Temple (15k) vs. Tulane (60k) Forum

[arvcondor]

I made a poll earlier pitting (edit: in-state) Temple against Maryland at sticker, and Temple won. But I've decided to take my admission to Tulane seriously and entertain the idea of starting a life down in NOLA.

Things to consider:

They had nearly identical NLJ250 placement in this year's stats. Temple faces a glut of competition from other schools; Tulane is top dog in NOLA.

I've spent the past six years in Philly and love the city, but I also hate the city. So while I've developed significant ties there, I could close that chapter of my life and be fine with it. I've never been to NOLA, and I only hear wonderful things, barring the occasional catastrophe.

A Tulane degree seems a bit more mobile. Not T14 mobile, but moreso given it's rank.

Temple Law is ugly as hell. Tulane's is not.

I wouldn't mind living in the south, at least for a time.

That's it. Also, feel free to add descriptions of NOLA and why you think it's an amazing/abhorrent city.

edit: The last poll listed Temple's scholly at $7500. It is now $15k after successful negotiation.

[BarbellDreams]

Do you have in-state at Temple? I really would need to see the total CoA over 3 years from each to give you a good idea, but just off these stats I feel like Tulane is the smarter choice.

ALso, Temple's NLJ250 placement is at 11% currently, the 16% is from about 4 years back assuming you're going off of the NLJ article.

[BarbellDreams]

Here is the current 2011 placement from NLJ: http://www.law.com/jsp/nlj/PubArticleNL ... hbxlogin=1

[arvcondor]

I do have in-state. And thanks for referring me to the latest NLJ stats. I'm not sure why Google gave me last year's.

[Blindmelon]

The cheaper of the two - they're peers.

[seriously????]

yeah, it would be good to get an estimate of COA, but Tulane may cost a tad more (5k a year), but it does seem like you would enjoy it much more. the student body of tulane is more diverse with people from all over the place, and you are right that it certainly gives you more mobility. big law aside, tulane is one of those schools where if the name is dropped on the east or west coast, someone is going to say that is a good school, but if one is asking about Temple in the south or west coast, the more likely response is where is that.
and new orleans is an attractive city. great music, warm weather, awesome food, different culture, parties...so even if you move elsewhere, the person hiring you will understand why you chose it.

[Aberzombie1892]

If you somehow someway end up at the bottom of the class at one of the schools, I would likely feel safer at the bottom of Tulane than the bottom of Temple in terms of finding any form of legal job. I guess that is due to less competition maybe. But I may be biased.

[2things2]

Tulane is amazing. The city is amazing. The people are amazing. Temple, well, not so much.

It is all dependent on where you want to live. This is more about comparing being in Philadelphia to being in New Orleans. I don't think you can really lose going to either school -- the people on this site tend to overdo subtle differences and make them out to be the difference between life and death. Visit New Orleans, see what you think, and take it from there. But I must warn you -- once you visit, its hard to leave.

[arvcondor]

Tulane is amazing. The city is amazing. The people are amazing. Temple, well, not so much.

My step mother, who lived there for a few years back in the 90s, summed up a lot of the city by saying that "there are diners open 24 hours where politicians and hookers go." Is that your impression? Because if so, there's really no competition at this point.

[arvcondor]

Let me ask this as well: Does Tulane have enough name recognition that if I wanted to end up back in Philly, it wouldn't be incredibly difficult? They seem to place strongly in NY and CA.

[seriously????]

i'm not sure if it will land you biglaw, but if you are top of the class, and hustle for interviews it might give you a good chance. now in terms of other law opportunities, again, if you are a good student and network, you should be OK. People know Tulane. It may not be so highly ranked, but just as an anectdote, a partner at a smaller firm in Philly hears Tulane and goes "that is a good school." Most lawyers in Philly will think that, because of its name recognition. Now, in New Orleans, most lawyers may have heard of Temple, but there is going to be no positive attributes associated with it.

[Aberzombie1892]

I know a handful of classmates from Philly. Tulane can get you back there.

[arvcondor]

I know a handful of classmates from Philly. Tulane can get you back there.

Have they gotten SA positions there or anything?

[alexonfyre]

Just some background, to answer the most obvious question of "Why would Tulane have more national reach that Temple, despite being in the same tier of quality?"
Tulane Law School Established: 1847
Temple University Established: 1888 (Law School): 1895

At the time Tulane opened its doors, New Orleans was one of the richest cities in the nation, and private law schools were quite rare as apprenticeship was how most lawyers were anointed into the system (I think only 10 or 11 had opened in the country by the time Tulane opened.) Temple opened its doors right after the ABA was founded, which practically ended the apprenticeship system by the 1890s and made privately funded law schools financially viable as institutionalized organizations. Tulane had already established a reputation as a high class law school before this law school boom (along with the other ~10 private law schools that were set up prior to the ABA), and therefore avoided the reputation competition of all the new law schools. It has maintained this privilege to this day, simply by always having been in the conversation. I believe that before the UNWR rankings were started most lawyers would have put Tulane as a top 20 or at least top 30 school. Due to its location, history and alumni, it could easily be ranked that high, but the leadership and financial situation (particularly post Katrina) is seriously hampering the school's upward mobility in the rankings.

