Top Scholars/Honors Weekend--March 2014

Colleges and Universities A-Z Tulane University
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<p>That was a great review. Thanks for taking the time. Glad you enjoyed your experience and that it helped you to make your decision. You are right in that no one school is right for everyone and you put a lot of thought into your decision. I’m sure many people will find your comments very helpful.</p>

<p>Just a side note: I’m an academic adviser and we do things similarly- we give choices to our Freshmen along with the required classes, especially if they are coming in undeclared. So while I understand the method, I really appreciate your insight into how that can be confusing/not helpful and I plan to keep that in mind when meeting with my new freshmen this summer. Good luck at GT! </p>

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<p>Thanks for that summary, Stilltay-daughter. That is indeed one of the goals of the weekend, to help you decide between schools. I know Tulane (and most highly competitive admission schools) would say that the main purpose of the weekend isn’t to sell you on Tulane per se, but to give you the information you need to decide. Of course most of us that are biased towards Tulane would say that in giving students that information we feel confident it tilts people towards picking Tulane, and of course that often is the case.</p>

<p>Not to try and change your mind at all, but only for others that might be reading this, I would comment on two things you said. I think the 50-50 issue of academics in proportion to learning outside the classroom is more of a personal choice. Two semesters of service learning is required, but that is only 6 credit hours out of 120, or put another way 2 courses out of about 40. People can and do put in more than the minimum required, but others devote themselves to academics and research quite heavily. But if you meant that more as an overall “feel” of the school issue, then I think you are right.</p>

<p>With the math, you can take as much as you want, pretty much. I guess I am not sure why the fact that a liberal arts major only has to take one semester would be an issue; you can take a math course every semester if you wanted to, or even do a minor in math. Maybe even double major. My only point being there is nothing restricting most Tulane students from keep up their math skills if they so choose.</p>

<p>On a completely different note, if GT hasn’t changed too much since I spent a few years there, there is no question that the dominance of engineering and science majors leads to a more hard-core overall atmosphere of cracking the books most of the time, or so it seemed anyway. I would walk by dorms on Saturday and Sunday mornings and you could see students at their desks doing homework in almost every room. I imagine engineering students at Tulane have similar workloads, but there aren’t nearly as many as there are at GT, needless to say.</p>

<p>Glad you had a good time. The very best of luck to you at GT.</p>

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<p>Responding for my son and wife (who don’t do CC):</p>

<p>Best part of the weekend: New Orleans. My son, who’s not typically that effusive about places we visit, absolutely loved New Orleans. Thought that the people were friendly, loved the food (I can’t tell you where they ate), loved the overall ambiance.</p>

<p>Impressions of Tulane: Nice campus, beautiful and safe surrounding neighborhood. Nice size (# of students) – not small, but not too big. Again, everyone was friendly. Kids seemed to be happy. Liked his overnight host. Pretty good balance of work/play – the students they met certainly seemed serious enough. Flexibility in terms of changing major – he’d enter as an ‘undeclared science’ major (tending towards ?Chemistry, or one of the Environmental Sciences (if they end up being rigorous and not liberal arts masquerading as science)). </p>

<p>Surprises/Discoveries: Both of them were impressed by the emphasis on community service. Although we were all aware of this piece (from doing our homework), it was stressed in the presentations. Both son and wife viewed this favorably.</p>

<p>Biggest Tulane Negative: One participant asked the ‘student panel’ what’s missing at Tulane that they’d wish were there. One panelist said that he wished that the students supported the football and basketball teams more,and exhibited more ‘school spirit’. This resonated a bit with my son, who’s gone to small private elementary and high schools, and would love to go to big-time Division I games. It was noted that when the football stadium is completed on campus it will help. Not a deal-breaker for us, but worth noting. </p>

