<p>Can anyone give me a rundown on these two schools in areas of</p>
<p>Academics</p>
<p>Sports</p>
<p>Social life</p>
<p>I'd like a bit of a detailed answer if possible..these are my top two choices and I need some help deciding. Thanks.</p>
<p>Academically, Brown is really flexible. It has an open curriculum (no requirements) and any course can be taken pass/fail. Tulane has a reputation as a “party school” because it isn’t the most academically rigorous school in the nation and because it’s in New Orleans, which is a really fun city. But Katrina changed the identity of the school a lot. It’s still fun and laid-back, but not necessarily a “party school.” That’s all I’ve got. Good luck!</p>
<p>I’ll start with Tulane- First I would like to say it has come a long way, it definitely is getting competitive academic speaking, they don’t offer as many athletic teams as Brown does, as far as social life is concerned it definitely can compete with other schools. Some great opportunities to get involved in the community as a whole. The students tend to be more friendly.</p>
<p>Brown-open curriculum, nicer campus, some great programs overall, as far as sports are concerned it’s an Ivy League but still some great athletics (they do offer more opportunities for athletes), some students tend to be stuck up</p>
<p>With more information as such major choice I could help more.</p>
<p>Academically, Brown is generally considered “better,” if you will, than Tulane. Brown is one of the undergrad focused Ivy Leagues, and, as walkthewalk mentioned, it has open curriculum. However, Brown is VERY competitive, and increasingly so this year and next year. Tulane, while less competitive, gives great merit aid to above average applicants, so it does attract some strong students as well.
Both, I believe, are DI schools, but neither are known for their sports programs. They also both have the option of intercollegiate or club sports if you wanted a less competitive program.
Brown is in Providence Rhode Island, which is a quaint city; not exactly New York or Boston, but it isn’t in the middle of nowhere. Brown is mainly liberal (politically speaking) and has a reputation of accepting, almost “hippie” students. Tulane is in the middle of New Orleans, which is a great city both historically and socially. Not to mention that every year you’d get to see the Mardi Gras festivities firsthand.
Hope this helps! Good luck choosing :)</p>
<p>Well I’m already in at Tulane but I’m trying to do a little paper thing for my parents to “show” how each school is/why I should deserve to go there.</p>
<p>And pigeon I was thinking along the lines of a business related major. I also want to live in NY when I get older…doesn’t Tulane have great alumni connections up there because of the huge NE population at Tulane?</p>
<p>It’s hard to believe anyone would choose Tulane over Brown. They are not in the same league, no pun intended. Tulane would win on the athletic front, but academics would come nowhere close. The greatest difference would be peer group. While Tulane is having trouble recruiting top students due to weather disasters, Brown is more selective than ever and has top students from all over the world. And Tulane never was near Brown level before Katrina. You learn most from your peers.</p>
<p>Tulane is easy to get into. The chances of getting into Brown are like winning the lottery.<br>
If you manage to get accepted into Brown and if the bottom line cost to you is similar to that of Tulane’s, jump at the chance to go to Brown. Before you commit to either one of them, you really need to visit the campuses. They’re two totally different environments.</p>
<p>tulane first offered me a $24,000/yr presidential scholarship, then went on to offer me a full ride w/ the dean’s scholarship, so I’m sure they attract many top students w/ merit aid.</p>
<p>Tulane University</p>
<p>Academics</p>
<p>“In 2005, Hurricane Katrina sent Tulane students on a forced semester in exile. For most schools, this move would have been a death sentence. Tulane, however, is not most schools; it is uniquely Tulane, “the ultimate work-hard, play-hard school” whose strong academics and laid-back approach make it the place where all the “cool smart kids” go, a place that inspires the type of student devotion rarely found at schools that lack powerhouse sports programs. Student after student praises the school’s recovery efforts, observing that “Tulane’s administration brought us through Katrina and is helping New Orleans through this time as well,” and that “in post-Katrina New Orleans, the professors who have returned are the ones who really want to be here and really have a desire to help students learn.” Katrina has actually strengthened students’ allegiance to the school; as one put it, “This is the most amazing, out-of-this-world place to be—a college experience that no other school could top. And we know it because we experienced other schools during [the] Hurricane Katrina [hiatus].” The Tulane academic experience is distinguished by small classes, mostly “10 to 20 students,” “one of the best study abroad programs in the country,” and, of course, New Orleans, the “best city in the country,” which allows Tulane to offer “a one-of-a-kind out-of-classroom experience.” Standout programs include premed, business, economics, architecture, and exercise and sports science.”</p>
