Tulane University of Louisiana Top Questions

I absolutely love Tulane University. The atmosphere is great! There is so much to do on and off of campus. New Orleans is a wonderful city.

I think the academics are great, and the location makes sure you never get bored.

Awesome - i often find myself thinking i go to the best school in the country for undergrad. really its all because New Orleans is so unique.

I absolutely love being at Tulane. I immensely enjoy being in the city of New Orleans and I feel a sense of community and belonging not only to the school but to the city as a whole. I find that Tulane is just the right size. It seems like a fairly small school, but this breeds a sense of community throughout the student body without making students feel restricted in the way they spend their time and in who they spend their time with. There is never a shortage of on campus or off campus events, and the culture in New Orleans is one that enables students to engage in a variety of activities and it ensures a unique experience for everyone willing to open themselves up to new ideas.

The best thing about Tulane for me is the flexibility. Teachers and administrators will work really hard to help you accomplish your goals, even if they're out of the ordinary. With about 7000 undergrads (and growing) it's a good size and most classes are pretty small, allowing you to build relationships with your professors. It's also flexible in the sense that you can be as involved on campus and school-spirited as you like or you can run around exploring the city and both are completely acceptable. I tend to spend my time off campus because New Orleans has a fantastic, youthful energy and great alternative culture. Because the student body is so varied and people are off doing their own thing, sometimes it feels apathetic. For instance there has been a movement going on campus since 2009 to get fair pay for the workers in the dining hall, but the organizers have had a really hard time getting any kind of solidarity from the students. I guess that's what I'd change about Tulane; I like the independence, but sometimes it would be nice if the student body was more cohesive.

Tulane's biggest selling point is that its in New Orleans. New Orleans has endless opportunities for people interested in doing service learning, working at an NGO, and making a real difference. But New Orleans also offers a community culture and social life that a lot of other top schools struggle to create. New Orleans is authentic. That being said, Tulane has its issues just like anywhere else. Their job placement department is only there is you search it out (or are in the business school). You get the most out of Tulane if you put a lot it - they aren't going to hold your hand like some smaller private colleges will. And this is the reason many students fail out. No hand holding means no one to catch you when you fall behind from taking a little too much enjoyment from the local culture. The school size is big enough to allow you this space to swim but small enough that if you want extra help, if you want to be involved, you can be. New Orleans is a great college town because Loyola is right next door, Xavier down the street, and University of New Orleans a big presence as well. But, you still get the positive of having a real campus with trees and quads unlike other city colleges like Boston, where I grew up. Although I loved Boston University when I was looking at colleges, the lack of a beautiful green campus was what lost me.

Tulane seems to offer a place for every type of student. Whether or not you're in Greek life or interested in other activities, its possible for everyone to find their "group." New Orleans itself is hands down one of the bigger positives of going to Tulane. Not only are there numerous opportunities to get involved, but New Orleans also offers a great social scene suited to college life. Students can hear live music, eat amazing food, or just go out with their friends any day of the week; it is really incomparable to any other city in the country. One of the downsides to New Orleans is transportation, while the street car seems fun and accessible in theory, it really isn't an efficient way to get around the city. Not everyone has a car, but they are really useful for jobs,volunteering, internships, etc.By sophomore year you will pretty much recognize every person on campus- so if you're looking for a school where it is easy to remain anonymous Tulane isn't for you. Although it is on the smaller side, it is big enough where you won't have to say hello to every person you pass on the way to class. I personally find the size just right because while I do know a good amount of people, I could always branch out and make more friends. Tulane has a well respected reputation, but you will have to explain many times that we do not spend all of our time in the French Quarter. There is such a thing as the "Tulane Bubble" but it mostly applies to underclassmen who take advantage of the campus' vicinity to bars and other entertainment close by. When on campus students are normally studying in the Business School, Library, or PJs Coffee. Tulane offers a lot of perks for their student body, strangely enough it is not out of the ordinary to see a bouncy castle on one of the quads every Friday night. "Fridays on the Quad" were a great series of concerts and free foods offered during the fall semester right on campus and was a great way to start off the weekend, showing that the administration is committed to keeping the student body happy. One of the negatives to Tulane is the lack of school pride- besides homecoming venturing downtown to the Superdome for a football game is nearly unheard of. Hopefully with the new coach and possible on campus stadium, this will change in the coming years. Another issue students have is the difficulty of studying abroad. While a good portion of students are able to and do go abroad, Tulane's program has its limits and often people will have to settle for their second choice location.