<p>Top Scholars Weekend: Both son and wife thought that the weekend was incredibly well-organized. We’re always baffled when schools have the chance to present themselves to applicants/acceptees and then do a poor job. Not the case here. Their student guide on the campus tour was a honors college student who was engaging, thoughtful, easy-going, positive and not over-the-top (like some others we’ve had). They liked the brief talk by the President, and had a good conversation with a ?Chemistry professor at the faculty lunch. </p>

<p>Bottom Line: Tulane was on my son’s college list originally, but after completing the Common App (while slogging through a typically tough senior first semester) the separate Tulane application was viewed as a chore. He completed it, but without a lot of enthusiasm. Although he applied EA well before the deadline (and is a pretty high stats kid) he waited a long time into the EA decision period only to find out that he was deferred. Tulane dropped off the radar at that point. When he was admitted and invited to the TS weekend his initial impression was, “It’s the end of the third quarter this week. I have a ton of work. Will this really be worthwhile?” We told him he had to go. He is SO happy that he went. Opened his mind up a lot. He is awaiting two other decisions, but regardless of how they come down he may choose Tulane. The overall gestalt felt right. And needless to say the generous merit aid is a significant factor (both the money and the feeling that he’s valued). He is pretty confident that if he went there he’d be happy.</p>

<p>Postscript: After the note above that mentioned ‘diversity’, I asked my son about it. His response, “Dad, when I’m looking at a school I don’t even notice the students’ color or race. Why would I? What difference would it make? It wouldn’t bias me one way or the other.” This is from a kid who goes to school in Oakland.</p>

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<p>This weekend was our second visit to Tulane we went during the summer as well. My son feels Tulane would be a good fit for him. I am not as convinced, seems most other posts found the event well organized. and I did not see it as organized, the meeting with professors ran out of room and many of us were sent to an overflow room with no professors. Agree with earlier post from @ stilltay that campus lacks diversity. Everyone was very nice and tried to be helpful to us. On Monday they had the different information seminars you could attend and the Honors information class was held in too small of a room and everyone was asked to move to a larger room. It was if they did not expect so many people to attend. My S meet with advisor and signed up for classes I have questions about that as well but was unable to attend. Apparently if you have AP credit for classes in your major you are encouraged to take them at Tulane rather than receive credit for them. A stop by the financial aid office also seemed disorganized, meet with someone who would not be S assigned counselor learned no help outside of Presidental Award which is generous but with EFC of 25,000 net price for similar schools is the same But at the end of the day I need to help S see the negatives since he has Tulane as first choice. </p>

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<p>Finally checking in after our amazing Top Scholars weekend experience! Grab a beverage, this will be long! :)</p>

<p>Q-What did student like best about the weekend? A-It’s almost impossible to keep this list short! <em>**The campus is gorgeous! Not in a perfectly manicured sort of way, but gorgeous like an old-money country club that’s used and enjoyed sort of way. Most of the buildings are unique and interesting in their architecture and detail. *</em><em>D said from the beginning that she wanted a true college “campus” experience (grassy quads, leafy trees, etc.) in very close proximity to a vibrant urban area. Tulane matches up 100 percent. The campus is not gigantic but also not tiny, it’s just right for D, very walkable and/or bikable. *</em><em>D loved that Tulane students seem to generally be the type that work super hard but also make time to play. It’s clear to her that TU is academically rigorous, that much is expected, and that the students are self-motivated and high-achieving. She’s glad she chose the sleepover, and had the opportunity to explore the adjacent neighborhoods and their melange of shops and restaurants. *</em><em>D is super excited about the small class sizes, and the fact that she will be taught by professors, as opposed to grad students, and that she will have a unique opportunity to connect and develop relationships with her teachers, even as a freshman. She feels strongly that the small class sizes will keep her engaged and enhance her learning opportunities. *</em><em>D loved that she was able to meet with her academic advisor, discuss options for major(s), and register for fall classes! She hasn’t stopped talking about her TIDES class–something about myths and realities of NOLA food and beverages! *</em>*Overall, D’s “takeaway” from her Tulane visit is that she feels certain she’ll be much more than a student with an ID number. She came away feeling that everyone she met is genuinely invested in her success.</p>

