<p>RE: Sitting in on classes. There’s a list of classes you can sit in that I downloaded before our visit in November. Check ahead to make sure there’s not an exam being given that day. Sitting in on the class and meeting other students was the best part of the day for DS.</p>
<p>At another school that we visited, when there was no tour available, I contacted Hillel ahead and a couple of students gave us a tour (we were also interested in Hillel). So there might be another group you can contact that has students that can help you.</p>
<p>I am visiting Tulane this weekend (excited) and noticed there is a basketball game on campus. I’d like to go. Should I get tickets online or can you buy them at the court? Do many people attend? Will I be able to get decent seats if I wait? Also I read that Tulane has a get together every Friday evening on campus. Is this still going on and can a non-student join in the festivities?</p>
<p>Definite yes to the Fridays on the Quad activities. Just see if you need a visitor pass or something from admissions or security. I imagine they try to keep an eye out for obvious “intruders”, although you should blend right in. Looks like sunny and in the mid 50’s Friday, so not too bad, and 63 on Saturday. Certainly better than the first half of the week.</p>
<p>I would also ask admissions if they have passes for the basketball game as well. They are never sold out and hey, all they can say is no. But I would think they would be able to accommodate you and your family. Just call them today and see what they say. The facility isn’t that large, not like Rupp Arena at Kentucky or anything like that, so good seats shouldn’t be much of an issue.</p>
<p>Hugoblack: yes we stopped by Hillel. A student we were chatting with just took us over there. We also chatted with Chabad rabbi (pre arranged). Everyone was nice and accommodating!</p>
<p>Late response - I can only blame the $#@! flu.
The admissions person tried to be helpful. There is a form to see about having lunch with a Tulane student, which would be great but of course there are no guarantees and how many kids really want to interrupt a Saturday to have lunch with a prospective student? Filled it out and will hope for the best. There are also apparently some brochures with those QR codes (that never work on my phone) for a self guided tour.I suspect we will wander around and just try to get a sense of the place, which is not really the greatest return on the investment, but that’s the way it goes.</p>
<p>Of course if there are any current TU students lurking here who are willing to take pity on us, I can see a free lunch happening…</p>
<p>I searched the thread real quick, so sorry if this has been asked: how “Southern” is the school? Is Tulane very proud about its heritage and full of opportunities to learn more about the region, or is it a little bit more focused on New Orleans mainly (itself obviously much more “Southern” than anywhere else I’m applying)? Also, a more general question: what names for the region are acceptable? I’ve heard business about there being ways to mispronounce New Orleans that will get you dirty looks. Are there any names that rub the wrong way/right way (Dixie, NOLA, others)?</p>
<p>I don’t think that has been asked, and it is a really tough question to address. Obviously opinions on this can vary, but here is mine. The whole idea that there is a homogeneous “southern character” is wrong, there is tremendous variety throughout the south depending on many factors. New Orleans is certainly like no place else in the south. Otherwise, the biggest factor will be urban versus rural, but there are lots of others. Also, no matter what school one might attend in the south, just being in a campus environment will make the experience atypical compared to living in the south as a “regular” citizen. But allowing for the spirit of your question, which does have truth to it in the sense that attending school in the south is still different than other parts of the country, here is an attempt to answer.</p>
<p>The school itself is much less southern in character than when I was there in the 70’s, but because of New Orleans and the very high level of interaction most students have with the city, you get more of the local flavor of life than you would just staying on or near campus. Tulane also has numerous opportunities to get involved in southern Louisiana, and that is very different than New Orleans and can be a very unique experience. Some professors’ research is very focused on local and regional issues. So to some degree the amount of uniqueness you perceive can be increased or lessened by the major you choose. There are certainly more courses taught at Tulane that involve aspects of the city and the area than you would find elsewhere, so that is another opportunity.</p>
<p>NOLA is common to write, not sure how many people say it out loud. Dixie never, unless you are ordering a beer. If you are needing to refer to that state, you would say Luziana as a local, but the typical northerner pronunciation of Loo-ee-zee-ana is OK. For the city, the generally accepted pronunciation is “New Awlins” (sometimes even lazily pronounced “Nawlins”), although “New Orlins” is OK. Just don’t say “New Orleens”. Who dat?</p>
<p>As a life long resident of NOLA and parent of a recently accepted applicant, I can tell you we mispronounce everything here. You will not be looked at funny for pronouncing things correctly or “incorrectly”. Tulane sells New Orleans and based on the TIDES courses that extends to southeastern Louisiana as well (IMO). I’ve been here 46+ and haven’t met a Dixie, Clotile, or a Bubba. The only name that will draw a ugly glance is Roger Godell. Tulane has a geographically diverse student body. You should fit in nicely (unless your Goodell’s child)!</p>
<p>And don’t forget that Tulane draws a lot of its students from the northeast, i.e. NY, NJ, Maryland ect, i think something like 1/3 of its students. So that will likely give a strong contrast from NOLA’s locals, giving a nice balance. And like Jammer & FC said, Tulane is very geographically diverse. The statistic Tulane claims on its admissions website is 85% out of state students.</p>
<p>I’ve been speaking to random students (while my son was auditing a class, so as not to embarrass the life out of him) and most were from the North or Northeast (Chicago, Pittsburgh, New York). Only met one kid who is from the New Orleans area.</p>
<p>Enjoying our visit here so far! Today we’ll do the official Tulane tour but then I think it’s a done deal. ;)</p>
<p>The top five states for TU students are LA, NY, CA, IL and NJ. One-third from the Northeast. For a school located in the deep south, you hear surprisingly few southern accents around campus. </p>
<p>Having attended a big southern state school, I’d say that Tulane is a school located in the south (like Duke, Emory, Vandy) much more than a “southern” school like my state U was.</p>