<p>My daughter has some nice choices so far (awaiting a few more) but we are feeling very confused. Her top choices so far include the University of Southern California and Boston College--very different, I know, in many ways. She wants to study international relations. We'd like some comments on the differences between the two schools and what she should be considering in her decision. (We have visited BC and have a visit planned to USC.) She has not been offered any aid at either school.</p>
<p>She also has a nice scholarship to Tulane, so that is also on the table. We also have a visit planned there. So comments on Tulane versus the other two would be appreciated, too.</p>
<p>ALL are great in my opinion. I’d say she should go to where ever is cheaper for you guys. California is such a nice state, I hear Boston is nice, but New Orleans is AMAZING! I loved it there! I would, personally, choose Tulane because it seems like it would be cheaper and its in New Orleans which is SUCH a nice city.</p>
<p>^ Agreed. Tulane is cheapest, and offers a great atmosphere and awesome research institution. The other two schools are very viable options, but again, very different. I suppose it depends on whether your daughter wants a large/small student body, urban/city setting, etc. In my opinion, I’m leaning towards Tulane, but I think that, after visting all three, you should probably be able to make a pretty solid decision. It’s all about atmosphere…if it feels right, it’s right. :)</p>
<p>What is the cost differential? All things being equal I would opt for BC because of her area of study (although most folks change), but if the scholarship is significant Tulane is the obvious choice, it is a very good university.</p>
<p>Similar comment to the above, generally speaking don’t worry about the major when picking a school, if they all offer a solid education. In this case they do. Look for the best value that fits your D. USC is much more urban, Tulane is urban but located in a part of NOLA that gives it a bit more of a suburban feel, and BC is not in Boston, it really is suburban. That’s just for starters, there are of course other differences between the schools. USC a fair amount larger, BC not as laid back as the other two, so on and so forth.</p>
<p>I will also add that Tulane tends to be the kind of school that really clicks with the right student. If that is your D, it makes the choice easier. The visit should really help. If it doesn’t click, then she has a somewhat starker choice between the very urban USC and the more “movie classic” BC.</p>
<p>I love Tulane and went to BC for grad school and can vouch for them both being great schools. However, when my son and I were researching Tulane’s economic department - his potential major - we found the faculty’s scholarly output to be outdated. </p>
<p>There are 2 promotions for professors - from Assistant to Associate and from Associate to Professor - a process that can take approximately 10-12 years. Typically, to become a full Professor, one will have to stay current in the field and publish scholarly papers. </p>
<p>When we looked at the faculty bios for Tulane economics, the department was staffed with an overabundance of Associate Professors who had been there more than 20 years (meaning they were “stalled”) and their scholarly output/publication dates were very very old. Psychology at Fordham at Lincoln Center fell off the list for this reason, too, while Georgetown Psych nearly made the list because of their active and engaged profs.</p>
<p>I would check out specific faculty at all 3 choices. While I agree students change their minds about what to major in, it’s important to feel comfortable with an initial choice of major. </p>
<p>Also, for international relations, you’d want to look at any practical work experience of their faculty. Did they work in the State Department or at the Hague, or are they just “book smart”? There’s a world of difference in what practitioners can bring to the classroom - this was George Washington Unviversity’s best selling point for their international relations program.</p>
<p>Good luck - your daughter already has some great choices.</p>
<p>A lot of kids from my school go to BC - the population is very homogenous. Upper middle class preppy Caucasian kids is the stereotype BC has around here, and that’s basically my high school, so I don’t know how that would go over. It’s a great school, but the student body is definitely unique. USC and Tulane are actually pretty comparable in terms of academics and environment, and I think Tulane wins there simply because of New Orleans. USC is great for networking and such, but New Orleans wins over the USC area.</p>
<p>I thought BC was in Chestnut Hill, which borders Newton. In any case, I agree it is not far from Boston and access to the city is easy.</p>
<p>I have to make one comment on Cliffy’s take on the econ faculty, realizing this was just an example. While this may be true, and I will take their word for it because I have not looked into it and they have, I don’t think this is particularly relevant for an undergraduate. At the undergraduate stage you are essentially learning fundamental concepts and some advanced concepts, but it isn’t like grad school where one is doing cutting edge work, and so the research work of the faculty is hugely important. The textbooks and information in the undergrad courses at Tulane are going to overlap with what is at BC in a large way. Some areas at Tulane are no doubt more cutting edge than BC. That wouldn’t make a huge amount of difference for most undergrads either.</p>
<p>When you put that together with the fact that you take only maybe 10 out of your 40-44 courses in your major and the fact, as mentioned, that one often changes their major, it seems to me looking at overall fit is indeed more important than focusing on the department for a particular major. Both schools will give an undergrad a very solid foundation in virtually any area they choose to study.</p>
<p>There is no municipality of Chestnut Hill…it’s a neighborhood and a zip code. The Boston/Newton line runs right through the lower campus (where the football stadium is).</p>
<p>I think it may actually be an advantage to have a faculty that isn’t deeply involved in publishing–they may be more interested in teaching and more accessible to students.</p>