Tulane University of Louisiana Top Questions

Tulane is big in public service. Everyone is required hours of service each year.

Greek life is pretty popular as well as separate major oriented fraternities. In addition club sports and big sporting events are popular as well.

TUCP - brings bands to campus - last year we had Snoop Dogg and this year it was Ben Folds

About 1/3 of all undergrads are involved in Greek life. The dating scene here is primarily hook up based as opposed to long term relationships. Athletics are not popular here, mostly because our teams are not that good, so I would urge anyone looking for a division one school to really look elsewhere. Partying is a big thing here. The city itself lends well to that atmosphere. Getting alcohol is never a problem and going to bars is what people do almost every day.

We're a Division I school, with well-supported sports teams and long-standing traditions. We also have a lot of club sports teams, endless volunteer organizations, and other student groups that cater to just about any area of interest. Like juggling? We have a club for that. Hip-hop dance? Yeah, we have one of those, too. My boyfriend's personal favorite is Humans vs. Zombies, an event that takes place one week of every semester, in which bandana-clad students chase each other around with Nerf guns, in an attempt to force assimilation. On any given day, there could be a Drag Show in our Student Center, a themed frat party on Greek Row, several bake sales on campus, a walk for AIDS or Breast Cancer in neighboring Audubon Park, a play in the Performing Arts Center. Through classes, student organizations, dorm living, and athletics, it's easy to form multiple circles of friends. The possibilities are endless and it's impossible to get bored here.

A large portion of the student body is involved in Greek life, although it is not the end all of the social scene. There seems to be a sorority and fraternity for every type of student, and with the addition of two new sororities next year, it is a good opportunity for anyone who would like to take that path. Most people in Greek life are involved in a ton of extra activities proving that Tulane students don't have to be Greek to have a good time. As I said before there are endless opportunities to participate socially with out drinking, but that does not mean the bar scene is not one of the most popular choices. It seems that mostly everyone goes out and enjoys themselves at one or more of the many establishments close to campus. Some people choose to be involved with club sports such as crew or volleyball.

More than a third of students participate in greek life. There is an active student government, green club, theater programs and interesting campus programing. There are two bars that are basically on campus, and about five more in walking distance on maple street.

It's really easy to get involved at Tulane, and there is an activity for every interest. Student Government is very popular, and there is an undergraduate government as well as separate councils for each school. Cactus is one of the largest student organizations, and it spearheads many community service opportunities. Another popular organization is TUCP, which plans campus programming, and brings musicians, speakers and activities to campus. One of the major events of the year is Crawfest, which is free to Tulane students, and basically involves eating unlimited Crawfish while tanning on the quad listening to local bands. This is something almost all students participate in, and it is not to be missed. There are also a lot of events within the city, such as Po-boy fest, Southern Decadence, Mardi Gras (obviously), that attract Tulane students. Frats and sororities are exactly as important to you as you want them to be. If you want nothing to do with them, that is absolutely fine, and you can spend your time at clubs and bars around the city. If you want to join one, you will likely have best friends for life, but might also be subject to unnecessary drama. Frats have a lot of fun themed parties, and they are much more popular among underclassmen. Drinking is a huge part of Tulane nightlife, and New Orleans culture in general. However, Tulane does have a program called Tulane After Dark, which hosts comedians and other fun events on Thursday and Friday nights. There is no pressure to drink, but it is definitely a popular way to spend your time.

The most popular organization is probably TUCP, or campus programming, who procures musical guests and other events. A great source of school spirit is these events and concerts, moreso than sports teams, although they too draw many spectators. Club sports are a big draw, and fraternities usually compete in these for bragging rights and an excuse to throw victory parties. Personally, although I attend the basketball games frequently because I know some of the players, I am more involved with WTUL, or Tulane radio. There is an abundance of musical diversions, both affiliated with the school and elsewhere, because the city places a high value on music of all kinds. If I am awake on a Tuesday, I could be out at a bar, studying, talking with friends, watching a movie projected on the quad, or any number of diverse things; the night hours are just as good as day ones! Fraternities and Sororities are very important to those who are in them, but they are not universal by any means. People party very frequently, every night except sunday and monday, and maybe these if there is a good football game on. If you don't want to drink on a Saturday night, you could see a concert at the school or in town, have a fun movie party with your dorm, some popcorn and cupcakes, play frisbee on the quad with an LED equipped disk (amazing technology), or simply make a blanket and pillow fort with your significant other. With regard to the dating scene, all one really has to do is put himself or herself out there; many people meet in bars or while drinking and socializing, but class, the gym, or even a student senate meeting could all be occasion to make a romantic connection.