Tulane seems to offer a place for every type of student. Whether or not you're in Greek life or interested in other activities, its possible for everyone to find their "group." New Orleans itself is hands down one of the bigger positives of going to Tulane. Not only are there numerous opportunities to get involved, but New Orleans also offers a great social scene suited to college life. Students can hear live music, eat amazing food, or just go out with their friends any day of the week; it is really incomparable to any other city in the country. One of the downsides to New Orleans is transportation, while the street car seems fun and accessible in theory, it really isn't an efficient way to get around the city. Not everyone has a car, but they are really useful for jobs,volunteering, internships, etc.By sophomore year you will pretty much recognize every person on campus- so if you're looking for a school where it is easy to remain anonymous Tulane isn't for you. Although it is on the smaller side, it is big enough where you won't have to say hello to every person you pass on the way to class. I personally find the size just right because while I do know a good amount of people, I could always branch out and make more friends. Tulane has a well respected reputation, but you will have to explain many times that we do not spend all of our time in the French Quarter. There is such a thing as the "Tulane Bubble" but it mostly applies to underclassmen who take advantage of the campus' vicinity to bars and other entertainment close by. When on campus students are normally studying in the Business School, Library, or PJs Coffee. Tulane offers a lot of perks for their student body, strangely enough it is not out of the ordinary to see a bouncy castle on one of the quads every Friday night. "Fridays on the Quad" were a great series of concerts and free foods offered during the fall semester right on campus and was a great way to start off the weekend, showing that the administration is committed to keeping the student body happy. One of the negatives to Tulane is the lack of school pride- besides homecoming venturing downtown to the Superdome for a football game is nearly unheard of. Hopefully with the new coach and possible on campus stadium, this will change in the coming years. Another issue students have is the difficulty of studying abroad. While a good portion of students are able to and do go abroad, Tulane's program has its limits and often people will have to settle for their second choice location.

Tulane University was unbeknownst to me during the never-ending process of college applications. Quite frankly, I had no idea what I was looking for. But like many of my peers I found it in New Orleans without expecting to. My first impression of the school was derived from the seemingly endless flow of mail being sent to me. What I perceived as desperateness on the part of the administration was actually the strategic way to increase the applicant pool, thus making the university more competitive each year. I did not have to write an essay to apply and the application would be free. I applied without even considering the school or taking my application seriously. Ironically, I was touring the University of Miami when my interest in Tulane was sparked. The elder sibling of a girl taking the Miami tour with me was a freshman at Tulane University. Her enthusiasm for Tulane drowned out the words of the tour guide. I realized that I had to visit. As I wandered around Tulane’s campus just a month later, I fell victim to the familiar embarrassment of being a prospective student with my parents by my side. I couldn’t help but notice that that when students gazed my way and noticed the bright green “Roll Wave” folder I was holding, instead of giving me a vapid stare they smiled. People seemed happy and it was as simple as that. I was leaving the LBC (equivalent to a student union on other campuses), when I thought I heard my name. I wasn’t sure, so I kept walking. But the shout persisted and got clearer. It was the girl from the Miami tour. She recognized me and when I turned around she gave me a hug and took a break from her studies to provide a squeal to the group tour I had just taken. She showed me her favorite study spots, and a room in every freshman dorm. Although she didn’t have to do much talking to sell me on the picture-perfect campus, she did anyway. Her pride for Tulane was undeniable. She told me everything and anything she could think of, and she introduced me to numerous friends that she ran into on campus. The students professed their “love for prospective students” as well as their pride in Tulane and I was overwhelmed by how friendly everyone seemed. Making a decision had never been so easy. When I moved in my freshman year I was pleased to find that I had no reason to be skeptical of the enthusiasm of the students I had met the previous May. The happy students do not just have an odd fetish for prospective students, they genuinely want people to know what it is like to go to Tulane and live in New Orleans. The picture-perfect day I experienced upon visiting was not such an oddity either, and the weather is often sighted as one of the best things about going to Tulane. But, let me note that when it rains, it pours. Everyone has rain boots and an investment in a pair of new Hunters will not be in vain. When people ask me where I go to school I am proud to say Tulane University in New Orleans. This regularly facilitates rich conversation about the opportunities available in such a unique city, the incredible access to music, food, and culture. It is somewhere most people like to come visit or somewhere that many people hold fond memories of. Tulane students are spoiled by the free give-aways that are often doled out on campus. Forget pizza and cookies, the administration provides generous tastes of Jambalaya, crawfish, potatoes and Snowballs, consistent with New Orleans culture. Jazz music often pervades the well-kept central quad.

