I’ve heard that the food at Tulane leaves something to be desired. Has the new cafeteria in The Commons changed that at all?
Also, can anyone comment on the dorms? I’ve heard they are old but also that some have at least been spruced up?
Parent of rising junior. Things are changing fairly rapidly at Tulane so just make sure any sources have current experience to draw upon.
D is very food focused (as am I), and the food in the old dining hall was not great. She didn’t complain but tended to find something she liked there and eat it frequently. With the opening of the new dining hall within The Commons last year, she was happy to report that both the quality and variety of selection were much improved. They are also continually adding more options outside of The Commons to eat on campus, and many of the restaurants around campus take NOLA bucks, so you can load them into your meal plan and the kids can eat there using meal plan money. Also, students take advantage of the many delicious options around Tulane and greater New Orleans, so meals/treats/snacks are often eaten outside of the dining hall anyway.
Regarding dorms…at Tulane it is common for students to live in the dorms for two years then move off-campus, so for many, dorms are only half of their housing experience. Currently, there is a mixture of more and less desirable dorms in terms in newness, amenities, etc… A way to navigate that is through the Residential Learning Communities (RLCs). The RLCs are generally dorm specific, so if you are interested in living in a particular dorm, you can maximize the chance of that happening by choosing to participate in that dorm’s RLC. Outside of that, there is a lottery, so if you or a roommate gets an early selection time, you have the opportunity to choose based on availability. Placement can also be made based on individual student health/wellness needs/accommodations. My D lived in Wall (the Honors RLC) her first year and Aron (apartment style) her second which are among the more desirable options for first and second year students. The dorm situation will be changing significantly in the near future, with the demolition of several of the current less desirable options and construction of a new residential section of campus. Phase 1 of the new dorms were expected to be completed summer of 2022 but not sure if that timeline will be impacted by the pandemic.
Happy to answer whatever I can for you.
My S will be a freshman, and he said it will take a long time for him to get bored of the dining hall, based on his visits. He was pretty excited about it. It just had so many options and was sparkling new. They are apparently building an additional structure for seating due to covid distancing. they offer food trucks and a food court as well (Panera, etc). I think those are separate from swipes but some amount of dollars to spend there is included in the meal plan.
We haven’t experienced the dorms yet, but the pictures I have seen parents post look decent. We will find out in less than a month, assuming plans stay as they are for fall start. I will say Tulane has been incredibly communicative and seems to be planning in a lot of detail for the pandemic situation. I think having a School of Public Health is helpful as they have experts on staff already.