Another X vs. Y: Bama and Pittsburgh

College Search & Selection
1

<p>So in short, financial aid sucks and chances are I won't get the full ride scholarship (the decision is in the mail right now) that I want. (There are a bunch of regrets about applying primarily to need-based-aid-only schools, but in my defense, my family makes almost 20% more this year and never really knew how much we had in savings until we filled out the FAFSA.) Because both colleges are so far away, I can't visit. Plus, the University of Pittsburgh website is lacking, so I thought that I could get a better perspective here.</p>

<ol>
<li>Price -- My family can afford both of these schools with ease. I'll be getting a job in college so I can have some extra money available for when I start grad school. </li>
</ol>

<p>Flights (based on a one-way on a late August Wednesday) are literally $3 different, so that's not significant. </p>

<p>Pitt: full tuition scholarship. Residual cost (lowest meal plan, honors housing, books) $9612/yr
Bama: NMF scholarship (full tuition for 5 yrs, 3.5k/yr stipend, 1yr of housing). Residual cost (mid meal plan, honors housing, books) is about $8056/yr. </p>

<ol>
<li>Time to graduate </li>
</ol>

<p>Pitt: I'd come in with a maximum of 28 credits (if I get 4s and 5s on my AP tests this year), thus making it super possible to graduate in 3 years.
Bama: Maximum 48 credits, graduate in 2.5 years. (Do they cap credits?) </p>

<ol>
<li><p>Rankings
Pitt: 62 US News, 193 Forbes; Grad School (in potential concentrations): 36 history, 40 poli sci, 52 sociology, 60 math, 33 public affairs, 44 statistics
Bama: US News 86, 204 Forbes; Grad School: 92 history, RNP poli sci, no sociology, 115 math, 121 public affairs, RNP stats</p></li>
<li><p>Location (Here's where I can't run the numbers and start needing help)
Pitt: large city, right by Carnegie Mellon (and can cross-enroll!)
Bama: mid-size city, beautiful campus </p></li>
</ol>

<p>Here's what's preferable: close to good Asian food (especially Chinese and Thai, Panda Express doesn't count), things to do outside campus (especially concerts and other cultural events), cheap to buy groceries (but then again, everything is cheaper than it is here in HI), good public transportation (this is important), safe neighborhoods, and proximity to a Planned Parenthood (reproductive rights are my passion and I'd love to volunteer).</p>

<ol>
<li>Fit (Which I really can't figure out because I haven't visited)</li>
</ol>

<p>I'm very liberal, so I'd prefer being in a liberal environment. I plan on playing music recreationally (probably pep/marching band and a lower ensemble). A diverse population is always very nice. They're both bigger universities than I prefer (alas, I wish I could go to a school with a pop <2000), so whichever has a more intimate honors college is preferable. I've never drank, never smoked anything (unless you count tests XD), don't party -- I assume this will hold at least somewhat true for college. Won't participate in Greek Life. </p>

<p>So, right now I'm leaning towards Pitt: they're higher ranked in all the fields I'm interested in, it's in a big city, and is about 33% smaller than Pitt in student size. But there's so much I don't know, so I'd like some feedback. </p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

2

<p>This tour posted on the Pitt board might be helpful: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-pittsburgh/1610326-pitt-tour-in-pictures.html#latest”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-pittsburgh/1610326-pitt-tour-in-pictures.html#latest&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Asian food: </p>

<p><a href=“http://www.urbanspoon.com/f/23/2211/Pittsburgh/Chinese-Restaurants”>http://www.urbanspoon.com/f/23/2211/Pittsburgh/Chinese-Restaurants&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p><a href=“http://www.urbanspoon.com/f/23/2252/Pittsburgh/Thai-Restaurants”>http://www.urbanspoon.com/f/23/2252/Pittsburgh/Thai-Restaurants&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Planned Parenthood: </p>

<p><a href=“http://www.plannedparenthood.org/western-pennsylvania/health-center-locations-36150.htm”>http://www.plannedparenthood.org/western-pennsylvania/health-center-locations-36150.htm&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

3

<p>Financial aid does suck. We have 2Ds with a ton of beautiful acceptances but the financial aid came in way less than we had calcuated our EFC to be. Pitt is HIGH on our list now too bc of the merit scholarships. You sound like a GREAT kid. Are you able to visit these 2 schools before May 1st?</p>

