<p>S has received full tuition merit scholarships at both schools. He's interested in business (which Tulane has, Vandy doesn't), and would be an HOD major (perhaps with a double major in Econ) at Vandy. Loves both schools. Any insight that might help with decision would be appreciated.</p>
<p>Visit each and pick the one he feels most comfortable with.</p>
<p>I'd say Vandy has a slightly better reputation, but that should not be a deciding factor. Undergrad business program v. econ is not really a big difference, and doing well at either would set him up for a good B school.</p>
<p>I agree with 1990Dad that Vandy probably has a much better rep but I visited Tulane a couple months ago and I have nothing but good things to say about it, especially the Freeman School. I visited with a couple professors and Tulane and I got about a private 3 hour tour of just about every room in the two business buildings. I don't think anyone could expect this kind of treatment anywhere else. I met for an hour with the career placement people at the Freeman school and they know what they are doing. The school, especially the finance program is very highly regarded and if you do well as a finance major, you have a good chance of landing an IBanking job. The facilities at the Freeman school are terrific as well. All in all, I would say everything about Tulane is amazing but what really stood out were the people. They are truly amazing. Not many professors at other schools would show a prospective student around for 3 hours and then afterwards treat my dad and I to a drink at the coffee shop. The professor we met with after, Mike Hogg of the Freeman school, even offered to drive us back to our hotel so we didn't have to take the streetcar. </p>
<p>As for the rest of the campus, its beautiful. Very nice and compact and it seems very welcoming. So many things about it are great.</p>
<p>I personally will probably not be attending Tulane but I will always hold it in very high regards. You cannot go wrong with Tulane.</p>
<p>I can't speak for Vandy as I have not yet visited but if accepted there I certainly will visit.</p>
<p>ERPMom, does your son plan to make the undergraduate degree the terminal degree? If his plan is to get an MBA, an undergraduate degree in economics is at least as good as an undergraduate business degree. </p>
<p>Overall, Vanderbilt's reputation is stronger than Tulane's, but I wouldn't let that be the deciding factor. If he loves the business school program at Tulane and is happy with New Orleans, that is a perfectly valid choice.</p>
<p>If he does choose Vanderbilt, I think the double major with econ. is a good idea, as it gives him more flexibility for the future.</p>
<p>I'd have to disagree a bit with 1990Dad about the equivalence of undergraduate degrees in business and economics. They can be very different in terms of coursework. Many of my H's econ. students are actually business majors who voluntarily take their econ courses in the econ dept rather than the business school because they prefer the more theoretical, mathematical approach (I'm not talking about Vanderbilt or Tulane here.) One of my nephews is a business major at another school, and his coursework is very narrowly centered on his specific sub-specialty; econ. students at the same school study a much wider range of subjects. </p>
<p>Perhaps your son should take a close look at required courses throughout the degree programs, and think about which approach appeals most to him.</p>
<p>Good points. I was really addressing preparation for B school.</p>
<p>If bachelor is the terminal degree, there might be a big difference between econ and an undergrad business program. But I would think the lack of or limited accounting classes and the like would be a bigger problem than the orientation of the classes.</p>
<p>are you kidding? Vandy definitely. They have completely different reputations.</p>
<p>I've heard for a couple people that Tulane is kind of a crappy place, but that's complete hearsay.</p>
<p>I understand your concern about b-school though. Econ is fine to get into grad school.</p>
<p>quite simply, vvandy is just so much more prestigious and all-around better place</p>
<p>How can you compare the two schools when you admittedly have never even been to Tulane? Plus, how do you know what is the better fit for this student?</p>
<p>Thanks for all your replies. Undergrad will not be the terminal degree - he'll likely go on for an MBA after a few years in the working world. Visited Tulane 1+ years ago and fell in love with it - but he hasn't been back in a year (going next weekend). Fell in love with Vandy when he was there last weekend (2nd visit). It's a tough choice! Hopefully the pieces will fall into place after he goes back to Tulane. Biz teachers at HS are "pushing" Vandy due to the prestige factor. AFter 4 stressful HS years, he's looking for a great balanced college experience - work hard, play hard is fine, as long as there's balance. He pretty much avoided the Ivies, as the prestige thing doesn't really do it for him.</p>
<p>take vandy, b schools have a dime a dozen kids applying with undergrad business degrees, they actively seek kids outside of that major because it offers a student with a different perspective, imo after visiting both vandy would be a way more fun school to go to also, plus prestige does matter, vandy is looked upon much higher in the employment world than tulane.</p>
<p>"Undergrad business program v. econ is not really a big difference, and doing well at either would set him up for a good B school."</p>
<p>I disagree. As someone who chose between an undergrad business (Wharton) and undergrad econ (Northwestern), the courses of study were completely different.</p>
<p>ERP Mom,
Really good MBA programs won't want your son directly out of his undergrad program. He should consider not only what his heart's desire is for a major (economics or business; midmo's advice on this is very good), but which one will open up the best work opportunity for two or so years following graduation. Vanderbilt offers the necessary core classes required for an MBA, so that won't pose a problem is that's his choice.</p>
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Undergrad business program v. econ is not really a big difference, and doing well at either would set him up for a good B school.
