<p>Any advice? My son was accepted into both engineering programs. We are from Denver and have no idea what the local reputation of the schools are. Anything you can tell us would be greatly appreciated.</p>
<p>Hi and welcome!</p>
<p>Please visit our State Roll Call thread :)</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-alabama/1096387-what-state-everybody-roll-call.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-alabama/1096387-what-state-everybody-roll-call.html</a></p>
<p>Have you visited Bama? If not, you should :)</p>
<p>Bama has spent many, many millions on its College of Engineering in the last several years. Bama has built a new mega-sized Science and Engineering Complex (SEC)- adding over 700,000 square feet of STEM major space (labs, classrooms, etc). Bama is adding another 200,000 square feet (Phase IV). If I remember correctly, Bama has about 1.5 million square feet of STEM major academic building space.</p>
<p>I’m trying to find the link to a nice aerial view of the new SEC. I had an artist rendering, but I can’t find that link yet. lol I’ll look for it.</p>
<p>Bama has the 5th oldest Engineering program in the nation! :)</p>
<p>Of course, all engineering disciplines at Bama are ABET accredited…including Comp Sci. :)</p>
<p>While Auburn does enjoy a higher ranking in engineering for the time-being, I believe that Bama will soon either match or exceed that ranking. </p>
<p>I don’t think the current differences matter much if at all. </p>
<p>My H is a hiring engineer for a high-tech Fortune 500 company in Cummings Research Park (second largest research park in the nation.) They hire Bama, Auburn, UAH, UAB, UT, Georgia Tech, etc grads…no problem. They also hire these kids for internships and co-ops. </p>
<p>There is a university in the state of Alabama that has a rep for poorly training engineers, but it’s not Bama… 
</p>
<p>I would encourage you to contact Dr. Charles Karr at Alabama. He’s the Dean of the College of Engineering at Bama. He does respond to inquiries and has incredible vision for the College.
[Dean</a> Charles Karr - About the College - The College of Engineering - The University of Alabama](<a href=“http://eng.ua.edu/about/dean/]Dean”>http://eng.ua.edu/about/dean/) His contact info is on this link.</p>
<p>*The College of Engineering recently launched a new program for current and prospective students incorporating the many available activities they can pursue while at the Capstone. The Engineering + Program specifically is designed so our students can meet their personal education goals while also allowing them to experience life fully at a major liberal arts and research university. Through the six E+ areas, our students are customizing their individual areas of interest and maximizing their engineering educational program.
- [Engineering</a> Plus - Undergraduate Students - The College of Engineering - The University of Alabama](<a href=“http://eng.ua.edu/undergraduate/engineering-plus/]Engineering”>http://eng.ua.edu/undergraduate/engineering-plus/)</p>
<p>Bama’s growth and financial strength has allowed it to continue with its new buildings, renovations, and hiring the best profs in the nation. The College of Engineering now enrolls about 10% of the Bama undergrad population. This has been an amazing accomplishment, again thanks to the vision and management of Dr. Karr. </p>
<p>Bama has a Freshman Engineering Program which ensures that all new engineering students have the basics and foundation needed to proceed within their chosen discipline. The FEP also exposes the students to all of the various disciplines so that the students are certain that they have selected the right field for them.</p>
<p>[Freshman</a> Engineering Program - The College of Engineering - The University of Alabama](<a href=“Freshman Engineering Program – Students | The University of Alabama”>http://fep.eng.ua.edu/)</p>
<p>I’m guessing that your child has been offered Full-Tuition scholarship Plus 2500 per year from Bama…and entrance into the Honors College? If so, isn’t that amazing? (and hard to beat!!!)</p>
<p>The University of Alabama is ranked higher than Auburn. Alabama has risen over 20 ranking spots in the last 2 years…largely because of the investments in students, faculty and facilities. :)</p>
<p>Since 2003, Alabama’s President Witt has put together a multi-year, multi-decade plan to push this university into becoming a premier institution and a top choice for the best and brightest.</p>
<p>Bama enrolls over 500 frosh each year with the Presidential Scholarship. Bama has about 600 National Scholars on campus. Last fall 182 NMFs enrolled at Bama. Also, over 50% of Bama’s frosh are from OOS. Bama has students from all 50 states, which provides excellent regional diversity on campus. :)</p>
<p>Bama also has the more superb Honors College and offers many, many more honors Super Suites. Dean Shane Sharpe and his staff have done an amazing job with the HC - creating that “small college within a large college feel.” The honors faculty are like having extra parents on campus…they truly are very “student-focused” and are “there” for these students not just academically, but also personally.<br>
<a href=“http://honors.ua.edu/[/url]”>http://honors.ua.edu/</a></p>
<p>[The</a> College of Engineering - The University of Alabama](<a href=“http://eng.ua.edu/]The”>http://eng.ua.edu/)</p>
