Hi. With days to go, I am trying to give my son a little guidance and advice. He has narrowed it to Tulane and Santa Clara University. I would love any insight into you own experiences with either school. Can I find a unicorn - who has had a kid at each?! Probably asking too much! I appreciate the advice and insight this forum has offered.
Cost is equal.
Honors Program at Tulane.
Natural Sciences/public health/neuroscience interests to start, but that could change once he sees what the world offers…
Travel time to both is very similar…but the weather in New Orleans is much wetter than he has ever (ever) seen.
Two great options. Sorry, not a unicorn here but have a D junior at Tulane. If you have specific questions, I’d be happy to offer experiences and perspectives. If you prefer, you can send a direct message for a back and forth.
Thank you very much for the reply!
I have read some of your comments re: Tulane, and I get the sense that your junior is very happy - as are you - with the school.
Are sports (playing and cheering) part of your daughter’s life? If so - what is her experience at Tulane. This ties into another decision point - what is the community of students like at Tulane. Meaning is it university focused and a source of community pride. From marketing and seminars, students appear to be exceptionally happy and fulfilled. I think I am trying to confirm that’s the case and a glossy mailer illusion! Thank you.
Thank you, Thumper1. Santa Clara is beautiful, and the community - like Tulane - appears to be wonderful. I would love your thoughts on the questions I put above. Are IM sports and women’s soccer, bball, volleyball as popular and uniting in real life as they might suggest?
The biggest unknown to us is what the campus looks like after classes/on the weekends. They are initiating a new 2 year on campus residency requirement but it has some loopholes. So trying to get a sense of what life is like for a kid not from the Bay Area – or even California!
Also - we are flying in and out tomorrow for one last look at SCU. Any recommendations?!
She does not participate in a sport or cheer, so unfortunately I cannot be a resource there. And of course with a year of her experience being during the pandemic, it’s a bit difficult to determine how involved students typically are with the athletic teams and events. My sense is that it’s certainly not an overwhelming focus like it is at many schools. While the teams are supported, there is so much to do within the community that games and events are not one of a few options for entertainment. Still, they have been investing in coaches and facilities and seem to be attempting to improve results on the fields and courts.
Regarding community, our experience is that you have not been duped by marketing materials. She and her friend group are incredibly engaged and involved in campus organizations, internships and community…sometimes I think overly so as they can get stretched thin…but they seem to enjoy it enough to continue their crazy schedules. They are focused on resume building but have been able to find ways to do that which have been fulfilling and enjoyable. One of the things I am continually impressed with is the sheer number and diversity of opportunities and experience Tulane facilitates…they seemingly have options and connections for any area of interest. And yes…she and her friends love their school, love New Orleans and are happy.
A few other comments based on our experiences that we have seen as strengths. All of the options and opportunities I mentioned above don’t mean a thing if the students aren’t aware of them. Fortunately, her advisors have been incredibly knowledgeable and engaged in her journey and continue to present her with options to help her get to where she wants to go. She was recently admitted into a graduate program at Tulane and began working with a new advisor specific to the program. She was ecstatic after her interactions after having been being skeptical that it would live up to her other advisor relationships (which have evolved into actual personal relationships outside of the advisory role). She “adores” her advisors…her word. And they are going to let her take graduate courses next year as an undergraduate at undergraduate prices, leaving her only a year of graduate coursework and tuition to complete the program.
That last point relates to something else we have been extremely happy with…flexibility of curriculum and options. You can combine whatever you want, no limitations between schools, majors, minors, etc… She will contact us with her newest opportunity or path and I am constantly surprised by their willingness to work with the students and find a way to make things happen for them. Saying “you can’t do that” does not seem to be a part of the advisor vocabulary.
Lastly, she is also in the Honors program your D was admitted to. It’s not critical to have one at a school the size of Tulane, but it has been helpful in a few ways. Her first year, she lived in the Honors dorm which is one of the nicer underclass dorms. Honors students get prioritization for scheduling, so she has never had an issue getting into a class she wanted. And the advisors are aware of the Honors students so there are some benefits conferred there as well.
Well, I’ve rambled enough but hopefully offered something of value. If this generates any additional questions let me know. I’d say good luck but don’t think she can go wrong with either of her choices!
Pishicaca, this is thoughtful and very helpful. Thank you. One question was opportunities in New Orleans vs. Silicon Valley. Your family’s experience - and those of friends - is great to hear. Of course it’s always what the student makes of opportunities, but it is heartening to hear real world stories of success and solid opportunity. I am glad it’s such a positive place for her.
She is not in Greek life in the conventional sense, although she does belong to the pre-law fraternity. Some of her friends are in sororities and she had been welcomed to attend and participate in their activities when they were still going on pre-pandemic.
Revisiting opportunities re: New Orleans. She was supposed to spend first semester of this year in DC and second semester in Geneva at internship/study abroad opportunities. Each was of course cancelled and she was initially crushed by what seemed to be a major derailing of her course. But Tulane did an amazing job of quickly pivoting and lining up virtual internship opportunities (which she landed two) as well as a hybrid internship with the Orleans Parish public defender’s office, contributing real research to real cases that impacted outcomes and lives. All three of her contacts at her internships wrote glowing recommendations and asked her to stay on. She did, as long as her schedule would allow. She also ended up surreptitiously involved in campus IT this year which, while never on her radar, has turned into an incredible journey. The school created a paid position for her and has been paying for training and certifications. She recently presented to the Tulane CIO who consequently asked that she present her work to the entire Tulane IT organization. It came out of nowhere and created an unexpected but viable alternative career path if she were to choose it. To say that we have been pleasantly surprised about how this potentially negative year full of lost opportunities turned into an exploration of previously unconsidered paths would be a significant understatement.
In addition, she was the statistician for the club hockey team and the lacrosse team. She also did statistics one summer for the San Jose soccer team at their summer home games.
Basketball is big at SCU as is women’s soccer (a number of Olympic women’s soccer players are grads).
Good sense of community as well as community service at SCU…lots of outreach to the greater San Jose and Santa Clara communities…part of the Jesuit education mission.
The advice and insight you all provided was excellent and no doubt Tulane and SCU are both amazing. I am glad your kids are thriving at each and wish them every success.