<p>DS has been accepted at UA (got the certificate in the mail yesterday) and qualifies for Presidential. He and DH visited over a weekend 8/10 - 8/11, which was before classes started etc. DS isn’t completely sold yet. He’s interested in Computer Science and would like to get some exposure to classes that would be good for Computer Gaming (which UA doesn’t offer). I was thinking it would be a good idea for him to go back down (with ME - because I haven’t been to UA) when classes are in session and hopefully sit in on a couple of classes, talk to some professors and students etc.</p>
<p>The first trip, he got the “Red Carpet” tour through HC so he doesn’t need to see Dining Hall, dorms etc.</p>
<p>What do you think? Is this a common approach? Is UA accommodating of these types of requests?</p>
<p>The first visit we toured the dorms, got a campus tour, talked to the honors college, and also a prof in the engineering department.</p>
<p>The second visit I let them know that we did not need to see the dorm again, did not need to tour the campus, did not need to talk to the honors college - we’d seen enough of those to know we were happy with them and didn’t need to take more time to revisit - we were asked if we were sure, but we said we were.</p>
<p>I still scheduled the visit through the honors college, but let them know we wanted the entire visit focused on the engineering department. We wanted to talk to another prof, S wanted to sit in on a class, we wanted to tour the building and labs (which we had not been able to do on the first visit) - they scheduled everything we requested and the 2nd visit was CRITICAL to our final decision.</p>
<p>Choosing the school that you’re going to spend four years or even more at is a really hard decision, we were in your shoes this time last year. Two trips is a great idea because on the second trip you can go in be more critical and specific about what you want to see. My suggestion is to spend two nights in Tuscaloosa walk around the campus, tour the campus, go and explore the area, go around neighborhoods and the shopping areas. See if your son will want to call Tuscaloosa his home away from home. When talking to the school and setting up additional tours be very specific and ask for whatever it is you want to see, classrooms, honor college, fraternities, and let them know this is a second look at the school. Two trips is not unheard of and it’s a really hard decision. When we left UA neither myself or my daughter was not sold on Alabama at all. We had a bad tour, we didn’t really care for the area and we thought that the “strip” and downtown was all there was to Tuscaloosa!! Do not look at the school through rose-colored glasses, or should I say Crimson colored glasses, be very critical because now’s the time to do that. Good luck with this trip and i am hoping that with a second look your son will leave with more comfortable feeling. As I said we thought that Alabama was the was not going to even make her top three choices but God knew exactly where she needed to be and she is very happy and very satisfied and cannot believe that she almost did not choose Alabama to go to.</p>
<p>We did a second visit and met with faculty in specific departments, the Admissions department about financial details regarding merit scholarships, a rep from Greek Affairs and the Ex Dean of the Honors College…</p>
<p>Well worth the effort. Double sealed the deal.</p>
<p>The Honors College was happy to make it happen, and we all left certain this was the right fit.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the feedback and suggestions! We’re trying to walk the fine line between encouraging and making sure our son feels that this is his decision (not just Mom and Dad looking at the bottom line). Now we just have to figure out a day that works…my first choice looks like it’s right after Fall Break…think we’ll look again!</p>
<p>We were a 2 visit family and the second visit was the clincher for my DD (she has the NMF scholarship). It did help that she won the Triathlon Sprint National Championship the day after her second visit right in Tuscaloosa – and if that wasn’t a sign I don’t know what was! My son has applied and his transcripts were just sent, but we think he will be majoring in computer science. On our first visit, we did arrange to meet with a CS dept professor – but this one was selected for us because he offers summer camps for middle school students and my son really wants to work with students through his CS major. We are going back for E Day on October 3rd to get a more in depth look at the Engineering School and the CS major. My son does not want the Greek experience my DD has chosen and needs to see that there is more to Alabama than the parts she has immersed herself in. </p>
<p>My son’s best friend is also interested in a gaming/computer graphic kind of major at Alabama. At his honor’s visit (he is nominated as a NM semifinalist) he had a conversation about combining majors through the New College to come up with what he wants. I think it was a combination of computer science and graphic design, but don’t quote me on that. I think you will find the Honors College and the CS Department very willing to work with your son to get his questions and concerns answered. </p>
<p>If he has an area of extracurricular interest, perhaps you could communicate that to Allison as well? She set up lunch with a triathlon team member for my daughter, and she is searching for a member of the fencing club for my son’s friend. She also hooked my son up with a non-profit tutoring program near the University that sounds very similar to the program he works with here in Atlanta. Those kinds of meetings may help him see beyond academics to what larger opportunities Alabama offers.</p>
<p>We also did the 2nd visit. The 1st visit was over a weekend with getting to attend a game, WOW! Tour and all of the normal tour stuff on the following Monday. This visit was the whole family with lil sis in tow. </p>
<p>2nd visit was just DD and I and again it was over a weekend but it was Thursday-Monday late afternoon. We walked around campus, shopped at Midtown, ate downtown, ate in the Ferg for lunch, enjoyed the nations largest Starbucks, etc all to get a good feel for the school and area. Had a great visit with the advisor over Pre-med students that pretty much sealed the deal. </p>
<p>Yes, take advantage of a 2nd visit if it is possible to work one in. Spend more than just 1 night.</p>