<p>[A</a> Vision Becomes Reality](<a href=“http://issuu.com/universityofalabama/docs/visionreality]A”>A Vision Becomes Reality by The University of Alabama - Issuu)</p>
<p>[The</a> University of Alabama College of Arts & Sciences “This is How College is Meant to Be” - YouTube](<a href=“- YouTube”>- YouTube)</p>
<p>The above video is of the College of A&S, but it gives you a view of the school…and it also features Shelby Hall, which was Phase I of the new Science and Eng’g Complex (there are 4 phases…3 are complete…the 4th phase completes in about 16 months)</p>
<p>Can you visit the campus and the Col of Eng’g?</p>
<p>What area of eng’g interests your son? :)</p>
<p>I see that you’re coming to Bama in Feb.</p>
<p>You need to contact Allison Verhine in the Honors College so she can set you up a personalized tour with the College of Eng’g. I think you may have contacted the wrong person earlier.</p>
<p>set up a campus tour time online…try for the early morning one on a WEEK DAY that is not a Bama holiday. The faculty and profs are not on campus on weekends or Bama holidays.</p>
<p>If time is precious, only set up the campus tour and not the info session. The info at the info session can easily be found on the Bama forum (or by asking in a thread). By only scheduling the campus tour, that will give Allison more time to schedule meetings with faculty and such earlier in the day.<br>
[Campus</a> Visits - Undergraduate Admissions - The University of Alabama](<a href=“http://gobama.ua.edu/visits/]Campus”>Visit)</p>
<p>**send an email to Allison Verhine in the Honors College<a href=“you%20should%20also%20call%20her%20after%20you%20send%20the%20email%20since%20your%20visit%20is%20soon.”>/B</a></p>
<p>In the email, include:</p>
<p>Campus tour time and date
student name & contact info
test scores and GPA
(if a likely NMF, indicate so)
intended major
professional interests (pre-med, pre-law, pre-dental, etc)
interest in Computer Based Honors program and/or University Fellows Program (if desired)
Also, include any thing else that interests you about the school…such as touring the new Science and Engineering Complex and Shelby Hall. </p>
<p>Allison will arrange the rest of the day…meeting with dept heads, honors faculty, touring honors dorms, etc.</p>
<p>Allison Verhine - Honor College Recruitment Coordinator
269 Nott Hall
205-348-5534
<a href=“mailto:allison.verhine@ua.edu”>allison.verhine@ua.edu</a></p>
<p>Special Note!
Allison works very hard on these arrangements and often “hits the ground running” everyday meeting with prospective students/families, so it may take her a few days to respond. However, if you don’t get a response within a few days, resend AND call her. Sometimes mail goes to her SPAM folder and she doesn’t see it.</p>
<p>What influenced your decision to apply to two schools in Alabama while living in Denver?</p>
<p>Thanks everyone for the info! </p>
<p>mom2college, I’ll check out those links today! There’s so many things to consider. Alabama originally was his 2nd choice behind USC but after looking at “rankings”, he’s second guessing it so we really need this outside help in deciding. And I’m TERRIFIED of the USC price tag even with good scholarship offers. Even a half ride scholarship there is more than full tuition at the other schools he was admitted to. We are doing a campus tour on a Saturday at Bama so that may be why we haven’t heard anything yet from the engineering dept. We requested a tour online. We are arriving in Birmingham early Thursday afternoon, driving to Auburn for a campus and engineering tour on Friday morning, then driving to Tuscaloosa for a Saturday tour and then flying back out Saturday evening. We have a very limited time because we didn’t want him to miss too much school. We also have to try to get all his school tours in before spring track season starts on the 24th. (He’s on the defending state championship 4x4 team). </p>
<p>Feenotype,</p>
<p>My S didn’t want to go to any of the in-state schools even though University of Colorado is big for engineering here. It just has a HORRIBLE reputation unless you “fit” into the Boulder, CO lifestyle and my S doesn’t. I personally didn’t want him going there but I never said anything until he told me he didn’t want to go. Whew! But I made him apply to CSU to have an in-state choice. </p>
<p>So far he’s been accepted into the engineering schools at Bama, Auburn, Iowa State, Arizona State, and CSU. Still waiting to hear from USC and Florida. In short, he wanted an OOS Division 1 school with a football reputation because he loves football and I’m sure will try to walk on to a team. He’s turned down many offers from D2 schools because he wants a good engineering program which can only be found with D1 schools. So basically we did a search on College Board for schools with an aerospace program. Not the most scientific way of searching for colleges, but we are also new at this. We found the rankings later on in the game after he already got early admittance. So now we’re scrambling “backwards” to make sure we find the best school with the right “fit” for him. </p>
<p>I thought I was on top of my game with the whole college thing but I’m quickly finding out how much I’m struggling to help him find the right school for him.</p>
<p>Raider25, just sent you a PM …</p>
<p>We are doing a campus tour on a Saturday at Bama so that may be why we haven’t heard anything yet from the engineering dept.</p>
<p>Hmmmm…unfortunately, Saturday college tours are very limiting since profs aren’t there to meet with. 
