This is the thread to whine about all things applying to Tulane admissions.
It isn’t meant to debate their process, but to give students and parents a place to blow off some anxiety while going through the process. Obviously, lots of schools could have this same thread, but Tulane does their admission notifications fairly uniquely, especially for a school with highly competitive admissions. So rather than clogging up regular discussion threads like in past years, all these types of posts can be grouped here. Bringing up other issues on this thread will result in deletions and possible warnings. - FC
Tulane University has been around a very long time. Before internet, where did any parents would blow off some anxiety while going through the process? Did they use phone and made lots of calls to the school?
Before the Internet, the process was a million percent different. At the most obvious, there was no portal to check all the time. The Internet process, along with the expectation (and reality for many things) of everything being so much faster, is indeed responsible for a great deal of this anxiety. So the comment isn’t particularly useful. But to answer your question in part, yes parents would indeed call the school to complain about many little things and many perceived injustices, like how could Tulane turn away their precious little Alexander. Still happens today. Things have changed a lot, but many things are the same and have been for quite some time. I am sure there are archives of nasty letters that were sent before the invention of the telephone.
Be aware, the intent of this thread is mostly light-hearted. It isn’t to make Tulane look bad. Tulane can take some rude comments when they know it is mostly out of the pressure that comes from waiting for such an important decision. To a small degree, it is the price Tulane pays for taking a tack between true rolling admissions where decisions are released pretty much on a first-in, first-out basis on one end and on the other end the way most of its peers do it, which is to release all ED and EA decisions at once near Dec. 15.
Tulane has good reasons for doing it as they do, and it has helped them and thousands of students every year for the past dozen or so they have been doing it this way. But as I say, one of the prices is that it causes anxiety among the students that don’t hear back as quickly despite having complete files early in the process, and thus feel the need to vent some towards Tulane. Nothing in life is free. Tulane obviously feels the cost of doing it this way is worth it, but they are absolutely aware of the consequences. But to do it either of the other ways would also have costs, some to the students in other ways, and some to Tulane. They do what they feel is best overall. If the cost factors shift in the future, I have no doubt Tulane will make changes appropriately.
But bottom line, let’s not go overboard about the meaning and nature of this thread.
You will use the Application Status Portal to check your application/admission status. It is not live yet, so you can all relax for at least another week.
The Gibson portal will be used for everything else, such as financial aid status and registering for classes.
Updates to application status will only be released after 5PM Central time.
I would imagine after this year Tulane will go back to some notifications starting in October, but the new portal has pushed things back a week or two.
@fallenchemist What do they mean by saying the portal isn’t live yet? I understand that the status portal is working with the checklist, and from what Jeff told me that’s where the decisions will be posted. Just a bit confused!
Well, I may have misunderstood what Jeff meant, but he told me today they are trying to time things “for when the App Stat portal goes live”. Maybe he meant for the actual informing of the decision. In any case, it should be soon. I guess we will know when it happens!
On the Tulane admissions Twitter page it says ‘Coming Monday at 6:30’. What does that mean? Are they going to release decisions then or is it about something else?
@greeny8 Oh my God. I am actually crying. That’s so just… I don’t even know the words to describe it. I’m heartbroken. I only knew him through CC, but just… I don’t even know how to verbalize what I want to say.
Okay I’m gonna bring back this thread for now. I’m annoyed. My Dad is an alumn and got a letter today so when I saw the big “Tulane” crest, I got really excited. They just wanted him to donate. Ugh. I’m just salty as hell right now.
Anyone else wanna rant with me? Also, can we get this stickied? FallenChemist (RIP) was going to do it but never got the chance to do it.
Is it true that there is a better chance of being accepted if you apply earlier? Like I applied only a couple days before the EA deadline and I’m hearing that a lot of people get deferred if they applied later but if I would’ve applied a month earlier it would’ve been more likely for me to get accepted?
I applied October 30 and still haven’t heard back! I’m getting very worried. I previously thought I was a strong candidate (36 ACT, 4.0 UW, almost all APs and Honors classes, very involved (2 sport varsity athlete, captain of swim team, NHS Vice President, active at a summer camp with service and working, etc etc)) but now I am getting worried. How can I convey that I am very interested in Tulane and not suffer from “Tufts Syndrome” as they say? Tulane is one of my top schools and I am worried that they will defer/reject me because of my stats (ie thinking I am trying ED at an Ivy). On another thread, several people who applied after me have already heard about acceptance and a merit package. Other people were talking about a 36-er getting deferred. Does anyone have information?
@mogmm17 You certainly have top credentials so I would doubt that you would be rejected, more likely deferred to see if you remain interested or drop out because you are accepted to an ED or another EA school. Have you showed interest in Tulane? Did you write a strong “Why Tulane?” Did you apply for the full scholarships that required extra applications?
@mogmm17, Congratulations on a stellar record. My advice is to show them that, in addition to your excellent academic smarts, you also have some real world smarts and communicate with them very, very directly. Call and speak with whomever answers and explain your situation to them. They will definitely kick it up the flagpole. Best of luck!
@mogmm17 - Please keep in mind that not hearing back right now does not automatically mean you are not a ‘strong candidate.’ With so many applications to read, it is physically impossible for all decisions to be posted before December 20. Since Tulane is not a rolling school, they are unable to guarantee that just because you applied early, you will find out early. Having gone through this stressful process, I know ‘relaxing’ is easier said than done. You have done everything you (as an applicant) need to do. You have shown, through your application that you are interested in Tulane, and you have good ‘credentials.’ There are plenty of people in the exact same boat as you and unless it’s December 21 and you have yet to receive a decision (which won’t happen), it’s best to take a deep breath and relax. I know this does not make you any less stressed, and I wish I could help more, but I want to emphasize that hearing late does not automatically equal deferral. Hearing late might just mean they have yet to read your application.