<p>We are from Texas - my D is currently a freshman at UA and was a NMF. The scholarship offer got Bama on her radar, but was definitely not the deciding factor. She decided to look at a couple of schools that offer nice NMF scholarship packages, UA being one. We visited the other school first, and it was quickly apparent that it wasn’t the right place for her. She went into the UA visit figuring it would be a good social fit but had a great deal of skepticism about the academics. Our visit with the Honors College (she was also lucky enough to get to meet with Dr. Witt) more than assured her that the academic fit was every bit as good as the social fit. She is in the UFE program, a member of a sorority and active in other campus groups as well. She is busy, challenged, and as happy as can be!</p>
<p>She turned down Duke, UNC, and UVa among others.</p>
<p>When we realized that D would be an NMSF, we encouraged her to look at a number of schools that offered significant NMF packages, not just UA. Birmingham Southern, Rhodes, Centre, etc. Our state flagship dropped their automatic NMF scholarship the summer between junior and senior year and just had a vague mention that there would be “something.”</p>
<p>We have close friends who live in Birmingham & they encouraged D to look at Alabama schools (although the H’s heart is broken that she didn’t look at Auburn as he is a grad.) She stepped foot on campus for the 1st time in January of her junior year and honestly, she knew right then that she wanted to be there. </p>
<p>If I recall correctly, Alabama was one of the (many) schools that generated automatic mail once NMSC released the list of NMSFs. And once she visited & met with Jami Gates, the mail became more personal.</p>
<p>As others have said, the generous NMF scholarship put UA on our radar. We figured that we had nothing to lose by checking it out. We visited and were absolutely blown away! </p>
<p>We discovered Bama very late in the college ap process - it was April of my d’s senior year, but had we known about it earlier it most certainly would have been one of her top choices.</p>
<p>Alabama also contacted my son. Cannot decide who sent more information – Alabama or Oklahoma. In fact, Oklahoma made it a bit interesting at the end. The school offered him a trip there – about a week before deadline to notify which school a student picks. I did ask him if he wanted to take that trip – one of my fellow teachers is a graduate of Oklahoma State and offered to go with him so I did not have to miss school. But my son said he made a decision, and he was not going to go back on Alabama.</p>
<p>We absolutely, unequivocally would have never considered UA without the NMF scholarship package. We absolutely, unequivocally were blown away by the place, infrastructure, Honors College, super-suite dorm life, and people when we visited (“Where have they been hiding this place?” I remember asking myself).</p>
<p>Son got into every school to which he applied and turned down his “dream school,” a private, “prestigious” West Coast institution that offered him nearly $40k in annual scholarships/grant awards. </p>
<p>He has no regrets whatsoever, is challenged/stimulated academically, has marvelous friends (virtually all of them from Alabama and other portions of the South), enjoys privacy when he needs it, and is having the time of his life. He will graduate debt free with as fine an undergraduate education as he needs to move forward in life with success and financial prosperity.</p>
<p>All that, plus the football is darned entertaining.</p>
<p>*We discovered Bama very late in the college ap process - it was April of my d’s senior year, *</p>
<p>LOL…I still remember that day last spring. I saw that your D was considering a different NMF school and I quickly PMed you and asked if your D had considered Bama. </p>
<p>A few days after you toured, I saw Dr. Sharpe at Bama and told him about the NMF young lady from Tenn that visited Bama that week. He said, “Oh you mean (your D’s name).” I guess he hadn’t gotten a chance to meet your D, but he knew your D’s name and knew that she had just been on campus. :)</p>
<p>Thankfully, your D chose Bama. (besides, it’s so much prettier than that other school. LOL)</p>
<p>Without the Presidential scholarship, I wouldn’t be attending UA because I couldn’t afford the OOS tuition. Cost was a huge factor in my college search since even paying in-state tuition would be a difficulty for my family. I heard about UA’s scholarships on CC and knew that if I got a 32 on my ACT, there was a college that would give me a scholarship that would make college affordable. UA generally does not advertise in WA for non-NMSF students, but a rep happened to stay for the Seattle National College Fair and encouraged me to apply and visit campus. The rest, as they say, is history.</p>
<p>Malanai, I wonder the same thing. Looking on other parts of CC and talking to friends at other schools, we are very fortunate to have “discovered” UA. We’re not worried about 3 students being assigned to a double room or students taking 6 years to graduate since they can’t get into the required classes. This not to say that everything is perfect, but I feel very fortunate to wake up in the morning in my comfortable bed to the sun shining and the ducks quacking “good morning” and know that I’m attending the school of my dreams. I smile when people remark that it must be difficult living so far away from home because I am home; I’m safe, comfortable, and most of all, happy.</p>
<p>Lol, Mom2k - I just checked and I never deleted your pm! It was April 1 - a Thursday. After you piqued our interest with your enthusiastic message (complete with links to photos and stats) we found ourselves in Tuscaloosa the following Wednesday for our first visit. One week after that D had applied and faxed the NM corp listing the University of Alabama as her school of choice. I’m still trying to catch my breath!</p>
<p>So, to revise my earlier post, Mom2collegekids put Bama on our radar and we couldn’t be happier or more thankful for the nudge :)</p>
<p>So, if you ever receive a pm from Mom2k with a subject line like “Hi! About NM scholarships. . .” take heed!</p>
<p>I just remember that day so well because I thought at the time your D was a junior with a high PSAT and was looking for NMF schools. Until you responded back, I didn’t realize that she was a senior already heading to University of Oklahoma. LOL</p>
<p>I was so glad to hear today that UA is coming to my S’s school in Chandler, AZ for recruiting in November. Seminar is a fundamental mode of instructional delivery so I can just see many students being drawn to the Honors College. Selfishly, if he ends up there, at least his classmates will be more educated about his decision!</p>
<p>I’m originally from CT and went to college in Oregon. My daughter is from the DC suburbs and is now a freshman at UA. Whenever you go to a different part of the country there will be differences…but we both believe that is what the college experience is about! UA is full of out of staters and my daughter does not at all feel like a fish out of water - quite the opposite, she has found everyone to be super friendly. So a new experience in a friendly place that also happens to be a wonderful school - sounds perfect!!</p>
<p>I was born and raised in the south, for the most part. I attended HS in Northern VA though. When I graduated from college, I returned to the south. I met my husband, and we settled in his hometown in Maryland to raise our son. But I miss the south.
