Details

• United States of America
• MAFW&RW-13
• Graduate
• WS 2025
• Time spent at the partner university: 5 months

1. Preparation

Tulane requires proof of English proficiency at the C1 level. If you’ve completed an English-language bachelor’s degree at WU, that’s not a problem. Otherwise, you’ll need to take an English proficiency test (TOEFL or Duolingo). There are a few mandatory vaccinations. However, this varies between bachelor’s and master’s programs, which makes no sense at all. If you’re missing any vaccinations, you can get them for free once you arrive. I would definitely book your flights as early as possible and arrive at least two days before the orientation days begin. You have to pay for housing for the entire month of August anyway, so you’ll already have a place to stay.

2. Accommodation

There’s a Facebook group and a GroupMe group where a wide variety of housing options are posted. There’s also a housing placement service on the Tulane website; that’s how we booked our place back then. Housing is very expensive compared to Austria, so back then, everyone we knew paid between $800 and $1,000 per month per room. I would definitely make sure to live close to Tulane University—within a 10-minute walk. Student life and partying mainly take place on Broadway Street, since that’s where all the fraternity houses are. It’s very warm in New Orleans until the end of October. We had a small garden or courtyard back then, and that was essential because we were outside together every single evening.

3. Academic life at host university

The campus is incredibly beautiful; it basically has everything you could possibly want. The gym is huge, and there are tennis courts, an indoor pool, a gaming room, and so on. The Business School is also very nice. Academically, the courses are quite different from those at WU, as there’s a greater emphasis on active participation. Attendance is usually required as well. The professors are very nice and also very understanding. They’re always available if you have questions and really try to help you. That’s obviously not the case at WU.

5. Every day life in the host country

There’s no public transportation there—typical America... We actually always took Uber or Lyft. Since there’s a campus police force, I always felt safe on campus. It’s safe around the campus, too. In New Orleans, you should be careful where you go at night and try to stick with a group. There are actually events at the university every day; the coolest ones were the sports events like football and basketball. They’re free for students.

6. Testimonial

That was the best semester I've ever had. There's a reason Tulane ranks among the top 5 party schools in America.