USC vs Tulane vs Pepperdine

My son was recently accepted into all 3 and is very torn about which he should attend. Pepperdine fits his personality the best because he is looking for a small, quiet school. He is a religious kid, not much of a partier at all. However, he is heistant to pass up USC or Tulane bc they are better known and more academically rigorous. He really was shocked to get into USC, as it was a bit of a reach for him. Financially, Tulane has offered him 25k a year in merit aid, Pepperdine 30k for fin. aid and USC we aren’t sure yet but it is fair to say he’ll get something close. He will be a biology major, probably will go on to PT or medical school. We have lived in both CA and Louisiana and he feels at home in both areas. We plan to visit Tulane and USC in April (already visited Peppperdine) but i am curious as to what others have to say about these schools.

Has your son decided yet? My son is in the same situation. We’re still waiting on financial aid from USC as well.

He’s also been accepted to LSU Ogden Honors & Tulane. It is close to decision time and my son is torn between Pepperdine and USC. USC has 19K undergraduates compared to Pepperdine’s 7K. My son will thrive in either school but I prefer Pepperdine because of the size and safety. I am sure they are both strong in academics. Good luck to your son!

Does religious affiliation/environment matter to him (at Tulane and Pepperdine, which are of different religious denominations)?

Just for the record, Tulane is non-denominational. (It also has great bio sciences and sends tons of grads to med school every year. The city is amazing and the school spirit is high. He should be prepared to join TEMS [Tulane Emergency Medical Servces] as an undergraduate, as Tulane students are deeply involved in the community.) Best of luck to him!