Yes, Tulane does not charge anyone an application fee. The fact (at least I assume it is a fact based on feedback here) that the recipient of their “special application” or other marketing piece might easily infer that they are being given a special break is beyond trivial. It’s marketing, it is supposed to make you feel warmly towards the school and about yourself. The fact that it is free and therefore saving that family another $75 or whatever is a bit less trivial.
I think @Sally_Rubenstone is spot on, and she knows it from the inside. While I completely understand how personal this feels to a student, and to many parents, one has to step back and realize that with the sheer numbers involved, it isn’t personal at all but is instead simply the current state of college admissions, especially at the highly competitive schools.