<p>Alright, I am wonderign if it would be stupid to choose the University of Alabama over Minnesota and Wisconsin-Madison. I got instate tuition at the U of M and Madison (about $84,000 over four years) while I could go to Bama for free. I live in St. Paul right now, and really like Minnesota, but am not sure if I want to go to college three miles from my house. I was also really pumped to go to Madison, but when I visited the campus I was kind of disapointed. Just didn't seem like my kind of place - too liberal and too much of an undefined non-traditional campus. Now, though, I have found out that Alabama waives all tuition to students with a 3.7+ GPA and 32+ ACT. (I have a 32, 3.9) I really think I will like the school (especially the football and tailgating and partying!) but obviously it is not as great academically. </p>
<p>I think I would enjoy getting out of the upper midwest for a few years, but I definitely want to live in Chicago when I am older - the greatest city in the country. I am wondering if it will be hard to find a job there with a business degree from Bama. </p>
<p>Now, though, my question is if I would be an idiot to choose Alabama over some top ranked publics. I could afford $20K a year with some loans, but the Bama price would be much better. I also could maybe use that money to get an MBA from Northwestern or Notre Dame or Wharton or something.</p>
<p>Alabama has an excellent honors program. It is a great university, but you should visit because it is definitely a southern school. That comes as a shock to some northerners, for some reason. I don’t think you are nuts at all to be interested in it over Wisconsin and Minnesota. Try something different!</p>
<p>Is it a shock that Alabama is a southern school or that it is a great university? Neither one seems shocking. Those who know Bama alums are quck to dismiss old southern stereotypes. The free education is quite attractive but the question for the OP is whether the school is a good fit. If the answer is no then the OP is better off elsewhere. If Madison is too liberal and Minneapolis is too close to home then Tuscaloosa may be the place. OP should take a visit.</p>
<p>One thing that is for sure is that Bama will not have the same alumni network in Chicago as Illinois, Michigan, Northwestern, Notre Dame and the rest of the Big 10 universities. I like the OP’s thought of going to Bama for undergrad and using the money saved for a MBA. That would open more doors in Chicago than the undergrad business degree at UW, UM or Bama.</p>
<p>Yea, I have researched Indiana a little, but even with the automatic scholarship I’d get it would be 10K or so more than Minnesota and Madison, so probably not. Kelley does seem like an amazing B-School though. But the football sucks - probably the worst gameday atmosphere of all the Big Ten schools.</p>
<p>Honestly, if I could go anywhere I’d go to Penn State. It has everything I want, but unfortunately it costs about 36K OOS which is definitely out of reach.</p>
<p>At Bama, the Honors program looks really good, and the honor dorms are unbelievable and just built this year - you get a four person suite where you share a living room and kitchen and each person gets there own bedroom and you get two private bathrooms for just the suite. Almost seems too good to be true after seeing the tiny fox holes they put you in at Madison or the U of M. Hopefully I’ll be able to convince my parents of letting me visit.</p>
<p>I know I’d love Bama, but people can’t believe I am considering going there when I mention it.</p>
<p>You dont want to go to PSU. Cow fornicating town is no fun. Yeah, football at IU does suck, but I was thinking it would be a good choice for you since it’s far enough from home, but not too far, and has very good connections in Chicago, certainly better than Bama. I understand the financial concerns, however.</p>
<p>Yea, the location and b-school connections at IU do sound good, but I just wouldn’t go there over Madison which would be cheaper and has a similar location and conenctions relative to Chicago.</p>
<p>But really, how is State College any more “Cow fornicating” than Bloomington? (or Tuscaloosa for that matter)</p>
<p>I’ve never been to Alabama, nor Bloomington, although I’ve seen pictures of it and read about it (I applied, but never visited); it looks MUCH nicer than crappy State College.</p>
<p>As someone who lives an hour and a half from Tuscaloosa and has countless friends and acquaintances who go there (and who considered the school to be his second choice, but got into his first) I can say that Alabama is a really good school, particularly in the social sciences and humanities, but it has a heavy frat/football atmosphere.</p>
<p>Hey, my son is there now. Chose it over many other schools (including UofI) and is in the honors program. He LOVES it. According to him - Football is amazing, the classes are good, people are very friendly, and southern girls are smokin’ hot. Def. go for a visit. It is hard to fly in and out for us due to needing to make connections, but he has no regrets. PM me if you want more info or have questions.</p>
<p>You definitely must come for a visit to truly get the flavor of UA. For you, I would recommend a Fri-Sat visit on a home game weekend. Normally, I would recommend an away game weekend or a spring visit, but since you say you are looking or something that’s not Madison, that would be the optimal time for you to see what it’s like down here. I do know it would be bit expensive to visit then, especially if you bring a parent.</p>