Tulane vs. Rutgers-NB

Colleges and Universities A-Z Tulane University
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It’s that time of year (College A vs. College B vs. etc)!
Before I begin my post, I would just like to say that I have eagerly anticipated the time in which I would create a decision post for many years, since I first embarked upon college confidential. (Okay, not really. But I am excited to get your feedback, CCers.)

Anyways…
I’ve been accepted into Rutgers-NB into their SAS Honors Program, no merit. COA: ~35K/yr. Also accepted into Tulane for merit of 27k/yr, which makes total COA ~43K/yr.

My future goals (maybe/hopefully):
I want to combine data science (so comp sci or stat) with poly sci (or sociology) so that I can use the power of data to find additional solutions or expand upon current solutions for present sociological issues and work with organizations that deal with those sorts of things. So sort of like data analytics for sociological application. If that doesn’t pan out, well, I’m sure I could find other things to do with a poly sci or a comp sci degree.

My current relationship status with each school:
Rutgers: My sister and several family friends went/currently attend here (mainly for STEM reasons). I know it’s a solid school, on the cheaper side, and know people who have had an enjoyable experience here. But I, like some of my other peer NJ/in-state residents from what I have gathered over the years, would like a bit more diversity in experience than simply staying in NJ. Also, it’s a pretty huge school, and I would prefer to develop a more personal relationship with my profs and the other related perks of a smaller school. I did just visit it yesterday, and it’s alright/tolerable, and while I enjoyed the taste of mini-mock classes that I attended, I’m not in love with the atmosphere. It’s a safe school for me (safe not being synonymous with it being a safety in this case, but more synonymous with the concept of reliability). Though from what I can gather, it’s computer science/stat dept is solid. (Which is my concern for Tulane…see below)

Tulane: The more I research this school, the more I like it (almost, which I will address shortly). Coming from a really competitive public high school, this would be a really refreshing change, atmospherically. I’m not much for partying, but I’m not a social hermit either. New Orleans sounds like a fantastic environment. I also love the whole social-change-motivated pulse, because that’s definitely the direction I want to go in my life. One problem though is that I haven’t/don’t think I will be able to visit because…well my parents don’t want to spend $$ to visit a college. They also much prefer Rutgers because they want me close by (as a Muslim female). My personal issue is the computer science dept. The comp sci department isn’t really as developed as others (given the present coordinate major status). And I’ve also heard the math dept in terms of teaching isn’t fantastic (I read that on a few threads though, so please correct me if I’m wrong). Also, Tulane is slightly more expensive (and while my family isn’t pressed for finances, it’s still a consideration for me).

Since this is in the Tulane thread:

I’m basically wondering if the extra $ is worth the maybe better fit for me but at the sacrifice of less-developed subject areas in the university. Also, it would help if you can address:
-What the Tulane comp sci/math dept is really like
-Internship/research opportunities for undergrads
-How big the Muslim community is on-campus, if that applies to you

I apologize for the really long post in advance (I tried to be as thorough as possible)!

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Oh! I also meant to add this in the original post, but here it is now:
When I was first interested in Tulane, I diligently read (and continue to read) through fallenchemist’s posts, helping me to dispel idiotic stereotypes and to fall increasingly in love with the school.
I can’t thank him enough.
Rest in peace, fallenchemist.

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I’m a current freshman at Tulane and I absolutely love it here, but I honestly think Rutgers would be a better choice for you. You’re right about the comp department not being very developed, although they have some solid classes and should only improve in the years to come. With regards to math, we have some standout teachers but apart from them, I have to agree that the department is not one of our best.

Also we have a Muslim Student Association but it consists of only 5 people I believe, so the Muslim community is practically non-existent.

The only benefit I think you may have here is the internship and research opportunities, which are not at all hard to come by. This may be harder at Rutgers just because it is such a big school, but with you being in the honors program I would assume you wouldn’t have a problem with this.

I’d say save the money and go to Rutgers! Maybe take a vacation to New Orleans sometime haha and lmk if you have any other questions!

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@limitdoesntexist After a lot of consideration and factoring in some of the things you mentioned, I’ve decided to enroll at Rutgers. It mainly came down to finances and the relative strength of the academic programs that I want to be involved with. Thanks for your input!

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Oh my goodness, I learned that fallenchemist died by reading this post. He was a great help to us about a year ago when daughter was trying to decide. She ultimately picked a different school - although there is a lot more to Tulane than partying, the strong party culture there was too much for my nerdy, straightlaced daughter - but fallenchemist was the best advocate for Tulane. Admissions should have paid him! So sorry to hear about his passing.