My son is torn between Tulane and UMiami. So, your counselor doesn’t think Tulane is very good? Can I ask, it is a HS counselor or privately hired? I’m not sure that matters, just wondering. Any info you have on the quality (or lack thereof) of a Tulane education would be really helpful. Thanks!
Hi, there. My son is torn between Tulane and UMiami. Any info you about either school would be really helpful! Why is Tulane a scam? Is it not that good of a school? It’s still ranked #41. Thanks!
Hi: Tulane is a terrific institution in an interesting, unique and fun city. I am an alumnae and had an outstanding education and experience and a very successful career. I have been particularly impressed with Tulane’s investment in their faculty. It is a mid-size private so a very nice size with small classes (once you take some of the prereqs.) Lots of opportunities for engagement with the school and community. It is a very social school. I know many kids who currently attend and every one of them loves it but it has been the right fit for them and may not be for everyone for sure. I am heading there this week with my daughter who is also considering Tulane.
(I recommend ignoring the negative comments on this thread only because as best as I can tell they are not coming from sources who have actually attended the school.).
I hear good things about Miami. You would need to visit to see which environment fits best. Very different city of course. Probably similar downsides of needing to be aware of safety concerns which is certainly the case in NOLA.
Also, they are both very expensive so similar in that regard.
I would be proud for my daughter to pick Tulane and she has excellent other choices. I want her to be at a school where she will thrive academically and socially. It will be her decision.
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You are asking high school students who have not attended. There are plenty of people within the Tulane threads not related to the current admissions cycle who have actual experience with the school as alums, students and parents. Find a thread related to your questions or post your own if you are looking for experience based information. I have a D currently in her 3rd year at Tulane…feel free to reach out per DM if you would like to ask specific questions.
I have a senior and a freshman at Tulane right now, please send a pm or ask here to get your questions answered.
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This is the best thing I’ve ever read on CC haha- the entitlement of some parents in this thread is absolutely sickening and I hope their children don’t have the same mindset bc that is a dangerous mindset to have. I do think that everybody needs a reminder that having the perfect stats/ECs/essays won’t guarantee admission into any university.
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My son is graduating from Tulane. it was a fantastic four years. He made Wonderful friends and received a first rate education. He also found a job. He reported back to us that many employers respected the school and recognized that you must be a very good student to gain admission to Tulane. His other friends are heading to law school, finance job etc. The placements seems terrific. As well, NOLA is an amazing city to attend college in. We visited our son a few times during his four years and found Tulane to be beautiful, located in a gorgeous neighborhood, and full of happy hard working students. We have been impressed with all our son’s friends who we have met when visiting. We are sorry the four years are over. Our son worked very hard to gain admission to the school and it was his first choice. I think the college process is very difficult so I am sorry for the disappointment experienced by equally hard working students. There really does not seem to be any magic formula for college admission, sometimes it is just luck and the year you apply.
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My S23 is a second year at Tulane. He was accepted at many top schools, but Tulane was the full package. It’s a major research university with strong liberal arts (he’s studying econ and physics), the campus is a nice combination of historic and modern buildings in a walkable part of town with lots to do (e.g. Audubon Park, Magazine St shops & restaurants), and direct public transit (streetcar) to the French quarter! Moreover, the school is incredibly well run - throughout COVID and during hurricane warnings, I know my son has been taken care of and that I’ve been well informed. Also, I think TU’s students are the school’s biggest asset. It has a plenty smart and accomplished peer group from around the country without the pressure-cooker/grade obsessed environment you find at other institutions. Finally, it’s in New Orleans, truly one of America’s greatest cities.
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I agree with @pishicaca - @lauraj80ft feel free to DM me…My son is currently a sophomore and it’s been amazing for him academically and socially, but had bumps along the way which the school handled beautifully. We all want our kids to grow and learn as adults, they have some wants, and we have some wants as parents. He wasn’t 100% sure what he wanted to pursue from day 1 (and doubtful most of your kids do either), and the flexibility, options, and supports there have transformed his outlook and he knows it was a great choice for him. Could he have been happier somewhere else, or did he get into more “highly ranked” schools? Sure… but don’t dump on a school for it’s unique admissions process, or from disgruntled parents who’s “darling kids” didn’t get accepted. I maintain that Tulane is a world class institution in the opportunities and environment that it provides for our kids, and I don’t care what HS counselors say. In fact, counselor 101 is not to judge, but to advise.
