Law School
Congratulations, SaintsFan11. Tulane's got a great program and I'm sure you'll be happy with your choice in the long run.
3) Download old exams and do them. Start really doing them 2-3 weeks before your exams. Getting to Maybe, prep books, nutshells all pale in comparison to the advantage you gain practicing on old tests, especially 1L year. Try to mimic the methods of argument that you see in your cases -- I think this is the fastest way to learn how to take law school exams. Also -- and this'll save you the $100 I spent on law school guides -- the only important piece of information contained in all of those law school prep books is this: the argument is way, way, way more important than the answer.
4) Try to identify the core material of the course and learn it cold. In my experience, it's better to know 60% of the material stone cold than have a "decent" grasp of all of it. Don't start trying to narrow it down until you've caught your breath during your first semester.
5) Make friends with 2Ls, especially if they're on law review. They'll hand over their outlines pretty willingly, and those are a fantastic resource. If you have a class that you don't have a 2L's outline for, find someone who does. They'll almost always be willing to trade.
Congrats SaintsFan11. It sounds like you put some good thought into your choice, and as I said before, that's what's more important - there is no one statistic or feature that is going to set them apart. Its about what you're looking for.
I just wanted to add that Sardonios's advice is pretty good - these three items in particular. Most professors have old exams (and representative answers) posted or filed in the library. It is
imperative that you review these. Remember that most professors are reasonably lazy and may not stray too far, year to year, from their tried and true test questions. I also think it helps to get these early in the semester, to help frame your understanding of the class, and what issues are most important.
Also, get outlines! Even if you have to buy them. If there are 2 significantly different ones for a class, get both. $20 for an outline can be a very wise investment. Again, it is better to get these reasonably early, so that the course material doesn't seem so all over the place. When you start, it might be hard to see the forest for the trees- outlines will help you. Also, they will help you if you miss a class or two - you won't necessarily have to get notes from someone.
Becoming a good law student is a process- you will learn what works for you and what doesn't. It isn't always the same as your friend. I found that getting an outline early, then reading the Nutshell series about a week before the final, and then really studying the old exams was a pretty good method. I cruised through the last 3 semesters pretty easily after I had this down.
Its easy to blow time on ineffecient study habits. As Sardonios said, understanding the core principles at a very solid level is better than knowing a superficial level about all of it. I think a good review of the old tests and outlines as you go along with the class - and not just waiting til you're in final exam prep - will help you understand what the core material is.
Best of luck! Don't forget to enjoy yourself.