Tulane is a small school. The school is growing, but compared to many schools that attract a similar type of student (University of Miami, WashU, Vanderbuilt) it is much smaller. The sports program isn't particularly great and there isn't a lot of spirit for the sports teams. Tulane's nightife is unmatched, and is definitely in one of the greatest college towns. There are a lot bars, restaurants and shopping in walking distance from the school. There are limited majors, but you are not required to apply to switch if you want to change the school your in (you don't need to apply to change into the Business School, Public health school, etc.)

My favorite thing about this school is definitely New Orleans, which has a ton of amazing things for college students to enjoy. Everyone knows about the French Quarter and Bourbon Street, but most people don't realize that Maple Street is about one block away from campus, and is filled with bars, restaurants and shops. There are always promotions and events, and it is absolutely impossible to be bored on any given night. Uptown is an awesome place to be, and it's impossible not to fall in love with NOLA culture. There's also a thriving Greek scene, and those parties are always a lot of fun. The campus is beautiful, and the perfect size. It is big enough that you will never meet anyone in your class, but it is small enough that you will always see the people you want to see. One of the best things about Tulane is the weather, which starts out very humid but then hovers around 70 for much of the year. The professors are a mixed bag, with many being very good and others being pretty awful. However, if you use ratemyprofessor and the course evaluations that are posted online, you can avoid some of the bad ones. Students always complain about registration, but I've never actually heard of it impeding anyone's ability to graduate. Our football coach recently resigned (it's common knowledge that he was fired), and students are split on the topic of what we should do next. Some say that this is our chance to finally become a football powerhouse, while others say we should remain focused on academics. There is a lot of school pride but not usually in the context of athletics, although our baseball team is very good. Almost every student I know does community service, mostly of their own volition. We do have service learning courses, which vary between incredible and useless. It's simply luck of the draw.

The best thing is probably the other people. Everyone seems eager to meet new faces, and every student also becomes possessed with a pervasive happiness. The things I would change are probably specific to my own experience, but if I had to generalize I would say that the administration seems to go for shiny technologies that are of questionable worth. Also, I have not personally had any problems with the science department, but I have heard from many sources that those teachers tend to delegate far too much to inexperienced teaching assistants. Most people react favorably when I tell them Tulane, or at least they seem aware that it is located in New Orleans, and then they respond positively to the city. There is certainly an uptown Tulane bubble, but downtown is always only a direct streetcar ride away. School pride has increased recently as the basketball team has become the success of our sports program. Controversy arose a couple years ago as to the status of workers in the cafeteria and in other buildings, and took the form of protest-minded students siding with the workers against Sodexo, the company which employs all of the workers. The most frequent student complaints are probably against the quality of food in the dining hall, but as a senior who has had to cook for himself, those students are perhaps in for a surprise when their meals become self-cooked.

