<p>Anyone know where I can find a similar survey for Tulane? I was hoping to know more about the possible returns before sending in the deposit and investing in a $200k education. Seems like anyone can find loads of data on incoming students from any college; a little more difficult for outgoing...</p>
<p>That’s because a lot of students don’t tell the school what their next step is, even if they know it and it is a positive one. Much smaller schools have an easier time of it. Look at the example you give. Only 318 graduates, so the school would be very tight-knit, I would think. Even then only 70% responded. Tulane must have about 1500 or so graduates every year, not counting Tulane’s graduate and professional schools. Not sure how meaningful it would be if only 50% or so responded, or even less. That’s just the way it is.</p>
<p>Having said all that, I do know that Tulane has one of the highest rates of students that go on to volunteer for a year or more in Americorps, Peace Corps, and similar organizations. Not meaning to imply it is anywhere near the majority of graduates, I am sure it is not. Just pointing out something they have publicized.</p>
<p>The other thing I know I have read, but don’t know the numbers off-hand, is that Tulane, like most upper level private schools, has a pretty fair percentage go on to graduate and professional schools.</p>
<p>I would recommend, if you are fairly confident of your major (let’s say it is business for example), that you call that department and ask them specifically about people that graduate with that major. If you are undecided, then it is more difficult for sure, and a general survey of outcomes wouldn’t tell you much anyway.</p>
<p>Thanks FC for the input. I’ve been struggling with the decision ever since my visit last month to see the school. On the way to the school for my visit I happen to sit next to a Tulane biology prof. on the St. Charles street car. One comment this prof made was about the lack of value in Tulane. I took this to mean: it wasn’t worth the money. I was a bit stunned since we had just met and I had mentioned I was on my way for a visit. I loved the school visit regardless. And I checked the biology dept. site later on to confirm this person was actually in the dept. I’ve been searching for empirical data to confirm this person’s premise, but only anecdotal data so far. This is an odd way to start my intended career as a scientist.</p>
<p>Well, it is a bit odd but honest from the prof’s point of view I suppose. I can only presume what they meant, which is something I have said often as well. No school, not even Harvard, is worth going into major debt for. If you can afford Tulane because your family has the resources fairly comfortably and/or because you got significant scholarships which bring down the cost, then that is one thing. If you would come out of 4 years at Tulane or any school with $40,000 in debt, that is quite another.</p>
<p>One has to really examine that word, value. Too bad you didn’t happen to sit next to an economics prof! Value is highly subjective. Without belaboring the point, what is of priceless value to one person may be worthless to another, and all outcomes in-between. It depends on what is important to you to satisfy your needs and desires, and what resources you can put towards satisfying those needs and desires. In your case your need/desire is a school that maximizes your job outcome after 4 years of study. I am sure it is more complicated than that, it usually is which is why picking a school is often difficult for students. But if we kept it that simple for discussion purposes, then I would say that the prof is right. Tulane will not provide you with $120,000 worth (an approximation of the difference in cost for 4 years at Tulane vs. a state school) of added outcome in all likelihood. If, however, your intention is grad school (which I highly recommend if you are looking at a long term career as an actual scientist) AND IF a significant part of your valuation calculation involves other factors such as the ability to do research as an undergrad, a smaller, more personalized educational environment, and the other factors that make Tulane very different than Big State U, then it might well hold that value. These are 4 years that most of us look back on for the rest of our lives as extremely significant. Having said that, I still would never, ever recommend taking on major debt for it. My usual rule of thumb is no more than $25K after 4 years, but again that is something every person has to judge for themselves.</p>
<p>Wow, I’m over whelmed. So many variables. I wonder if the econ prof. when tell me to set some of them constant and then compare. You know, eliminate debt and merit from the equation and compare on college list prices. I think my goal is to study biology and either go to grad or professional school. If I compare some of my more prestigious private school choices at their list price of roughly $200k with lessor colleges of $120k, and after graduation I had an equal chance of attending grad school X, the lessor college would be the better value. </p>
<p>If I spend much more money on the higher cost school and find out half the students in my grad school program got to the same place as me at half the cost thru lessor schools, I would say I didn’t get the best value. </p>
<p>How does Tulane improve my chances? In that Berry example I saw students getting into grad programs so I know at least from that school you can spend less (list price comparison) than Tulane and still reach your goals. Can Tulane offer better grad schools results than Berry or my state school or whatever? I don’t know as the data is not available. Maybe all chances are equal among schools, and I should consider the extra money spent is for the intangibles.</p>
<p>I think I have my argument for my parents. Of course we did take the street car that day rather than rent a car because they didn’t see the value in having a rental for the weekend.</p>
