Hi! I want an unbiased opinion on Tulane vs. Alabama. At this point, I’ve already been accepted to Alabama and I’m hearing back from Tulane on Wednesday.
Here are some of the pros vs. cons of Tulane!
Pro- location (I adore NOLA and I have family there), politics (more left-leaning than other cities in the South, happy students, good for my major (public health), has a medical school, service requirement, I can join their club rowing team, Mardi Gras, good party scene, etc.
Cons- price, rich white stereotype (I’m white but by no means rich), hurricanes, poor dorms, tenured professors, no sports teams, lack of school spirit, small campus
Here are some pros vs. cons for Alabama!
Pro- weather, has my major, I can row D1 there, sororities, party scene, football is hugeeeeee, I have family about an hour away, gorgeous campus, amazing facilities, very very good schoolships, will probably do better in classes, nice dorms, good school spirit
Cons- not as prestigious, sorority hazing, Trump nation, far from home (I would have to take two plans + drive for two hours)
I applied ED to Tulane and have a pretty good shot of getting in but I just want an honest opinion. Everyone says I made the right choice by applying ED to Tulane. They think that I will be a lot happier there but at the same time I’m not huge on going out but I want to have a fun four years. I’m just worried about money.
For the record, Tuscaloosa went blue.
And the drive from Birmingham-Shuttlesworth airport to UA is 1 hour.
Before you applied ED to Tulane did you run the Net Price Calculator on their website to see what costs would be?
As you applied ED, you are bound to attend there if accepted and if affordable. The only way out of an ED acceptance is if the financial aid offer is not affordable. But you would have had a good idea about affordability before you applied if you had run the NPC.
Does Tulane have your major? If not, why did you apply there?
Have you applied for / do you qualify for any of Alabama’s merit scholarships? What will your net price be?
Alabama sorority dues (live out) are about $3000 per semester although these include a meal plan to eat at the house. Then there are additional costs around clothes, gifts, socials, trips etc etc. Make sure you can afford it before signing up for rush. Also check Tulane’s greek life page for equivalent info about their system before you rush.
My D is in a sorority at Bama: she has NEVER been hazed. At all. Neither have her friends in other chapters. In fact, she was showered with gifts (see my point on additional costs above).
Bama is mainly moderate, centrist. Depends who you hang out with. Greek life runs much more right of center but there is a range of views. D is liberal from the NE and has friends with similar views and others who don’t.
I looked it up and the county that UA is in did not go blue for this election according to the county’s official website. And when I visited I flew into Montgomery because there were come connecting flight from my origin! But in terms of money, I am talking about the Cost of Living rather than the actual tuition! I have fount UA to be in the middle but I am from a very liberal area and I am worried that I would be alienated for my beliefs. Thank you for clarifying the sorority hazing things! I have heard some scary things and that helped calm me down!
Not something to fight about here, but the AP reports that the county that 'Bama is located in voted for Biden. It is part of the historical black belt of Alabama, so it makes sense politically even without the University being there.
https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=alabama+election+results+2020
I have heard of issues getting classes you want at Tulane that can interfere with graduating on time. Something to research with your major.
It appears the OP needs to do more research on BOTH schools…or maybe just go to college closer to home.
Tuscaloosa County results are here: https://www.tuscco.com/election-results/ .
Tuscaloosa City has about half of the population of Tuscaloosa County; there do not appear to be easily accessible results for precincts in just the city or the University of Alabama area.
In Alabama, political party preference is very strongly correlated to race/ethnicity: https://www.pewforum.org/religious-landscape-study/compare/party-affiliation/by/racial-and-ethnic-composition/among/state/alabama/ . Louisiana only a little less so: https://www.pewforum.org/religious-landscape-study/compare/party-affiliation/by/racial-and-ethnic-composition/among/state/louisiana/
@NJWrestlingmom This is a problem at every school, you’ll usually get the classes you NEED to graduate at private schools but not necessarily the classes you WANT.
Tulane decisions released yesterday, so OP has likely had her decision about Tulane made for her; if deferred, she has time to consider all of her options RD.
It is also probably an easy thing for students to blame even though the real cause of delayed graduation is often due to poor schedule planning, taking light course loads, failing courses, not wanting to take the 8am section of a needed course, changing major late and needing to take lots of “catch up” courses, etc…
Hi! I will be going to Tulane and I am very happy with my decision. And I have done my research and if I wanted to go to college closer to home, I could have. That is not the issue, I qualify for admission for the CSUs and UC schools because of my grades and class ranking in CA! Just an FYI before you start staying to be my research.
Congratulations on your admit!
@lagirl2003, congratulations on your admission to Tulane, a very difficult task and significant achievement. You’ll really see the benefits when you meet your fellow classmates and see how driven and talented they are, and when you attend classes that will push you to your limit. At the same time, this admission and enrollment at Tulane comes with the obligation to honor that achievement with humility and genuine respect for other people and other institutions. You should always be mindful of that. ‘Bama is one hell of an institution, one that also would have provided you with an excellent education if you took it seriously and put the work in.
In any event, the din of the college application will tone down pretty quickly once you settle in at Tulane and immerse yourself in your classes and in your community. Best of luck to you!