Hello, I’m hoping for some advice on deciding between Tulane University and university of South Carolina in the honors college. I am out of state from New Jersey and plan to major in History. Tulane is my first choice but it is much more expensive, especially when I am planning to go to law school. South Carolina is much more affordable as I would pay in state tuition and am in their number one ranked public college Honors college in the country. I do like the Greek houses and larger Greek participation at USC in addition to the sports there but I worry that Greek Life might be too consuming there. I absolutely love the red brick look of USC too. But, I do worry that South Carolina might be a little too big for me. Tulane is my first choice and I like that the campus size is much more manageable but on the other hand I worry it could feel too small at times. I also like that Tulane is such a good school and it has a great location with a pretty campus too, just pretty in a different way than USC. If anyone can speak to this and possibly share some insight into the history programs at both these schools that would be much appreciated. Tulane is where my heart wants to go but USC is where my brain tells me to go.
Is there a particular historical or geographical period that you’re interested in?
@NJDad68 I’m interested in US history mainly the 20th and 21st century.
South Carolina Honors College has a great reputation. I would go there and save the $ for law school. Plus law school admissions is mostly grades and LSAT scores.
Since law school is the plan, and law school is very expensive, save your money and go to USC.
Do you think sacrificing the prestige of Tulane, who had an acceptance rate of 13 for my class, will hurt me in the long run? Will sacrificing the reputation and possible connections because of that prove the saving in money to not be worth it? @oldlaw @Sunny66
I would visit Tulane and get a feel for it. It is very strong in history and provides top-notch interdisciplinary opportunities to pair the major with political economy, poli-sci, international relations and a host of other disciplines that one would not normally think complements U.S. History 1900 or the present. As far as the prestige factor is concerned and the networks you would gain access to, that is definitely a consideration if you plan on leaving South Carolina. If you plan to settle down in state, USC would likely afford the better connections, but of course you can go to law school there and pay in state tuition for that. In the end, I would go with your heart and go to Tulane up to a tipping point of added expense (which you can set with your parents), after which no school is worth it and then just go to your great state flagship. BTW, congratulations on the acceptances. Not easy. Well done!
Congrats on your acceptances. I do not think Tulane is especially prestigious compared to USC Honors. Your law school will matter more for connections and school reputation. And law school admissions is primary GPA and LSAT score. Unless you were talking about a few super-elite law firms, undergrad does not matter much if at all, and – no offense to Tulane – it would not be the type of undergrad those rare firms would be looking for anyway. Those would be Harvard, Yale, Princeton, UChicago, etc.
If i missed it, sorry, but what’s the COA annually for both schools, and how are you going to pay? All professional/graduate schools are very expensive, so UG debt-or lack thereof-will play a large role in later life decisions.
College is about thinking and learning, so go where your brain tells you to go. You seriously don’t need to spend 6x the tuition for a bachelors degree no matter what your “heart” tells you. Emotion is an incompetent adviser.
Animallover345, we are in the same boat. My son was accepted to some great private universities, but he also plans to attend graduate school or law school. He was accepted to U of SC Honors College as well as FSU Honors College, with OOS waiver for both. He’s strongly leaning towards FSU because he says he sees the value in saving money during undergraduate school so we can send him anywhere he wants to go for law school/graduate school (private or public). Graduate school trumps undergraduate for the most part in almost every category (internships, networking, name recognition, etc.)
We’re having a heartfelt tug of war of emotions, denying some really great private universities that he was accepted into. But I hope looking long-term will be financially fruitful.
OP: The Univ. of South Carolina Honors College is the better choice due to COA & the Honors College which makes USC feel like a small community of academic superstars with all the perks & advantages of a large Southern public university.
Well, there wont be an opportunity to visit under the current health crisis. Did you get any scholarship $ from Tulane? What is the price difference for the schools?
I am biased b/c one of my s’s went to Tulane (not a history major) and met his now wife there. That said, he had great scholarship $ so it was very affordable. What do your parents feel about the COA at the 2 schools?
OP wrote:
“Tulane is my first choice, but it is much more expensive.”
@NJDad68 I am actually not from South Carolina but am from NJ. The difference in cost between the two over four years will most likely be around 80k and I’m planning to go to a top tier law school if I can, shooting for an ivy but that is definitely easier said than done. No matter where I go for undergrad I am coming back to the northeast for law school. I have visited Tulane twice and I do really like it my only struggle is the money.
@oldlaw COA at South Carolina is around 25,000 whereas Tulane is around 40,000. My parents told me they would pay for Tulane so I personally wouldn’t be going into any debt but if they help me with the out of pocket for Tulane then they can’t help me at all for law school, whereas USC requires no out of pocket. I would not be taking out loans or going into any debt but rather demanding more of my parents which they offered but I still feel bad about.
@sunwalker: USC Honors is MUCH better than FSU Honors.
@animallover345 : what $ difference are we talking about? How would it be paid (do your parents have the money/a college fund or would they have to take loans for you?)
Since visiting is dangerous (stay home regardless of where you are, think of this as 21st century plague and use your time to brush up on the 1918 pandemic…)
email admission office to ask to be put in contact with current history majors.
Contact professors with research interests YOU find interesting, ask them what courses they recommend for freshmen. (Start with "Dear Professor Z, my name is … … And I am an admitted prospective student considering USC and its honors college/Tulane. " Closewith “Thank you. Sincerely, … …”)
Contact people in the honors college at USC.
Ask to be put in touch with people NOT in Greek life to have an outside perspective.
Ask about the freshman seminars, the coolest clubs on campus, the top 3 things to do on a Thursday evening (the answer shouldn’t include “drink”). …
@sunwalker that is the one thing that makes this easier, that there are so many other smart kids out there in the same boat as me sacrificing the “better school” because it just doesn’t make sense financially to spend that much. Do you worry your child will have any regrets for not going to the best undergrad they could’ve?
@jym626 my parents told me they would spend the extra money to send me to Tulane if that’s where I decided to go but then there would be no help with law school. I did get good merit and financial aid but when Tulane’s COA without any money is nearly 80,000 even good merit and financial aid still has the school at 40,000 a year. South Carolina is around 25,000 with private school tuitions increasing at faster rates than public which is also a concern of mine.
The location of the University of South Carolina offers easy access to Charleston, SC, Savannah, Georgia, amazing beaches & islands. On a long weekend, you can explore the Outer Banks of North Carolina.
New Orleans is an interesting city as well.
The cost difference is too much & law school can be expensive.