<p>Q-What was student’s biggest concern? A-My D’s biggest concern right now is finding the right roommate. But she’d have that concern regardless of which school she chooses. Her biggest “concern” about Tulane is the distance from home (a plane ride), but it’s not an eliminating factor. D says it’s often mentioned in the Tulane Class of 2018 Facebook group that MOST kids are attending from far away, so there’s likely to be lots of emotional support for those missing family and friends. (Fun Fact: President Cowen shared that the two states most represented in the Tulane population are New York and California.) Lastly, not exactly a concern, but D is really hoping that Tulane will provide a very “spirited” experience with respect to sports. The new on-campus football stadium will undoubtedly help.</p>

<p>Q-What was student’s overall impression of Tulane? A-My D’s overall impression is that Tulane is ‘top-notch’ in every way imaginable, and that the private school experience will be vastly different from the large public flagship experience. </p>

<p>Q-Student’s overall impression of New Orleans? A-We had most of one day to explore on our own and we covered a lot of ground! She loved the character of the parts of the city we were able to see, mostly St. Charles Avenue, the Garden District, Uptown, loved Magazine Street, Audubon Park, and Broadway. Enjoyed the streetcar, except for the inconvenience of switching back and forth to the bus due to track work. She’s excited about all the festivals and parades, and the fact that New Orleans is an epic destination city, with an endless list of things to do and see and experience! She didn’t get to see much of the FQ due to lack of time. </p>

<p>Q-Parents’ impressions. A-Same as D’s for the most part. With respect to sending our baby girl so far away, our comfort level with Tulane is high. We feel confident that she’ll be safe, that she won’t “fall through the cracks,” that she’ll receive an incomparable education both in and out of the classroom, and that she’ll have the best opportunity to grow and become the young adult that she’s meant to be. With respect to the financial cost…the thought that best resonates with me: “…you get what you pay for.”</p>

<p>Q-How did the Top Scholars event go overall? A-Exceptional planning and execution. Programming exceeded our expectations. President Scott Cowen’s welcome speech Sunday morning was a major highlight! Fingers crossed that incoming President Michael Fitts can fill those impressive shoes beginning July 1.</p>

<p>Q-Where did you stay and how was it? A-We stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn on Gravier Street, a few blocks from the FQ. We relied on public transportation and taxis. The hotel was lovely, no complaints. However, in the future, for a visit focused primarily on TU, I would stay closer to Tulane. We spend far too much time and money traveling back and forth, and this was further aggravated by the inconvenience of the street car repairs and the multitude of St. Patrick’s parades!</p>

<p>Q-Where did you eat and how was it? A-Reginelli’s on Magazine Street, delicious muffalettas, Royal House Oyster Bar in FQ, good Po’ Boys and drinks, Grapevine Bistro on Orleans Street in FQ, fun vibe, exceptional snow-cone in Audubon Park, and last but certainly not least…beignets and cafe au lait at Cafe du Monde, the iconic experience!</p>

<p>Q-What did you do besides visit Tulane? All of the above, plus Bourbon Street (YUCK!), Royal Street (antique paradise), Audubon Zoo (awesome!), besides zoo, walked Audubon Park to see stables, golf course, all the way back to the River (sore feet=ouch!), long walk down Decatur Street from FQ to Cafe du Monde (lots of interesting restaurants and little clubs with live music), visited Hillel/Mintz Center (WOW, can’t say enough about it, simply amazing beyond words).</p>

<p>Q-Did the weekend result in your student deciding on Tulane? A-We’re 99.9 percent there! Stay tuned… :)</p>

<p>Feel free to PM me!</p>

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<p>@txflowersbloom14 Most school encourage you to take the classes in your major at the school even if you have the AP credit. Even my biology teacher told us that if we planned on majoring in biology, we should take the beginning class in college. That way you get a sense of what they want you to know.</p>

