding the buying of apartment buildings in the area, moving modular housing in and the like. I know these things are happening, but I don't have solid information (exact numbers) on the extent to which they have happened and are going to continue to happen, and I do not want you to be misled by poor or sketchy information.</p>
<p>The merit awards usually either come with the accepteance letter or shortly thereafter with the exception of the DHS which is a full tuition scholarship that requires a separate application process. Notification on that is later.</p>
<p>Your numbers would have been pretty much a shoe in for some merit aid the last couple of years. Let us know how it goes.</p>
<p>Since Katrina the school has dropped 27 PhD programs, eliminated Newcomb College and its dean, Tulane College and its dean, The School of Engineering, The Faculty of the Liberal Arts and Sciences and its dean, the separate Graduate School and its dean, the dean of the medical School has quit, and the deans of the School of Architecture and Business are new within the last year. So everything is going swimmingly and according to the BuRP (Bold University Renewal Plan) of our esteemed and highly respected leaders. No word at the moment on the status of the 10 year strategic plan (we are in the 8th year) which will catapult us into the top 25 in the US News and World report rankings and top our endowment off at $1 Billion but BuRP is going to make us World Class and a "beacon of learning and research for the region and nation." Not sure what we were before Katrina, swiss cheese maybe.</p>
<p>Anyway NOLA is still the most interesting city in America. Tulane will still have some excellent departments, the campus is in good shape, and if worse comes to worse and they cut your major in BuRP II you can always transfer to Loyola which is literally right next door.</p>
<p>And one example of the flip side is that, the Engineering school having been collapsed into the School of Science and Engineering, my son can now easily double major in neuroscience and biomedical engineering, which the faculty members he spoke to at Orientation Deja Vu a couple of weeks ago told him he could not have done without great difficulty until now. There are many unfortunate sides to what has happened, of course. There are also some positive sides. That is why I still suggest you try to do some fact-finding of your own. I can offer only the very positive experience our family has had and continues to have. I cannot say why the poster above is as cynical as he or she is. There is, no doubt, some reason for it. Perhaps a straightforward explanation would uncover a bias. Perhaps not. You deserve facts from some source or another if you are to make a good decision.</p>
<p>I would second the above posters recommendation that "you deserve facts" and have endeavored to provide you with some. You should of course consider possible biases and prejudicies when weighing any alleged facts. While a statement may be factually true its presentation may serve to distort its import, relevance, and meaning.</p>
<p>For the record I am the father of a Tulane junior and have had perhaps a little more experience with the school than the parent of a freshman whose child doubtless spent the first semester elsewhere. That greater experience may have affected my views on the school or the administration of the school. I may be biased. In fact I would hope I would be by this time. Bias is not a bad thing if it is based on something more than Pollyannaism or willful misanthropy.</p>
<p>Wow--okay, I may recognize the poster now. I won't get into anything here.</p>
<p>I hope you can make a good decision for yourself.</p>
<p>Respectfully, ctymom, I was once a HUGE Tulane cheerleader. I would defend Tulane to the death. That was until my son's college and major was cut in the restructuring, and I was forced to take a couple of steps back. I now have a different view. S is now at another school, as many others will be next fall. I think the real story will be in the number of returning students next fall. The story could swing either way. Either Scott Cowen and the board are brilliant, or they aren't. However, I think anyone that is looking at spending $40+k/yr should get the facts as best they can. </p>
<p>Definitely, the initiative taken by Save Tulane Engineering has been to preserve the College of Engineering. Some of the things posted on their website are biased towards that end. However, one thing posted on the website is a letter from the American Association of University Professors to Scott Cowen. I think the letter addresses quite eloquently the concerns of the association. The letter can be found on the mission statement and blog pages. <a href="http://www.savetulaneengineering.org%5B/url%5D">www.savetulaneengineering.org</a> </p>
<p>I read that at the Newcomb meeting, there was mention of 1 prof that had resigned prior to Dec. 8th and 44 that resigned after the announcement. Not insignificant if true. Perhaps a student that attended the meeting can verify or dispute the statement.</p>
<p>I do know that Tulane's marketing strategy has changed significantly. My son was shocked to hear that you could apply online with no essay. A friend's son has received 6 letters since Christmas touting everything from the Law School to the restructuring and he receives almost daily emails. D was told by seniors in band that everyone was getting offers to apply free online from Tulane. Oversaturation has made them seem desperate in their eyes. Perhaps word will reach admissions, and they will reduce their contact to a reasonable amount.</p>
