Do-gooders, Take Note
If you want to make a difference in the world, Tulane University might be an excellent choice for you. Tulane is one of “The 25 Best Schools for Do-Gooders,” according to the 2010 Kaplan/Newsweek guide “Finding the Right College for You.”
Helping New Orleans schoolchildren with reading is one of many service projects that involve Tulane students each semester. (Photo by Sally Asher)
Tulane ranks 19th in the “Do-Gooder” category, one of the 12 from “Schools for Braniacs” to “Stocked With Jocks” in the latest Kaplan/Newsweek guide. Tulane is the only Louisiana school to make any of the lists this year.
At Tulane, to receive a degree, each undergraduate student is required to complete one service-learning course by the fourth semester and a second 300-level course before graduation.
Tulane currently offers 140 courses with service-learning components, says Vincent Ilustre, executive director of the Tulane Center for Public Service.
“Tulane is the only Carnegie-ranked high research activity institution that incorporates a curricular public service graduation requirement,” Ilustre says. “Our students have an opportunity to contextualize what they learn in the classroom through real-life situations while contributing valuable service to the community. It's a win-win for everyone involved.”
In addition to public service, the ranking was based on criteria such as participation in ROTC and the proportion of alumni in the Peace Corps.
The categories of rankings are tailored to address the real concerns of prospective students and their parents in an increasingly complex admissions process, covering all the aspects of the undergraduate experience. On sale in bookstores and online, the guide includes rankings on academics, social life, school size and location, diversity and even the ability to get some sun.
“Finding The Right College For You” highlights schools that offer special niches and qualities to accommodate almost every student's biggest must-haves, according to the guide's publicity.
In 2007, Tulane was mentioned first as “Hottest on the Rebound” in the annual guide, which is a collaboration between Newsweek magazine and Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions.