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<p>@txflowersbloom14 - Thanks for the summary. It is certainly unfortunate that your experience seems to have been less positive than the others reporting back so far. I don’t know why they wouldn’t have gotten a big enough room for the Honors info session. I can only suppose that they were basing it on the percentage of people that attended in the past (many parents skip these sessions or choose other sessions), and maybe this time everyone came to this one. I don’t know, but given that this event is known well ahead of time and there are plenty of large spaces to meet at Tulane, hopefully in the future they will book a space assuming everyone comes. Sounds like it got handled without too much fuss though.</p>

<p>As far as the AP credit for classes in your major, that really depends on the major, IMO. For example, if I were a math major and got a 5 on the Calc BC AP, I would not take Calc I or probably even Calc 2. On the other hand, even if you get a 5 on the Chem AP, you have to take Freshman Chem if you are premed. If you are not premed but are a chem major, taking Freshman Chem is still not a bad idea. Same for Physics. But for most Liberal Arts courses I wouldn’t repeat a course I got a 4 or 5 on the AP test. Just my take on it. If I am disagreeing with the advisor at Tulane, so be it. Also, if this was the general advisor and not the advisor from his major department, then for sure I would talk to the departmental advisor to see what they thought after talking to your son. What major is he considering, and if it is a science (or even if it isn’t) is he premed?</p>

<p>Anyway, I didn’t mean to get into that really, got a little carried away. I understand what you thought didn’t go so well. Was there anything you liked about it? I’m not fishing here, I am just curious. Your last statement makes it sound like you would rather see your son go elsewhere, but maybe I am reading too much into it.</p>

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<p>@cheermom20878 - That was an exhaustive review! So glad everything went well. You said she enjoyed the sleepover, so I take that to mean she got on with her host pretty well? What did they do together?</p>

<p>I am sure you understand what happens to help her find a roommate that will hopefully be a good match; I think it has been discussed. But if you have any questions about that process let us know.</p>

<p>President Cowen is usually a very charismatic speaker. He will be missed. I also hope Mike Fitts can communicate what Tulane represents at least as well. I have no doubt, from everything I have read, that Dr. Fitts truly believes and embodies what Tulane represents and strives for. We will simply have to wait and see if he is a capable orator as well.</p>

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<p>Thanks for the feedback I am learning as I go through this process. My S plans on majoring in Bio-Chem not as a pre-med track( so he says) he is interested in research. Other schools we have visited will accept 4 or 5’s in both gen chem and gen bio he has earned 5’s in both.One university did tell him to be sure and save all his labs/lab manual to be able to get credit for the lab as well. Tulane did recommend he take Calc 2 and he would be given credit for Calc 1. I did really enjoy the Presidents welcome speech and remember him saying that 80% of freshman change their major at least once and that may too be the reasoning in repeating the courses. No one knows for sure but if his past history is a good predictor of his future choices than Bio-Chemistry is the path for him once he makes his mind up very difficult to change his mind hence my problem with Tulane as his first choice. I do want him to go where he will be happy,safe, and be given a good education. If Tulane is the answer than I need to work a little harder for the extra $$, to make it happen. I suppose that is part of my reservations is Tulane worth the extra cost? or would he have the same quality of education say at U of Texas for half the price. </p>

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<p>@txflowersbloom14 @fallenchemist</p>

<p>There were 3 time slots for information sessions on Monday. For each time slot there were 5-6 session choices. Some choices were repeated for more than one slot and some were not (likely based on demand in past years.) Some parents attended 3 sessions, some parents attended no sessions.</p>

<p>I was in the first “registration process” session where the subject of AP credit was addressed. One of the moderators, I think his name was Professor Andrew Martinez (?) stated, in response to a question, that Tulane is happy to give credit for AP results. With the caveat that if it’s a foundation course in your major, many/most Tulane students choose to take the college version, but it’s by no means required.</p>

