<p>“Ok – so I have a lot of questions about Tulane, so bear with me. First, I want your opinion on which school you think is better academically. I am deciding between attending Tulane or Boston University for next year. Right now, I am leaning towards Tulane because it would be an actual real college experience for me – new environment, city, friends, social scene etc. I live 30 minutes from Boston, so obviously I am quite aware of Boston already, and my sister already goes to college in Boston as well. Does this argument make sense for getting a real college experience?”</p>
<p>Yes, this makes sense. If you feel like you would enjoy leaving home and experiencing something new, you will likely thrive in your new environment and have a great college experience. I’m sure you would also find your niche at BU, but if it feels “too close for comfort,” which you seem to imply, then why not branch out!?</p>
<p>“How do Tulane and BU compare academically? I am curious about getting into the honors program after my freshman year (is this even possible? I read that you have to just get a 3.6 GPA, is that true?) And what does the honors program even do for you when you’re interviewing for a job, in comparison to just the regular academic program? And how much merit does a Tulane education have for people looking for jobs. I’m looking to go into political science or political economy at Tulane, so hopefully the good law program will benefit me to potential employers.”</p>
<p>I’m not qualified to answer this because I don’t know anything about BU, but from the little I know, the two schools are likely on par academically. You can get into the honors program after your first year if you earn a 3.6. The honors program offers you the ability to take special courses that are marked honors (sometimes just an “honors” section of a course that also offers regular sections) and colloquium. I don’t really think it carries much weight in a job interview other than the fact that you have to maintain a high GPA to stay in honors and write the honors thesis, therefore probably making you a qualified candidate. And of course, if you stick around long enough to write an honors thesis, I would imagine that might look impressive to future employers or grad schools, depending on your field of study. From what I know (no personal experience, but I have some close friends who study Political Science and one who studies Political Econ), the department has some excellent faculty and is very strong overall.</p>
<p>“Now for the social scene:
Which dorms are the best for guy socializing? How about for studying? And what dorm do Tulane students think is most conducive for having fun, and most importantly, getting good grades? I’m not sure which kind of dorm to pick yet, because I’m not sure if I want to study a lot or party, but any kind of input is great. Once again, I’m looking to transfer into the honors program, so will I be able to have a social life while maintaining the necessary required GPA for the honors program?”</p>
<p>I had an atypical freshman dorm experience, living in JL (all-female) for 1 semester and moving into Wall my second. If you are a social creature, I would advise Sharp or Monroe. I liked Wall a lot, but it wasn’t exactly a party scene (though not too quiet either). Sharp and Mo tend to be the party dorms, but as you will hear from other students, that does NOT mean that serious students don’t live there. In fact, I would venture to say that most students at Tulane take school seriously (even if they don’t let on ;)). Many students have to maintain a GPA in order to keep a scholarship.</p>
<p>“And where do people usually party? Does it change from your year? Are most parties on-campus or at bars and such. And what happens if your underage and want to go to a bar? I’m guessing people get Fake ID’s? But isn’t the city of New Orleans really relaxed on alcohol. I heard that they condone people who have open containers in public areas, which is illegal in most other states.”</p>
<p>It changes somewhat from year to year, but there are the static bars (Boot, bars on Maple St…) that remain popular. I think the social scene at Tulane is great because there is a dynamic mix of parties… people go to bars frequently, but there are also frat parties, and sometimes dorm parties (though I think probably less frequently than at schools in cities with more stringent drinking policies). New Orleans may be “relaxed” on alcohol, but don’t let that fool you… you can still get an MIP if you aren’t careful. You don’t need a fake unless you want to buy alcohol at a liquor store or party downtown frequently (which is unpopular). Most bars uptown are 18+. </p>
<p>“What are the benefits of joining a frat? Do you get a better social life than people who are social, but aren’t in a frat? If your in a frat, do you usually spend less time on your studies? Am I limited socially if I don’t want to join a frat? and when do people actually join the frats?”</p>
<p>Coming from the perspective of a sorority member, I think greek life has positively altered my social life at Tulane. Sororities have mixer parties with frats, which non-greeks cannot attend, as opposed to frat parties which are open to everyone. You will only spend less time on your studies if you choose to prioritize that way. Personally, social life, including my sorority, comes second to school for me. Rush occurs in the spring, so you will have a semester to look around and get a feel for things before you decide to join.</p>
<p>“And for studies – when is the requirement for declaring a major? Is it better to know which major you want going into freshman year so you can plan out your schedule and get ahead in your field? And is it getting late for class-sign up for the class of 2015? I don’t want to be so late that I don’t get my first choice classes, sorry. And what are the requirements like for all incoming freshman? I remember it being the core curriculum, but I’m not completely sure.”</p>
<p>Students have to declare a major before the end of sophomore year. It would probably be helpful if you have an IDEA of what you want to study, or if you can narrow it down between liberal arts, science, public health, business, but this isn’t necessary, especially if you come in with some AP/IB credit. I switched my major 3 times (from a science major, to lib arts, back to a different science major with a different liberal arts second major!) and will have no problem completing all of my requirements while taking a reasonable number of credit hours. Just be mindful of the requirements and be thinking about what interests you. Freshmen who aren’t in the honors program don’t register until the summer orientation sessions. If you don’t go to orientation, I think you register on July 1st or something. You can start looking at the class schedule now if you think that would help you. Classschedule.tulane.edu is the web address. Freshmen have to take english1010 (unless you pass out of it with AP/IB credit) and TIDES. Other stuff you have to take includes humanities, social science, fine arts, lab science, math, and foreign language. There is a link somewhere to the core requirements by school, if you search tulane’s website for core requirements I bet you’ll find it.</p>
<p>“And finally, this question is the weirdest of all. Some of my friends suggested looking online at Facebook albums to see what a real party is like at your potential school. Does this strange method sound even remotely reasonable? Will that give you the party scene?”</p>
<p>It doesn’t sound unreasonable, but you may get a skewed perspective by doing this. Everyone parties differently, not everyone takes pictures while they are out. What will the pictures show you? Bars, booze, maybe live music… I’m not sure exactly how these would be different from other college party pictures. You can try if you want to though :)</p>
<p>“are the libraries where most students study at tulane? I remember visiting a four story library that seemed pretty good for studying. is this library always quiet, and does have air conditioning? do the dorms have air conditioning too?”</p>
<p>People study in the library, at the student center, in PJs (coffee shop), in study lounges in the dorms and in their dorm rooms. It depends on your preference! I like to study at the library, and it’s definitely a popular choice. There are quiet areas, and also a few areas where group collaboration/talking is appropriate. EVERYTHING on campus is highly air conditioned. Every time I leave the library I feel like I’ve been in an ice box!</p>
<p>“also what is the weather like. I heard there was two weeks of winter and is it really humid during early fall…”</p>
<p>Weather is variable. This year “winter” was about a month long, the year before I think it was cold for a little longer. Either way though it is definitely mild, especially compared to northern winters. Fall, spring, and summer are humid and generally hot. It’s been in the 80s for the past few weeks here, though today it’s “FRIGID” with a high in the 60s. The weather is definitely something that makes this school great, and I suspect it’s one reason that the student body is generally so happy. Good weather means spending more time outside and enjoying all that New Orleans has to offer.</p>
<p>Hope that helps.</p>