Admission to Tulane is competitive. Our admission committee looks for high levels of academic and extracurricular achievement in the evaluation of candidates for admission. To gauge whether you will be competitive for admission, consider the following:
• In recent years, we have been able to admit roughly 15% of the more than 30,000 first-year applicants we typically receive annually.
• Our admitted students typically have A and B grades during their 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th grades, with an average re-calculated, unweighted grade point average of a 3.7 in their English, mathematics, science, social studies, and foreign language courses.
• While Tulane does not require the SAT or ACT for admission, we do consider testing in our evaluation process. On average, our admitted students who do submit test scores have a 32-34 on the ACT and over a 1450 on the SAT. In fact, we actually encourage students who have a score of above 1300 on the SAT or above a 28 on the ACT to submit such scores. And we definitely recommend submitting test scores if you want to be considered for academic merit scholarships.
• For transfer applicants, we typically tend to act favorably on applicants with a 3.5 college/university grade point average or above.
With the above in mind, note that we review each applicant with an eye toward shaping the entire Tulane student body and creating a more vibrant Tulane community each year. No admission decision will ever be rendered on a single piece of information but rather on the overall and holistic combination of attributes and aspects that make each applicant compelling.
Additionally, Tulane is unapologetically committed to considering a student's demonstrated interest in Tulane when we make our admission decisions. Because Tulane is located in New Orleans, arguably the most unique of all American cities, we recognize that our location requires a sense of adventure and we tend to be attracted to candidates with that sense of adventure. You can demonstrate your interest in Tulane in a variety of ways including:
• Attending any of our on campus or off campus programs (e.g. tours, Campus Preview Days, Tulane PreCollege, etc.)
• Attending any of our virtual programs.
• Meeting your admission officer if they visit your high school or represent Tulane at a college fair
• Accessing and checking your Green Wave Portal after you submit your Common Application
Finally, watch our Tips for High School Juniors and Plan Your Summer videos (even though they are a few years old!) and be sure to follow our Application Instructions to better understand our requirements and deadlines.
We look forward to learning more about you!
Shawn L. Abbott
Dean of Admission