4

<p>You can still apply to Hendrix: beautiful campus, no Greek life, excellent food (though no restaurants - they compensate with restaurant-level a cafeteria), merit aid, excellent academics, 1400 students.</p>

<p>I’d lean toward UAlabama: more “bang for your buck”. However I can’t help you wrt to good Asian food or things to do off campus. Wait till area specialist jump in :slight_smile:
A note: you shouldn’t aim to graduate as fast as possible, but rather to take advantage of what the college offers. Don’t complete your major until your 8th semester (leave one class and one gen ed till spring senior year) and get permission to take graduate classes, for instance. Strengthen your resume. Study abroad (a big plus).
Plus, your help at the Planned Parenthood will likely be more needed in Alabama than in Pittsburgh.</p>

5

<p>Pitt has TONS to do within three miles of campus, and your ID gets you free bus tickets and tons of free attractions. Plus, with Pitt ARTS, you can get free tickets to shows and museums in pittsburgh every week. An added bonus is the food- not much of it is Asian, but a lot of the restaurants are top notch and there’s plenty on campus.</p>

6

<p>Another thing- pittsburgh and allegheny county as a whole are pretty liberal, especially when you get to Oakland (where pitt’s campus is).</p>

7

<p>‘Bama: Maximum 48 credits, graduate in 2.5 years. (Do they cap credits?)’</p>

<p>No they dont…but why graduate in such a short time? Use that merit to do some semester abroads…Bama will give you about 12k per semester for that…so use it. Bama lets you pay the low price that the abroad school charges …most schools will not do this. So your 12k can cover room board flight, and tuition.</p>

<p>What is your major.</p>

8

<p>Pennsylvania is a fairly middle-of-the-road politically swing state, and Alabama is a deeply Conservative red state, so you can choose what political environment you would rather have.</p>

9

<p>Pittsburgh itself (and most of Allegheny County) is very Democratic and liberal. James Carville has described Pennsylvania as Philadelphia and Pittsburgh with Alabama in between. </p>

<p>There would not be any Planned Parenthood facilities in the Tuscaloosa area.<a href=“http://www.thewire.com/national/2014/03/alabamas-house-passed-some-most-restrictive-abortion-bills-country/358820/”>http://www.thewire.com/national/2014/03/alabamas-house-passed-some-most-restrictive-abortion-bills-country/358820/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

10

<p>Thanks everyone. </p>

<p>@3tallblonds I won’t be able to visit either college as that trip would cost well over $1000 if I went alone. Throw in a parent, and we’re looking at a trip that costs more than our monthly rent. </p>

<p>@mom2collegekids
I should’ve been a little clearer. The intention isn’t to graduate in 2.5 or 3 years unless I really don’t like the place. My anticipated major is political science, and I want to go to grad school doing political methodology. It might change, but I’m pretty sure that I pursue will be a math or a social science. </p>

11

<p>IMHO, your location and fit factors lean strongly towards Pitt.</p>

12

<p>My younger DD is attending UA in the fall. Both daughters are very strong in music, but neither majoring or minor in music. Older DD has done both concert band and marching at UAB with scholarship money. </p>

<p>UA offers renewable scholarships for non-music majors: a concert band scholarship ($500), and they offer a Million Dollar Band scholarship ($500), but you have to audition (there is an audition date in April). They will then mail out letters to all auditioned students from the sections that following week (all earlier audition dates). I would encourage you to contact the UA music dept and also look at the web site information. What is your instrument(s)? Audition on one instrument. Alabama has a strong music in high schools, esp certain regions; UA has UA Honor Band, so there are 300 HS students invited every year (by resume and HS band director recommendations) who audition and get put into four honor bands for a few days (top honor band is Festival; both daughters were in festival, the younger DD participated 3 years and was in festival all 3 years). UA (and many schools) use these honor band programs to recruit students for their marching and concert band - to fill in beyond their music majors (90% of MDB is non-music majors).</p>

<p>MDB takes a lot of time so you may want to only do one year. It may be worth the trip to qualify for these scholarships and see what a fit UA would be for you. </p>

<p>They have a fantastic honors program. You can arrange a visit program tailored to you through Honors College.</p>

<p>UA has 50% OOS students. My DD will be non-greek and there is a variety of students and backgrounds - so you will find a ‘tribe’.</p>

<p>I hope this post helps you. So many OOS families do visit UA because of the scholarship offer - they visit and fall in love with UA.</p>

<p>I hope you can re-consider planning a visit and doing what you can to obtain these additional scholarships at UA.</p>

