<p>Hi I'm kinda new to this so any response would be great. I'm a junior from Illinois and I know next year I'll be applying to Tulane SCEA. So far I have demonstrated a lot of interest and I've contacted my admissions counselor, the director of admissions, and the orchestra director about sending him a CD of a solo. He said "If you decide to apply for Tulane, make sure to keep me posted, and if you send me a CD or a link to your recording, I can add my recommendation to your file, which will carry some weight in our very competitive admission process"</p>
<p>Anyways, I have a weighted GPA of a 3.55 now, and UW is around a 3.2/3.3. My ACT is at a 30, but I will probably end up around a 32. I have gotten C's before in some classes last year, but my GPA has gone up since then. My senior year schedule is AP government, AP Macro, AP Calc BC, AP Spanish, AP Bio, AP Lit, and Orchestra. Im involved in our Jazz orchestra, the pit orchestra, robotics, FBLA, academic bowl, bowling, and tennis. If I get in NHS I will run for president, we find out if we are accepted in a few weeks. I also do quite a bit of volunteering at my temple and around the community. Sorry for the long post, any response would be great!</p>
<p>I think you have a very good chance of getting in based upon all of the acceptances I have heard about this year. Merit moneynmight be another story… this year they really tightened up the criteria. My child had higher grades, lots of EC and similar ACT and got the 8K award. Our friends child had much higher standardized scores, much lower grades, and got in with no merit award.</p>
<p>I agree with doingthisagain. Certainly not a slam dunk, but you are doing all the right things to maximize your chances. I really cannot think of anything else you can do at this point that will improve your chances further, except keep improving those grades. You already have an upward trend and the more that keeps going the better. I think your activities are diverse but not so many that it seems you are “resume padding”. But they do like to see a few things you are really passionate about, of which music definitely seems to be one. Focus on the 2 or 3 that you can see doing your whole life, or even shaping your career.</p>
<p>Just out of curiosity, what is it about Tulane that makes it your first choice? Have you been down there to visit yet?</p>
<p>I haven’t been able to visit yet, its a little too expensive for us at the moment. However, I’ve seen their virtual tour and I really like how the campus looks, it’s much nicer to me than UIUC or Madison. Also, I have some friends who go there and they say all the kids there are very smart; however, they like to have fun and aren’t overly competitive. I am not looking at Tulane because it has the reputation of a party school either. Lastly, they have a unique international development course that really interests me.</p>
<p>That sounds great. It is a much nicer campus than the two you mention. Although I have only been to UIUC once and it seemed OK, certainly not unattractive but nothing special either. I lived in Madison for a time and know that campus well. The lakes are nice in the warmer weather but of course there isn’t too much of that during the school year. Otherwise I think it is one of the less attractive campuses around, but it is a good school. But of those three Tulane has the nicest campus without question.</p>
<p>FYI, Tulane really is no more of a party school than pretty much any other college, which is to say there is always plenty of partying but a lot of serious academics, service work and interesting events as well.</p>
<p>So it sounds like the positive reports from your friends and the specialized program you mention are your main reasons for putting Tulane at the top of your list. Seems like your Why Tulane statement is already half written, which is great.</p>
<p>Thanks Fallenchemist,
I realize that Tulane’s location in New Orleans will also be great for my love of jazz. Also, I don’t know anybody that will be at Tulane when I hopefully will, and this is a huge upside for me because I want to meet a whole new group of people ( a TON of my hs goes to UW and UIllinois). I don’t know what else to say for a Why Tulane statement, but I’m sure I can think of more, and of course I will be writing it for my app.</p>
<p>The Why Tulane statement is pretty short, so you already have plenty. 1) It has an area of study that interests me a lot, international development; 2) Older friends that are already at Tulane are having a great experience there; 3) The music scene at Tulane and New Orleans allows me to enhance my love for jazz.</p>
<p>That seems like a wonderful theme to me. As far as running into high school classmates, Tulane is small enough that you would most likely see them in passing from time to time but plenty big enough that it is inevitable you would meet a ton of new people anyway. There were 4 people from my high school that went the same year I did, but I only knew that 3 of them were going to Tulane. I rarely saw them, and I was shocked when I ran into the 4th nearly at the end of the 2nd semester. I had no idea he was there, and never saw him until then. He wasn’t a close friend in high school (obviously) but I did know him since grade school, so I certainly knew him on sight. It was weird, in a way. Just saying.</p>
<p>Haha, I doubt anyone from my school is going to apply to Tulane but you never know! I was also wondering, what are some good people to ask for recommendations? (non-academic) I was thinking of having my overnight camp director and maybe even the Rabbi at the temple I volunteer and belong to write one.</p>
<p>Tulane doesn’t actually require recommendations beyond the guidance counselor for their SCEA, EA or RD applications. But they certainly accept other ones and read them. Here is exactly what they say:
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<p>The rabbi seems like a good choice, since you are active in your temple. I guess the camp director depends on how well they really know you and what you did there that was unique or special.</p>
<p>The camp director has known me since I was about 10, and he actually went to Tulane. In addition, he has seen me grow as a leader since it is an overnight camp and I am helping kids for two months during the summer.</p>
<p>Oh well then, he is an excellent choice, especially being an alum. I wouldn’t go more than two though, especially since they sound like really strong choices. They say you can do up to three (I mean there is no official limit but the admissions people don’t like to be buried), but personally I think two strong ones is just right.</p>