<p>Student Body</p>
<p>“The typical Tulane student “is serious about academics, but isn’t holed up in the library all the time.” Similar to students at other big-city schools, Tulane undergrads tend to be “self-reliant, motivated, [and] forward looking.” They point out that the school is “one of the most geographically diverse schools in the country,” observing that “75 percent of the students come from more than 500 miles away. . . . In my eight-person suite there are two girls from Boston, one from New York, one from Texas, one from Baton Rouge, one from Florida, and I’m from Chicago. It’s great!” Diversity is further represented in the “tons of very large, very active, very vocal groups on campus for every minority, including ethnicities, political beliefs, religious beliefs, and sexual orientation[s]. Everyone here manages to find [his or her] own little niche.” A strong Jewish Studies program helps Tulane draw one of the largest Jewish student populations in the South; about 25 percent of the student body is Jewish.”</p>
<p>Campus Life</p>
<p>"Tulane students love New Orleans—and love to explore it—a city full of “art galleries and museums,” “amazing” shopping on Magazine Street, “family-owned restaurants in the uptown area,” “touristy” places in the French Quarter, and “a lot [of] different bars near campus.” The city also boasts Audubon Park, “a really fun place to get exercise or spend some time,” and, of course, an “unparalleled music scene.” None of this, however, stops “about 30 percent of the campus” from getting involved in Greek life, or “most students” from getting involved “in at least two student organizations.” In addition, “community service [and] volunteer work,” always “very popular at Tulane,” have become “especially popular post-Katrina.” Those concerned about safety—New Orleans has traditionally had one of the higher crime rates in the nation—should note that “Tulane is located in a major city, but not in downtown New Orleans.” By all accounts, campus security does “an excellent job of making sure campus is secure, and students have the opportunity to be escorted anywhere.” As an added bonus, “The weather is nice—you can wear flip flops year round.”</p>
<p>Brown University</p>
<p>Academics</p>
<p>“Known for its somewhat unconventional (but still highly-regarded) approaches to life and learning, Brown University remains the slightly odd man out of the Ivy League, and wouldn’t have it any other way. The school’s willingness to employ and support different, untested methods such as the shopping period, the first two weeks of the semester where anyone can drop into any class in order to “find out if it’s something they’re interested in enrolling in,” or the Critical Review, a student publication that produces reviews of courses based on evaluations from students who have completed the course, is designed to treat students “like an adult” through “freedom and choice.” This open-minded environment allows them “to practice passion without shame or fear of judgment,” the hallmark of a Brown education. Even if a student does find themselves exploring the wrong off-the-beaten path, “there are multitudes of built-in support measures to help you succeed despite any odds.” Even grades are a non-issue here, “except amongst paranoid premeds.” Professors are mostly hit with a few misses, but there are “amazing professors in every department, and they’re not hard to find,” it’s just “up to students to find the teaching styles that work for them.” “Academics at Brown are what you make of them,” and even though students are diligent in their academic pursuits and feel assured they’re “getting a wonderful education with the professors,” most agree that their education is “really more about the unique student body and learning through active participation in other activities.” The administration gets cautiously decent reviews for their accessibility and general running of the school, but scolded for getting “distracted by the long term.” The president, however, is absolutely loved by students for being “an incredible person with a great vision for the school.””</p>
<p>Student Body</p>
