<p>This may sound crazy -- but I am trying to decide between these two very different schools.</p>
<p>UW is huge, beautiful, liberal, diverse, athletic, near Canada, Seattle, Ranked 42nd, rainy...</p>
<p>Tulane is small, beautiful, southern, hurricanes, New Orleans, Ranked 44th, hot.... Rebuilding....</p>
<p>Any advice?</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>UW</p>
<p>Trust me.</p>
<p>are u kidding me? tulane hands down. tulanes a private school with much higher scores and standards.</p>
<p>Washington is beautiful. We were there--in Tacoma--at a mathcamp last summer, and it was exquisite. However, we were there during the only (we're told) nonrainy time of the year. You need to know whether you can handle not seeing the sun for literally months at a time. For some people, that would result in deep depression. It would for me.</p>
<p>OTOH, Tulane is in a very hot, humid place. Too hot for me. So much for weather.</p>
<p>Can you visit? Weather isn't the most important feature of a university by a long shot. Try to go to both places.</p>
<p>What do you want to study? Do you have any thoughts about larger classes and a state university environment, vs a smaller university? What about price differences? I think UW is cheaper, even for out of state, but would check on that. How about the city environment? We have relatively little crime and government corruption in WA (it's not even a "small easy" :). I'd pick UW over Tulane for my own D, even if we paid out of state rates. I am here on CC as a parent but I work at UW. PM me if you wish, and I can tell you more about the city, WA state, and the school.</p>
<p>tulane wins hands down by a mile margin</p>
<p>I received a scholarship at Tulane which makes the cost virtually the same for the two schools. Obviously, weather isn't really an issue for me. My major, I think, will be political science (with a possibly double major in business). Again, I love them both and have visited both. Two of the most beautiful campuses in the country, that I've seen. Clearly, they're on opposite ends of the spectrum, and I like both of them. Any comments?</p>
<p>tulane...200k education versus a 15k one...its obvious.</p>
<p>I think the city environment is what drives some kids' decisions. My S2 just chose Tulane over 3 equally ranked large state schools because of the wonderful vibe he got about Tulane when he visited. S1 is a senior there now and loves the school and city. Has not once mentioned to me any concerns about the possiblity of corrupt politicians in the city. He does love the weather, the ability to play sports outdoors all year, the wonderful live music scene, the food... Enjoys his small classes and personal attention from professors. Lives in a great house 6 blocks from campus and never feels unsafe in the Tulane community. Keep in mind that people who don't live in or visit the city have very distorted views of what life there is like. (And yes, I am unbiased - I don't work for either university).</p>
<p>it's not the city that worries me at all. In fact, when I visited, I got awesome vibes from the city. They're both gorgeous, old campuses in awesome neighborhoods. That's part of the reason I'm having such trouble deciding between the two.</p>
<p>hmmm...for some careers, the connections made in college matter for the grad school and/or job connections you will seek after you graduate. Some schools have good connections in certain fields and/or attract recruiters from that particular region. Sometimes it is very meaningful in a particular region to have earned a degree from one of the local universities. I have the impression that this is true for UW in some fields, e.g. business, but I would not know for Tulane. Would this be a factor for the career you have in mind?</p>
<p>tulane DOMINATES louisiana and the south</p>
<p>ok...just to counter jayhawks 4 messages on one page....I'll say that from my "southern" perspective Tulane certainly does have respect in the south as far as certain fields go, like architecture for example. However, of late I've noticed a trend of people moving away from recommending Tulane as a good school where I live. In fact, my college counseler really took it off of our lists as possible schools (that she would recommend, anyways), though I'm still considering transfering there because I like New Orleans so much.</p>
<p>So, at least in the South, its not that Tulane does not have respect, its just that people aren't really sure what to expect from it anymore with all they've been through.</p>
<p>And as far as UW goes, one of my best friends in college this year is transfering back to UW (granted, shes from the Seatle area) and she loves it there.</p>
<p>Also important to consider though is if you are going to grad school for certain professions, really your undergrad degree becomes sort of meaningless in a sense in the real world. Whether you be a lawyer, doctor, etc...I think people tend to be more concerned with whether you can do what you say you can do rather than who gave you a piece of paper.</p>
<p>My roommate went to UW during katrina semester. They were more than accomodating but at the same time the HUGE school did not fit his style. 1300 kids here is a much better size, at least for him. He used to be a really introverted shy kid too and has since really come out of his shell so to speak. </p>
<p>There are lots of things that one has to consider when choosing schools and size should be a major factor in this choice I think.</p>
<p>I've talked to some Tulane alum (friends of friends) who say that the alum network stretches far and wide across the country, and has been very helpful over the years.</p>
<p>I know as far as PolySci goes, that Tulane offers a semester in Washington program.</p>
<p>Because these two schools are so very different, the best way to see which is best for YOU is to apply those differences to your personal style. My son is at Tulane, and I'm a little familiar with UW.</p>
<p>Are you more comfortable in a smaller, more intimate setting where the profs WILL notice if you skip class, are more likely to know your name, etc?</p>
<p>Can you handle an environment where self-discipline will be absolutely required of you to maintain a decent gpa (Tulane has a well deserved reputation for partying because of its location).</p>
<p>Will you be comfortable in a place where many of the students come from wealthier backgrounds (Tulane)? </p>
<p>Dig deep----can you handle the worry that will most definitely come every fall semester with being in a vulnerable hurricane zone? Kids tend to brush this off, but trust me, after having lived through the Katrina evacuation, every new hurricane season will bring this issue front and center.</p>
<p>I believe that one of the key differences is that at Tulane, you need to be a little more mature and independent as an incoming freshman. I think this was difficult for S, who really did not fit that description. He's grown up ALOT after his first 1 1/2 years. </p>
<p>All that said, New Orleans is a fantastically interesting, quirky place to spend some time. And Tulane will provide a very good education in the process.</p>
<p>UW will be that big state school experience with much more obvious school spirit that many kids believe college is all about. Tulane will not provide that same type of vibe. </p>
<p>I think, in the end, either school can be a great choice. You just need to know yourself well enough so you can choose the best fit for what you want out of the college experience.</p>
<p>UW has a lot of places to go within an hours drive. Where can students at Tulane go off campus, within an hour or two drive for fun and adventure?</p>