Tulane University

The United States has ivy league universities that are expensive and highly coveted by the rich, the educated and those that want to become elite in some way or another. New Orleans, Louisiana has an “ivy of the south”. Say what? Yes, Tulane University is a prestigious university known as the “ivy of the south”. Whether Tulane University actually deserves being called the “ivy of the south” is a different story, though. I feel that way too many universities are trying to categorize themselves as an “ivy” and I find that to be a bit cringey. Let’s just say it’s almost like having an influencer label themselves as an A-list online celebrity. Something along those lines…

Jokes aside, Tulane University is a well known university. Regardless of whether it truly is an ivy of the south doesn’t matter since most people would know of the university. Of course, people from the West Coast might not be aware nor would many of them care that much since the West Coast is home to a lot of good universities. And many of these universities are right here in California. Of course, this blog post is on Tulane University so I’m not going to talk about USC (University of Southern California, not University of South Carolina) nor am I going to talk about UCLA (University of California Los Angeles) or any of the other UCs. I will keep the spotlight on the ivy of the South.

I will admit that I was originally excited to visit Tulane University. Unfortunately, that excitement didn’t last long. I knew beforehand that Tulane University was known as a university for predominantly rich students from the North but I wasn’t expecting the vibe of the campus to be so off because of this. Just next door is Loyola University New Orleans and the vibe there compared to here is like a breath of fresh air.

It’s a bubble at Tulane University. If you’re not meant to be a part of that bubble, you will probably feel out of place. I admit that I felt out of place and despite how beautiful the campus was, the beauty just didn’t seem skin deep. It was an artificial beauty. Kind of like the vibe present on Tulane University’s campus. I was disappointed, of course.

I’m sure there are students from “normal” or even “low” economic backgrounds here but they are invisible since they don’t make the majority of the student body. I saw at least two students that seemed to be of “normal” means and am curious as to how these students feel being a part of this bubble. Bubble aside, I guess I’m glad that there are “normal” students present and I wish them well since they obviously don’t come from backgrounds that scream wealth which means that they either got some form of scholarship to attend this university and/or borrowing educational loans to make it happen.

I think these types of students are more focused on getting what they can from a prestigious university yet fast forward to graduation time and that rich classmate may end up getting the job you dreamed of simply for having familial connections. What would be even more mind boggling is how this person may have been partying every weekend, if not every day! This might seem like an exaggeration but it can also be a very real scenario. (Note: I once knew an international student from a rich family that got a VP position for a company despite not having the experience for it and hardly ever doing much at school.)

It’s safe to say that people from economically blessed backgrounds will automatically have an upper hand. So, for anyone that comes from more “normal” economic backgrounds, know that a lot of these students come from money that isn’t their own. I feel that it’s important to mention this. Even if someone is a trust fund baby, that money isn’t theirs in the sense that they didn’t work for it. Unless they somehow make money as a model without the help of nepotism, their riches aren’t their own riches; it’s their parents’ or grandparents’! In their world, taking a trip every weekend is a norm. In a “normal” student’s world, taking a trip once a year is almost impossible. It’s only after you work full time that you can start thinking about taking that trip!

Because the average student here is so different from your everyday student, they are without a doubt out of touch with reality. They are not going to understand why you, a fellow Tulane student, cannot go to the fancy cafe or do fun things as freely as them. Stay as humble as you can and don’t get lost into thinking you’re one of them just because you attend the same university as them.

Student makeup aside, the university itself is also a bubble in that buildings are off limits unless you’re granted access to it. I don’t know the specifics of this but I’m thinking every student and employee has a card that either grants or denies you access to buildings on campus. I understand that this is for safety reasons but it only further strengthens Tulane University’s bubble.

Overhearing conversations from the students here was a bit mind boggling. But the most mind boggling moment was when I overheard something that reeked of entitlement, severe lack of awareness and just downright lack of care for others. While I don’t know the specifics of the conversation, I overheard one student telling whoever he was on the phone with to call the authorities. What and why? And in regards to who? Like I said, I don’t know the specifics of the conversation, but it made me realize that privileged students are used to doing privileged things and I wouldn’t be surprised if this was one of those things. Of course, if it was a situation that warranted such an action, it’d be fine but there’s just so many privileged people out there unnecessarily taking such actions just because they feel they can or simply because they don’t like someone. And this has to be the top one that really made me feel that Tulane University would not be a good choice for your everyday person. Of course, we have to think about whether the average person can even get admitted in the first place. Yes, the university is prestigious enough but calling it the “ivy of the south” is a little bit too much.

I wonder what the atmosphere is like at a true ivy, like Harvard University. Is it like this or is it worse? Do I even want to know?

Talking about Harvard, I don’t understand why a rich person from the north chooses to come to Tulane University. Is it for the weather? Is it for the so-called party scene in New Orleans? Is it to experience the hurricane? It can’t be the last part because I’m sure every rich student can afford to escape hurricane season well before the hurricane even hits New Orleans… I’m sure there’s a reason but I don’t know what that reason is. If you know, please enlighten me as I’m curious.

In summation, I’d say Tulane University would look good on your resume. It also would look impressive when you want to show off to strangers for whatever reason. But in regards to school life and how much tuition you actually have to pay, I don’t know if it’d be worth it. If you’re considering Tulane University in any way, I recommend you to visit the campus. You can apply first and if you get accepted, you can visit and make a decision based on how you feel about the university’s vibe. How I felt about the university may differ greatly from how you feel about Tulane University. With Tulane University being a very expensive university and a university that contains a lot of rich students that you may or may not be able to relate with, I think it’d be worth an investment to visit the campus before you sign up for four years of tuition!