Until about 6 months ago, my son’s sights were set on mostly NE schools. His “dream school” being CMU. As we did more and more research, and learned more and more about schools, environment (both academic and living), the application process, and costs, he/we have changed our views of what is important, and what he wants in a school. Honestly, he/we have done a complete about face. </p>
<p>The finances were a huge reason we started looking at UA. My son is NOT a NMF, but with the guaranteed scholarships, it allowed us to be realistic in our financial review and actually budget. But that was not the only reasons we (as parents) were drawn to UA. From my perspective, these are some things I really liked about UA for my son:
Options- for research, majors, interests, EC’s, internships, and graduate. Alabama has a huge technology complex or two, with some really large companies involved.
Scholastic AND social environment- ability for my son to be serious about his education, without it being the only focus. I want this time to be enjoyable for my son, but also get the education he wants. This is a time for him to become an adult, and I want him to have memories more than all the work he has to do. I know a few people that went to MIT, and the first thing they say is “it was hard, a lot of work, most intense time of my life, not sure I would want my child to go there”. I am not sure that is who my son is, or what I want for him.
Private room- for an only child, this is a big thing to me. I honestly do not think he would do well with a room mate right on top of him. He also has ADHD, and needs the ability to close a door for down time to decompress. This ended up being a bigger part of our decision then I thought it would be!
ADHD support- the health center on campus has an ADHD clinic to continue to monitor and prescribe meds for ADHD students. Not something that every campus has or can accomodate.
Out of state, away from home… this is bitter sweet. He wanted out of state, and he needs out of state. It will be a good thing that he can not drive home at any time. But he will be able to fly home, since SW flies into Birmingham.
A southern atmosphere- my son’s roots are in the south, and he has a very southern disposition. He is polite, and rather laid back. He even had a slight southern accent as a young child, despite growing up in MD! He gets along well with almost everyone, and is pretty adaptive.
My son is a student that takes many AP and college level courses. We always went into that with the attitude that he may not get credit for the classes and courses, but it was the most appropriate level of instruction for him, and it would be preparing him for college work. However, UA’s application of AP and CC credits makes it possible for him to earn his masters much faster than any other college he has looked at. He is SOOOO excited about that option.
Rolling admission- it is really liberating for my son to already have his acceptance in hand (had it before senior year started!!), know what his financial package is for the most part (hoping for a little more, maybe!), and not have to go through the fall, winter, and spring of his senior year on pins and needles. Waiting for word from colleges on whether or not he is “good enough” and then whether or not we can afford the school. </p>
<p>I had some concerns about the culture difference in the south, and have had a few discussions with my son about them. He is aware of the sterotypes, and aware of some of the things that he may run into in the south. But he is not concerned. And honestly, I don’t think that it will be that much different than some of the things he runs into locally. </p>
<p>So, those are our reasons for applying to UA, and why we have completely supported our son’s decision to make UA his #1 choice.</p>
<p>My daughter attended a “prestigious” girls boarding school in the DC suburbs and decided that she had enough years at small private schools (since she was 4) and that she wanted a large school with great sports and school spirit. Alabama was not initially on her interest list but the UA recruiter in our area (Elizabeth Dugas) made a huge impression on her at a college fair for private high schools. The summer and fall of sr year we visited 12 schools and there were a few that she thought were just right for her. UA was the last school we visited and neither of us had the highest expectations because we just had no experience with it and did not know anyone who had attended. We each fell absolutely in love with the school: the caring people, the beautiful campus, the educational opportunities, the school spirit, Tuscaloosa…etc etc. Bama became her #1 choice and, honestly, her College Counselors were a bit confused as their graduates generally go to private liberal arts schools, ivies or sub-ivies. She was accepted at a number of outstanding universities/colleges but chose Bama and she is not an NMF or in the Honors college (just missed as she does not excel on standardized tests but will join Honors this year on grades). And I definitely have gotten some quizzical looks when I tell others what college she chose. I know it is just because they have no experience with UA. We each feel so fortunate that we ‘discovered’ an incredible gem and my daughter’s advocacy of UA has now put it on the map for her high school and a few other private schools in the area. She is happy, academically challenged, making tons of friends and loving Bama!</p>
<p>My son is a current freshman at Alabama and we are lifelong residents of Massachusetts. He went to UA not knowing a single person and having three random roommates. He is having the time of his life and thriving socially and academically. I honesty believe his assimilation at UA is better than it would have been at a Northeast college because the people are so friendly, helpful, and inviting. There are many New Englanders at UA (biggest freshman NE class ever this year) and growing. However, he has friends from all regions of the country, including New England. The only culture shock he has experienced is how nice and friendly the people are down there. That’s not something he is used to, but a pleasant surprise and a welcome change. My son could not have made a better choice and hasn’t given a second thought to leaving New England for college.</p>