Greek life is popular at Tulane, but it's not the end of your social life if you don't get involved in it. While the image of Tulane as a party school has typically been linked to frats and sororities, controversy in the past ten years has led to a big crack-down in how wild Greek life gets. It's worth checking out the Greek system, but if you aren't involved in it there are many other ways to make friends. Activities like WTUL (the campus radio station) are great if you are interested in the local music scene. Students also connect with each other through the on and off campus jobs offered through the university, which is probably the best way to make friends at the school. Tulane Football plays in the Louisiana Superdome, and admission is free for all students. While going to games are fun, you won't find the same sort of excitement for sports that you'd get at other Southern schools like LSU. A lot of students actually travel to Baton Rouge to tailgate for the Tigers rather than cheer on the Green Wave, who are, well, not the best college football team. Nightlife at Tulane is centered around the college bars. The most popular of these are The Boot, The Palms and the Maple Street bars like TJ Quills and Rocco's Tavern. As students get older they inevitably gravitate farther from the university to check out more interesting 21+ venues. The social scene is not frat party oriented, most freshmen connect at bars instead of house parties, which makes it feel a lot less exclusive than other colleges. If you don't like to drink or party Tulane probably isn't a great fit for you, but there are plenty of fun things to do in New Orleans(most do involve excessive drinking, though.) There's over 400 festivals a year in the New Orleans area, and only 365 days. The most popular festivals for Tulane students are Mardi Gras, music festivals like Voodoo and Jazz Fest, the Po-Boy festival in November, and Tulane's annual crawfish boil, Crawfest. If you enjoy live music and food Tulane is a great choice, as you get opportunities to experience new tastes and sounds every day.

Anything involving free food, students will be there. For example, the most fun school sponsored event hosted on the main quad of our school: CrawFest. SO FUN! Let me break this day down for you...imagine an entire quad of students decked out in bathing suits, sunglasses, and Tulane apparel with unlimited amounts of Crawfish and corn for all to eat. Everyone has a blanket laid down and they are stuffing their face with seafood while drinking daiquiris from the local DaqShack down the street. Surrounding us are local food stands offering some of the best snacks around as well as multiple live bands playing all day on two stages. This in total = unlimited fun

I'm on the Ultimate Frisbee team, the Undergraduate Student Government, TUCP (the campus programming organization), the Choir, SOAR (Students Organizing Against Racism), and I do a lot of work with the Newcomb College Institute (supports/holds events for women). There are so many clubs to get involved in--ranging from Multicultural Organizations to Humans vs. Zombies Club. Intramural/Club sports are really popular on campus as is Greek Life.

As mentioned, Tulane is a surprisingly tranquil school, at least on campus. Even on a Friday night, the actual campus looks little different than usual, besides the occasional drunk group chuckling their way to the bars. Once you reach those bars, however, things are much wilder. This school (and every other party school) like to make the claim that succeeding at a school like this is about balance, and that is absolutely true. This school is one of the top 50 in the Nation and will demand much from you (less so from an English major like me!) It is important to balance fun time with work time, and because the bars and parties are all completely separated by a ten minute walk, that really isn't so hard. The people who can't hack it tend to be gone by Sophomore year, and at that point the parties a little less fun, and getting good grades is a little more important so people tend to chill out. ---- THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO DON'T DRINK HERE!!!! There, I had to get it out. Again, you don't have to drink to go here...you might just get some raised eyebrows. If you don't however, it's likely you will still find yourself surrounded by alcohol and in places where people are very drunk. No one will ever pressure you to drink if you don't want to. Again, this is college, peer pressure is for high-school idiots. There are also weekly drink-free events called "Tulane After Dark". They usually sound fun...but I don't think too many people go to them.

Clubs are pretty typical, with community service ones being the most popular. Lots of people get involved in IM sports, but it doesn't seem like a big part of life. The gym is a regular for most students, with girls regularly attending the offered yoga or dance classes. School spirit and athletic events are basically nonexistent; the sports are there, but nobody cares. Frats and Sororities are definitely popular, but are not really the heart of the social scene. Frat parties and house parties aren't that big because there's so much to do in the city. However, people do end up hanging out with only Tulane students, and going to only student bars. Everything is about bars, even with younger students. Fake ID's are everywhere, and nowhere in New Orleans do you need a good one. Good music scene with students attending live shows throughout the city regularly. Drinking is obviously the heart of the social scene, and isn't uncommon on weekdays. Mardi Gras adds a cool dimension each year, as the school gives everyone a long weekend to go out and party.