<p>Yes, there are questions that exist for some. Some will love Tulane with all its warts. After all, every school has its imperfections. My son certainly loved Tulane his freshman year. CC exists as a means for pros and cons to be discussed. I have refrained from saying very much since my son's transfer, but I do have to say that given the actions of the administration, even more than the effects of Katrina, prospective students and their cost toting parents have reason to ask questions. If their questions are answered to their satisfaction, and they choose Tulane, I am truly happy for them, and I hope that their college experience will be everything they had hoped for. Meanwhile, I think it is reasonable to assume their will be hard questions asked and folks lining up on both sides of the fence.</p>
<p>As the old saying goes, "it all depends on who's ox is being gored." My son is soph., so I have had more experience than some, less than others.</p>
<p>There is no doubt that Tulane is in flux in some regard. There have been changes, and there will be more changes. But, the basic question that each student must ask of any school still remains: what is there at ___ U. for me. Only research and individual decision-making can properly answer that.</p>
<p>It is understandable that students and parents of students from affected disciplines are dissapointed, or worse, in the changes. I am sure i would feel the same way if I was in that position. Yet, I do think it is too early to pass jusgment on the intentions and motives of those who brought about those changes. I, personally, have not seen or heard anything that would lead me to believe that those changes were the result of any animus towards any student, or class of students. Only time will tell whether the changes will be succesful for the U. But, the one fact that cannot be ignored is that in the face of an unprecedented disater, something had to be done.</p>
<p>I know this is an emotional issue for all involved, and I just ask that we keep this discussion fact based, and not personal. It is not easy to be both a mod and a Tulane parent, but I am trying hard to be even-handed.</p>
<p>CD</p>
<p>I'm not leading ANY cheers, along. Neither am I denigrating your own experience. I am truly sorry for it. The same thing has happened to a friend. But I will continue to insist on balance. I'm tired of hearing all over the internet about how crappy things are in NOLA when it just isn't true of everything. Yes, some things have happened at Tulane (NOLA's largest private employer) that have had harmful effects on some people. That doesn't mean everything is down the toilet. If no one is willing to say anything truthfully positive when people **** and moan, then the public illusion will harm all the people of Tulane and NOLA in the long run.</p>
<p>BTW, the on-line, no-essay application is not new. My son applied that way last year. In fact, he was repeatedly invited to do so, was pursued in that way until he finally read the brochure and discovered that Tulane offered his relatively rare major of choice. That application procedure was already offered for those with high test scores. If it is now offered to others, then that is a change, but the type of application itself should not be a shocker.</p>
<p>Concerneddad, I so agree. Only time will tell.</p>
<p>Somehow we got off topic of the OP; but since we are there, I would like to reply. My son is a senior at Tulane and is so happy to be back "home." He was miserible living at home last semester and going to school. This was his senior year; he had great plans. I can tell you that Katrina has really affected him in a way I can't describe. Not true depression, but he had a major loss. Yes, he is better; but sometimes I hear in his voice on the phone that Tulane/New Orleans isn't what it once was. He is having trouble but is super happy to be back among friends/family.</p>
<p>I have another child that has thought about attending Tulane. I have said no. Why? Not because I don't think highly of Tulane; I am not ready to see another child of mine be crushed when their school has to close. I am afraid that if Tulane doesn't get the students it needs, doesn't keep the faculty it needs, doesn't receive the money it needs, the school might not be there for the entire 4 years. Silly maybe, but I need to have a plan B; what would you do if the doors of Tulane had to shut for good? </p>
<p>This same senior son has his preschool close with no advance warning. He came home the day of Thanksgiving break with a note pinned to his shirt-the school was closing for good. No one saw that coming and we had a hard time finding a preschool the following week. No preschool in the area wanted to take these kids because they were hoping his school could get back on it's feet. They didn't want to steal students; does this sound familar? Well in 4 weeks the school had a new buyer and director and they hired his teacher, so we returned, but even at the age of 3 my son had a hard time. </p>
<p>So, will Tulane rise to the occasion? I sure hope so; but my youngest won't be the guinea pig. This family has been burned twice; not looking for the third.</p>