<p>So right now, Tulane is my top choice and I've already been accepted. As a prospective MechE major, I'm VERY interested in this program and I already emailed a representative of the program to discuss it. But in the meantime, I just have a few questions:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>If I'm already accepted to Tulane and listed engineering as my potential major, does this mean I'm guaranteed to be able to participate in the dual degree program? </p></li>
<li><p>There's no separate application for the dual degree program is there? I'm just nervous I might not be able to participate in it b/c I didn't know there was a separate app or something.</p></li>
<li><p>I'll be visiting soon but just wondering about study abroad opportunities in regards to engineering. I really am an idiot when it comes to study abroad programs so I'm not sure how it works; can my financial aid award be used to pay for studying abroad?</p></li>
</ol>
<p>1) I assume you are talking about the 3+2 programs with Vandy and Johns Hopkins. Yes, that is a guaranteed acceptance. They don’t list minimum GPA requirements, that would be something I would check out. But presumably as long as you are in good standing academically for the graduation track and your physics major, along with being in good standing non-academically (i.e. not on probation), you can pick either of those schools.</p>
<p>2) I do not believe there is a separate application. I know there is not going in as a freshman. If anything, it would be something you file when you declare your physics major any time in your first 2 years.</p>
<p>3) There is a study abroad office that can walk you through all the steps, just do NOT procrastinate, but instead start the process early in your sophomore year. Rumor has it that the study abroad office is understaffed when Tulane put on a hiring freeze. I think that is one area they might let up and allow a new hire, but in any case be proactive. Yes, your merit award applies to study abroad fees.</p>
<p>As always, never hurts to double check all these things, but I am 97+% sure on these. Unless something has changed, which is always possible. Not likely for these, but possible.</p>
<p>Hey fallenchemist, I just got a reply from Dr. Wee over at the School of Engineering so I figured I’d post a follow-up to clarify.</p>
<p>She said that there IS a separate application for the program, but it should be filled out at the earliest your sophomore year so no need to rush. She also said that it would be best to contact one of the academic advisors of the program asap to make sure you’re on the right track. </p>
<p>I asked if there was a quota on the number of students enrolling in the prgram and she said no. I’m going to ask for clarification about how selective it is too I guess</p>
<p>I would be really careful about attending Tulane with the expectation of being able to transfer to Vandy or Hopkins engineering. It is a sweet deal and seems almost too good to be true.</p>
<p>The reason I caution you on this is that my son was accepted to Tulane, but waitlisted at Vandy and rejected at Hopkins. I would be very surprised if he was able to transfer over to Vandy or Hopkins after attending Tulane to participate in the dual engineering program.</p>
<p>It would be wonderful if you could do this, but I just wouldn’t take it for granted.</p>
<p>Montegut - It is an established program, it isn’t a transfer. I have corresponded directly with Dean Altiero on this topic. Tulane and the other two schools have an agreement that if a Tulane student meets the requirements I outlined in my above post, Vandy and Hopkins will take that student so they can study engineering for two years. The student will have a physics degree from Tulane and an engineering degree from the other school.</p>
<p>I guess you could say it is one of those rare cases where what seems too good to be true none-the-less is true.</p>
<p>Once again, fallenchemist is correct.
My son is in this program. I think the biggest challenge is to first finish the program in three years and still be in the Physics program. As it turns out, it requires a lot of hard work to meet this schedule. At the moment my son, a sophomore, needs to take some additional summer courses at UCB (we live in the Bay area) in order to finish the Tulane program on time before going over to Vandy or JHU.</p>
<p>I looked into the program before my student entered Tulane (although he is not going into engineering) and I believe that there are only certain engineering degrees you can receive from the two schools IN THIS PROGRAM. JHU offers an environmental engineering degree and Vandy offers engineering degrees in 4 areas: civil, mechanical, electrical, ? some thing else. That is something to keep in mind. And yes, you get the physics degree from Tulane. I think it sounds like a great program - 5 years - three at Tulane and two at the other campus!</p>
<p>NYBuck - You are correct but JHU offers a full array of engineering disciplines. [Johns</a> Hopkins University Whiting School of Engineering](<a href=“http://engineering.jhu.edu/undergraduate-majors-minors/]Johns”>http://engineering.jhu.edu/undergraduate-majors-minors/) The program, however, limits the student to engineering degrees Tulane does not offer. Since Tulane only offers Chemical, Biomedical, and Engineering Physics, those degrees cannot be earned at Vandy or JHU through this program. Here is a quote from an article describing the program:</p>