<p>I was also in the 3rd session on Honors Program research opportunities.There was no prior sign up required for sessions, so no way to really know with certainty how many would attend. Before the start time, it became clear there was a sizable audience, far greater than the room capacity. Within minutes, the moderator apologized profusely and stated that we’d reconvene on the 2nd floor of the LBC, where we’d just been served a lovely lunch. Everyone trooped over in an orderly fashion and the session began without incident. </p>

<p>Certainly not contradicting! Just relating a different experience. From my point of view, the room change was considerate and accommodating, and certainly preferable to turning people away! One of my favorite mantras that I’ve drilled into my kids is that life is all about “Plan B!”</p>

<p>Two more observations about Tulane courtesy…it was a wee bit drizzly as we emerged from President Cowen’s address on Sunday. Kudos to the Tulane folks who were waiting for us with hundreds of complimentary green and white golf umbrellas! Last but not least, every time I turned around, someone from TU was offering me a bottle of water–very appreciated. I would’ve preferred a foot massage, but happy for the hydration nonetheless!</p>

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<p>

Probably the toughest question there is in college admissions for a huge segment of the applicants: The academically accomplished student who has excellent choices in schools and comes from a middle class to upper middle class family where financials play a big role in the equation. First, I can only repeat that value is a personal thing. The question isn’t really would he get the same quality of education at either school; for these two schools that answer is largely yes, or at least he will have the opportunity for the same quality. Some students don’t do so well in huge lectures, but on the whole it is yes.</p>

<p>The real issue is the quality of the overall experience. For some students, the value of being in a smaller school (than Texas) environment where they will have much more interaction with their profs and where the school is still a major research university is worth a lot. For others not so much. For some being in NOLA is worth a lot, others not so much. For some being in a big school that has sports teams that are nationally competitive is important, and if that happens to be at the less expensive school then the decision is easy. etc., etc., etc. But I will point out that his opportunities for doing real research in his major with a lot of attention from the prof is much greater at Tulane than Texas. That is not to say he wouldn’t be able to get into a research group at Texas, especially if he is part of one of their special programs. If not, I have heard it can be difficult to find research opportunities in their chem labs. But that is just one aspect.</p>

<p>There is no question he would get a good education at either school. Texas is great, Austin is great. But of course the experience will be completely different in almost every aspect. Only you and he can decide if that is worth an extra $X a year. I am usually an advocate for saving $$, but the exception is when the prospective experiences are so different. Then it is so much a balancing of the $$ vs. these factors that are so personal that no one can really give great advice beyond advising you to think hard about how he would be in each school situation. Is he the kind of kid that will thrive in either environment, or is he far more likely to do better in the smaller school atmosphere? And how much of a strain are we talking about as far as money (that’s rhetorical, btw)? If going to Tulane will mean major loans by the time he is done, then go to Texas.</p>

<p>I don’t envy you these discussions over the next few weeks, except that at least you know he will be somewhere that is high quality either way. That is certainly a situation 90% of families in this country would like to be in, having to choose between UT and TU.</p>

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<p>@cheermom20878 - I can’t comment much on the foot massages, although of course they sound great!! But just so you know, Tulane does often have Massage Mondays at the Wellness Center where they give complimentary chair massages for students and staff. I think I have that right. <a href=“https://tulane.edu/health/wellness/massage.cfm”>https://tulane.edu/health/wellness/massage.cfm&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>FC I appreciate your feedback and an unbiased opinion. You have brought up some good points that we haven’t discussed. My son read your post and he too agrees that we need to weigh our offers a little deeper before deciding. The ability to do research is important since his goal is have a career where he can contribute to mankind in a positive way. The class size is certainly a concern and as you point out the availability of research opportunities. Thank you for your kind words he has worked very hard in an attempt to make things easier for us. Again, thank you for your input. Every parent wants what is best for their child, the key is figuring out what is “best”</p>

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<p>Here are a few more comments on the Top Scholars Weekend:</p>

