Application Instructions

Below you'll find a step-by-step overview of Tulane's application process.

Step 1

Review application requirements:

Step 2

Select the application timeline that is right for you:

Early Decision (Binding)

Take ACT or SAT by October
Application Deadline: November 1
Decision Notification: December 15
Deposit Deadline: January 15

  • Early Decision (ED) is our application timeline for students whose first choice is Tulane and who are prepared to enroll soon after being admitted and receiving a financial aid offer (if you applied for financial aid by Tulane's financial aid application deadlines and submitted all required financial aid documents).
  • ED is a binding decision between you and the university, meaning that students admitted through the ED timeline are committed to withdrawing all applications from other colleges/universities and enrolling at Tulane after being admitted and receiving a financial aid offer (if you applied for financial aid by Tulane's financial aid application deadlines).
  • You can decline your offer of admission only if Tulane has not met your institutionally calculated demonstrated financial need. To calculate your institutional demonstrated financial need, this requires you to submit a College Scholarship Service (CSS) Profile (and non-custodial parent CSS Profile if your parents are not together), a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) if you are a U.S. citizen or eligible resident, and copies of your parents' tax returns and W2 forms. We will use this information to determine an estimated family contribution and attempt to provide a financial aid offer (that may include federal loans) to meet your demonstrated financial need.
  • ED applicants, a parent, and a school counselor must sign the Early Decision Agreement form in order for the ED application to be considered complete.
  • If admitted as an ED candidate and provided with a financial aid offer that meets your demonstrated financial need (again, if you applied for financial aid by Tulane's financial aid application deadlines and submitted all required financial aid documents), Tulane will then expect you to submit a non-refundable enrollment commitment deposit of $1,000.
  • With the submission of your enrollment commitment deposit you will be asked to affirm your commitment and financial ability to attend Tulane, and withdraw all other college/university applications. This commitment is expected simply because Tulane will then be holding a space for you that could otherwise go to applicants who are applying through our Early Action and Regular Decision rounds of admission.

Early Action (Non-binding)

Take ACT or SAT by October
Application Deadline: November 10
Decision Notification: by January 10
Deposit Deadline: May 1

  • Early Action (EA) is designed for students who wish to complete the admission process early in their senior year, who are very interested in attending Tulane University, and/or would like until May 1 to make an enrollment decision if admitted.
  • EA does not restrict a student from applying to other schools or applying for Tulane scholarships and financial aid.
  • If a student is not admitted in the EA pool, Tulane may defer the admission decision, ask for further supporting materials, and reconsider the application during Regular Decision.

Early Decision II (Binding)

Take ACT or SAT by December
Application Deadline: January 15
Decision Notification: by February 15
Deposit Deadline: March 1

  • Early Decision (ED) is our application timeline for students whose first choice is Tulane and who are prepared to enroll soon after being admitted and receiving a financial aid offer (if you applied for financial aid by Tulane's financial aid application deadlines and submitted all required financial aid documents).
  • ED is a binding decision between you and the university, meaning that students admitted through the ED timeline are committed to withdrawing all applications from other colleges/universities and enrolling at Tulane after being admitted and receiving a financial aid offer (if you applied for financial aid by Tulane's financial aid application deadlines).
  • You can decline your offer of admission only if Tulane has not met your institutionally calculated demonstrated financial need. To calculate your institutional demonstrated financial need, this requires you to submit a College Scholarship Service (CSS) Profile (and non-custodial parent CSS Profile if your parents are not together), a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) if you are a U.S. citizen or eligible resident, and copies of your parents' tax returns and W2 forms. We will use this information to determine an estimated family contribution and attempt to provide a financial aid offer (that may include federal loans) to meet your demonstrated financial need.
  • ED applicants, a parent, and a school counselor must sign the Early Decision Agreement form in order for the ED application to be considered complete.
  • If admitted as an ED candidate and provided with a financial aid offer that meets your demonstrated financial need (again, if you applied for financial aid by Tulane's financial aid application deadlines and submitted all required financial aid documents), Tulane will then expect you to submit a non-refundable enrollment commitment deposit of $1,000.
  • With the submission of your enrollment commitment deposit you will be asked to affirm your commitment and financial ability to attend Tulane, and withdraw all other college/university applications. This commitment is expected simply because Tulane will then be holding a space for you that could otherwise go to applicants who are applying through our Early Action and Regular Decision rounds of admission.

Regular Decision

Take ACT or SAT by December
Application Deadline: January 15
Decision Notification: April 1
Deposit Deadline: May 1

  • Regular Decision (RD) does not restrict a student from applying to other schools or applying for financial aid. However, many Tulane merit scholarship applications are due in December, which may prohibit RD applicants from receiving those scholarships.

Step 3

APPLY
Visit the Common Application to start your application to Tulane.

Step 4

Check your email for information about logging into...

Your Green Wave Portal (Application Status Portal)

There, you can review your application checklist (below) and begin working on separate scholarship applications. You will also receive information on logging into Gibson Online, where you may monitor the financial aid process.

*We do not require teacher recommendations (only a counselor recommendation), but we are happy to review additional recommendations you submit. Please submit extra recommendations in PDF format. Your recommender or counselor may submit additional recommendations electronically (through Naviance, Slate.org, or SCOIR) or via email to submit@tulane.edu.

If you have any questions about the application process, please contact your assigned Tulane Admission Counselor or contact us at undergrad.admission@tulane.edu or 504-865-5731.