Conflicting advice - so confused!

[madbean]

OK, had to get that ^^ off my chest. As to Tulane, I think it is a wonderful school, as is U Miami. But I'm not the one who has to attend.

OP, if your parents reveal that they really would feel much relieved if you choose a more reasonably priced university for UG, you should revisit both of these. I'd suggest calling your admissions rep at Tulane and leveling with him/her about your misgivings. Ask if you might meet with someone who is in your major while you are there and ask them what they really think of the college.

Good luck.

[jrpar]

I'd pick UVA too. Have you visited?

[lftcoastmom]

I think the OP is being very thoughtful. Looking at the reasons students have been unhappy at a school, adjusting for the "complainers", and then assessing if any are a dealbreaker for you, can be a meaningful exercise.
Other thoughts:
If Tulane is being so heavily recommended from a $ standpoint here, then Miami deserves a serious look as well.
Being from CA, my take is that the various views on this thread re USC are all true to some extent, depending on the particular sampling of current students you know.
UVA seems to be in the middle range $ wise, and given everything the OP has said, deserves serious consideration.
Good luck in this decision.

[Hanna]

"it's because Miami, USC, and ND are bigger party schools than Tulane."

Yep, that's what I think, too, though Tulane is no slouch in the party department.

"If Tulane is being so heavily recommended from a $ standpoint here, then Miami deserves a serious look as well."

I don't see why. The scholarship is smaller, and IMHO it doesn't offer any academic advantage to the OP compared to Tulane.

[lftcoastmom]

^^Because the OP spent 3 days at Tulane and has serious concerns whether or not she would thrive there.

[PinkDalmatian]

Thank you, everyone, for all of your kind and thoughtful input. I didn't think my dilemma would generate so many responses! Just to update you... my parents and I had a long discussion tonight, complete with charts, graphs and input from this thread, and we've narrowed it down to two choices: Notre Dame and UVA. It's a relief to have it down to two, but now I have to make the final choice. My dad prefers one, my mom prefers the other, and I'm still totally undecided because they both have pros and cons. If anyone has thoughts on either of these two schools, any input is appreciated!

[Consolation]

I can't pretend to be directly familiar with either one. I know that ND has plenty of devotees, but it is not a type of school--huge big-time sports orientation, strongly Catholic, blah location--that appeals to me. I see UVA as academically superior, beautiful, rich with history. Obviously these descriptions reflect my personal prejudices and point of view. So will everyone else's opinion.

What do YOU see as the pros and cons?

[SteveMA]

Between those two, Notre Dame would be my pick. I LOVE the sense of community there, unique to that school, the way they set up their living communities especially. I love the campus as well. Notre Dame will carry more national name recognition and a hugely active alumni association--probably the best in the country, if that is important to you. Notre Dame is about 1/2 the size of UVA as well. That has a lot of pluses, especially given that Notre Dame has the programming of a much larger school. The school is also set up in such a way that getting a double major is almost a given. That increases your job prospects down the road or allows you to study one area for career opportunities and one area for "fun" at the same cost.

Down the road, since most students at ND stay on campus all 4 years, no worries about finding an apartment, dealing with crappy landlords, etc.

[cptofthehouse]

My vote is also ND. Unless you are in state VA. It is annoying to pay private school prices for what the vast majority of kids at the school are paying a mere fraction, IMO. The cost differential is steep for in state and out of state at that school, and to me, not worth it if there are other choices. Especially, given that many of the OOSers have awards of sorts such as athletic scholarships so you will be one of the top payers in the student body.

[TXArtemis]

It's been interesting to follow your deliberations since you started this thread. Congrats on narrowing it down to two!

Hands down, UVA!

[bogibogi]

My vote also goes to UVA. It's definitely worth a visit if you have not done so.

[Dukes21]

Great thread. We are also full-pay, dropped the lowest cost colleges from the list, and are planning to make financial sacrifices so that our D can go to UVA or ND. Have been to UVA several times (it's fabulous) and we are going to ND for the first time tomorrow. In my thought process, she will have to fall madly in love with ND for the extra $$ and travel time/cost.

OP - Have you been to both schools and what do you think?

[hardstuff]

I haven't posted before but I've been a lurker for years. I don't have experience with many of these schools, but I do with Tulane and New Orleans. Tulane is definitely an excellent school. My husband and I attended Tulane for graduate school in the 80s, and return regularily for Jazz Fest and Mardi Gras. Obviously my impressions are mostly formed pre-Katrina but the city isn't entirely different now and I would not send my 18 year old to New Orleans unless they really really really wanted to be there, and even then I'd think twice. The OP's concern about parties is dead on. The party scene isn't only a Tulane thing- it's city wide; bars offer three-fers for happy hour, not two-fers, 99 cent 20oz beers are freely available in the French Quarter (and last year my 18 son and friends had NO problem getting served anywhere), drive-thru drink bars still exist, etc. Yes, it's very possible to not drink in New Orleans but the overall culture is alcohol centered without doubt- even post-Katrina. If the OP is uncomfortable with that, she's correct in being hesitant to attend Tulane. There's no place quite like New Orleans; we love it, but it is not for everyone.

No one has mentioned the crime. Consider it. New Orleans is a violent city. I've lived in Atlanta, Boston, Seattle and several cities in between, and New Orleans is by far the most violent. I feel much less safe there than I do in the area surrounding USC. No question. If OP has no city smarts, consider comfort level on the streets. The Tulane medical school is not on the uptown campus. I worked there and the commute via street car to the Super Dome area (the medical school is across the street from Charity Hospital) had it's "interesting" moments for sure.

If the OP was my child, I would revisit UT, Baylor and U Miami before recommending Tulane for a young girl expressing hesitance to go there.

I loved my years in NO, but culturally it is not likely anywhere else in the US, and the OP should want to be there for the cool and different place that it is or she could very well end up looking to transfer in no time at all.

[lookingforward]

I adore UVA. But will say this: if your Catholicism was important enough to you to drop Baylor, perhaps it's a strong consideration about ND.
Glad you have the relationship with your parents to handle this as you have.

[jym626]

Since the OP has narrowed her choices down to UVA and ND, this may be irrelevant. But as a parent of a child who currently lives in NOLA and will be staying there, I agree with some, but not all, of hardstuff's observations. Yes, NOLA is a unique place and offers unique opportunities. Yes NOLA as a city is very lax when it comes to rules relating to alcohol,particularly in their tourist areas (eg the French quarter). Some students take full advantage of it, others do not. They have tightened up the policies at the bar near campus (The Boot) and are also firmer with the fraternities as well.

As for safety, as has been addressed many times in the Tulane Forum, most of the crime in NOLA is nowhere near campus. Most is elsewhere in NOLA, not uptown. There has unfortunately been an increase in some incidents near campus this year, and the school and NOPD have worked cooperatively to address it.

My DS lived at GA Tech this summer and I was frankly more concerned for his safety there than in NOLA. There have been several attacks/robberies on/near Tech's campus in the past year or so, and his car was broken into in the campus parking deck during the 2 or so mos he lived there. It has never happened in the 4 years he has been in NOLA. Anyone going to school in an urban area should always have their smarts about them and not take unnecessary risks. The advantages of being in an urban area do not come without some disadvantages, that is true. Charlottesville and Notre Dame will definitely offer a different town experience.

As for the OP, I'd throw my vote also to UVA.