I know that Tulane is the perfect school for me, and I couldn't have picked a better place for undergrad. You get a great education but you have the opportunity to participate in a ton of extracurriculars, as well as get part-time jobs or internships through the university. Oh yeah, and your studies definitely don't interfere with your social life. People tend to look down on Tulane, especially my peers who went to schools in the Northeast. If you want the experience of living and working and one of the greatest cities in the world, New Orleans, Tulane is the perfect choice. One of the major problems with Tulane is also the subject of recent controversy. Clearly New Orleans has a lot of crime, especially post-Katrina, and the area around the university is not the safest. Tulane sends out emails to their students when crimes occur, and these emails are sent as frequently as a couple of times a week. Tulane has a shuttle service known as Safe Ride which picks up students between 8 pm and 6 am if they feel they are in danger, or if they don't want to walk home alone. The service has gotten a lot better in recent months following a major controversy after students were robbed at gunpoint while waiting for Safe Ride. However, Safe Ride's not ideal, nor are most of the other means of public transportation around the university. You may think it's great that you go to school right by the St. Charles Streetcar, but it's the most impractical way to get somewhere fast. It's fine for sightseeing, but if you are going to work or even a concert, you don't want to wait 45 minutes for the rickety, slow trolley to pick you up. The cabs are also terrible in this city. They arrive late, don't come, and pick you up drunk. They best way to stay safe and get around in New Orleans is to get a car, or find someone who has a car to chauffeur you around.

I think the title says it all...I love my school! The combination of New Orleans, social life, new friends, campus, and academic opportunities really make Tulane unique. I was nervous traveling so far away from home, at least a 5 hour flight, and only knowing one person from home at school. But I easily made friends and immediately felt comfortable in the city. I really enjoy New Orleans and try to take advantage of all the things it offers to me. No school is like Tulane. One night you can be at a frat party, the next at a jazz festival, the next taking the street car to a local Creole restaurant, and lastly watching a parade down the street and grabbing a drink at a bar. Unbelievable. The freedom New Orleans offers is addicting and I hope I never leave.

Tulane University has exceeded all my expectations about the college experience. It is one of the most welcoming, spirited and exciting environments a college student could wish for, and I feel so lucky to be a part of it. Going off to college can be a scary or anxious time in a young person’s life, but Tulane’s student population and faculty make it feel like a home away from home. The feeling you get just stepping onto Tulane’s campus is one of warmth and happiness, and it is clear that everyone feels that way. There are always events happening on the quad or in the student center that aim to unify the students as well as the faculty, and are very successful in doing so. The professors are awesome and really take the time to help their students both in and out of class. New Orleans is such an amazing place to live; the rich culture of the city provides an opportunity to absorb knowledge supplementary to our studies and participate in new, fun activities. Community service is a very important part of Tulane’s philosophy and instills in its student a sense of responsibility and desire to help others. The city plays a huge role in the diversity of the student population and is one of Tulane’s defining qualities. I could go on and on about how much I love Tulane University, but there is really no way to put into words how incredibly rewarding attending Tulane is. The best way I can put it is that I feel so fortunate to be at a school where I am truly happy to wake up for class every day, and have made friends and memories that will last a lifetime.