<p>The event itself - Tulane put on an excellent event. There were signs all over directing us to the welcome venue, there were plenty of staff to help with questions and everyone was informed and welcoming.</p>

<p>President Cowen’s opening remarks were outstanding - he laid out a very comprehensive and compelling case for Tulane without drifting into an over-sell.</p>

<p>The campus tour was well conducted and informational. Our guide not only provided great information about Tulane during the tour, she provided thoughtful and honest answers to questions along the way.</p>

<p>The lunch with the faculty was well run. The food was very good. Only complaint here was that it was difficult to interact with the faculty member at our table due to the noise. </p>

<p>The breakout sessions that we attended were the advising session (very helpful), the community service session (mostly good) and the Honors program session. The overload at the Honors session was fairly predictable as it was only held once in the rotation (some of the others were repeated 2 or 3 times) and obviously everyone in attendance at this event was in the Honors program. We didn’t have a problem with the room change. The session itself was probably the low point in the event. The students on the panel were fine, but Dr. Luongo’s comments seemed a bit disjointed. A good bit of the program was spent describing a future program (University Scholars?) - more time spent on the value of the Top Scholars program would have been more relevant and helpful.</p>

<p>Monday morning started with a dorm tour. It was very good to be able to see a variety of dorms, this certainly has not always been available on other campus tours that we have attended.</p>

<p>The business school luncheon was also very well run. Several business school representatives circulated among the tables and talked with the prospective students about their plans and addressed questions.</p>

<p>Another highlight was the class signup. It was great for our daughter to have first shot at the classes/times that she wanted.</p>

<p>Overall - this visit really helped my daughter in her decision process. The other prospective students that she met were very friendly and also very impressive. We are waiting on a few additional decisions but I would put Tulane at the top of the list.</p>

<p>Dining - hands down the best by far of any college visit. We ate at Bayona’s on Saturday night on Dauphine St and Upperline on Sunday night. Both were outstanding. </p>

<p>Hotels - first night at the Westin Canal Place (great location and comfortable room). Second night closer to campus at the Hampton Inn on St. Charles. If the streetcar was running normally the Hampton would have been more convenient but taxis were very scarce.</p>

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<p>@txflowersbloom14 - I am pleased I provided some small measure of help. I can tell you definitively it is much easier when it isn’t your child and also after having seen this in some depth for quite some time now. If you want to discuss any other issues or questions, I (and others on here of course) am happy to do that here or in a private message, should you prefer. Whatever the case, let us know what he and your family decide.</p>

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<p>@formertarheel - Sounds like a great trip. Bayona’s and Upperline, great choices. I never give them enough mentions, I really should. Especially Upperline. At least for me I always found it to be excellent.</p>

<p>You brought up something I meant to ask about, which is how they are presenting the revamped Honors Program. It sounds like they are working on more changes, which I strongly suspected they were. Rather than take this thread off track, I will start a new one where I would appreciate you and the others relating anything can remember about how they are positioning the current program, what they are saying the advantages are, and any hints they may have dropped about the future direction, such as this University Scholars program. That makes me think maybe they are working off of the Newcomb Scholars model, which I think is fantastic.</p>

