<p>I agree with the spirit of what you are saying ellie. I think what the parents especiially, but some students too, mean about addressing the academics is that they want to hear a general statement that students take them seriously and that there is an intellectual atmosphere overall. No one expects the student panels or the administration to go into detail about each major or even each school within Newcomb-Tulane college. But I think you have seen the same tired old rumors that many parents and students see. “Tulane is only a party school” and “The students show up for class hung over” and generally disparaging comments about academics taking a back seat to the social life at Tulane. For families paying out $50,000+ a year and possibly going into significant debt to attend college, it is reasonable to want to hear some reassurance about the academic side of Tulane. If everyone knew 100% for sure that the academics at virtually all top 50 schools and even more were up to high levels of competence (which I personally believe), then everyone could just focus on fit. But that is not a universally held mindset, and therefore a general description of the academic atmosphere is an appropriate thing to address at these functions.</p>
<p>I concur with fallenchemist. I have had many discussions with college grads (not Tulane) who said, “I had fun, and a enjoyed my friends, but I’m not sure how good an education I received.” Social life, fun, and friendships can be had in many places, what is worth $50,000 plus is the academic education. Getting that education in a place where there is a good community, a sense of service, and fun is even better. S2 thinks Tulane offers that combination, honestly, I still have my fingers crossed, but tend to agree with him.</p>
<p>As for what one wants to hear on a student panel, I can only describe what I have heard elsewhere. Students talking about aha! moments they had in a class and how it affected their lives, how discussions out of class based on what just happened in class carried over for hours, how arguing over the reading helped to clarify and add to its significance, how they learned more philosophy from entering into discussions (made possible by courses they took in their core courses) with arguing philosophy majors at weekend parties than they ever thought possible, etc. None of these are major specific and could cut across a range of academic experiences. One would like to see the excitement in the student’s faces be as great when discussing this as it is when discussing the social life and study abroad.</p>
<p>A recent article in the Tulane Hullabaloo makes some observations similar to mine. Hopefully they will be taken to heart.</p>
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<p>[Remember</a> theProspies - thehullabaloo.com](<a href=“Unavailable”>Unavailable)</p>