We just got back from touring colleges in New Orleans, the birthplace of jazz—and wow, what an exciting place to go to college! Music, food, more festivals than there are days of the year, lively sports teams, a rich cultural history….need I say more about this magnificent town????
Loyola University New Orleans (est. 1912) lies at the uptown end of the St. Charles Streetcar, just 20 minutes from the French Quarter. This Jesuit gem, like all Jesuit schools focuses on caring for the “whole person”—academic excellence, spiritual & social growth, social justice—these students are referred to as “Contemplatives in Action.” Loyola boasts tremendous diversity with 40% of the population being students of color. California is the 2nd most applied from state, after Louisiana, and many, many students come from quite a distance, making Loyola a place where everyone is looking for friends and community!
With 2850 undergrads currently, this campus benefits from the proximity (right next door!) to Tulane University, and many resources are shared. Students can take classes of interest at Tulane if they don’t happen to be offered at Loyola—meal cards work on both campuses and all activities and sports are offered to students at either campus. That means Loyola students get the “best of both worlds!” The advantages of a small campus, with access to a much larger population. An educational experience in a vibrant urban center, while being tucked into a traditional campus in a lovely residential neighborhood.
Internships are plentiful for Loyola students and business students are paired with professional mentors starting as freshmen, if they participate in Loyola’s Portfolio program. Business students and all students get plenty of access to internships and experiential learning. Pre-med students get a Pre-med advisor, an important detail for med school admissions success. The School of Mass Communications is quite the big deal at Loyola–their Journalism program is ranked 4th in the country. The Maroon is a well respected student-produced paper.
Loyola is the ONLY Jesuit school with a dedicated College of Music and Fine Arts—auditions or portfolios are required. They consider themselves to be about halfway between a conservatory style and liberal arts experience. The Music Industry Studies department is quite popular, and students get exposure to all sorts of music-based majors.
The Career Development Department works hard for Loyola students, and it shows. The graduate school admissions and employment rates for recent graduates is quite impressive.
The activities at Loyola New Orleans are vast and varied—ranging from professional organizations to goofy clubs, crazy sports to Greek organizations. Pride has a big presence on campus and the artistic bent on campus is evident—there’s an impressive student art gallery, a grand piano in the student center, practice rooms for music in every dorm. The bottom line? There is something for everyone at Loyola New Orleans. Apply Early Action by November 15th for best financial aid consideration!
