Tulane or Cornell?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Tulane University
1

<p>At this point I've narrowed down my list to Cornell and Tulane. I'm planning on majoring in biomedical engineering and I know both schools are excellent in this field. I'm being offered the same amount of money at both schools. I've been accepted to Tulane's honor's program, and I just visited a couple of weekends ago and really enjoyed my stay. I'm visiting Cornell this weekend, so I should be able to make a choice after that.
Here are some of the things I'm considering:
I want to have fun while I'm at college. I hear that Cornell Engineers have a really heavy workload and don't get to go out much.
I've lived in New York City my whole life, and I want to get out. I'm afraid Ithaca may be too rural for me though.
I like warm weather...</p>

<p>I'm sort of setting this all up so that Tulane is the obvious answer, and I don't mean to. It's just that at this point I feel like I'm leaning toward it.</p>

<p>Any thoughts?</p>

2

<p>There is nothing wrong with setting it up like that, because it is mostly about fit. It really isn’t about your major so much. As you say, if you stay in BME both schools will give you a solid undergraduate footing. But you might change your major, most kids do at least once. And if that should happen you want to know both schools are strong all around, and that is also true here. But what that also says is you should go where you really want to be. Sure Cornell is more highly thought of in general, no doubt. But Tulane is great and you will have a good, balanced 4 years in a GREAT place. That is very very important, because that is what you will remember all your life. And I will point out that Tulane’s Honors program is pretty selective with a nice number of offerings, adding a lot to the experience. I have looked into it because my D is going this fall also and is in that program. She was also accepted to higher rated universities, at least by the hallowed USNWR standards. But she chose Tulane because of the value (she got full tuition merit scholarship) but also because like you, she really liked what she saw and “felt”. Also, Cornell is kind of big, isn’t it?</p>

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<p>Cornell. Both schools have good reputations, but Cornell is much better known and has a better all around academics in my opinion.</p>

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<p>There are no words to describe how different New Orleans is from Ithaca. Four years in NOLA is transforming. Four years in Ithaca is what? Survived? Cornell’s an excellent school. If only it were located in … Seattle? Santa Barbara? Bethesda?</p>

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<p>New Hope - I actually LOL’d at your post, very cute, and very true. It is an aspect of the equation that is often undervalued because we are so trained in a paradigm that overvalues what happens within the borders of a campus. Don’t get me wrong, that is still the heaviest weighted factor for sure, I just would put it more like 70% instead of 90% as many people do. I agree with Sleepy, of course, that Cornell is better known and has a higher overall set of statistics regarding the incoming students. As far as all round academics, this is probably true also but I would say for the typical undergrad the difference here is small, especially if he sticks with BME. Cornell’s grad program is better for sure, but undergrad I would say they are actually pretty similar. Tulane was one of the first schools to start a BME program and has nice facilities for it, and therefore a student at either school that does the work will come out ready for a job or grad school. In fact, since you should go to grad school somewhere different than undergrad, going to Tulane leaves Cornell open as a grad school option, although there are a dozen or two excellent programs at that level.</p>

<p>So on balance, if you agree with my weighting factors (and they are just mine, so…), then I think Tulane has to be a serious consideration for akw. I think he has his head on right in that he wants to have a great experience in conjunction with his school, not just at the school. Just a warning though akw. If you do pick Tulane, don’t have TOO much fun, lol.</p>

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<p>don’t listen to new hope, ha. cornell is a much better all around school!</p>

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<p>Akw, this is a hard choice, as so many college decisions are. I totally understand where you’re coming from, being a freshman at Tulane now. My decision to come to Tulane was definitely based off money, and their generosity with merit scholarships. However, I’d just like to share with you what made me feel that Tulane was right. Um, I’m not sure if you’re a guy or girl, but if you’re a girl, it’s like finding the perfect prom dress. You know when you go shopping, and you really like a dress when you try it on, but you’re not sure if it’s the one? And then you go around, and you keep comparing every new dress you try on to that one? That’s when you know that that first dress is right.</p>

<p>That’s how it was for Tulane. I didn’t immediately fit when I stepped onto campus, but I liked it a lot. I was there for Honors Weekend too, and had a great time. When I left, though, I went to look at Boston College, my other choice, and I kept comparing every single aspect of BC to Tulane, and it didn’t matter if obviously one aspect of BC was statistically better than Tulane - to me it felt like Tulane outweighed every other school in every respect.</p>

<p>So take a few days, and think about the other colleges you’ve seen - not just Cornell, but all of them, and the specific aspects you liked from each. Then I’d suggest making a list, and genuinely write down everything you remember about Cornell and Tulane. Your thoughts when writing that list - those thoughts are true. Keep that in mind, and you’ll just sort of know, when it’s right.</p>

<p>And also, I really hope you’re a girl, because if you’re a guy, the prom dress analogy has no meaning. Good luck!!</p>

