Tulane University of Louisiana Top Questions

Tulane students have a reputation for partying. This is partially true, but we generally work really hard academically, then drink... heavily. A lot of Tulane students come from the Northeast, with New York as the second largest "feeder-state," after Louisiana. Greek life exists, but it is not overpowering and one can still have a great social life without it. I would say that there are definitely more bro-tastic frat boys and vapid sorority girls at Tulane than eccentric bohemians, but most people find their niche all the same.

Coming into Tulane, I was given quite a few impressions, either pertaining to the school, itself, or the city surrounding it. My boyfriend here is Jewish. His best friend is Jewish. Her best friend is Jewish. I think you get the idea. Last time I checked, about a third of the student population would identify themselves as Jewish. So what does this cause? If nothing else, we have a very active campus Hillel and many students that walk around wh the assuption that one third of the people they'll run into on any given day are Jewish. And that's probably pretty accurate. One guy in my class even customized "Jewlane" shirts, in the same style as our school's classic green shirts with the white "Tulane" lettering (with a marked three-letter difference, of course). In addition, I've found that our "Only in New Orleans, Only at Tulane" motto is particularly appropriate to describe the party scene. Sure, there are crazy parties at every college, but c'mon - it's New Orleans. And I think it's safe to say the scene here is unlike that of any other school. The school tends to have a reputation for kids with bad livers who never stop partying, and while you're sure to run into some of those, there are plenty of students who absain AND STILL have a social life. Parties are fun and, provided you remember them, will give you material for great stories to tell at other parties, but if it's not your scene, it's all too easy to avoid. I have plenty of friends here who don't drink and they still have a great time. If you can get bored in New Orleans, you're probably going well of your way to do so. The only other false impression I was given is that the school is very diverse. I can hear one of my friends here say from time to time, "I miss black people." Sure, we have diversity, but like many schools in the US, I'm one of many, many white kids. However, if I were to list some of my best friends here I could tell you that one is a bisexual swing dancer from Idaho, another is a Puerto Rican girl from Jacksonville, Florida, who boasts a very colorful condom collection, a girl from Ohio who spent the last 2 years in Mexico, a musical theatre pre-med with what is possibly the cutest southern accent ever, and another is my boyfriend, who is from a tiny Jewish high school in Mercer Island, Washington. I have yet to meet someone here from my hometown. Even if you can't see variegated skin tones wherever you go, the different socio-economic backgrounds, experiences and viewpoints that coalesce at Tulane is sure to provide one with stimulating conversation and experiences that you can find "only in New Orleans, only at Tulane."

The student body at Tulane is sometimes thought to be a rich, white upperclass group of students. Being an expensive private school, it is true that there are some people who attend here who fit this description. However, the great financial aid programs Tulane has to offer really allow students from diverse cultures, backgrounds and socio-economic classes to receive their education here.

Because New Orleans is in the "Big Easy", the stereotype is that, of course, students at Tulane must drink and party all the time. While we know how to have fun, we also work hard...after all, our unofficial motto is 'Work hard, play hard.' I think that best describes the general undergraduate student body at Tulane. Tulane, like New Orleans is really diverse--we have the Greeks, the athletes, the studious ones, the ones who are involved in everything and we all know the importance of doing well at school (we are students), but afterward, we all like going out into the city to eat, go out, and have fun.

It's mostly true, but there are diamonds in the rough.

I would say that Tulane has a party stereotype. However, there is definitely a party hard work hard atmosphere. There is so much to do in the city of New Orleans, and the city itself has a party stereotype. Most students are able to experience what New Orleans has to offer and have an fun, while still doing well in school. Sometime, though, it takes a semester for students to find the balance between socializing and school. As long as you eventually find the balance you should do great.

You may have heard some people refer to Tulane as "Jewlane". Although Tulane has a large Jewish community, it by no means that students who are not Jewish don't fit in. Everyone is extremely tolerant of other religions and actually a majority of Tulane's undergraduates are not Jewish. Tulane has students from all around the United States, with almost every state represented.

Jewlane