<p>I'm from Louisiana, so I've been thinking about applying to Tulane (they offer fantastic scholarships for instate applicants). I was just wondering what people from other parts of the country think about Tulane and its level of academics. The other schools I'm applying to are:</p>
<p>Swarthmore
U of Chicago
Brown
Williams
Princeton</p>
<p>I know these schools are considered better schools, but I was wondering just how large the gap between them and Tulane actually is. Thank you!</p>
<p>The gap is Huge.</p>
<p>Although Tulane has a good reputation, I would agree with the comment above. The gap between Tulane and the schools you mentioned is extremely huge.</p>
<p>Tulane is on a decline.</p>
<p>While the schools you mention are clearly statistically stronger than Tulane, I ask you to consider two things:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Where are you going to live and work after college? If the answer is New Orleans or Louisiana, or somewhere in the deep South/Southwest, then Tulane is a much better choice than what it is being portrayed above. I would contend that, with the exception of Princeton, Tulane might be the next best choice. However, anywhere else, Tulane would be a pretty sizable deficit to these other schools. </p></li>
<li><p>Re the nature of the school environments, Tulane is waaay different than virtually all of the schools that you have mentioned. Have you visited any of these schools and how did you come up with this list (which also includes schools that are very different from one another)? I think that these are all terrific colleges, but what are you looking for?</p></li>
</ol>
<p>I'm looking for a school that offers a center in Medieval Studies, which is why the list is so varied. Brown, U Chicago and Swarthmore offer the major, as does Tulane. I've visited Williams and Princeton and just really like the schools. </p>
<p>Can anyone tell me what specifically separates it from the other schools? Thanks to everyone who replied.</p>
<p>location location location</p>
<p>i think new orleans is VERY different from boston, chicago, new england in general</p>
<p>even though tulane is an excellent school academically, you still have to re-evaluate the campus environment, etc. because of katrina, unfortunately</p>
<p>Tulane is DESPERATE for kids. I cannot tell you how much mail I got from them through FEBRUARY, which would've allowed me to apply LATE for FREE.</p>
<p>Very few kids want to go to New Orleans now. And a lot of their facilities are still being rebuilt. The good news is that it's way easier to get in now.</p>
<p>Hold on about New Orleans. Have you been there and have you been to Tulane's campus? The 9th Ward is about 4 miles away. If you're on Tulane's campus (or next door Loyola), you see virtually no signs of Katrina damage. Please don't get the impression that Tulane's campus is in dire straits. That is just not the case.</p>
<p>As for New Orleans, that is a different story. The 9th Ward was cataclysmically damaged and the people who lived there have left and many will never return. Economically, these folks worked mostly in the tourism industry (if they worked at all) and they are fairly easily replaced. Tourism is returning, but it is not a clear path and the city’s future remains difficult. However, tt is not as if a skilled workforce has left the city. Frankly, the city may even benefit financially from their departure as the social cost of supporting them is gone as well.</p>
<p>The biggest problem in New Orleans is government and this has been the case literally for a century. With the black eye of the Katrina damage and aftermath, there is legitimate concern about how much of the aid is actually getting to the people who need it. But again Tulane is well, well away from this area.</p>
<p>As for Tulane itself, the school made decisions about faculty that upset many in the academic community (eg, some tenured professors were fired as the school reduced/eliminated some departments and staff in the wake of the hurricane). I would expect its PA to be hurt in the next USWNR survey as some academics may use this as payback time. But the level was only 3.4 before and the only other Top 50 school with a PA level that low is U Rochester. </p>
<p>SES is correct that Tulane is very anxious to attract students and has made unprecedented (for it) marketing moves to increase applications. Time will tell how this plays out, but institutionally, these were absolutely the right steps as they need to re-establish the school in the public’s mind and give everyone the comfort level they seek that they can go to Tulane and not worry about it. </p>
<p>IMO, in some respects and for the right student, I see this as a fabulous time to attend Tulane as the community service opportunity is unique and very real. If this is a part of your interest, then Tulane is a very interesting place, but each person should visit and make their own judgment on the risk of New Orleans and judge for themselves if the school (and the area) are a good fit. As DanOE523 notes above, New Orleans is definitely not Boston, Chicago, et al.</p>
<p>I have several students who were meant to start their freshman years at Tulane and ended up home on LI at community college for a semester. They were given opportunities to attend very elite colleges, but they chose to go back to Tulane to make a difference. I really admired them.</p>
<p>SES - I wouldn't say desperate. Tulane rejected 15,000 of the 22,000 who applied right after Katrina and this year the acceptance rate was even lower.</p>
<p>I would say that yes, New Orleans is still riddled with problems, but the area around Tulane, including Audubon and Magazine, Garden District, and French Quarter/Downtown looks great!</p>