<p>Hi Everyone,
I'm a senior in HS and it is down to the last week before I need to decide where to go for the next four years and I have narrowed my decision down to two college: University of Richmond and Tulane University. I know these two school are both amazing for different reasons and I am really struggling to pick "the one". I am definitely going to be pre-med, but am undecided of what to major, but would like to do English, but could really go a number of ways. I am from Los Angeles and would have to adjust to the chill of Richmond, but am positive I could manage. NOLA weather would not be too hard to adjust to for it is not that different except for the humidity. I love the small class sizes and focus on the students at Richmond, but am not sure if I'd regret not getting the excitement of New Orleans that comes with Tulane. I also here the teachers at Richmond are better than those at Tulane, whether that is true I can't say. What do you guys think would be a better fit for a high schooler on the verge of making this giant leap into college? Thanks!</p>
<p>@decider2014 - Let’s start off with
I am sure you must realize that fit is extremely personal. If it were the same for everyone, then there would only be one best school for everyone in the country, in the extreme. No one can answer that for you. You have to look at all the factors, including all the non-academic ones (size, Greek Life, sports, weather, nature of the location (which basically means New Orleans vs. Richmond), etc.) and figure out which suits you best.</p>
<p>I can tell a couple things about Tulane that seem favorable to you. First is, since you are premed but interested in a humanities area, that Tulane has a special program called the Creative Scholars. This program is specifically targeted for premeds that are non-science majors. Here is the description <a href=“http://tulane.edu/advising/prehealth/academic/creative-premedical-scholars-program.cfm”>http://tulane.edu/advising/prehealth/academic/creative-premedical-scholars-program.cfm</a> In short, you can get guaranteed admission to Tulane Medical School after your 2nd year at Tulane, and you don’t have to take the MCAT. Obviously you still have to take all your premed required courses (Chem, Physics, Bio, Calc, etc) in your first 2 years at Tulane, but that still leaves you time to take a few humanities courses, and then you have your last two years to totally focus on your major with no pressure of worrying about getting into med school. Seems like an ideal program for you.</p>
<p>Second, Tulane is a much stronger research university than Richmond. If you are going to go the traditional premed route, this could be important, or at least helpful. It could well be that Richmond is more like an LAC than Tulane, but I have to tell you Tulane is very well known as one of the few top research universities (one of 60 members of the Association of American Universities, reserved for top research schools <a href=“https://www.aau.edu/”>https://www.aau.edu/</a>) that is more undergraduate focused than grad student focused. Profs are very involved with the undergrads.</p>
<p>I am sure you would do well in either school. I actually like Richmond, personally, but it is no New Orleans, which I love dearly. But what it really comes down to is your gut feeling as you ponder the factors I mentioned. We can only give you facts, everything else is personal. What is important to me might not be to you. I am assuming, since you didn’t mention it at all, that money is not an issue. If so, then take all this, digest it, and whichever school you wake up thinking about, that is the one for you.</p>
<p>@decider2014 - What did you decide?</p>