Thanks to movies and tv shows, a common thought about college is that once you get there, you'll be bombarded with recruitment people telling you to "go greek!" Yes, Tulane has greek life. Yes, a large number of people join sororities and fraternities. And yes, you'll still have friends (inside and out of the greek population) if you don't rush. If joining a frat or sorority is for you, then Tulane offers that opportunity. If it isn't something you can afford or just not something you're interested in, it does not hinder you not to join. Also, there are tons of other groups you can join that are tailored to your interests, and if you can't find one: start one. It's a cliche thing to say, but Tulane will let you start your own club. It might take a lot of work on your part, but if it's something you're passionate about, it'll definitely be worth it. The great thing about it is that you can get involved in as many or as few things as you like. Tulane also runs a lot of cheesy events freshman year geared towards students meeting each other. They're silly and full of those ice breakers that everyone hates, but I met most of my best friends at some of them. It's also easy to meet people in class or in PJs, the on campus coffee shop when you're in there studying at 3am on a Monday night. I won't say that Tulane, located in the center of New Orleans, is not a party school, but there are a lot of things you can do on the weekends that don't involve alcohol if that's not for you. Every year there's a festival called Fringe Festival that lets you go to many venues downtown and watch inexpensive plays. A lot of them sound like they're going to be really stupid and then surprise you and have you laughing like crazy. Fringe isn't the only festival though: this is New Orleans, remember? There's a festival almost every week. You can spend all day at Po-Boy fest eating and then use the night to catch up on the school work you didn't do. Or if you don't want to leave campus, Tulane generally runs programs at one of the on-campus restaurants for students who don't want to go out. They have open mic night, karaoke, swing dancing, etc. At Tulane and in New Orleans, there is always something to do.

Thanks to movies and tv shows, a common thought about college is that once you get there, you'll be bombarded with recruitment people telling you to "go greek!" Yes, Tulane has greek life. Yes, a large number of people join sororities and fraternities. And yes, you'll still have friends (inside and out of the greek population) if you don't rush. If joining a frat or sorority is for you, then Tulane offers that opportunity. If it isn't something you can afford or just not something you're interested in, it does not hinder you not to join. Also, there are tons of other groups you can join that are tailored to your interests, and if you can't find one: start one. It's a cliche thing to say, but Tulane will let you start your own club. It might take a lot of work on your part, but if it's something you're passionate about, it'll definitely be worth it. The great thing about it is that you can get involved in as many or as few things as you like. Tulane also runs a lot of cheesy events freshman year geared towards students meeting each other. They're silly and full of those ice breakers that everyone hates, but I met most of my best friends at some of them. It's also easy to meet people in class or in PJs, the on campus coffee shop when you're in there studying at 3am on a Monday night. I won't say that Tulane, located in the center of New Orleans, is not a party school, but there are a lot of things you can do on the weekends that don't involve alcohol if that's not for you. Every year there's a festival called Fringe Festival that lets you go to many venues downtown and watch inexpensive plays. A lot of them sound like they're going to be really stupid and then surprise you and have you laughing like crazy. Fringe isn't the only festival though: this is New Orleans, remember? There's a festival almost every week. You can spend all day at Po-Boy fest eating and then use the night to catch up on the school work you didn't do. Or if you don't want to leave campus, Tulane generally runs programs at one of the on-campus restaurants for students who don't want to go out. They have open mic night, karaoke, swing dancing, etc. At Tulane and in New Orleans, there is always something to do.

