TULANE TALK

May 9, 2014

Good Morning:

Next Saturday we will honor more than 2,700 graduates at Commencement 2014.

It seems like just yesterday that these graduates were the incoming class we were all boasting about. We are boasting about them even more now but, at the same time, our Office of Admission is working hard to assemble the Class of 2018. More than 29,000 applicants wanted to be part of this class but only a select 1,600 were chosen. By increasing our selectivity we are ensuring that we are accepting only those students whose values are consistent with Tulane’s mission of scholarship and service.

While we are becoming more selective, we are also growing in diversity. The Class of 2018 represents students from a vast array of backgrounds, including those affiliated with the Posse Foundation and College Track, two organizations that recruit and prepare talented urban public high school students to succeed at top universities like Tulane. Some of the Posse and College Track students are from New Orleans, while others come from thousands of miles away. They are not alone. The typical member of the class of 2018 will travel an average of 937 miles to attend Tulane. Luckily, more than 200 members of the new class won’t have to travel nearly so far since they come from right here in Louisiana.

Attracting the country’s most accomplished students to New Orleans, while keeping our brightest local students at home, is all part of the central role Tulane plays in our city’s “brain gain.” In addition, the parents of these bright minds visit Tulane for tours and special events such as next week’s Commencement. Annual spending by Tulane parents and their students is equivalent to a major convention returning every year to New Orleans.

So next time you see a Tulane student, prospective student or Tulane parent, be sure to say, “Thanks.”

Have a great weekend,