I have been admitted to Tulane and UCSB and am having a hard time deciding. I’m from the Bay Area, and I always thought I’d go to college in SoCal, but I really connected to Tulane and New Orleans and I know it would be an incredible experience. Wondering if anyone knows if Tulane offers a stronger Alumni network for job placement than UCSB and if Tulane would be a better choice for exploring major options and career paths. It’s not clear to me yet what I want to major in. If anyone has any insights I would greatly appreciate it!
There is no question that Tulane has a stronger network nationally and internationally, other than SoCal. Even in Cal, Tulane has become really hot in the last 10 years and the percentage of each class from Cal has risen strongly to the point that Cal is consistently in the top 3 states represented.
I forgot to ask you about the cost difference. Would you be taking on debt if you attend Tulane, and if so how much? Or is your family fortunate enough that the $$ are not an influencing factor?
Thank you @fallenchemist. There is a big cost difference. I did not receive any money from Tulane, so it is significant. My family is fortunate so they have left the decision to me, but I am wondering if it is worth the money? Another question I have is, would there be an opportunity to apply for scholarships or aid once I am attending Tulane? I feel I should wear some skin on this one.
@fallenchemist wanted to elaborate “if it is worth the money” in the quality of the education. UCSB is no Berkley or UCLA, but it is now #3 in USnews rankings of UC’s. Tulane is a very prestigious university. How does UCSB compare?
Let’s break that down into the two components. First just the pure finances, not the question of “value”, which is very different as you will see. So it sounds like there will be no loans involved, and your parents are being great in saying they are willing to spend the extra money on Tulane. Scholarships after you are already at a school are pretty rare I think, not just at Tulane but everywhere. And need based aid is wholly dependent on your family’s income and assets, so I will go out on a limb based on what you have described and say that is equally unlikely. So the only way you could contribute to the cost of your own education would be to work while you were in school. That is a very individual decision, but I have to say there are so many things to take advantage of at Tulane, if you don’t have to work you probably get more out of using that time to just be in college.
As everyone on here will tell you, the 4 years just fly by. And Tulane just offers so much beyond classroom academics. There is getting involved with the city of NOLA through service, doing research with a professor, club activities, your social life, etc. For people who have to work, they are usually having to give up at least one of those aspects. However, one option starting 2nd year is to be a dorm RA. If you apply and are selected, you get your room free and a discount on your meal plan. Probably worth about $15,000? Just guessing without looking it up, but it has to be in that ballpark. And you get a room to yourself. You have to keep “office hours” and some other things, but it leaves you freer to do all the regular stuff than an off campus job would. Plus you can often get a lot of studying done during those times, so it is kind of 2 for 1.
Otherwise, it really is just a matter of how much that extra $175,000 Tulane would cost, or whatever the number is, means to your family, again for right now just looking at the impact to your family, not the value spending that money on Tulane brings. I promise I am getting to that. Only you and your parents can decide if spending that money impacts everything else in their life, or if it is easily affordable.
Now for the value part, which again is so very individual in assessment. Tulane and UCSB are very different schools with very different atmospheres, yet each will provide you with a first rate classroom education. So much in making this decision depends on your own goals and preferences. At Tulane, students will be from all over the USA. At UCSB it is almost all Californians. At Tulane all the classes are proportionally smaller and taught by regular faculty. At UCSB you will have some very large lectures taught by TA’s (grad students). At Tulane you can very easily get to know faculty well. This is generally more difficult at schools like UCSB. Along with that, if one of your goals is to be involved in research, this is extremely common for undergrads at Tulane. If you are into the idea of getting really involved in social change, be it helping people get the health care they need, working with disadvantaged K-12 on things like debate teams, ensuring that people’s environments are safe from contaminants, or any of a variety of social causes, Tulane has it as an integrated aspect of their educational mission.
On the other hand, if you see yourself as not getting so involved in anything like that, but instead focusing only on doing well in your classwork, joining a few club activities, and hanging out with new friends, then UCSB will meet your needs just as well as Tulane. I know that sounds like I am being negative towards the 2nd scenario, but I truly am not. Hundreds of thousands of college students go through 4 years of school studying hard, attending games, dating/hanging out, and doing a specialized activity or two or three. And they love it. I am just saying that any college can offer you that. Tulane is just especially focused on providing a much richer undergraduate experience, if you choose to take advantage of it. I will say that beyond what I would consider the more fulfilling undergraduate experience Tulane provides for the right people, it can pay off in what happens after graduation. You potentially have things to put on your resume that are much more interesting and demonstrate a greater level of maturity, not to mention better letters of rec from profs that have gotten to know you well. Employers, grad schools and professional schools love that.
So sure, all of the above is biased towards Tulane. But I still think it is an honest assessment that shows how the decision rests on your family deciding about the financial aspect, and you deciding what kind of college experience fits you best. Once those things are clear, I think the decision should be as well.
P.S. Literally seconds after posting this, I went to the Tulane current news page, and they had just added this story, which is just a small sampling of the kind of thing I am talking about that so many Tulane students get involved in. Between pure research, this kind of social involvement, and other forward looking initiatives such as the School of Architecture and the homes, gardens and playgrounds they design for NOLA and Louisiana (and others), there is something for every interest if someone wants it. http://tulane.edu/news/newwave/032916_nwinsider_community-engagement-advocates.cfm
@fallenchemist you are a fountain of knowledge and THANK YOU for taking the time to reply to my questions. I have been following the Tulane thread on CC all year and I know you help guide so many students. To say no to UCSB or Tulane will be hard but you have given me some great advice. Thanks again.
Best of luck! To point out the obvious, you are going to a very fine school either way. And while I love NOLA more, I have had some great days in SB. I especially remember a reception for a scientific meeting at the zoo there, where I met several Nobel Prize winners and other eminent scientists. They are often surprisingly amusing when they have had just a little too much! But the setting is spectacular.
Hopefully I will have a interesting life one day as you apparently do. Very cool.