I have to admit, I'm not a huge athletics fan. And, from what I have heard, our athletics teams are generally not very good, except for baseball? Maybe, baseball... But I do know many other students do attend tailgating parties and cheer on our teams. I think one of the biggest areas of student involvement is community service. Due to the community service required by Tulane, most people find themselves completing at least some service during their time at Tulane. This manifests in a lot of different ways, as many of the biggest traditions on campus tend to revolve around causes. Such as 'Walk a Mile in Her Shoes,' where many of the guys put on heels and walk a mile, raising awareness for sexual violence. It's a good cause, and it's hilarious. In terms of the party scene, there are a few options. Bourbon St., one of the most famous party streets in the country, tends to be where people bring their friends if they have never been to New Orleans, but it's expensive and honestly just a little gross if you think about it while sober. There is also a pretty big Frat/Sorority scene, with at least a couple parties most weekends. The parties are always free and they are usually a lot of fun, especially the parties that the Frats are known for such as the 'Delts around the world party' or 'the bayou bash.' Frats tend to go all out for their headliner parties and even people who usually don't show up to Frat events come. There are also a few bars not far from campus. And there are many things to do that aren't drinking. As a theater and dance person, I go out to a lot of shows. Not to long ago I went to the New Orleans Fringe Festival, which presents fringe theater in many strange locations, such as old abandoned churches, coffee shops, hidden bars and just some person's front yard. New Orleans has a wonderful theater scene and even when Fringe isn't happening there is usually something to see. Tulane also offers some 'Take Back the Night' activities, which are late night things that are on campus. There are movies played on the quad, music and other options. Plus, there is always the fun and relaxing evenings watching movies in your floor common room or inviting some friends to watch a movie in your room. If you're looking for something to do that isn't drinking, there are always a lot of options.

The most popular groups are service based, but I feel like these groups only participate in one or two major events or builds each year and this serves more to pad resumés. There are a lot of really interesting clubs... one of which is The Juggling Club, which meets on the rooftop of our parking garage to juggle, but who also run a bike repair desk and have a pretty cool garden. There's also a French speaking club that meets once a week and only talks in French, a wine and cheese club and a couple political organizations. I am the Program Director and a DJ at WTUL which is our FM radio station. I DJ for 2 hours every week and get awesome phone calls from listeners and get to rip all kinds of music onto my laptop. DJs also get to do artist interviews and have in-studio performances. One of my friends just did an interview with St. Vincent! While there isn't a ton of DJ-interaction, we do get together to do service projects and have parties. This past week we had an open-to-the-public holiday party with two bands at Tipitina's. I also get a ton of free concert tickets in return for how much work I put in at the station. I met most of my close friends freshman year in my dorm, though they didn't live on my floor. I hated nearly everyone on my floor for whatever reason, so I hung out on my best friend's floor all the time and met all the girls who lived there. The next year I lived in a suite style set-up with seven other girls and we always left our doors open. The dating scene at Tulane is odd. Most guys are more interested in casual hook ups than dating, though most of my friends ended up with boyfriends eventually. Mardi Gras is as much fun as you think it will be. When I was a Freshman, I would go to frat parties for the free booze, but they are generally very sloppy and gross. I don't usually drink during the week, nor do my friends, but there are people who do. I was talking to a girl in a 6 PM Wednesday class last week and quickly realized she was drunk and had just gotten back from happy hour. As an example of a typical Friday night, last night I got back from the library around 9 PM. (Wooo!) I drank a Red Bull, rallied my energy, and went to a small party at a good friend's house, then went to a divey, but cool bar on Magazine. Now that I live off campus, a lot of evenings my roommates and I will invite friends over, cook dinner and have drinks. There are a lot of things to do on a Saturday night that don't involve drinking. One fun, non-drinking event is St. Claude Art Walk which happens once a month on a weekend night in the Bywater. All the art galleries in that area stay open late that night and have some pretty cool work on display. There is wine served, but it's not necessary to be drunk... I must say though, why are you in New Orleans if you don't drink?!

40{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} Greek life, approximately. The student media is strong - the radio station (wtulneworleans.com) and the newspaper (thehullabaloo.com). Lots of ethnic clubs - vietnamese, indian, asian association, etc. that put on a lot of events. Gamer clubs - Humans vs. Zombies. Literary society that publishes a book annually, poli sci clubs, game clubs, reading clubs..lots of clubs.

The athletic events are semi-popular but not everyone goes. Tulane is more of a casual hook up then serious relationship school, but a good amount are in relationships. I met my closest friends on my floor freshman year as well as out at night and in class. At 2am on a Tuesday I am most likely drinking at the Boot for 50 cent night! One big tradition is Crawfest: free crawfish boil and music all day. People generally party/go out 4 times a week: tuesdays,thursdays, fridays and saturdays are the most popular. Frats/sororities are a part of the social and can be a lot of fun but they are not necessary to having a full social life. If you don't drink there is a lot of great music in New Orleans and a lot of really yummy places to eat. Off campus I go to bars and restaurants withing walking distance, go to Audobon Park which is across the street, Magazine street which has a bunch of cute shops and down to the quarter for beignets and hand grenades.