- They only have three large lecture halls, used for the large introductory freshman classes. Most classes are small.
- They have public service requirements for graduation.
- Freshmen and Sophmores have to live on campus the first two years. Freshman cannot have a car.
- There is a very close relationship between the professors and the students. All professors must teach undergraduate classes, including the university president.
- We met with some of the faculty in the History department, and they are very enthusiastic about history and its role in a large variety of productive careers.
- A seeming drawback is the cost, approximately $53K/year with room and board. However, they have some extremely large endowments, and most students see that cut in half, if not more, through merit aid, and there is need based aid on top of that.
- They have some rigorous academic programs
Add to this that Tulane is in New Orleans, a beautiful city that is literally dripping… not only with humidity and beads, but with history. The people in this city are lovely; it is easy to get around, and people care about each other.
So, what are the drawbacks. First, it is in New Orleans. This is not to say that New Orleans is not a wonderful city—it is. But it also means our daughter would be far away from home. But it has to happen someday, I guess. Second is the cost, but that’s why we’ll be applying to multiple schools and visiting multiple schools. If Tulane is meant to be, the universe will find a way to make it work cost-wise.
Thursday, we’ll be visiting Emory University in Atlanta. This should be a very different beast: I expect to see a school that is academically rigorous in a city that is very deep south.