<p>"It’s a pretty unique crowd here, where “athletes, preps, nerds, and everyone in between come together” because they “love learning for the sake of learning, and love Brown equally as much.” “The ‘mainstream’ is full of people who are atypical in sense of fashion, taste in music, and academic interests,” says a junior. Unsurprisingly, everyone here’s “very smart,” as well as “very quirky and often funny,” and “a great amount are brilliant and passionate about their interests”; “Most have interesting stories to tell.” People here are “curious and open about many things,” which is perhaps why sexual diversity is a “strong theme” among Brown interactions and events. The overall culture “is pretty laid-back and casual” and “most of the students are friendly and mesh well with everyone.”</p>
<p>Campus Life</p>
<p>“Thinking—yes, thinking—and discussing take up a great deal of time of time at Brown. “People think about life, politics, society at large, global affairs, the state of the economy, developing countries, animals, plants, rocket science, math, poker, each other, sex, sexuality, the human experience, gender studies, what to do with our lives, etc.,” says a senior anthropology major. “Most people here don’t go home that often,” and like any school, “there are people who go out five nights a week and people who go out five nights a semester.” “Alcohol and weed are pretty embedded in campus life,” and most parties are dorm room events, even though partying “never gets in the way of academics or friendship. If you don’t drink/smoke, that’s totally cool.” There’s also plenty of cultural activities, such as indie bands, student performances, jazz, swing dancing, and speakers. Themed housing (Art House, Tech House, Interfaith House) and co-ops are also popular social mediators.”</p>
<p>Slow internet double ftl.</p>
<p>It is kind of offensive to suggest that Tulane is “just super easy to get into”, considering the average ACT is a 31, the incoming class had 70% in the top 10% of their class, and the acceptance rate was 27% for last year. Around 40k applicants for 1500 spots. Not super easy I would say.</p>
<p>But what’s the yield? Just curious, I’m not saying Tulane is easy to get into.</p>
<p>It’s a safety school for many of the kids in our area (LI). I personally don’t know anyone from here who has applied and not been accepted. The reason why they say the acceptance rate in low is because they offer a free application that they send out to thousands of kids via massive emails. Kids apply because the application is simple (no effort at all to fill it out) and free. This increases their number of applications thus skewing the acceptance % rate.</p>
<p>Agreed. Tulane is becoming highly selective and a very hot school. Its a gorgeous campus in a very nice part of New Orleans.</p>
<p>Brown is a great school, but its night and day from Tulane. Brown attracts extremely liberal students and some that are fairly “unique” shall we say. (I know two). Brown is very, very selective and even with very high scores it is no guarantee of admission. They seem to pick out the quirky kids. </p>
<p>And before anyone goes bashing on New Orleans, may I suggest that Providence is not exactly a garden spot in many areas either. </p>
<p>The biggest difference between the schools is culture. So either you go to one and embrace being counter cultural (there) or you go to the one where you feel the most comfortable.</p>
<p>If it’s not ivy, it’s super easy to get into. The only thing that matters in life is getting perfect ACT and SAT scores, having straight A’s and getting into my dream college: Harvard. I’ll settle for Yale but I’ll be really sad if I only get in there.</p>
<p><em>sigh</em> the problem is that’s the way a lot of CC kids think.</p>
<p>I could totally see someone choosing Tulane over Brown – I would have! New Orleans is a lot more fun than Providence; Tulane would give better merit aid to a student like I was (3.6 weighted GPA and 1460 CR + math SAT scores, average ECs, good letters, excellent essay) whereas at Brown I’d be somewhere in the bottom-middle of the pool, not that they give out merit aid anyway. Core curricula don’t bother me and Louisiana is warm. New Orleans is also a great city to get internships and work during university, as well.</p>
<p>Just because it’s not an Ivy League school doesn’t mean that many students wouldn’t rather go there – people don’t always select on the basis of prestige. Also, Tulane has a lot of programs that Brown would not have. I know that Tulane is known for their hospitality/hotel management program, and they have a great school of public health and tropical medicine – Brown does not have that.</p>
<p>Well although I did consider Tulane to be a safety actually…I don’t think it is a bad school. I mean how can someone say a school ranked in the top 50 schools in America be a very easy school to get into?</p>