<p>I have to say I find this discussion very interesting. It really brings the concept of “value” into stark relief. I like your comment about the streetcar. It just shows how value varies from person to person. To me, the streetcar is one of the greatest values out there because it is cheaper AND I enjoy it so much more than driving. But if I need the flexibility of having to get to places like WalMart and Target (move-in weekend for example), it loses its value to me and the rental car becomes the better option over a taxi or whatever.</p>
<p>In any case, the most important way a school like Tulane might help you get into a better grad school than a hypothetical School X is if the research opportunities at Tulane, both in terms of allowing undergrads to do meaningful research and the quality of the research projects, was much better than at School X. That, and also if you were so unhappy at School X for whatever reason (too big and impersonal, too preppy, too cold, any number of things) that you didn’t do as well in your studies it would of course potentially hurt you at top grad schools. In general there is no reason you cannot get into Harvard grad school as easily from School X as from Tulane, but it really is a matter of how it fits you with respect to factors like I just mentioned, as well as other reasons potentially. That is what you are really paying for at Tulane. Otherwise private schools would have no advantage at all over publics.</p>
<p>So yes, you can certainly potentially reach your goals at Berry equally to Tulane, if those factors I mention have no value added to you. To be fair, for some students Berry might be cheaper AND represent a better choice, and therefore be a far better value. How? Well, if you know that you don’t have a lot of discipline (or put another way are easily distracted) and Tulane/New Orleans would be something that therefore would be a bad fit for doing well, then certainly a different choice would be better. Just an example.</p>
<p>You are right it is complicated with lots and lots of variables. We can only help you crystallize some of the reasoning on here, only you can truly make the final judgment. It isn’t completely scientific, you cannot quantify these things. All you can do is make lists, think it through as best you can, and make a semi-quantitative, semi-qualitative decision in the end.</p>
<p>We (parents) are willing to pay the price because of the value we see in several different areas.
We (parents and son) all felt that the state school was an extension of high school. Our son did not fit very well socially in high school. His interest were much different than most all the other kids. Therefore, we were looking for a university with a geographically diverse student body. The Tulane student body is 1/3 northeast, 1/3 southern and 1/3 western
The academic requirements were not near as demanding to enter the state school as it was to enter Tulane. We thought that the focus on GPA and academic success would be front and center more so at Tulane than at the state school.
Our state school is ranked in the top 5 party colleges every year. We actually felt that Tulane student body would be less focused on the party side than the state school student body.
Our son has always done better with good teachers. We felt that Tulane offered better teachers with smaller classes. We also anticipate the professors actually teaching the classes rather than assistants.
Another thing that I personally think is a positive is the cost. We are full pay and our son is very much aware of the commitment required from his parents to make this happen. Our deal with him is that we will do our part if he will do his. We discussed this for quite sometime because the difference in tuition alone is $155,000 over 4 years. Our son has scholarships at the state school and none at Tulane. After many talks with our son, we fell that he will take the academic side of college very seriously.Therefore, I look for a significantly better academic effort from our son at Tulane versus the state school.
The last thing that stands out to me at the moment is the prestige of Tulane over the state school. I believe our son will take pride in the university and excel because more is expected of the student body at Tulane than the state school.<br>
We see real value at Tulane</p>
<p>Treme, may I suggest that you consider calling Graduate Admissions at several grad/professional schools and ask them what they value in the admissions process. I called a top Midwest school recently and asked how they valued the prestige of the undergraduate institution and what they looked for in potential poli sci grad students. The admission counselor started off by saying that they considered the whole package, not just one thing. Their current grad students were from all sorts of colleges - prestige didn’t seem to matter a whole lot. GRE scores, grades (especially grades in one’s major), recommendations and research (do as much research as you can) were the most important factors. From that, I gleaned that it is very important to get to know your professors right from the very beginning. (I didn’t do that myself - I thought that getting to know faculty was grade grubbing, sucking up, or worse - so I didn’t do it.) There are very good reasons for doing this. First, the interaction with profs will increase your opportunities to actually learn something. It will also help them to get to know you and your abilities, so when it comes time to select a student to assist with research, or to recommend for a summer job or internship, or to write a genuinely insightful letter of recommendation to a grad school, the prof will be better able to help you reach your goals. Finally, something I never thought of when I was in school, many profs really enjoy interacting with students, so they will be glad that you took the time to get to know them.</p>
<p>There is a lot more involved in making a good decision about college than prestige and grad school prospects, as FC and the other posters have correctly pointed out. I suspect, like many things if life, that there is no one right answer to the question. It becomes a matter of feel, of weighing pros and cons, of considering your own goals and objectives, and of what you need to help you achieve them. It is a daunting, but exciting opportunity, and I wish you all the best as you go through the process.</p>