13

<p>@SOSConcern I play the clarinet, and don’t think I’m good enough of a player to actually get money from a college for playing. In sheet music standards, I can comfortably play about a level 4 and may be able to stretch to a level 5. Going over to Bama to audition would actually be a bad financial decision for me (it’d cost over $1000 to go there). </p>

<p>I do think that Bama’s honors college is definitely better than that of Pittsburgh, but I still really don’t know how to approach this issue as a whole. Each college is better in some aspect, and is worse in another. I will be attending the local Bama reception next month in hopes of getting a more info.</p>

<p>Any more opinions?</p>

14

<p>Where do you want to live after college? I would consider which school would be better known among employers in that area.</p>

<p>Also, which climate do you prefer? Pittsburgh can be a dreary place in the winter.</p>

<p>Pittsburgh is smack in the middle of the city. Alabama has a beautiful campus. Which is more important to you - city amenities or lovely surroundings?</p>

<p>Both are good schools. Congratulations.</p>

15

<p>But you haven’t heard from your wardrobe advisor yet!</p>

<p>I’d say Pitt because I’m looking forward to outfitting you. :smiley: </p>

<p>Seriously, these are a couple of good choices to have. I know Pitt, I don’t know Alabama except on Sportscenter. mom2 knows it very well and is a big advocate for it with good reason. </p>

<p>So much seems to be equal between the two. I’d say go with Pitt for the city, the better reputation, and your politics. Tuscaloosa might be polifriendly most of the time, but AL will not be unless some of the people you’re speaking to are people of color. Pitt is a really interesting city with a great history and future.</p>

16

<p>“Pennsylvania is a fairly middle-of-the-road politically swing state, and Alabama is a deeply Conservative red state, so you can choose what political environment you would rather have.”</p>

<p>the state of alabama is quite conservative, but the city of Tuscaloosa and UA are not. A democrat is the congressperson and the campus was Obama country during the elections. You’d be attending the univ, not doing polls throughout the state…lol.</p>

<p>Nearly all univs are rather liberal/moderate because profs usually lean left and young folks tend to be more lib/mod.</p>

17

<p>nhdmaniac after checking out all the web site info for UA (and Pitt), I imagine there are other students in your area attending UA. Last year’s freshman class at UA was 60% OOS. </p>

<p>Honor’s college opportunities are important for high stat kids like you. UA has had phenomenal facilities built - the campus is beautiful and the students are friendly. I have found faculty is great. Students find a ‘tribe’. You probably could really benefit from a large diversification of students from many places; I imagine HI can be a bit isolating.</p>

<p>You should at least talk to the Honor’s College folks (with the time difference, you can call before you go to school?) Talk about what you want to achieve at UA, and they can perhaps line up some phone conversations with depts or who you can maybe have email info exchange. UA is user friendly, but you need to initiate something if you are seeking more information, and via the Honors College is a good route for you.</p>

<p>Incoming credits means more opportunities to do even more meaningful academics at UA. If you want even more of a jump start, maybe take something over the summer locally? If you want to check about stuff transferring in, ask. You will be signing up for a Bama Bound session if you commit to UA, and again you need to decide how to coordinate this to be most beneficial to you and what you want to achieve.</p>

<p>You seem to be full of regret already not being able to visit the two campuses to ‘be sure’. You are going to school for academic dev’t - where are your best undergraduate opportunities? Students from UA successfully go on to graduate/professional programs (they do not have to have all the graduate degrees that you may be contemplating). It sounds like you have ideas on what you want long term, but also want to find out along the way (which is good as you can find opportunities that you find you may like more than your initial career thoughts). </p>

<p>The clarinet prof is very nice and super talented (Dr. Osi Molina); you could take a private lesson (1 hour credit) and perhaps get your skills to play in a concert band ensemble if you wish. My DD Katie can help you ‘break the ice’ with other musicians - we already know she will be in a concert ensemble. She is an incoming freshman in the fall.</p>

<p>You say your family can afford ‘with ease’ but yet a airline flight is beyond reach? You need to decide if you need to get on campus or not. If finances are too tight, you have to have confidence in your decision=making ability.</p>

<p>The UA recruiter for your area at the reception (and other families/students) may be able to help you feel better about UA. You might meet some other seniors going to UA. </p>

<p>You definitely do not want to deal with the snow/cold at Pitt. Huge adjustment from HI. You will not have as much of an adjustment to ‘the south’ because so many people are not from any concept of ‘rural south’ - people’s misconceptions are put aside once they visit. </p>