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<p>akw - I would argue that statements like “Cornell is a much better all around school” are kind of meaningless. If that were true for everyone, then how come some people that go to Cornell (or Harvard or Chicago or Stanford) are miserable and transfer to a school that is not as highly rated (hate those ratings) but has aspects that they love? And they get a fine education besides. The same thing happens vice versa for sure, people find Tulane is not for them and are happier elsewhere (Although the Princeton Review result that Tulane is #10 in the country of Happiest Students implies this is rare). But since we are talking ratings, I saw a posting that said Tulane was rated #20 for undergrad BME, but whatever.</p>

<p>You might want to look at the following thread:</p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/tulane-university/687971-101-reasons-attend-tulane-university.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/tulane-university/687971-101-reasons-attend-tulane-university.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>There is a flamer on there too, but that’s OK. Every school has its detractors, Cornell included. No problem when it is constructive criticism, no place is perfect. Some people are just immature. Anyway, take a look and let us know what you decide.</p>

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<p>This is the Tulane forum. You’re going to find a disproportionate amount of people who like Tulane more than Cornell. However, out of people accepted to both schools, I’d guess that more than 80% choose Cornell over Tulane. The ratings are actually based on evidence.</p>

<p>Tulane is in my hometown of New Orleans. The weather, when you’re not being evacuated during hurricane season, is nice. It can get very hot and humid, but I personally like that better than snow. Being in New Orleans also makes the school much more attractive for parties. There’s no doubt that New Orleans is a city that everyone should at least visit. </p>

<p>Cornell is an Ivy League University in Ithaca NY. In general, the people are going to be much brighter and more motivated. No matter what you’re thinking of studying, it’s also safe to say that Cornell will probably be stronger academically. With that will also come much more work. </p>

<p>Obviously fit matters, but when comparing two schools so academically separated, I’d throw that out of the window in a heartbeat.</p>

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<p>north_face - I don’t disagree with anything you said about the relative academic reputations (emphasis on reputation as opposed to actual, see below) of the schools, but if you actually read the comments made above, wasn’t that said over and over? I think, for a Tulane forum, the comments are very balanced and objective. I agree that probably the majority of people that have a choice of Cornell and Tulane pick Cornell. You can guess 80%, but that is only a guess, as you say. I would say, with little fear of contradiction, that it is because of the paradigm in which we so often constrict ourselves. If you want to stick with the model that picking a university is 90% about which has the higher average SAT’s of incoming students, which is “Ivy League”, which has the highest number of faculty that are prize winners (although here one wants to be careful as you may never see these faculty), then great. That is perfectly appropriate for a great many students. But it is only one model. Another is to weigh other factors into the equation more than 10%, such as location, accessability of faculty, “tone” of the academic atmosphere, etc. The fact that many students fail to understand that this is an alternative model explains why not a small number end up unhappy with their choice based purely on reputation and rankings. I would also point out that rankings are limited to a small number of measures, which once you buy into the rankings tend to skew themselves more. I am not saying they are not valid for what they measure, just that one has to look at EXACTLY what they measure and decide if that is what is important to you.</p>

<p>The fact that you would “throw that (fit) out in a heartbeat” because the two schools are so “academically separated” may be fine for you, but I can tell you from experience and common sense that it is nonsense. At the risk of repeating myself, who cares if it is Harvard, Stanford, Princeton, or Cornell (or Tulane for that matter) if the fit is bad and one is unhappy there? I would also point out again that the freshman class at Cornell is almost twice the size of Tulane’s. This may or may not be important to a particular student.</p>

<p>Finally, the statement about academics is apparently untrue anyway. Rankings aside, let’s look at average SAT’s of last year’s incoming class:</p>

<p>Cornell:</p>

<p>SAT:
Reading Middle 50%: 630 - 730 Math Middle 50%: 670 - 770</p>

<p>ACT: Middle 50%: 29 - 33</p>

<p>Tulane:</p>

<p>SAT:
Reading Middle 50%: 630 - 720 Math Middle 50%: 620 - 700</p>

<p>ACT: Middle 50%: 29 - 32</p>

<p>So OK, Cornell wins on Math, not a big surprise since Tulane is more known for humanities. Overall I would hardly call that “so academically separated”, nor would I say the students at Cornell are obviously “much brighter”. And the preliminary stats for the incoming class at Tulane this year show a marked rise in those numbers, possibly as much as 20-30 points for each SAT category and a 30-33 range for the ACT. Unfortunately I don’t know about Cornell’s incoming class.</p>

<p>This is exactly what I am talking about, that people get all hung up on reputation and usually that is not the way to make a decision about some of the most important years of your life. It is a good debate, and I hope some point made by one of us rings true with you akw, because after all this is about you and your decision. Good luck!!</p>

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<p>Okay, so there are definitely good aspects to what both fallenchemist and northface said, but just one aspect I want to touch on as a current student is the academics.</p>

<p>Yes, Tulane kids have good SAT and ACT scores. Yes, Cornell’s are better. As someone who outscored the middle 50 percent of Tulane students, I feel I can pretty much say that I am one of the smarter people who goes to Tulane, and I honestly feel that every day in my classes. It’s not that my professors don’t challenge me to work hard, because they do, and it’s not that I feel like every single person is a dummy compared to me, or compared to kids who go to Cornell.</p>

