<p>Well, as counterintuitive as it may seem, don’t worry about major at all when selecting between these two excellent schools. That is true for quite a few reasons. First, both schools are going to have excellent programs in the areas you mention. As an undergraduate, each will offer more than you can possible take in 4 years. Now it does so happen that Tulane has one of the most highly thought of Latin American Studies programs in the country, and has excellent relationships with schools throughout Latin America (including being one of 20 schools now allowed to send students to Cuba). They have especially strong ties to Brazil, should you decide to continue focusing on Portuguese. But like I said, UNC will also have plenty of high quality offerings in all the areas you mention.</p>
<p>Second, you have no idea at this point which direction you might eventually end up going. That isn’t a derogatory comment at all, it is just that most students change majors at least once, and it is perfectly conceivable that you could end up in archeology, anthropology, or stick with one of the areas you already mention. Or who knows, it could even end up being a business major! Probably not, but the point is you have every option open to you going in, especially at Tulane where all majors are available to all accepted students, unlike some schools that require you to be accepted to the “right” school within the university, and changing is a pain and sometimes not possible. At Tulane it is very easy to explore and change.</p>
<p>Third, based on the above 2 reasons, you should look for the school that best suits you overall, meaning size, location, sports, Greek life, off campus potential, whatever is most important to you, including finances. If you can get a full ride anywhere that is great, but if Tulane is comfortably affordable and you like it much better than some other school that offered you a full ride, then go to Tulane. If Tulane would put you into significant debt, then go the full ride route even if you like Tulane a lot better.</p>
<p>You just don’t know where your curiosity and studies might take you. You might end up deciding law school is your desired path, and want to combine that with an intimate knowledge of Portuguese and Brazilian culture to take advantage of the rapid emergence of Brazil as an economic power. Or you might decide that learning 4 or 5 languages very well and seeing how people process those languages neuro-linguistically is something you want to pursue all the way to a Ph.D. Or open an art gallery that features modern Latin American artists.</p>
<p>Obviously I am just making stuff up, but the point is you really don’t know where you will be 4-5 years from now. So choose a school based on where you think you will enjoy the overall academic and non-academic atmosphere best, within your budget. In the end, that will serve you better than trying to look at the more narrow parameters of a particular program.</p>
<p>Oh, and as far as viable majors for today’s economy, obviously some are more likely to be marketable than others, such as engineering or accounting. But IMO, you are not going to trade school, you are attending a university. I know people can differ vehemently on this issue, but I believe that no matter your major, if you are an intelligent person willing to be flexible and creative, you can find a career, hopefully related to your chosen area. You can sort all that out as you go, as you discover what is really out there for you. That is why I say don’t take on much debt. It leaves you far more freedom to pursue different opportunities.</p>