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<p>The courses of study are very different, but I would argue that the employment opportunities are very similar. So the decision should come based on what your son is looking for in his education. Also, preference of school should play a big factor.</p>
<p>If your son likes both, then he can't go wrong. Vanderbilt and Tulane both have strong reputations in the fields that they focus on, although Vanderbilt has more brand awareness among people who are not in academia and did not research schools when,and if, they went to college. The chair of Vandys Poli Sci dept. was awarded his Ph.D. from Tulane (which is my general area of study). I personally did not have very good experiences at Vanderbilt, but like Tulane, it isn't for everyone. My cousin actually said he would rather go to community college back home than go to Vandy (he got into all of the schools he applied to and was awarded a Gates scholarship--He decided to go to Georgetown for IR). If your son plans on focusing on finance, Tulane is the way to go--its finance program is ranked 10th in the world by Financial Times. Also, Tulane is ranked 1st for Latin American Studies and has a strong energy trading track. I attend Tulane and love it, but that's because it offers courses and resources, (along with a great campus atmosphere), that other institutions don't offer.</p>
<p>Nashville Thomas, what didn't you like about Vanderbilt? I am also deciding between Tulane (for business) and Vandy (for HOD), among others. Do you think Vandy is more balanced than Tulane in terms of academics vs. social? I've heard stories about Tulane kids going out drinking/getting drunk 6 out of 7 nights per week.</p>
<p>A degree in economics is so much more respectable than a degree in business, unless the latter is from a top-notch place like Wharton. Business is pretty vocational. Econ is a more theoretical, liberal-arts-oriented approach that focuses on critical analysis and abstract problem-solving. Harvard offers econ in lieu of business, while DeVry offers PLENTY of business classes. And I'd say the difference between those two isn't sooo much more drastic than the difference between Vandy and Tulane. This isn't a real choice at all in my opinion. Vandy all the way.</p>
<p>The difference between Harvard and devry is sooo much more drastic than the difference between Vanderbilt and Tulane.</p>
<p>...obviously.
but tulane is still a ****hole.</p>
<p>think about the cities. new orleans vs nashville.</p>
<p>First, using false logic "telle" will fail you at either school. Some students at Tulane do go out almost every night, as do some at Vandy. Personally, the party scene at both schools is a bit much for me. Everyone picks schools for very different reasons, for me, I liked New Orleans much more than Nashville (the people in NOLA are much more friendly--I'm from TN--and the people at Tulane are equally as nice). My top choices were Columbia and UChicago, and those are really the only schools that I've encountered that the party scene wasn't over the top, so when I found out one of my friends here picked Tulane over UC I thought she was out of her mind--but Tulane was right for her. Spend as much time as you can at both schools and in both cities, talk to the professors, and sit in on classes--that should give you a good idea of where you want to go. Business courses and economics courses are VERY different, so look at syllabi now and decide which you would enjoy most. Oh, but one perk about Tulane over Vandy is our alumni connections with other universities such as Cornell.</p>
<p>Of course you want a college where you fit best. But if you like both, then you need to consider the prestige factor. Vanderbilt, my friend, is where you should be.</p>