Notorious for its prime location in Uptown New Orleans and ranked in the top 2% of colleges for “very high research activity,” Tulane is a vibrant private research university and a leading destination for high-achieving students who want to let the good times roll (or laissez les bons temps rouler, for the Cajan purists among us). Cutting to the chase: Tulane may be perfectly situated in the Big Easy, but getting in is Big Hard. With just over 8,2000 full-time undergraduates, Tulane is medium in size but selective in admissions – the acceptance rate for the Class of 2027 was 13% overall, but over the last five years the acceptance rate has hovered around 10%.
What does this mean for you? It means that even though Tulane says supplemental essays are optional, you’ll want to provide as much information as possible to demonstrate your genuine interest in the school and showcase your academic promise.
On the Subject of Test Scores
It’s important to remember that “test-optional” schools are not the same as schools that do not accept test scores at all. It’s one thing to withhold test scores when every other applicant is also excluding test scores from their materials. When a school does accept test scores, though, even when it’s not required, that could be a potential leg up for the students who do submit their scores.
It’s different for each student, but we generally recommend that you submit your test scores if you have them, they match the quality of your grades, and they into the above-average percentile for a college’s accepted student data. In other words, don’t submit scores that would disqualify you if your grades are exceptional and you’re a great fit for a university. Likewise, don’t leave scores out if you tested well and they help your case.
For Tulane specifically, the average academic profile for admitted students was quite competitive — 1448 on the SAT, 33 on the ACT, and a 3.7 GPA. Keep in mind, however, that these averages likely skew higher because Tulane is test-optional; these scores are the average of reported scores, and students with higher scores are more likely to report them. Don’t count yourself out based on these numbers alone — just use them as a guide for your decision to report scores.
The Supplemental Essay
More good news: Tulane has shortened its supplement this year, so you’ve only got one question with a max word-count of 250. Woohoo! Here’s what they ask:
Describe why you are interested in joining the Tulane community. Consider your experiences, talents, and values to illustrate what you would contribute to the Tulane community if admitted.
This statement should be 250 words at most; however, it is neither necessary nor expected that you reach this maximum length. We strongly encourage you to focus on content and efficiency rather than word count. While submitting this prompt is optional, we recommend that all applicants do so.
This is, dare we say, boilerplate. They’re asking the same question as every other school out there: “why do you want to go here?” This is a straightforward prompt, so as long as you address the two main prongs — why is Tulane your school of choice, and why are you a good fit? — you’ve got it in the bag.
This essay is so common that we’ve got a formula for it: choose a major, give your backstory, including researched specifics about the school’s academic offerings, and close with a few details about campus life.
The reason we suggest you choose a major is that it will ground your essay in academics and allow you to lay out goals that demonstrate you’re scholastically aligned with Tulane. No one will hold you to the major you choose in your application essay, so don’t worry if you think you’ll change your mind! This just helps you get specific; once you’ve designated a major, you can connect it to your high school experiences, share your passion, and outline future plans.
Once you’ve named your area of study, share a personal story that helps admissions get to know you and illuminates how you discovered your passion for the field. If you’re applying to the Tulane School of Architecture, for example, you might share that your favorite thing about Barbie growing up wasn’t actually playing with dolls but trying to sketch a blueprint for the Malibu dreamhouse. Then, in high school, you started going to town hall meetings, which got you hooked on the intersection of urban planning and sustainable design.
Next, draw in research you’ve done on Tulane to show why it’s the best place for you to pursue your dreams. You should reference at least 2 upper-level courses here; it’s the leading scholars and unique syllabi that make a school distinct, not the standard prerequisites offered everywhere. You might mention ARCH 3150 ( Identity & Agency in Architecture), for example, because it addresses a question you contemplate often — we shape our buildings by design, but how do our buildings and the places we spend our time shape us? Last on the academic front, single out a professor you’d like to learn from, work with, or research for, and be sure to say why.
Finally, college happens outside the classroom, too. You want to show that you’ll be an asset to Tulane’s academics, but you should also indicate that you’ll be an engaged member of the student body’s social life, as well. Choose a club, organization, or group that builds off experiences you have on your resume. If you were on the dance committee every year, you might say you want to join Tulane University Campus Programming, the student-run organization that brings musicians, comedians, and speakers to campus. You should keep your examples “clean” (think “try all of NOLA’s most famous gumbos” over “take advantage of the open-container law on Bourbon street”), but Tulane is proud of what it offers “Only in New Orleans,” and it’s a good idea to point out opportunities this particular location makes available to you.
You may only have 250 words, but that’s still enough to briefly hit all the major points — academic focus, personal background, plans you’ll execute inside and outside the classroom — and leave readers thinking Tulane is the perfect school for you.
Not sure where to begin? We’re here for you! Reach out to us for personalized college counseling.