Tulane Chances?

Tulane is my first choice, and I’ll be applying ED this fall. I’m super nervous about applying since my test scores are low, but I really hope the rest of my application can make up for it. I go to a small boarding school in MD and not many kids go to Tulane there. Last year, 4 kids applied and only one was accepted (he was legacy). I know Tulane is big on demonstrated interest, so I’ve visited/toured campus and met with my regional admissions director, went to a college fair with a Tulane table and the same admissions director, emailed him a few times with sincere questions, and I will attend a local info session in October.

Me:

  • U.S. Citizen
  • White Female
  • Maryland

Academics:
W GPA : 3.95 (school uses weighted not unweighted)
SAT : 1180 (650 rw, 530 m — just took the August test today, and felt good about it. I think I will get above a 1220)
AP Scores : 5 World History (10th), 5 US History (11th), 5 Lang and Comp (11th)
Rank : School doesn’t rank

Senior Year Classes:
AP’s : Spanish, European History, Lit and Comp
Precalculus
Physics

Extra Circulars:

  • Prefect (basically like an RA, elected by the student body and faculty, only 4 girls get it. It’s a big honor at my school, and is considered the 3rd highest student position on campus, I also serve on the Honor Council because of being one, which is a group of prefects and two teachers who decide the punishment of kids who break the honor code)
  • Vice President of Yearbook (Vice President of Photography in 9th, President of Photography in 10th and 11th)
  • Head Tour Guide (Tour guide 10th, 11th, 12th, in 11th grade chosen by the Director of Admissions to be a Head Tour Guide, 1 of 3 members of junior class)
  • Senior Sacristan (helps with chapel services every morning, chosen by the chaplain and headmaster, 2nd highest student position. Prior to this I was an acolyte in 9th and 10th, and a sacristan in 11th, so I worked my way up the ranks)
  • Volunteer Organizer (in 11th grade I started an informal group that worked with a local school to bring volunteers from my school to tutor kids at their Saturday School, plan to do it again)
  • Development Office Intern (11th and 12th - instead of doing a fall sport, I work in the development office taking pictures for yearbook and social media, working on yearbook, doing odds and ends around the office)

Honors:

  • High Honors every trimester of High School (High Honors = A- average unweighted GPA with no grade lower than a B)
  • Prize for Excellence in English (9th - one member of the 9th grade class)

Recs:

  • Both teachers I asked really like me and I know will write great recs for me since they know me both personally and in the classroom
  • Not so sure about the college counselor, he’s new this year and we’ve only had one meeting that he’s basing his rec on but it went well

Other:
A very close family friend of ours knows the Director of Admissions at Tulane (how well, I’m not so sure), and though I protested it, I think he’s set on calling him once I submit my application to just put in a word for me.

I know that my SAT’s are not up to Tulane’s standard but I’m hoping that with their holistic approach my EC’s, GPA, and AP Scores help make up for it. I’m a really dedicated student and I hope that applying ED will also help. Please be candid- I can take honesty!

Try ACT. You need to get your score up, 1400 or 32 ACT minimum.

@Sportsman88 I took the ACT and my score was atrocious- much worse than my SAT. It went too fast for me. I think it’s also notable to mention that I got a concussion in January that put me out of school for a solid week and my pediatrician told me that it’s not uncommon for concussions to hinder your ability to perform on tests. I added that in the extenuating circumstances on the common app.

@Sportsman88, I would respectfully submit that, while you are correct that the OP would do well to bring her standardized test scores up in advance of her application to Tulane, I believe that you are overstating it when you say 1400 or 32 minimum, and in any event Tulane’s requirements in terms of stats are not quite that rigorous. The OP is right that Tulane’s holistic approach might benefit her. Best of luck to the OP!

Sorry. I didn’t mean that OP needed scores that high to apply. I mean those scores would bring Tulane closer to a match than a reach. Tulane’s 25/75 scores for ACT are 29 and 33. SAT is always harder because there isn’t a composite listed in the Commmon Data Set. You want to be at the 75 percentile for a match. I expect 32 is 50 percentile but that is admittedly a guess. 31-32 might be a sweet spot because Tulane is known to reject students with high scores when Tulane thinks it’s being used as a safety.

Like most schools, the 25 percentile is partly represented by recruited athletes and other groups. Tulane offers guaranteed admission to graduates of LA HS’s who score 29 with a set GPA and curriculum so I expect some 29’s fall in that group.

The great news is Tulane has no application fee so all is costs is a score send to apply. ED is new to Tulane for last year but I definitely think ED would boost OP’s chances. You have to look at the costs carefully going that route.

@Sportsman88 No need for apologies! I understood what you meant. Also, I’m fully aware that my scores are well below the 25% range which is a considerable issue. At the same time, I’m simply not a good test taker, and I studied rigorously this summer in preparation for the August test. Now that the school year has started, it’s a fact that I won’t have the same amount of time to study as I did this summer, so I figure I’m going to take what I get on the August test and make do. Anyways, I know the chances are not exactly in my favor, but I’m hoping that my GPA, AP Scores (which show that my GPA isn’t inflated, which is what low test scores and high GPA’s mean), demonstrated interest, and EC’s will help. Also, I feel like my “Why Tulane” essay is genuine and well-written.

Sounds like you have a good plan, @naf619 Good luck!

In your prep, have you been taking practice tests under timed conditions? Sometimes it’s getting used to the time limit and test strategies more than knowledge.

@Sportsman88 I have been. I really disciplined myself this summer and studied 1-2 hours a day 3-4 times a week. I guess we’ll see how much that paid off come Sept 18th when SAT scores are released. I walked out of the test feeling pretty confident but I don’t want to get too cocky. How much do you think my chances would be raised if I got to around a 1230? I don’t necessarily trust those admission calculators online and Tulane hasn’t officially released a ‘freshman profile’ since 2014/15 I think.

Pretty sure that was 2016/2017 Common Data Set that I used for stats. Tulane is unpredictable. Spend quantity and quality time on your essays and hope for the best. Take your interest and visits and reflect that in a Why Tulane that isn’t generic.

Make sure you have safeties to fall back on.

@Sportsman88 Thanks for all of your help! Are you a student? I’m looking for some tips on how to write the “Why Tulane” essay. I want to go into Public Health, and Tulane has one of the best programs in the country for it, but I don’t want to waste space talking about rankings that they already know. I focused heavily on my experience on-campus and off-campus with Tulanians and how visiting Tulane made me realize that I wanted a whole lot more out of college than simply academics. I know there’s no set way to do it, but some pointers would help a lot!