Hello friends!
We had a Helluva weekend here at Tulane with Homecoming and Parent’s Weekend. It was great seeing so many families on campus! Even in just a couple hours on campus, I was able to connect with a few families I had worked with over the years whose students are now killing it at Tulane! I always love catching up. Unfortunately, Tulane didn’t pull off the win, but the game was exciting nonetheless!
Congrats to Lucy and Kennedy for winning Homecoming Royalty! Lucy is a Green Wave Ambassador and Kennedy is one of our Interns!
The other big news from the past few days is that we now know when we’ll be releasing ED decisions! Those decisions will be released next Monday, November 22nd at 4:00 PM Central Time!
With ED decisions on the horizon, now is the time to remind people of the possible outcomes when you apply Early Decision. We do our best to avoid deferring or wait listing ED applicants- you have fully committed to Tulane by applying ED and we know we are your top choice. It doesn’t make sense to keep you waiting. We do our best to either admit or deny ED applicants, so that you can get on with your life.
Now, there are two forms of acceptances in this pool. First is your traditional admit where you will begin at Tulane in August of 2022. Then you have the Spring Scholar program, where you begin at Tulane in January. This is a tremendous option for students to see the world, work, or hone their skills before starting at Tulane. Both options are fantastic and deserving of a huge congratulations!
Students often ask us why they were admitted for the spring instead of the fall. The simplest explanation is that we physically cannot accept every student who is academically strong, interested in Tulane, involved in their community, or all three. Too many wonderful students are applying to Tulane, and our acceptance rate is only going down as our yield rate increases. It is a great problem to have, but it makes this time of year very challenging! My prediction is that our acceptance rate will be similar or even lower than last year’s of 10%.
Spring Scholars have excellent applications in nearly all regards. They’ve done amazing at their interviews, written great “Why Tulane?” statements, and had outstanding letters of recommendation. As ED applicants, we know Tulane is their top choice. Spring Scholars are that small group of students who we cannot accept for the fall, but who we know will be fantastic students at Tulane! If you are accepted as a Spring Scholar, that decision is final but no longer binding. No Spring Scholars will be reconsidered for Fall admission.
Spring Scholars also have the gift of having options! We have agreements in place with universities around the world so that our students can spend their fall semester abroad. Our partnerships include options in Rome, Paris, London, and even an Architecture-specific program in Barcelona! I am personally incredibly jealous of this program- I did not study abroad in college and regret it immensely. What a cool way to start this next chapter of your life!
Picture yourself in Rome… not too shabby!
Richmond U in London. Maybe you’ll bump into Ted Lasso!
Aside from being an amazing life experience, this allows students to take classes so that they can graduate on time in May 2026, and go through the recruitment process in January if they would like to join Greek life at Tulane. I’d encourage y’all to read up on these opportunities!
We have had 5 classes of Spring Scholars so far and they have done phenomenally at Tulane. They are still able to make friends, integrate into campus life, and become impactful members of the Tulane family. Some of my favorite students I’ve worked with in my career were Spring Scholars! If you have been accepted as a Spring Scholar, I’d recommend that you reach out to some of our Spring Scholars Ambassadors and pick their brains!
From there, TAKE YOUR TIME! Again, Spring Scholars are not bound to attend Tulane. You have until May 1st to make your final decision. Take advantage of this time to explore your options abroad or working, reach out to our ambassadors, and read our FAQs. We’ll also have a Spring Scholar-specific Destination Tulane in the spring! And one last time for mom, no Spring Scholars will be switched to the Fall.
AUP in Paris is another great option!
Over the years, I’ve gotten plenty of emails from parents and students (let’s be real, it’s mostly parents) who are less than psyched that their student has been accepted for the Spring. I always try to flip the narrative to look at the Spring Scholar acceptance as an opportunity rather than a sleight. How many people get to spend their first semester of college abroad with students who will join them at their university some months later? Spoiler: it’s about 200 this year!
For the right student, it is an AMAZING opportunity. Take your time with this decision. We know it is a little different, but by choosing you for this option, we know Tulane is where you think you belong. If you agree, we’d love to see you on campus in January! Roll Wave!
