Is Tulane worth the money?

[aquafina]

I'm choosing between Tulane (super expensive but the students LOVE it...and can you put a price on happiness?) and a top 20 state school that is much cheaper (where the students aren't as happy and seem more stressed out, but still like the school pretty well). Tulane also has a lower "ranking"...

What do you guys think?

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[aquafina]

btw, the state school that i am talking about is UT southwestern

 

[tBw]

well, I didn't apply to either of these schools so I had to look up the tuition difference in my MSAR.

UT SW - $6,550/year + fees $796
Tulane - $29,145 + fees $1,777

ie one year at Tulane costs more than all 4 years at UTSW or, if you prefer, over 4 years makes a difference of $94,304

Is it worth the difference? For what you say is a lower ranked school (I'm not sure if thats true as I don't think Tulane actually submits data to USNews and so goes unranked but maybe you are referring to Gourman or something...)

I think you know the logical answers: price-wise, prestige-wise. It seems more like you are asking for permission/looking for justification for the decision you know you want to make but don't think you should. What you're actually asking is a more intangible question - what value the 'extra' happiness?

For that price difference I wouldn't think it was remotely worth it, but then all logic seems to say go to UTSW - so if you decide to go to Tulane that has to be based on very personal feelings about the two, which perhaps are not subject to logic...

so I say UTSW all the way...but I'm not the one that would have to live with the decision...good luck either way 😉

 

[Samoa]

I think you should go to Southwestern, so I can get off the waitlist at Tulane. 😛 Just kidding!

I guess the question is, how much stress does debt create for you? Would you rather go someplace less expensive but potentially not as pleasant? Or would rather enjoy your time in medical school, and deal with the debt later?

The other issue to consider is that, while the students you've seen may be happy at Tulane, YOU might not be, and in fact, you might be happier at Southwestern. So think about what YOU need in a school and decide accordingly. You may want to visit both schools again to decide.

 

[Pinki]

In April I spoke with Tulane financial aid officer James Bourgeouis and he said tuition had just been raised to $37K. That doesn't include a single cent of fees, a single book or a single page of the note service. I figure it's probably $40K before you even look at living expenses...ouch.

I was in a somewhat similar dilemna - based upon the coolnees of the students, their lifestyles, the chance to call New Orleans home and the school's rep, Tulane was my initial first choice over my state school...until I realized how much I'd be in hock for.

MANY Tulane students do NHSC and military scholarships...something to consider if you're interested.

UT SW is a very, very, very good school. My own OB/GYN is from there - and she's a top specialist locally.

I understand the dilemna - Tulane is amazing. But amazing has a price.

 

[Deuce 007 MD]

I'm sure tulane kids are happy, but they're not a 100k more happy. I'd say go UTSW da more cheddar, you save, da more better. And a difference of ranking 17 against 55 doesn't help tulane either.

 

[kcrd]

The money might seem intangible now, but you are talking about a *huge* amount of money that you will not have to take out if you go to UT. Unless you are able to qualify for grants or have parents who can give you money, $37K in tuition means that you'll have to take out private loans for living expenses, bc you can only take out $38.5 in government loans.

 

[lola]

i absolutely loooved tulane when i visited, so i can understand your feelings. the students there seemed so laid back and happy, and really seemed like my kind of people. however, i could never justify spending all that money unless i really did not like ut southwestern, particularly if i was going to have to take out $200,000 in loans. ouch. that would hurt to pay off if you go into primary care.

 

[ShaylaFinn]

Yeah, the students were laid back. Yeah, New Orleans is a fun town. But you're seriously considering paying an extra $100K to go to a school with facilities that, ahem, have seen better days when you could attend a top 20 school instead?
However, if emergency or tropical medicine is your thing, maybe Tulane IS the place for you. I hear Charity gets lots and lots of interesting teaching cases.

 

[specialk]

Which one do YOU like more? If it's UT, GO THERE. If it's Tulane by a long shot, GO THERE. If it's so-so, go to UT. Either way, I don't know too many people that absolutely hate where they are. You should be happy either way. But hey, you don't want to regret not going to Tulane if that's where you REALLY want to be. But if you're truly undecided, you should go to UT. It's a better name, honestly. And it's RIDICULOUSLY cheaper. A great state school. Good luck!

 

[TulaneKid24]

I am a med student at Tulane. I am absolutely not belittling my school, but I say definitely go to UTSW. UTSW is an awesome school. They have great research, great teaching hospitals (Parkland), and great residency placement (however, it seems that many of their grads stay in TX).

Tulane is a great place to study medicine. I am learning so much and having the time of my life. But I think you will and can have fun in Dallas, learn a lot, and have A LOT LESS DEBT. If I were from a state that had good state schools, I would have chosen my state school without a doubt. Some states with great med schools that come to mind are CA, TX, NC, VA, MI, and WA.

Even though you will make a decent living as a physician with $200k debt, you always want to try to minimize your debt load. Also, if you want to do academic medicine, peds, family med, etc, you will have to realize that it will take quite a long time to pay off those loans as these are not high paying specialities.

Good luck in your decision and if you have any questions about Tulane, please pvt me.

 

[Buttercup2003]

pick UT-SW. AWESOME school, great training, cheaper, and dallas is a nice city. Tulane's great too . . . but still go w/ UT-SW.

Good luck!😉

 

[ForceField]

Are you insane?!?! Go to UT-Southwestern! 😱

 

[aquafina]

You guys are SO great, thank you so much for your advice...I really appreciate it...🙂

 

[skypilot]

How bout takin the 100k you save and buying a house or a mercedes to make you happy 😉

 

[Samoa]

Originally posted by skypilot
How bout takin the 100k you save and buying a house or a mercedes to make you happy 😉

Can't, 'cause the 100K is only theoretical money that you DIDN'T borrow from the government. It's not money you actually have in your pocket.

When you're done with residency, you can buy a mercedes or a house with the 200K you're not paying back. But then again, so can the MD's who ARE paying back 200K. 🙂 It's all good.

 

[XCanadianRagwee]

I'm worth the money....

 

[Samoa]

Originally posted by XCanadianRagwee
I'm worth the money....

And how much do YOU cost? 😀