[Blindmelon]

OMG Tulane trolling. Seriously guys, this is too much. They're peer schools. While I think NOLA would be an awesome place to live, do not make your decision off of some claim of current students that their school is more prestigious. If you want to work in Philly, its slam-dunk Temple. If you want NOLA, then hit up Tulane. This is 100% about region. I don't get how you can argue otherwise.

[SpWiseGuy]

i am also debating between temple and tulane, hard decision cause i really do not want to practice in Philly but going to temple will be about 100k less at the end of law school. I don't know what to do. I really want to do sports law and Tulane is the place to be for that. This decision is killing me. what do you guys think!!

[HeavenWood]

OMG Tulane trolling. Seriously guys, this is too much. They're peer schools. While I think NOLA would be an awesome place to live, do not make your decision off of some claim of current students that their school is more prestigious. If you want to work in Philly, its slam-dunk Temple. If you want NOLA, then hit up Tulane. This is 100% about region. I don't get how you can argue otherwise.

[seriously????]

i am not saying that Tulane has insane national name recognition, but it is better than Temple. Tulane is the best school in a small Nola market, while Temple is one of the best schools in a bigger Philly market. I think tulane has much better name recognition, because there are not too many historic cities in the south as opposed to the northeast. I think of the south and I say Nola, ATL, and Miami. When people think of the northeast they primarily think of NYC and DC, so really solid schools in Philly get the shaft in terms of name recognition. In terms of biglaw, there prolly is no difference, but hiring partners at smaller firms are more likely to recognize tulane in an outside region as opposed to Temple. The importance is not great, but is valid if one absolutely has no clue where they want to practice.
let's be honest about temple, up until ten years ago, the whole institution was a commuter school (excluding some grad schools where the students were still from instate), while people attend Tulane from all over.

[Aqualibrium]

Based on your scholarships and the school's websites:

Temple will cost $100,398 over three years

Tulane will cost $132,401 over three years

*both of those totals don't include the inevitable tuition hikes each year.

Is Tulane worth 30k more to you? Are you comfortable with the possibility that you'll live in the Southeast?

As you take your time to answer those questions, I'd really recommend you visit both schools. Everyone here seems to be very high on Tulane, but even as a Louisiana native I honestly enjoyed my visit to Temple and the people at Temple much more than I did my visit to Tulane (I ultimately eliminated Temple from consideration because just a few weeks before my visit two of the largest firms in Philly closed. That plus my connections to LA and Tulane Alumni made me feel Tulane would be a better option despite that fact that I felt more comfortable at Temple. I didn't end up going to Tulane either though...). Different people have different tastes, so you should take your time to evaluate which of these two schools you feel most comfortable at, and which is better for your individual situation with regards to regional ties and career goals.


Also, Miami is not the South.

[2things2]

i am not saying that Tulane has insane national name recognition, but it is better than Temple. Tulane is the best school in a small Nola market, while Temple is one of the best schools in a bigger Philly market. I think tulane has much better name recognition, because there are not too many historic cities in the south as opposed to the northeast. I think of the south and I say Nola, ATL, and Miami. When people think of the northeast they primarily think of NYC and DC, so really solid schools in Philly get the shaft in terms of name recognition. In terms of biglaw, there prolly is no difference, but hiring partners at smaller firms are more likely to recognize tulane in an outside region as opposed to Temple. The importance is not great, but is valid if one absolutely has no clue where they want to practice.
let's be honest about temple, up until ten years ago, the whole institution was a commuter school (excluding some grad schools where the students were still from instate), while people attend Tulane from all over.

I feel like you're underestimating the people who do the hiring in this business. Yes, if I ask someone on the street which school has a more positive connotation, they'll more than not say Tulane. But Beasley is more respected than you're leading on. To make this more than just a regional issue is just over-analyzing it, and in the realm of being mobile across the country with a Temple or Tulane J.D., they are legitimately equally valuable.

[GunnarN45]

Arvconder, I have almost precisely the same dilemma! What did you decide???

I have a $25k/year scholly at Seton Hall, and a $15k/year scholly at Tulane, and am driving myself NUTS trying to choose. In the end, considering cost of living, I would be $150k in debt from Tulane or $130k in debt from SHU.
Similar NJ pros: My fiance is here (grad student in NYC), I am excited about SHU's intellectual property and study abroad programs, and it's cheaper.
Cons: I HATE the weather, and like NJ even less than NYC (which I don't like much). Also, it's ultimately a regional school - most of the alum end up in NJ.
Tulane pros: Good international law program, diverse classes, nationally recognized name - helpful since I also do not know where I will practice law.
Tulane cons: More expensive, IP is offered as a concentration, but not a certificate - hence there are fewer electives, but there is a journal.

I feel like I might be giving up a good experience in IP at SHU for a top tier, recognizable degree from Tulane. Also, what if I go to SHU and change my mind about what field of law I want to study? Will the Tulane degree help me be more mobile? Or will it be more important to be in less debt?

Anyway, what did you end up deciding to do? Also, how did you go about successful negotiations of your scholarship? I'd like to try that at SHU...

Thanks!