<p>But… I can see every day in my classes that a lot of the kids simply don’t have as smart thoughts as me. That sounds radically egotistical, yes, but I think it’s true enough to say it. I’m in Honors, and yes, I’ve taken Honors classes and the kids in those classes are a lot smarter than the kids in my regular classes, but it’s not possible to take every class as honors. In fact, as you get beyond the introductory level classes, it’s pretty hard to fit honors courses into your schedule. </p>

<p>So I guess what I’m trying to get across is that I don’t know if you, being someone who got into Cornell, will be academically challenged enough. The course material will be hard, yes, but, for example, a few weeks ago I got a 66 on my Calc II midterm. I’m not worrying about it, because the majority of people scored in the 40s and 50s.</p>

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<p>trackie10x - those are good points, and I totally get what you are saying. Same thing happened to me when I took some courses at big state U. The kids were at a much lower level than Tulane, and I am sure people would find the same at many top schools compared to Tulane, although I am not convinced at this point Cornell is one of them, at least not to the degree a Stanford or Princeton might be. I could be wrong, for sure. I would only add that I have seen similar comments to what you said about your Calc test regarding some of the top 15 schools, such as Wash U. in St. Louis. So I don’t think that is just a Tulane phenomenon, LOL. Congrats on setting the curve or whatever.</p>

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<p>akw - I don’t know if you’ve considered travel time to/from school.</p>

<p>Drive to Ithaca: 224 miles, 4 Hours 14 Minutes (Mapquest, assuming good weather)
Flight to NOLA: non-stops, 3 Hours 21 Minutes (from any of the Metro airports)</p>

<p>OK if this seems like a diversionary tactic, well it is. The main point is that if one doesn’t “get” the whole Tulane/NOLA thing, then there’s simply no good reason to consider the school over Cornell. Good luck with your decision, and congrats on your acceptances!</p>

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<p>NewHope - OK, now I am mad at you. I wrote all that stuff, laying out my arguments logically and citing facts, and you completely nail it in 2 sentences. Grrrrrrr.</p>

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<p>cornell is such an amazing school! it comes down to what you want to do and what school will help you the most in the future</p>

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<p>[Another</a> Fatal Plunge Has Cornell Asking Whether Its Gorges Inspire Student Suicides - The New York Times](<a href=“http://www.nytimes.com/1994/11/05/nyregion/another-fatal-plunge-has-cornell-asking-whether-its-gorges-inspire-student.html?sec=health]Another”>http://www.nytimes.com/1994/11/05/nyregion/another-fatal-plunge-has-cornell-asking-whether-its-gorges-inspire-student.html?sec=health)</p>

<p>If you want to survive you should go to Tulane</p>

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<p>That’s a five year old article and the idea that there is a high suicide rate at Cornell is an urban (rural?) myth. Tulane has many great things going for it but don’t base your decision on that!</p>

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<p>Don’t mind mcel … that’s just northeastern humor, sort of like “I decided to save time by cutting through New York City on the Cross-Bronx.”</p>

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<p>Actually it is an almost 15 year old article, just to strive for accuracy. this is interesting though:</p>

<p><a href=“http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2008/01/01/cornell-cuts-suicide-rate-in-half/[/url]”>http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2008/01/01/cornell-cuts-suicide-rate-in-half/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>But at least NewHope has told me what I have been doing wrong when driving from RI to NJ. What a sucker I was to believe that! LOL</p>

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<p>OK, my D goes to Cornell and my S got accepted to Cornell as a guaranteed transfer in his sophomore year. He also got accepted to Tulane. First of all, Ithaca is not as bad as you are making it out to be, except for the winter weather. Cornell is tremendous (13,000 undergrads) and there is enough to do on campus, at the frat & sororities, and in the college town bars to keep anyone busy and “warm” year-round. However, my D’s roommate during her freshmen year was a BME major and was also on the crew team. She hated Cornell, whereas my D loved (loves) it. The work, in any major, is overwhelming, but the roommate defintely had more work than my D (who is a communications major). Cornell has the reputation of the easiest IVY to get into, but the hardest to graduate from. I now understand this firsthand. So much of the grading is based on a curve, that my D’s grades are sometimes lower than her class average, just to fit the curve. Again, my D loves it and wouldn’t go anywhere else. I don’t feel, however, that Cornell is the place for my S. We just got back from Destination Tulane and I laughed to myself when they said Tulane’s largest classe (Intro to Psych) has about 80 to 100 students in it (Cornell’s has over 1,000 with a live satellite to either Qatar or Kuwait). I don’t know anything about BME at Tulane, but if you choose Cornell, expect to work really hard. </p>

<p>Lastly, I haven’t read anything from AKW for quite a few days now. Is he (or she) still reading this??? All this banter is basically for you, AKW!!!</p>