I am deciding between Tulane and Wellesley. I have received financial aid for both of them, which makes the cost the same. I am undecided in my major (considering anything from statistics to poli. sci.) but am planning on pursuing law school. I am from California, so the locations are both very different.
I have been admitted to Tulane’s honor college. I am not sure if this means that this makes it any more prestigious. All though I do want to go to law school I am not sure if I want to go to Tulane’s law school, since they do have a 3+3 program. But I did like New Orleans, the campus, and all the activities they have to offer.
At Wellesley, their academics and prestige are on par with what I would like to go to. Being all women doesn’t bother me, as I went to an all-girls high school and is what I am used to. The campus location is a bit more secluded than I was hoping, but I do like Boston which is half an hour away.
I want to prioritize my academics while making sure I am happy. Planning for my future, I want to go where I can have the best opportunities to stand out and be prepared when I apply to law school.
Why wouldn’t you want to go to Tulane law, since it’s a 3+3. That doesn’t make sense. That would seem a reason to go - can you explain?
It seems you want pedigree and you feel like Wellesley is prestigious and Tulane not so much - unless you do Honors.
So in that sense you should go to Wellesley. I’m not saying you should but using your logic.
Perhaps you can be happy at both so choose being half hour from the action of Boston or New Orleans (yes, I’m talking French Quarter for those who say Tulane is New Orleans).
Good luck.
My nephew from California went to Tulane Honor College. He graduated in 2020, so almost all of his time in New Orleans was pre-pandemic. He loved Tulane … a lot. He loved the parties and New Orleans and being able to go to NBA games for a reasonable price (compared to California). He loved the friends he made and playing intramurals. However, though he’s a smart, thoughtful guy, I honestly never heard him talk much about his classes or what he was learning. (And I saw him at least 3-4 times/year while he was in college.)
Maybe he was an outlier and his fellow Green Waves spent much more time devoted to their classes? Or maybe as Tulane as gotten more exclusive in the last couple of years, the level of rigor has increased?
Still, the seniors from our local high school who applied to Tulane definitely fall into the “study hard and then player harder” camp. Honestly, it sounds great – if that’s what you want.
To me, Tulane and Wellesley give off a very different social vibe. What vibe do you want?
Our daughter is a junior at Tulane and loves it. It is definitely a work hard, party hard culture. The kids are always going to one festival or another. It’s not just all dorm partying like so many other schools, especially northern ones (we’re from the north). You just have to decide which school is a better fit. Either school would be fine undergrad, as a precursor to law school, assuming you do well. (Although I don’t know why anyone would want to go to law school- speaking from experience as a career lawyer, but that’s a conversation for another day.) Take comfort from the fact that Tulane is 60% girls. Also, the weather should not be underestimated when comparing to northern schools. Another big under appreciated factor is the geographical diversity. No one regional culture dominates. I vaguely recall the top states are California, New York, Illinois, Louisiana and New Jersey in that approximate order. Texas and Florida also up there. Finally, New Orleans will surprise you. It’s has its problems, but it’s a real funky and fascinating city. Unlike any other.
You can get into law school from either school. IMO two reasonable people could make two different choices.
There are enough differences (ex. coed v single sex; location; university v LAC to name a few) that one college should feel like the better fit for YOU.
And…
Wellesley sounds more up your alley, especially given your aspirations.
Wellesley. Best alumni network (many other strengths but that hasn’t been mentioned yet)
One of my daughters is a sophomore at Wellesley.
Most people are pretty serious about their academics there but you can find time to join clubs or go into Boston. The campus is so beautiful and a lovely place to hang out but it easy to get into Boston on the shuttle bus.
You can also cross register for class at MIT, Olin, or Babson but I think it might be limited to one per semester. They are also some clubs/social activities with Olin and Babson.
Do you like the liberal arts concept? You have to take a variety of classes at Wellesley to meet distribution requirements including a language.
Wellesley is not a big party school but you can usually find one to go to or go to other colleges in Boston.
The Wellesley alumni network if also very strong.
Since financial aid makes it possible for you to attend these 2 colleges, I would think that the 3+3 Tulane Law School program would be a huge advantage since it effectively cuts the cost of law school by 1/3.
The Tulane honors program seems to involve more than just prestige. It offers faculty mentoring, special access to undergraduate research, and assistance with seeking post college scholarships. Those seem to be tangible benefits which make the program worthwhile. There are also special seminars and a residential learning community (dorm) with academically oriented programming. You have to want these things, which have the potential of making the academic experience more intense, to obtain the other benefits of the honors program. Great for some but not for everyone. You choose.
Wellesley is a great place to go to college for a liberal arts education. The 3-college consortium right in town provides the opportunity to supplement your liberal arts course work with top notch business courses at Babson College, which can round out your preparation for law school. Boston is 1/2 away only if you have a car, but Cambridge/Harvard Square/MIT, where a lot of the social life off campus happens, is half an hour or so door-to-door via a safe Wellesley College shuttle both weekdays and weekends, day and night.
Since a women’s college seems to work for you, Wellesley is hard to beat as an undergraduate experience. However, Tulane’s 3+3 law school program just might beat it, BUT (big “but”) admission to Tulane Law Is not guaranteed. You may be eligible, but you still have to be admitted and admission is competitive. If you get admitted, it’s hard to overstate the financial benefit because law school is expensive and a law degree does not guarantee a high paying job. In fact, many law school graduates never work as lawyers.
There is no better choice here. Just different. But it is yours and yours only to make. Just a word of advice. Don’t chase prestige. It’s a fool’s errand. Focus on where you think you’ll get the best chance to fully develop as a person at the most affordable price.