Hey y’all! So I was accepted to Bama and LSU, and I am very conflicted on which one to pick!! I grew up hearing all about Alabama and how great it is because my father went there and him and my mother met there (so its very sentimental to them). My father is also a HUGE Crimson Tide fan and I grew up watching and attending the games with him. When I was accepted I did not feel anything. I’m currently a student at a community college so I’ve waited an extra 2 years for that acceptance and I felt absolutely nothing (which I think is a sign). When I got accepted into LSU I cried. My grandfather went to LSU and him and my grandmother both live in LSU and I visit at least 2 or 3 times a year so I am pretty familiar with the area and the school. I know that these are rival schools but when I applied I had hoped that I would have only been accepted into one or the other but not both. It would have been so much easier if I had only been accepted to one of them. But now I have to decide and I don’t know what to do. Does anyone have anything helpful that can help me make my decision? I’ve asked family members that have gone to either school and that hasn’t helped me. I’m leaning more towards LSU but everyday is different, so tomorrow I could Bama more. I really love Baton Rouge and the atmosphere there but I don’t want to miss out on anything if I don’t go to Alabama. I am very interested in greek life as well and they both have great greek life so that does not help me make my decision. Please help me!!!
@anabanana2 I do not have a very good idea about Alabama but I know that LSU is a great place to be in. The people there are extremely friendly and there is always something going on in the campus. Overall, it’s fun to be at LSU. You should probably list out the possible reasons why you want to attend each school. You should attend the one where you have more reasons to be in.
Are you instate for Alabama and OOS for LSU? What are your parents saying about paying for an OOS school?
Seriously, one of these schools is going to cost a whole lot more than the other, unless you’re out of state for both of them. Pick your in-state option unless your parents can afford any of them without taking on major debt.
I live in louisiana and follow the happenings and goings on of lsu and the louisiana university system. My son wouldn’t even apply to lsu. The only state school he’s willing to attend is la tech.
Major budget cuts. The campus is a little haggered and worn out around the edges. The surrounding area is having a crime problem and alot of people feel it isn’t very safe. The crime/safety issue really isn’t getting enough press and people have real concerns about it.
If you really want the "college town’ experience attend alabama. If you want easy access to new Orleans and a more urban experience attend lsu but bear in mind, it’s really easy to get sucked into the louisiana party life and that can create some serious problems. Alabama will offer a much better balance between social and academic.
I can’t give you hard and fast data on the academics of either institution except to say lsu is cutting back on things and alabama is ever expanding. Lsu is largely a regional name and alabama has done extremely well in developing a national brand for itself and it isn’t just about football. Alabama has gone through great pains to attract bright students from all over the country, this can be very helpful after graduation.
Also, because I live in louisiana I know alot of people that send their kids to alabama or want to. Alabama has had and continues to have great success with academic recruiting here.
I hope this helps.
Good luck.
I’m OOS for both, and the other 3 schools I applied to are OOS as well.
Well…what are your parents saying? Will your dad pay OOS for LSU (I know this Bama mom wouldn’t…lol).
Yes my parents are paying for OOS.
Have you visited both schools? Examined the major you’re interested in pursuing? Toured the academic facilities?
Going to a school with great atmosphere and athletic history is a wonderful thing, but ultimately a university needs to meet your long-term goals, especially given the cost. And coming in as an upperclassman, it’s important to have evaluated the programs you plan to study.
I’d visit each school again to learn about the things your family can’t tell you. Out-of-state costs for Alabama are $40,000+ a year; LSU is $45,000+. That $10,000 difference (assuming you’d be entering either as a junior and could graduate in two years) would make it a no-brainer for me, especially since Alabama has the edge academically, I believe.
I’ve never visited LSU, but did visit UA, and it’s hard to imagine a more beautiful campus than UA other than an elite private.
Unless there was some compelling reason to go to LSU, UA would be my choice between the two.
I’ve been on LSU’s campus several times. The one thing that strikes me is that it can seem run-down and unkempt. When I commented on this before, I was told it was because of budget issues.
I have visited the campus and seen the housing options. I have done everything but pick a school. My grandparents live in Baton Rouge so that is a big factor but I still can’t make a decision. LSU has a beautiful campus. It may have seemed older but not at all “run-down”. The tuition does not matter.
It sounds like your heart is with LSU (which I know nothing about). As LucieTheLakie said above, look very closely at your chosen program of study at both schools (particularly since you are coming in as a junior). Do some more research on both schools and give it a couple of weeks, if possible, before you make your final decision. Best wishes!
@anabanana2 This is your decision and yours alone. People have given you some good advice. If tuition does not matter go with the one that you feel fits. No one can justify which is better because they don’t know what is important to you. Make a pro and con list, revisit both, but in the end does it really matter which you choose if costs and locations don’t matter and they both have programs that you are interested in? Just make sure that once you choose, you go all in. Don’t look back and second guess yourself. No place is perfect and college is work. If you are constantly comparing, looking over your shoulder, and wondering “what if” then you are setting yourself up for a tough time.
I don’t think you can go wrong with either choice. It sounds like cost is not a factor and you seem to really like both schools. That being the case, and assuming you’ve researched and are comfortable with the strength of the program in your particular major, I’d go with my gut. That sounds like LSU from what you’ve described, but I’m sure you know which school you can picture yourself thriving at. Sometimes all the analysis in the world isn’t better than a gut feeling, particularly when either choice is good.
I’m actually going to recommend LSU. Very good job prospects, job placement, great student life, not just Greek. Whether you’re in engineering, business, prelaw, premed, good postgrad options. Believe it or not, it’s not all about football or Greek there, though that is a big part of it. Full disclosure, we are from Louisiana, but none of us attended LSU, and our son went to Bama, so we have no dog in the LSU game. But seeing how well our peers and our son’s peers have fared post college, even those who came from OOS to LSU, I would recommend LSU.
Since you asked . . . . coming from a lifelong Louisiana resident (I think about 11 generations), and a third generation LSU student, my daughter didn’t even apply to LSU! She did apply to UA, and I will tell you that except for on the football field, these two schools are NOT rivals. Unfortunately, after many, many years of budget cuts, LSU is suffering terribly. It cannot possibly compete with UA, which is attracting top students from all over the nation. I have heard that LSU doesn’t even show the library on recruitment tours. In fact, if you google bobmannblog and Middleton library, you will be shocked at the photos. I was grateful that UA was a definite possibility in the event my daughter didn’t get her “dream school.” I don’t mean to trash LSU – it is the flagship school in my home state. I wish money would be spent to make it better! But your education should not suffer, b/c Louisiana doesn’t have the money to invest in higher education.