I am strongly considering applying ED at either Tulane or BC and could use some help from anyone who has experience at either school.
I have toured both schools, though spent more time at Tulane. They are both excellent academically, have beautiful campuses, and seem to have strong alumni and networking opportunities.
The big questions:
My family is relocating to NYC, and I really want to feel like they are accessible and the idea of being just a train ride away, with multiple options to/from Boston -NYC, is very appealing to me. But maybe Nola to NYC is alright, too? Does anyone have experience going back and forth between the two cities?
The big question about BC is the vibe/social scene. I come from a tiny private school, and I yearn for a “typical college experience” regarding parties, etc. I haven’t gotten a sense of BC in that regard, despite visiting campus once. I know it sounds like it should be a low-priority, but I will be seriously bummed if I commit to a school that is lacking in this area.
Tulane seems to be “work hard, play hardER” but I sort of have a sense that BC is the opposite; I’d love to be wrong, but also don’t want to make a mistake here as ED is probably my only shot at either school.
Does anyone know if the vibe at BC will feel connected to NYC in some way? I’m coming from California so anything east of the Mississippi is “close” in my book and a train ride vs air travel is “accessible.”
Any feedback on either school is VERY welcome. Thank you!
Have you visited Tulane? If it’s financially feasible, I STRONGLY urge a student to have visited any campus they are considering EDing to, preferably while the college was in session.
Yes, I have visited both campuses. I have spent more time at Tulane (2 full days, went out one evening with friends who attend) than at Boston College (1 1/2 days), where I do not know anyone, so I didn’t get a sense of the school beyond a scripted tour.
BC will feel connected to Boston. Boston and NY are huge sports rivals and that rivalry kind of carries over to the cities themselves. Don’t go to BC and say you want a NY vibe.
@me29034 – No, perhaps I should clarify: I don’t expect BC to have a NY vibe, re-read my question. I am coming from CA and seeing that it’s a top Northeast school, and my family is relocating to NYC next year, I am curious if there would be obvious connections between the two. If so, what are they? (alumni events. social events, etc).
I obviously get that BC is in Boston, and Boston and NYC are two distinct places.
I am a little more partial to Tulane the school (vs. location), but I think that is in part because I don’t have a real sense of BC, honestly. Many questions remain about the school vibe, social opportunities, and culture. Tulane seems more clear in those areas. Trying to determine if it’s better for me and I need more info.
These forums have been so hopeful to me and others, and I am really trying to gather as much information as possible from people who have a greater sense than I do. Thanks
Is your family moving to Manhattan or somewhere outside of the city? I live about 6 hours from NYC (used to live there) and usually travel there several times a year by train. I book a reserved seat in business class and relax and do work while traveling. Very easy and low stress. I get to the station 30 minutes early, no security check. So easy. The Amtrak station is right in midtown. Easy to walk, cab or subway to your NYC destination. On the other hand, flying is more of a hassle. You need to get to the airport hours early, the airports are not in the city. Having nothing to do with anything but transportation, I would chose BC if you want easy access to family. If you do end up in NOLA and need to fly home, check Newark flights. There’s a train right into the city from the airport. I find it easier than Laguardia or JFK if heading to NYC.
As far as partying, you will find plenty of that. There are thousands and thousands and thousands of college students in the Boston area and they can all get to each other on public transportation. There will be parties at BC, but students also go into the city.
Thank you. This is genuinely so helpful. My family is moving to Manhattan, and, at least right now, access to them is weighing somewhat on my decision. I have to figure out how much it matters when weighted against all else.
I have toured Tulane and only visited Boston. NOLA and Boston are both fun cities so you can’t go wrong with either.
On the Tulane tour they noted they fill a huge percentage of their accepted kids in ED round.
You can get a nonstop flight from Nola to NYC for less than $200 often times. I can see the draw of having the street car right outside your campus. But I also loved Boston as well. Both are pricey.
Right now, it doesn’t sound as though you’re confident about BC, and you’re not confident about being farther away from your family (i.e. the con for Tulane). Thus, it doesn’t sound to me as though you should ED. And, if you get clarity in the next couple of months, both Tulane and BC have ED 2.
What are you looking for in a college, besides a “typical college experience” regarding parties? Perhaps we can offer additional suggestions of schools that can help you to create a balanced college list of schools that might be likelier admits. For example, Lehigh in Pennsylvania seems as though it might be similar to what you’re looking for.
Thank you. I haven’t ruled out either, and I loved Tulane when I visited, but I would prefer to be in the northeast IF I can find a school I love as much as I loved Tulane. BC seemed like it had potential, but I have questions about the campus social scene.
More background:
I plan to study psychology on a pre-law track.
Having a robust athletics scene is also important to me (football, basketball)
I want to study abroad in my junior year.
In terms of the social scene, my current HS is small, and I’ve grown to dislike its size intensely. I wish I didn’t feel that way, but I long for a social scene with many different people. I always imagined I would rush, and that’s still mildly important to me, but I would forego a sorority for an active non-Greek social scene.
A traditional, non-urban college campus is important to me, as well. So, I’ve ruled out NYU, BU and Northeastern for those reasons, and Bucknell and Villanova for other reasons. Lehigh is currently on my RD list.
I’m a BC parent. I’d say there is a typical student social scene there, including plenty of parties, and lots of enthusiasm for the school’s teams (esp football and hockey). The campus is on the T, and students spend a lot of time in the city as well, but not to the detriment of a vibrant/fun campus life. If you take the Acela train, it’s a about 3.5 hours to NYC. I got the impression there were quite a few students at BC from NY/NJ so if feeling connected encompasses there being quite a few students from the larger NYC metropolitan area, I think it fits the bill.
I’m so happy to hear from a current parent that the social scene is typical and robust. I’ve heard about kids studying all weekend and nobody going out to parties and it scared me. Thank you!
Some of that (any school) is going to depend the program of the student youre talking to. Some programs are pretty intense and require a good amount of weekend study time. Others not so much.