<p>The point is to find the school that best fits you, your personality, your ambitions, your objectives, your financial situation, etc. Some people pick schools that are completely different from their “home culture”, while others may prefer to embrace their own culture. Some kids want to get away, while others want to be closer to home. Some kids want a high energy academic experience and others want a lifestyle. Some prefer to be amongst only kids with uber stats because they perform better in that environment and others want to be a bigger fish in a smaller pond. Some want a large public with great sports and frat/sorority life, and some want a private school with small classes. There is no one size fits all.</p>
<p>The great thing about our country is that we have CHOICES! I know someone at Brown who is a perfect fit there. He is doing very well. He would have been a fish out of water at Tulane. Conversely, I know another kid at Tulane who is now at their Medical School who would have been out of place at Brown. </p>
<p>I reject all these notions of “rankings” and pitting one school against another. I also reject the notion that if you have uber stats (congrats if you do) you MUST go to HYP or another Ivy or uber elite LAC like Amherst or Williams or Pomona. But if you DO attend those schools, then the best of luck to you. </p>
<p>I know a lot of kids who went to a school which was an extension of high school, which I would have advised them it perhaps would have been better to go elsewhere…so they can learn and grow as human beings instead of living in that same bucolic bubble. And the same can be said for some kids who went to very prestigious schools because “that is what is expected of me and my friends”, when they may have been better served to try something different, if not only in a different geographic location. </p>
<p>For some, embracing challenge is what they thrive in…and being a conservative from the south or midwest at Brown may be perfect for them, or a northeastern liberal at Tulane. To say one school is “better than another” is really inane and frankly, irrelevant. The question is “what is the best school for YOU?” </p>
<p>Part of the admissions process is doing a personal inventory of your own skillset, your own personality and your own objectives in school and in life. That is a very healthy exercise. Particularly when you can break through your own impediments and limitations or weaknesses to blossom into a full fledged productive citizen who wants to give back to society.</p>
<p>Having pride in your school is normal and very healthy. But we must take care not to let pride become arrogance or condescension. There are many corporate teamwork seminars where they go out into the wilderness and engage in summer camp like activities, where helping someone overcome the fear of crossing a river on a suspension bridge or rope, or white water rafting or whatever activity is designed to show people that we are all in this together and only through teamwork and helping one another do we achieve the best results. </p>
<p>I think even Harvard, Princeton and Yale (and the other Ivy’s) have shown that when they reach down in the SAT pool a little bit, they can sometimes find extraordinary students who bring something special to their campus and student body. An admissions officer at UVa once told me they could easily fill their classes every year with kids with perfect SAT’s, and reject all the rest. But they CHOOSE not to do so because they know that diversity means more than just racial diversity and it brings life and vigor to their campus, not to mention that MANY students with lower SAT scores can and do perform at optimum levels. That success in college has a lot to do with maturity, organizational skills, and motivation, something that the SAT does not measure at all.</p>
<p>In that light, I support all students who look at many choices in the college selection process, without regard to prestige or USNWR rankings. If they choose Brown and get in, great! If they choose Tulane, great! If they choose Ohio State, great! </p>
<p>I was at a grocery store two years ago and came across a grocery bagger…a friend of my daughther’s. He looked down. I inquired and he mumbled that he was “only going to a local state school” (part of the UNC system). This kid is extremely gifted in dramatic arts. A marvelous spirit, wonderful singing voice and truly exceptional acting skills. I immediately said to him, “No! Embrace your school! Be proud! Don’t compare yourself to ANYONE else!” His eyes lit up and then watered…as if he was going to cry. I don’t think anyone had given him that vote of confidence and support. Finally someone had made him feel good about his choice of schools. I wished him the very best.</p>
<p>There is no such thing as a bad choice, if its the BEST choice for YOU. And that has nothing whatever to do with rankings or prestige.</p>