Don’t listen to him @ctgirl16, I think people from CA don’t want OOS students to attend. UCSB is a fabulous school and it isn’t crazy big (around 20,000). The weather is great and the West Coast is paradise, and yes,it has its own beach -you are not stupid to want that. I think that CA residents are getting nervous that their dirt cheap, world class universities are accepting more OOS students because their legislature won’t adequately fund the schools. It’s more difficult for OOS and international students to get in, so they are usually better qualified and do better than the CA kids. The same holds true for other state schools that limit OOS students. Look at the college rankings and you will find the UCs, even with OOS tuition, are a better value than same priced privates that no one has heard of. Tulane is a great school too, but ranking wise not as good as UCSB for the same money. Plus, it rains a lot in NO, it gets cold, lots of crime, shady politics, hurricanes, and racial discrimination is still rampant. Both towns have a large homeless population so there are plenty of outreach opportunities to help in those areas. You can always find a way to help people no matter where you are. How far away are you willing to go? What are the logistics to travel home? Both schools have nearby airports with shuttles. A bicycle is all you need at both places and you can rent a car if you want to travel farther (CA beats Louisiana hands down in places to travel). What is your intended major? Where do you want to end up? UCSB is not the party school it was 10 years ago - it is probably less of a party school than Tulane. Very few students have a car at UCSB or at Tulane. NO has a trolly system and and everyone bikes at UCSB. Tulane will have more people from the south, who can be intolerant towards LBGTQ, racial minorities, non-Christians, and Yankees (that’s you, sweetie) - I’ve lived there so I speak from experience. CA people seem to be much more open and accepting of others. Either way, it’s a good problem to have. Both are great schools and you will get a good education at both. Also, UCSB has a quarter system while Tulane has a semester system (I believe). That could make a difference according to your learning style. Visit both if you can and that should seal the deal.