<p>Alabama has a lot of good things going on - that is why 8 of the 10 fastest growing areas are south of Mason/Dixon line (based on 2010-2012 data). I imagine there is a little better support for coordinating on school breaks/commuting home since UA has so many OOS students, many who fly for breaks.</p>

<p>PM me and I will try to help you more for details pertinent to you. However you can only know yourself - and you have to decide. I know you will do great at UA, but you have to know you will do great at whatever school you choose.</p>

<p>Do not be bummed out about the other school opportunities that are out of financial reach. Many, many students and families choose UA because they do not see the cost benefit of attending X,Y,Z. Of course being NMF you thought things would work out financially better on a certain school or schools; in another year it might have. You have two great doors open for you.</p>

18

<p>Aren’t you from Hawaii? How much experience have you had with real winter weather? It’s not just the cold and snow, but the gray cloudy days that drag on forever. I’m saying this as someone who has spent decades in real winter- it may seem superficial, but you should be giving the weather due consideration in your choice. </p>

19

<p>Pittsburgh would definitely not win on weather. It is cold and gray much of the school year (maybe why it was Gotham City in the last Batman movie). The city can be pretty spectacular on a nice day. The view of Pittsburgh’s downtown skyline from Mt. Washington was included by USA Today as one of the ten most beautiful places in America (along with the Na Pali coast of Kauai).</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.usaweekend.com/article/99999999/LIVING01/91015001/The-10-Most-Beautiful-Places-America”>http://www.usaweekend.com/article/99999999/LIVING01/91015001/The-10-Most-Beautiful-Places-America&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>You have at least 2 good choices. I presume you were offered honors college at Pitt as well as at Alabama. Pitt’s honors college offers benefits such as special housing, advising, classes; and its students frequently win presigious awards like Rhodes, Fullbright, Goldwater and Marshall Scholarships. Alabama’s honors program is well regarded too, but it looks like you would be comparing honors programs (apples to apples) if offered at both.</p>

<p>I would take Alabama’s geographic diversity with a little grain of salt as most of their students would come from Alabama, contiguous states, or other Southeastern states:</p>

<p><a href=“http://cw.ua.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/FreshmenEnrollment.jpg”>http://cw.ua.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/FreshmenEnrollment.jpg&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>At the same time, Pennsylvania is such a diverse state that even in-staters can be very diverse- urban (Philly and Pittsburgh), suburban, rural, small town, Eastern and Midwestern types. </p>

<p>The Oakland neighborhood has other colleges including Carnegie Mellon and Carlow Universities. Duquesne University is also very close by towards Downtown.</p>

<p>Others have mentioned Pitt Arts (which provides free or deeply discounted tickets to arts performances, e.g., symphony, theatre, dance, etc. in Pittsburgh). </p>

<p>I couldn’t tell if Jazz interests you but Pitt is surprisingly very well known for Jazz Studies. (They actually have an International Jazz Hall of Fame in the Student Union.)</p>

<p>There’s also free public transportation (including busses to the airport) for Pitt students.</p>

<p>While Pitt is renowned for biological sciences and health related fields, its philosophy, anthropology, languages and linguistics, communications and international studies and politics departments are very strong. </p>

<p>Philosophy is ranked among the top departments in the U.S. (#5 tied with Harvard) <a href=“http://www.philosophicalgourmet.com/overall.asp”>http://www.philosophicalgourmet.com/overall.asp&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Info on international studies: <a href=“Pitt to the World | The World to Pitt | University Center for International Studies”>http://www.ucis.pitt.edu/main/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

20

<p>My D1 attends Pitt Med School. She did her undergrad at Pitt as well… but mainly covered Science and Math courses. So I cannot really comment on the strength of the Pitt Social Sciences departments. You may be aware that Pitt is very strong in any Medical or Health related fields, so if this is an area of interest to you down the road, Pitt has the edge.</p>

<p>Also, Pittsburgh is a progressive city and there has been a boom of late in new facilities/activities in the downtown area. Professional sports (Steelers, Pirates, Penguins) following is big and coverage is there nearly all year around. College recruiting at Pitt is fairly strong. Winters are of course rough. Pittsburgh is attracting a lot of upwardly mobile professionals and global cos. are setting up branches here, a big reason being having CMU and Pitt and other local colleges. All in all, Pittsburgh is a fun city to attend college in with lots to do.</p>