The regular school tours are available, but the additional meetings with profs and dept heads don’t happen on weekends. That’s the drawback for weekend visits.</p>
<p>Call Allison and ask her if something personal can be arranged for a Saturday visit. </p>
<p>My concern is that Bama won’t have a fair chance to show you what it can offer since you’re visiting Auburn on a school day, but visiting Bama on a weekend. The contrast just for that will be very different and may not give you a fair comparison. :(</p>
<p>Rankings don’t really tell you much since they’re not strictly based on academics. </p>
<p>There are 400 universities that are ABET accredited. Attending a school in the top 25% is nothing to fear.</p>
<p>“He’s turned down many offers from D2 schools because he wants a good engineering program which can only be found with D1 schools.”</p>
<p>As impressed as I am with Bama, I have to disagree with this statement. There are many outstanding engineering schools outside D1. MIT, CMU, RPI, Case, RIT…just to name a few.</p>
<p>The newer dorms at Auburn were touted as honors dorms but are now Greek and athletic housing and not honors.</p>
<p>Oh wow…is that true?? I know that The Villages Super Suites were touted as Honors, but soon it came out that only 298 beds were for honors. Are you saying that now NONE of the Super Suites are honors? </p>
<p>* I would agree with M2K that if at all possible you want to have comparable visits and meet with someone from honors and Eng. *</p>
<p>Yes…that’s my concern. Viewing one school on a school day and one on a non-school day will not provide fair comparable visits.</p>
<p>M2K,
We attended War Eagle Day at Auburn which is similar to Capstone Scholars Day. At that visit we toured the new dorms and were told they were honors dorms. We returned for a personal visit and were given a less assured “some honors”. We went for a third visit and specifically asked about the housing situation and were told they were now Greek and athletic. Also, the housing deposit was non-refundable and assignments were made for you without choice. We were looking at pre pharmacy at that time and there was also a difference in how long you spent before moving up in the program. We tried to visit many schools once, several twice with a personal tour if we liked them, and a third time if we felt we needed to on our own and talked to many students. The difference in the dorms and the feel was tremendous. At the beginning of the program at Auburn and UGA the groups were told “you are all lucky to be here because you are the top students”. At Bama, we were greeted with “we are so happy you are here”…Big difference.</p>
<p>Wow…thanks for the update! </p>
<p>I was shocked how Auburn used to showcase The Villages as their new honors Super Suites housing without disclosing how few beds were actually honors - which misled many into thinking that their child could get one (including a neighbor’s child). I’m even more surprised to now learn that none are honors anymore. I guess the honors are now all standard doubles in The Quad???</p>
<p>They assured us the older dorms were “suite style” too, which we thought was a stretch even though they weren’t traditional with hall bath. When asked to see them and were taken back. I cannot imagine four girls getting ready in a bath that small and with no vanity or dressing area. We understood why then why we had to ask repeatedly to get a firm answer about honors housing. I had deleted my previous post by the time you read it because it has been a year since we visited, but I can’t imagine it has changed. It pays to visit more than once if you can and definitely on a school day to compare schools.</p>
<p>They assured us the older dorms were “suite style” too, which we thought was a stretch even though they weren’t traditional with hall bath. When asked to see them and were taken back. I cannot imagine four girls getting ready in a bath that small and with no vanity or dressing area. We understood why then why we had to ask repeatedly to get a firm answer about honors housing.</p>
<p>When schools started having a bathroom between 2 dorm rooms, they began calling them “suites” because the bathrooms were en suite. Since the Super Suites have sooooo much more, they started using that term to differentiate from the old-style suites.</p>
<p>Yes, I can’t imagine 4 girls sharing a tiny bathroom between 2 standard doubles rooms.