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<p>I feel obliged to say something about my D and DW’s experiences at Top Scholars Weekend, but I have not been able to find a way to organize what I’ve heard. Part of the problem is that the reports came to me piecemeal and with varying amounts of resistance. When D was in NOLA, for instance, I was for the first time hearing from her that I should “get back” and disengage. That hurt for 15 minutes but being the ultra-sensitive New Age dad I am I cried my eyes out for 1.5 days so that she could have time to come to her senses. Meanwhile I collected bits and pieces of information: DW loved the party scene in NOLA. DW loved the food in NOLA. DW loved the trolley car for $1.25. DW was not impressed with the dorms; she called them hotels and thought the rest of the campus not all that attractive architecturally. She thought the outgoing president to be very impressive; he said exactly what she wanted to hear/know about Tulane (the party reputation, the reasons to go there, the care they took in recruiting each Honors student, the well-earned research reputation of the university, the nearly unique service-scholarship program integrated into the curriculum, etc.). She said that the meal with the faculty member was effective and that it was obvious that he cared a great deal about his u/gs as well as his research. Meanwhile, D was not interested in speaking to me, so when she got home at 2am I was asleep. the next morning I was gone for work by the time she got up. I was at a meeting when she came home from work. She went to the gym until long after my meeting. Maybe you’re getting the picture? So I didn’t know if we were avoiding each other or if we were giving each other space. Whatever, when she came home at 11PM I was cool and carefree as I could be, communicating with my new friends at CC. She kneeled down on the sofa next to me and started reeling off her impressions of NOLA and Tulane. Thought the bacchanal that was Canal and Bourbon Streets not to her liking, the drunks amusing but finally pathetic and unsettling. The reaction to the food was not much better: she’s a vegetarian (to some extent or another) and was not impressed with the veggie offerings of NOLA restaurants and found herself dragging her mom from place to place hoping for something other than dark green leafies in a bowl. I did mention in an earlier post that she was My Very Particular Child, didn’t I? She thought the outgoing president impressive, the honors program cool, the students she met happy and excited to be at TU, her host and roommate and their friends welcoming and outgoing (they went out for drinks and pizza and then down to the Quarter–neither of which worked out well for D), the dorms like hotels, the campus architecture meh, the Italian teacher she’d been communicating with, the one with the Harvard PhD and fascination with linguistics and psycholinguistics, to be absolutely fascinating and exciting even tho the prof’s field was Renaissance culture and not linguistics, the 2-mile safety cordon that TU police have set up around the school to be just what she wanted to hear, etc. I couldn’t get a word in edge-wise, a big image-dump, a lot of undigested impressions still. So I think she’ll probably take her impressions with her to other colleges. There’s probably a trip to Pitt in the near future, and one to Vandy after that perhaps, and maybe a sleepover at Lafayette. Until I talked to D, I’d deliberately avoided reading most of the recent posts, especially cheer mom’s because we seem to have some things in common, but unlike some of these posters’ kids I don’t think my D is any nearer to making up her mind than she was before she went to Top Honors. She did speak to faculty and students who were vegetarians who spoke of how they either gave up on being vegetarians since coming to NOLA or cobbled together a list of restaurants that had something like vegetarian food and they would rotate thru those restaurants, but obviously D’s impression is that NOLA is not a good fit for vegetarians of her stripe. I pointed out that after first semester she probably wouldn’t spend much time with the tipplers in the Quarter, and she agreed that most of her time would be spent on campus. She liked the staff, faculty, and students on the campus; she liked the running trails nearby (“Dad,” the climber and skier said, “New Orleans is really flat!”). She liked the security. She didn’t see as much diversity as she expected/wanted to and admitted that it might have had to do with the honors students she was hanging with, but her mom commented on that too. I’ll shut up now.</p>

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<p>wow. That is a lot to digest.
Just some disjointed responses from me:
I have several friends in NOLA that are vegetarians and none of them are even close to starving! It has become more vegetarian friendly but I don’t know about any daily struggles to find veggie friendly meals. </p>

<p>Maybe St. Patrick day weekend was not an ideal time for your daughter to visit since it was a bit busier than. NOLA is a huge tourist destination so there will be that contingent to deal with . Bourbon street is not typical of the entire FQ and the Quarter has many charms to offer. We never go to Bourbon St. </p>

<p>I’d like to know what she was expecting the dorms to be like? Thinking of some of the dorms I’ve seen I think the residents would love it they were hotel like, lol. Keep in mind that typical Freshmen dorms are usually the worst on campus. My son stayed at another school for a week and they had them stay in a Upperclassman dorm which was all suites. 2 people in each, with their own bedrooms, a shared kitchen and living area and a shared bathroom. Talk about setting the bar high! </p>

