Just looking for some opinions/anecdotes on Tulane vs SMU for Business, probably Finance or Energy Management with a minor in maybe Chem or Bio.
What about the student climate at both schools, internships, rigor, B school reputation, Greek Life, etc?
What makes either school a “fit” for different students?
Any thoughts are welcome!
Financially, our COA will be similar. We’ve never visited Tulane, but will see both schools in March.
Thank you!
@Maggpie If rankings are important to you, then Bloomberg ranks SMU undergrad business program at 21 vs Tulane at 74, and SMU’s graduates staring salary is on average $4700 more than Tulane’s. SMU also has an amazing alumni network.
We did not visit Tulane as it was not on my son’s list, but know many students who attend there and they really love it; although, I don’t think any are business majors. New Orleans is a wonderful city with amazing food. I am sure you will enjoy your trip.
I am biased toward SMU., but each student has to decide if they feel it is right for him/her. You will have a better idea after you visit both schools in March.
Best of luck!
Doresearch’s points are well taken. I would only point out my understanding that Finance and Energy are well regarded specialties at Tulane’s AB Freeman School of Business. If you are interested in the sciences, these have long been one of Tulane’s major strengths. For that matter, on the off chance that you desire to switch out of business, you should probably take into account the schools’ respective offerings in your areas of interest, whether they are in the sciences or elsewhere. Finally, on the rankings issue, Tulane is indeed going through quite a rough patch historically, dropping from the low 30s in the late 1990s for its undergrad program, to 54 today. I won’t pontificate on the rankings system here because both posters seem to be thoughtful and level headed already, but I will say that they do change over time: entering an institution in a rough patch and sticking with it as it climbs might just be a coup for you! Good luck with your decision either way.