<p>We didn’t take the dual engineering program into consideration because son intends to study biomedical engineering. Since Tulane offers this degree, he would not have the option to transfer to Hopkins or Vanderbilt. If one wants to pursue another engineering discipline and have the Tulane experience, it would be a good option. Good luck!</p>
<p>If you have one of the merit scholarships renewable for 4 years, do you lose it the fourth year if you do this program and attend either Vanderbilt or JH? It looks like this program is relatively new so I couldn’t find the answer.</p>
<p>That’s an excellent question, never thought about that. You should write to Dean Altiero and ask him. Let us know what he says if you don’t mind.</p>
<p>Thank you for all the responses guys, especially fallenchemist. Anyways, there’s just one thing I’m really hesitant about. I’ve just about committed to Tulane but I’m also completely set on majoring in mechanical engineering, or at least an engineering that isn’t offered at Tulane but is at JHU/Vandy. The lady I emailed (Dr. Wee) said that you do have to apply separately but you have an aacademic coach and whatnot to make sure you’re on the right track. But I seriously don’t want to screw myself over by spending three years at Tulane and realizing in the 3rd year that I can’t get into the program…that would seriously suck. I don’t even know what I’d do</p>
<p>JDong - Certainly contact Dr. Kaplan as you said in your other post, or Dean Altiero if you want. He has always answered my e-mails promptly. But I think when Dr. Wee says you apply separately what was meant was that there is separate paperwork, which you would expect. To the best of my knowledge, both JHU and Vandy guarantee a spot to physics majors in good standing from Tulane that apply to the program, and that all who have wanted to participate in the program so far have been able to.</p>
<p>It is natural to be apprehensive about these things, and no one knows more than I about administrative mistakes at Tulane regarding special programs (long story and long time ago). But try to relax a little, and continue to be proactive in getting your questions answered. Especially use e-mail and write to Dr. Kaplan and/or Dean Altiero and have them (hopefully) put your mind at ease sooner rather than later.</p>
<p>Does anyone have any information about recent grads from EP program at Tulane, better yet if you are a recent grad? I understand they have a program to place EP students in local industry as interns to add in senior projects, etc. how did that work, was the employment experience related to studies? What about the transition to JH or Vandy in the 3+1 or +2 format? What is the value added to receive a BS in EP just to get a discipline degree elsewhere? Why not just go straight to a JH or Vandy for that kind of money? These are things I would need to consider before I invest in sending my family to a college to earn a professional degree.
TheCzar35</p>
<p>I cannot answer the first part of your question, and I encourage you to write to Dean Altiero and ask him directly for examples of both people and placements regarding the 3+2 program. With luck he will set up a correspondence between you and a current or recent participant that can relate their experience.</p>
<p>With regard to the last question, however, there are a number of reasons someone might go to Tulane first rather than straight to Vandy or JHU. The most obvious is they might not have gotten accepted to either of those schools, but did get accepted to Tulane. Another is they may have gotten a significant merit scholarship from Tulane, thus making “that kind of money” far less. If, for example, they got the $25,000 per year scholarship that would be $75,000 over 3 years, more than the cost of one extra year for the value of getting two degrees from fine schools. There is some value in the impression that would make on potential employers, I would think, not to mention the personal satisfaction throughout one’s life. They may want the experience of being at Tulane and in New Orleans for 3 years and then the different experience of being elsewhere. Finally, there is some value, potentially, in having a somewhat “purer” physics background going into the two years of practical physics, which is essentially what engineering is. Different strokes and all that. Each person’s situation is undoubtedly unique, and thus the factors going into their decision will be equally unique.</p>
<p>No, I am a Tulane grad many years ago (chemistry) and now have a D there (humanities majors). However, I directly corresponded a few times with Dean Altiero about this program because it came up in the past, so I know the information is accurate. He also told me that he encourages people to e-mail him directly with any questions they may have. The part I wrote about why attend Tulane instead of going straight to JHU or Vandy are just examples I could think of. There certainly may be other reasons to go to Tulane first, or for many people no reason at all.</p>
<p>jym626,
Thanks, I appreciate the feedback…could you find out how big the classes are for EP at Tulane, this is important, I want to make sure the focus is on the student…and how the senior projects are assigned and what types of companies participate.
Thanks,
TheCzar35</p>
<p>The other person you can talk to besides Dean Altiero (Dean of Science and Engineering) is Dean MacLaren, who is the Dean of Students but also a physics prof. He might have some interesting insights as well and he is very accessible also. I really encourage you to engage the faculty via e-mail, it is one of Tulane’s strengths that they are extremely undergrad oriented. Between that and jym’s feedback being the voice of a current student, you would get a very complete picture I would think.</p>