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<p>Not that it is so very important, but most people find Tulane to be architecturally very pleasing. Of course this is all a matter of taste, so there really isn’t a debate to be had. Someone only into modern architecture wouldn’t care for Tulane much, I suppose. But Hollywood must think there is something pleasing there, since they have used Tulane several times to represent the prototypical college campus. Along with the huge oak and magnolia trees as well as other types, I personally think it is one of the nicest campuses around.</p>

<p>As far as the dorms, hard to know what to say. They are dorms. I know there has been an “amenity war” among schools, where much money has been spent upgrading various non-academic areas, dorms and food services most especially but also workout facilities and other aspects. I have mixed feelings about what is sometimes an over-focus by students and parents on this, but the reality is that these things along with many other non-academic factors do contribute to quality of life, and they will be spending 4 years living in this place. And paying for it. Tulane has spent a lot on dorms over the last decade or so. Freshman dorms are pretty old, with one exception (Wall). But after that there are many nice choices that I think match up well with almost any school Tulane’s size or larger. Maybe some of the really small LAC’s have posher dorms, I don’t know, but I don’t think so from what I have heard. I have seen some, like Middlebury’s, and they are not as nice as Tulane’s.</p>

<p>But, and I have said this many times, whatever she saw on Canal and Bourbon Streets shouldn’t even be in the thinking. They have nothing to do with life at Tulane and in New Orleans for these students, 99.5% of the time. I would feel safe in saying that after the first few weeks of being at Tulane most students don’t get back down there the rest of their time at Tulane except for maybe Mardi Gras or when friends come to visit and want to see it. It is a non-factor in the daily life of a Tulane student.</p>

<p>If your D is going to see Pitt, I will be interested in her reaction to the architecture there and especially to their Cathedral of Learning. It is very different from Tulane, other end of the spectrum, so perhaps it will be more to her taste. Also, being in the heart of Oakland, a very busy area of greater Pittsburgh, there might be more veggie options. I think unless you cook for yourself, it takes time to find good veggie options in NOLA. For a student that might be difficult. I have heard other vegetarian students say that the options near campus are limited, but when they got a dorm room with a kitchen or rented off campus and made their own meals, the local food choices are fantastic. There are lots of fresh veggie foods in Louisiana, it is just that the natives love to add meat and seafood to them, lol.</p>

<p>Thanks for the report. An interesting take on things.</p>

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<p>@dolphnlvr wrote:</p>

<p>I have several friends in NOLA that are vegetarians and none of them are even close to starving! It has become more vegetarian friendly but I don’t know about any daily struggles to find veggie friendly meals.</p>

<p>–that’s good to know. I’m sure she’d survive NOLA, but someone did say that she was in a city known for its seafood and sausage, that even the beans and rice, a staple of her vegetarian diet, comes with an inseparable sausage.</p>

<p>Maybe St. Patrick day weekend was not an ideal time for your daughter to visit since it was a bit busier than. NOLA is a huge tourist destination so there will be that contingent to deal with . Bourbon street is not typical of the entire FQ and the Quarter has many charms to offer. We never go to Bourbon St.</p>

<p>–yeah, she hasn’t seen much drunken behavior in her 18, so I’m not surprised by her reaction but there was a definite element of creepiness and fear in it, too. She doesn’t like or trust drunks, and I have no problem with that as an operating attitude.</p>

<p>I’d like to know what she was expecting the dorms to be like? Thinking of some of the dorms I’ve seen I think the residents would love it they were hotel like, lol. Keep in mind that typical Freshmen dorms are usually the worst on campus. My son stayed at another school for a week and they had them stay in a Upperclassman dorm which was all suites. 2 people in each, with their own bedrooms, a shared kitchen and living area and a shared bathroom. Talk about setting the bar high!</p>

<p>–interesting that both DW and D made this comment about the dorms (I took them to mean from the outside because DW didn’t go inside) looking like hotels. We’ve been on many campuses and I’d never heard that response before. I’m not even sure what it means.</p>