<p>I want to bring awareness to Baylor University’s Regents Scholarship. It’s a full tuition scholarship that can be further augmented by high act/sat scores. It’s a really fantastic scholarship I plan on using but I don’t see it promoted here often.</p>
<p>Sent from my DROID RAZR using CC</p>
<p>This is my first post on CC, so I apologize if I in advance.</p>
<p>We live in OK and my son would love to attend OU. Right now he has an 32 ACT and at 3.81 UW GPA. He is not a NMSF. The NPC on OU shows us that the cost is $23K and he would be assured of $2500 (Award of Excellence). This makes the price tag $20k in-state.</p>
<p>I am actually applying to UA for my son because their full oos tuition makes it less expensive.</p>
<p>I know about the $2800 from the Oklahoma Higher Regents Academic Scholars Program, but am still looking at UA. Here is a little table as to why:</p>
<p>College. . . . . UA. . . . . . OU
Rank. . . . . . 77. . . . . . 101
tuition. . . . . OOS. . . . In-State
Tuition/Fees. $21,900. . . $8,325
Total Cost. . . $37,900. . $22,500
Scholarships. $21,900. . . $2,500
. . . . . . . . . $16,000. . $20,000</p>
<p>Even if I figure in $300 per trip to pick up my son 3 times a year UA is cheaper and higher ranked.</p>
<p>I would appreciate any and all comments.</p>
<p>In terms of all/nearly all costs covered, the University of Central Florida NMF package is amazing. It seems to be a big school with a great Engineering program but it has been hard to find info on CC from NMF’s who have visited the campus. UCF has a big NMSF dinner coming up in two weeks as well. Has anybody visited the UCF campus that could give us feedback on their program?</p>
<p>College. . . . . UA. . . . . . OU
Rank. . . . . . 77. . . . . . 101
tuition. . . . . OOS. . . . In-State
Tuition/Fees. $21,900. . . $8,325
Total Cost. . . $37,900. . $22,500
Scholarships. $21,900. . . $2,500
. . . . . . . . . $16,000. . $20,000</p>
<p>Be aware that Bama’s COA is highly padded. It includes the most expensive dorm. I don’t know what dorm OU is including in its COA, but if it’s a “standard double” then to compare apples with apples then reduce Bama’s COA by about $4k per year. </p>
<p>Bama also includes the priciest meal plan which is only required frosh year…and hardly anyone chooses that meal plan after frosh year. So, after the first year, the meal plan part of the COA should be less as well.</p>
<p>Also, what is your son’s major? If he majors in Engineering or Comp Sci, then he gets another $2500 per year.</p>
<p>To hl 0800</p>
<p>My D is an instate NMF at OU. She is a first semester freshman, and she absolutely loves it, and says she knows this was the place for her. I can tell you that for a parent, that’s a great thing to hear. We have visited a few times, and her mom and I have been very impressed. If your son is looking for a big time traditional college experience, you won’t do any better. Even though its large, it doesn’t feel that way and there are so many ways for students to connect.</p>
<p>Personally, I think OU does not do enough merit for students who are not NMF, but who still have stellar academic credentials. I can understand you looking at Bama. We thought we might have to move out of OK to GA, my D applied to Bama. We never got to visit but I am sure it’s great. But when we found out we were not moving, it made the choice of OU easy for my D. She just felt that living in OK all her life she would feel more at home at OU. </p>
<p>I’d suggest you take your son to both schools and see what he thinks. He will have an opinion, I am sure. I’d also suggest you look into other scholarships available at OU, and contact the Dean of Honors at OU. He is a Yale grad and is working hard to further strengthen a really good program at the honors college at OU. There is not a ton of non-need based aid at OU, but there is some. He might be able to get you pointed to some of it. Also don’t forget about scholarship opportunities available locally. I remember being amazed at my D’s senior day how much local aid some students were able to get. I told my wife we should have done a better job talking to the High school counselors.</p>
<p>With regards to rankings, I don’t think it matters much when you get past the top fifty schools. Both Bama and OU will have tough classes for some majors, and both will also have some good opportunities for those students who seek them out. I have every confidence my D will get a great education at OU.</p>
<p>Also if he is interested in a smaller school be sure to look at University of Tulsa. It’s a very good school. It’s private but I think they are pretty generous with merit aid</p>
<p>Thanks. My son is looking at BIOLOGY or an ENGINEERING. </p>
<p>He has visited OU and OSU (in fact spent a week at a summer academy at each).</p>
<p>We have talked about BioMedical Engineering (sort of a cross over). The two ABET accredited schools on our short list are: UCO and LATech. They are the only two with ABET accreditation in ths major that are in our price range.</p>
<p>As you are aware LATech has good merit Aid, but UCO seems to focus on “Competative Scholarships” (code word Leadership). He is an Eagle Scout and has been acknowledge by the City two years in a row for his service (they hold a banquet each November), but I get leary when it comes to competative.</p>
<p>We have talked about BioMedical Engineering</p>
<p>What are his career goals??</p>
<p>My son is ChemE but has take a LOT of bio classes since he’s also pre-med. As an undergrad, BioMedE isn’t really that distinctive. It’s really more of a grad discipline. As an undergrad, many major in MechE or ChemE with maybe some extra classes like Cell Bio, Tissue Engineering, etc.</p>
<p>Career Goals are sort of up in the air.
