The Tulane University of Louisiana

Tulane is in the process of trying to draw a "smarter" student body to raise its national ranking. That leaves students that are actually here by the wayside. The red tape is ridiculous, and no one ever knows what they are talking about when you call a department or visit an office. However, I feel like I've learned a lot, and the problems at Tulane are the same problems at other schools. New Orleans is amazing- you just have to realize its a whole different culture. College is ultimately what you make it- and Tulane has a lot to offer if you are willing to look.

2nd Year Female -- Class 2005

Social Life: A+, Faculty Accessibility: F

Tulane is a unique university in a unique city. The campus is uptown in a beautiful and clean area of New Orleans. It's the perfect size so that everyone is a familiar face, but yet it isn't so small that you get sick of people. The professors all have open door policies and will always take time outside of class to discuss things with you. On a social note, there's obviously a lot of partying and drinking since Tulane is in New Orleans. There's a lot of "Take me drunk, I'm home." But DON'T go to school at Tulane just because you want to have fun and drink it up in New Orleans, because the classes are challenging and require significant studying (unless you go to the Business School, maybe). A lot of really smart people get wrapped up in the city and fail out their first semester because they go to Bourbon Street instead of class. But there is plenty of time to have fun in between classes and studying. Most of the students at Tulane are really rich and really proud of that and a lot of them are Jewish and from the Northeast. But most people are really nice and easy-going, and it isn't a cut-throat school where people will push you down just so that they can succeed. If I had to choose a college again, I would definitely go back to Tulane. Their pre-med program is great and I'm currently at a very reputable medical school, partly because of Tulane's name and good reputation (and partly because of my hard work while I was there). If you can do well in pre-med at a prestigious school in New Orleans, most medical schools see that as quite a strength! During several of my interviews for med school, I was asked how I managed to stay focused and not get distracted by the New Orleans party scene. I did my fair share of partying, but I also did my fair share of studying and working hard. Tulane is definitely under-ranked by US News and World Report, and that's partly because of a large number of rich snots that party too much their first semester and get kicked out, thereby lowering the retention rank (which is about 85%). Tulane is a great university in an exciting city! When you get there, have fun but make sure you don't party more than you study!

4th Year Male -- Class 2002

Education Quality: A+, Individual Value: B