Tulane has become a very hot school in recent years, joining the ranks of the most selective universities with an acceptance rate of only 11% for the newly admitted freshman class. Director of Admission, Jeff Schiffman, graduated from Tulane and worked his way up from Admissions Officer to Director, having only worked at his alma mater. He thinks Tulane is a perfect school, and while he may be a bit biased, there are some pretty compelling reasons for competitive students to consider it as an option.
Here are Five Fun Facts about Tulane University:
1) Tulane is one of only 12 universities with an undergraduate degree in Public Health, an academic area that, for obvious reasons, is quite important right now. In addition to the Bachelor of Science in Public Health, the School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine offers combined undergrad/grad degrees with the Master of Public Health (MPH), Master of Science in Public Health (MSPH), and Master of Health Administration (MHA).
2) Princeton Review has recognized New Orleans as the #1 College City in recent years and it typically holds steady in the top 5. New Orleans hosts over 130 festivals per year! The Tulane campus is in uptown New Orleans, right across from the beautiful Audubon Park. Looking for some good food? New Orleans has 13 James Beard Award-Winning Restaurants. You won't have to look too far for some good music, either - check out this Rolling Stone article on the explosion of the music scene Beyond Bourbon Street. And, of course, I have to mention sports, as the New Orlean Saints happen to be my son's favorite professional football team (it might be because of the number of Buckeyes that play for them, but I digress).
3) The Tulane Takeovers are traditionally in-person networking events for students to travel all over the country to meet Tulane alumni, parents, and other professionals who help them kickstart their careers. This year they have been converted to a virtual format, taking place in 18 cities during the end of May.
4) Tulane has the largest glass blowing studio on any campus in America - truly a fun fact! Housed within the Newcomb Art Department in the College of Liberal Arts, students can pursue an MFA in Glass!
5) Ever since Hurricane Katrina, service has become an increasingly important component of the Tulane experience. Many students choose Tulane because of its focus on public service. Every Tulane student has a public service requirement for graduation, which includes taking a service learning course and selecting from a program such as an academic service learning internship or completing a public service honors thesis.
*Tip from the Admissions Director: If you are really excited about Tulane but are hoping to qualify for some merit aid, apply during the Early Action round, not Early Decision. Most of the merit aid goes to the EA applicants, as Tulane is trying to yield those students - ED applicants are locked in regardless, so merit aid for these students is not as plentiful.