I think many have to use their dorm rooms for grooming/dressing.</p>
<p>I have to refute some of the information on this thread (sorry, but there is stuff here that is incorrect):
For the past 3 years, AU has been very clear that only ONE residence hall in the Village is Honors housing. The first honors hall was Talon; they then switched it to Aubie, since it was bigger. AU has never said that the entire Village complex (made up of 8 separate halls) was ever honors housing, or mostly honors housing. It’s also stated clearly on the AU Housing website which dorms in each area are honors housing, and which are not. Also, technically (at least according to NCAA rules) there can be no one particular residence hall that is designated as “athletic” housing. The comment regarding this statement is also baffling. There are three residence halls in the Village complex that are designated for sororities – the commenter led readers to believe that the Village is primarily for athletes and sororities, and this is misleading. AUBIE hall will remain honors housing. I don’t know where the notion that they are eliminating this type of housing from the Village, but the person who posted this info misunderstood what they were told.</p>
<p>AU’s housing situation has never been candy-coated by the Housing office – they make no promises regarding getting rooms for every applicant. The waiting list is very long, and it’s very clear on the website that all campus housing is first-come, first-served. The ONLY students they guarantee a bed to are NMF Presidential Scholars & Nat’l Achievement Scholars, and this bed could be in one of three areas, depending on when the potential applicant filled out their housing application. </p>
<p>Also, the $250.00 housing deposit is refundable, this is very clearly stated on AU housing website. The $50.00 housing application fee is not refundable. You can make roommate choices if you know someone who, for example, also is living in honors housing, or is in your learning community, etc. My daughter knows a number of people who are Alabama residents who went to the same high school, knew each other, and wanted to be roommates. They made their request and were allowed to room together. AU does NOT make all roommate choices. However, if one person wants to live in honors housing, but the other person isn’t eligible, you can’t request that person as a roommate (unless you want to give up honors hall options and live in a regular hall). This is pretty much a universal housing policy.</p>
<p>The shared bathrooms in the Quad area do have vanities, but these are halls are older, and they do not have the same type of bathrooms as the village. I would also add that NO suite features a separate dressing area – these are dormatories, not luxury accomodations. While the Village vanities are separate (and larger than the Quad sinks) from the shower and toilets, this area could never really be considered big enough to be a separate “dressing” area. You can always get dressed in your room, like most college kids do.</p>
<p>I respectfully disagree and stand by my statements which, as I disclosed, where based upon OUR visit to War Eagle day. The statements I made were reflective of what we were told and I have no reason to fabricate information. And there are no vanities in the bathrooms we visited, just a sink, toilet, and shower. I provided disclosure that this was based upon what we were told on three visits last spring and summer. I stand behind everything I said. I did not say they choose your roommate, but we were informed you could request a building and that may or may not be honored. Perhaps the information we received has changed or was incorrect. Having said that, each of us may have a different experience and be looking for different things in a college. While we are sharing our personal experiences and may not agree, it is not necessary or helpful to make personal attacks. Please refrain from making such remarks toward me in the future.</p>
<p>I didn’t personally attack you – that would mean I would have called you some sort of degrading name. I simply stated that the information you delivered was incorrect, and misleading. You are certainly allowed to stand by your statements and the experience you had while on tour. However, if this information is false or (as stated above, misleading), then I am allowed to refute it and point interested parties to the AU website for additional materials. I am sorry that your tours didn’t provide you with clear and succinct information. I will add that when we toured both universities (twice at AU and UA) both tours were very good and the information given was accurate.</p>
<p>Moving on and agreeing to disagree.</p>
<p>my information matches audellmom’s. from when my son applied to auburn, that was 2010, and as far as i know is still the same, as son has friends going there this year.</p>
<p>I sure hope that AU people don’t start posting on this forum and Bama people don’t ■■■■■ over to AU’s forum…it’s bad form.</p>
<p>If AU continues to only have ONE dorm in the Villages as honors, then fine. But, dang, they sure don’t adequately disclose that on tours. I live in the state and have had to correct many prospective families who toured their and thought that most of the Villages was honors…when only 298 beds are honors.</p>
<p>For the past 3 years, AU has been very clear that only ONE residence hall in the Village is Honors housing.</p>
<p>That is not true…and I know that for a fact.</p>
<p>These school forums will devolve into ugly arguments if rival schools start posting on each other’s forums. If you disagree with something, you can always post your info on your own forum.</p>
<p>BYW…It would probably be better if posters didn’t title their threads aaking about one school vs another. It just invites trouble. Instead, please just ask what a particular school offers.</p>
<p>Moving on…as this thread is supposed to be about sharing what Bama has to offer.</p>
<p>.</p>
<p>be nice! I’d hardly consider audellmom a ■■■■■, just someone who had input on the original question… no need to get nasty here, that’s not what we’re about!
Roll Tide!</p>