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So happy to see this thread turn positive again! I guess all those who didn’t get accepted have moved on. We’ve visited Tulane and are convinced my son would be very happy there. It’s a really tough choice between UMiami and Tulane, as the students at both schools tend to be very similar. I’m a UM alum and my daughter is a junior there, so I know what a wonderful institution it is, including the strength of their alumni network and career placement. Those without my experience may not be aware of this. My son is really torn and I appreciate hearing all the Tulane success stories! The truth is, I don’t think he can go wrong. I truly believe he’ll be happy and successful at either one…that brings me to price. With scholarships and FA taken into account, TU is still about $10k more. If anyone has FA experience, I’d really appreciate if I could dm you a couple questions. Thanks for the feedback!
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Pishicaca - I wasn’t so much looking for a 17yo or HS counselor’s opinion. Some families pay a small fortune for private college counselors for their expertise in top tier institutions and I was interested in that type of college counselor’s educated opinion. But thank you for your feedback! I do believe my son would be successful at TU and I love the campus…guess I just have to wait and see which school he chooses.
Just for the record, and I know that I’m a little biased because my son is at Tulane, but between his best friend from HS and some dear family friends who’s daughter is a junior at Miami, we’ve gotten some good feedback. My son had to make the same decision…
All academics aside (because they’re both great!), the social scene is different. Miami is obviously a very vibrant and flashy city, and more expensive than New Orleans. My son is fairly low key and social, but was not prepared to go out to the clubs and the uber party scene in Miami. His friend comes to Tulane often says “it must be nice to not have to pay for bottle service when you go out with girls”. I was floored!! Too funny…
I think you’re right though, the demographics are very similar and attract lots of the kids, but I was not prepared to foot the bill for such “extracurricular” activities.
I wanted to check, does Tulane send merchandise to admitted students?
Hi All,
I got waitlisted. I know that it is hard to get off the waitlist but what are some things that I can do to increase my chances? I go to a really selective school and I think I got waitlisted because of my low-ish grades. I love Tulane and it is my first choice but it seems like they just do not want to accept me. I was deferred and then waitlisted. Is it worth pursuing? Also, what are the numbers for the waitlist pool?
Thanks in advance for the help.
seems a lot of WL students are accepted to TU’s spring scholar program. You study aboard (with other TU students) or take a gap semester in the fall and then start in NOLA in January 2022. If this is an option for you, I would let Admissions know.
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If I’m reading the Common Data Set correctly it says 0 got in off waitlist last year and the year before and 2 got in off the waitlist the year before that.
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I think those stats are for fall admissions and not spring admits.
Hey! As a few other parents said I personally don’t have experience with either school. I do know that it definitely isn’t a bad option and I know a lot of people who have loved their time there. With that being said, their admissions department definitely creates an illusion of it being a more elite institution than it really is. They tend to take kids with very low stats during the ED round and fill up most of their class and then reject everyone with decent and overqualified stats during RD. They don’t release their ED acceptance rate because it is so high and then claim that their overall acceptance rate is extremely low when it’s simply not true. They also pressure kids into applying early decision so that they can give no financial aid and ensure that they make as much money as possible. For those reasons, I definitely question the school’s intentions and I don’t like that they put all of their worth and “prestige” in their low acceptance rate (that in reality isn’t very low). This probably doesn’t apply to your son because I’m assuming he got in either EA or RD (congrats!) but I would say the majority of the class is not very academically driven. I personally believe that UMiami would be a better option both academically and socially (plus it’s an amazing location), but they are ranked similarly so I’m sure your son will be happy at either one! Good Luck!
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Honestly though, Uggsrwarm is 100% right. Tulane is definitely still a more than decent school but they practice extreme yield protection to the point where academic performance is valued much lower than other schools in the admission process. It’s not putting anyone down, it’s just a fact that they only admit students that they think will actually enroll and these tend to be ED students, regardless of their GPA or test scores. As for their acceptance rate, the only reason it is so low is because that is the RD acceptance rate. Tulane purposely doesn’t release ED acceptance stats because they know it will make them look less “elite.” They try to look like they are on par with T20’s when it’s just not true.
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Also sorry if I offended anyone on this thread! I am reading through the comments and I really did not mean any harm. Tulane is a fantastic school, I just personally disagree with how they run their admissions!
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