Tulane University has exceeded all my expectations about the college experience. It is one of the most welcoming, spirited and exciting environments a college student could wish for, and I feel so lucky to be a part of it. Going off to college can be a scary or anxious time in a young person’s life, but Tulane’s student population and faculty make it feel like a home away from home. The feeling you get just stepping onto Tulane’s campus is one of warmth and happiness, and it is clear that everyone feels that way. There are always events happening on the quad or in the student center that aim to unify the students as well as the faculty, and are very successful in doing so. The professors are awesome and really take the time to help their students both in and out of class. New Orleans is such an amazing place to live; the rich culture of the city provides an opportunity to absorb knowledge supplementary to our studies and participate in new, fun activities. Community service is a very important part of Tulane’s philosophy and instills in its student a sense of responsibility and desire to help others. The city plays a huge role in the diversity of the student population and is one of Tulane’s defining qualities. I could go on and on about how much I love Tulane University, but there is really no way to put into words how incredibly rewarding attending Tulane is. The best way I can put it is that I feel so fortunate to be at a school where I am truly happy to wake up for class every day, and have made friends and memories that will last a lifetime.

Tulane University has exceeded all my expectations about the college experience. It is one of the most welcoming, spirited and exciting environments a college student could wish for, and I feel so lucky to be a part of it. Going off to college can be a scary or anxious time in a young person’s life, but Tulane’s student population and faculty make it feel like a home away from home. The feeling you get just stepping onto Tulane’s campus is one of warmth and happiness, and it is clear that everyone feels that way. There are always events happening on the quad or in the student center that aim to unify the students as well as the faculty, and are very successful in doing so. The professors are awesome and really take the time to help their students both in and out of class. New Orleans is such an amazing place to live; the rich culture of the city provides an opportunity to absorb knowledge supplementary to our studies and participate in new, fun activities. Community service is a very important part of Tulane’s philosophy and instills in its student a sense of responsibility and desire to help others. The city plays a huge role in the diversity of the student population and is one of Tulane’s defining qualities. I could go on and on about how much I love Tulane University, but there is really no way to put into words how incredibly rewarding attending Tulane is. The best way I can put it is that I feel so fortunate to be at a school where I am truly happy to wake up for class every day, and have made friends and memories that will last a lifetime.

If I could change one thing it would be the visibility/number of sororities and fraternities on campus, and sadly the school is trying to add more. That being said, the beauty of Tulane is that one does not need to be involved in Greek Life to have a social life. The energy of New Orleans can be enjoyed by everyone, and because the bars are open to all not being a member of Greek Life has never hurt me socially. In fact, there are ways to benefit from Greek life while not being involved. (More Greeks=More free booze/parties)

If I could change one thing it would be the visibility/number of sororities and fraternities on campus, and sadly the school is trying to add more. That being said, the beauty of Tulane is that one does not need to be involved in Greek Life to have a social life. The energy of New Orleans can be enjoyed by everyone, and because the bars are open to all not being a member of Greek Life has never hurt me socially. In fact, there are ways to benefit from Greek life while not being involved. (More Greeks=More free booze/parties)

To be completely honest, I am disappointed with my time at Tulane, and almost all of that disappointment arises from the university's administration or policies. The administration presents a facade of a university dedicated to public service and rigorous academics. In doing so, they attract some really creative and intelligent students, but then are unable to follow through on their promises. Students tend to just brush off their poor classes and grow generally apathetic when they find things aren't at all what expected. Also, as far as bureaucracy is concerned, there are absurd amounts of hoops to jump through as far as the simplest tasks are concerned, like registering for classes, studying abroad, or paying your bills. Tulane is behind other schools in many of the simple administrative aspects, including technology, food services, and general organization, but most things get shrugged off using Katrina as an excuse. It's a bit sad, but because the students are fairly cheerful, optimistic kids, you get this phrase a lot with a shrug, "Yea, sure I don't like Tulane, but I love New Orleans." That sentiment seems to be accepted as a sad underlying truth, even with professors, but people just make the most of it with the incredible surroundings and good social life. Students in general are happy, but very little of that has anything to do with Tulane. Things are definitely improving, but at a New Orleans pace. Best thing about the school: it's in New Orleans. Worst thing about the school: the administration. Somewhere in the middle and a bit spotty: academics. Random good thing most applicants should know: they give great financial aid. Random bad thing about the school most applicants should know: student safety at night is a huge issue, with armed robberies and sexual assaults relatively common just off campus.