He likes Biology, and really enjoys his AP physics class.
Does not accept computer science (my career field) as an option.
That is pretty much how things stand right now.</p>
<p>The concern about biology is that unless going to med school, there are a glut of bio grads out there.</p>
<p>Has he explored the various eng’g disciplines?</p>
<p>hl0800 - check out Univ of Alabama at Birmingham. They are ABET accredited and have outstanding bio and engineering. They also have a super fantastic science and technology honors program / community. </p>
<p>Also I believe that his tuition costs would be covered due to his scores. <a href=“Error 404 | Not Found”>Error 404 | Not Found; </p>
<p>I am an OU alum. I loved it there :-)</p>
<p>Just want to post an update to this thread as I just recently went through this process myself. I’m a NMSF (hopefully a finalist in the next couple days) from Missouri and the final two schools on my list were Alabama and OU (crossed off Northeastern - too far, MichSt - too big and cold, Georgia - just didn’t feel right to me, OSU - another didn’t feel right).</p>
<p>From my perspective, both schools were very similar. Alabama’s campus was gorgeous, but so was Oklahoma’s. Oklahoma’s spoke to me more though, for some reason. It’s buildings are fantastic and conjure up exactly what I think of when I think of fancy, brick university buildings.</p>
<p>For my major, they were pretty similar in what they offered and facilities didn’t differ greatly.</p>
<p>Both had huge school spirit, which was a must for me.</p>
<p>Both are fairly Greek, but I felt it was much less prevalent at OU. They didn’t mention it once during the tour or my conversations with students.</p>
<p>Both have great honors programs, but they are very different. I think they’ve already been mentioned, but I’ll just explain why they spoke to me the way they did. OU’s honors is typical. Alabama has the normal, the Computer Based Honors, and University Fellows(hip?). For me, I didn’t want to do Computer Based as I’ve taken CompSci courses and although I find them pretty easy, I hated them. University Fellows, I doubt I’d have made it in with the vast number of extremely qualified applicants and the fact that I’m not a huge fan of extreme community service. I do it fairly often (30-40 hours a year), but I don’t like feeling pressured to. Therefore, this was pretty much a wash for me, but if either of Alabama’s programs sound like something you’d enjoy, I’d recommend looking into it.</p>
<p>OU has a National Scholars office dedicated to NMF kids, which is pretty stellar.</p>
<p>Alabama’s dorms are incredible. I’ve visited a fair number of schools and nothing compares to Alabama’s. OU’s were nicer than most traditional- and suite-style dorm rooms, but nothing to write home about.</p>
<p>Alabama’s campus was laid out really well. This might have been because I had to navigate for my parents from the map (my brother came and navigated on the OU visit), but it felt very small and walkable. OU didn’t feel massive, as that’s what turned me off from MichSt, but it didn’t feel as instantly knowable as Alabama.</p>
<p>To this point, the schools are pretty even, with probably a slight lead to Alabama.</p>
<p>However, the deciding factor for me was the environment of the school and the students I met. Alabama is definitely a southern university. I know it’s not as southern as some schools, with the amount of OOS students, but to me, as a St. Louis kid, it felt fairly southern. OU felt like it could’ve pretty easily been swapped with Mizzou (which I’ve visited several times), in that it felt like a normal midwestern school.</p>
<p>The students I met mostly confirmed that, in my opinion. All of the students I met at both schools were charming, intelligent, and welcoming. However, I felt more at home with the OU students than I did with any other students I’ve met on visits. That was the deciding factor for me, since I struggled to find friends through middle and early high school, so finding a school where I’ll have some solid friends is important to me.</p>
<p>All of that being said, if you’re stuck between the two schools, visit. I know I would’ve enjoyed my school, regardless of which one I picked. For me though, OU was the right choice. If anyone has questions, I can rack my brain and try and remember. But oops it’s almost 2am and I should get to bed.</p>
<p>These were our final two. I think your analysis is right on.</p>
<p>My DD felt about BAMA the way you felt about OU.</p>
<p>Boomer Sooner and ROLL TIDE!</p>
<p>The schools with large NMF scholarships which D applied to:
Arizona State-visited
Northeastern
Texas A&M
U Cincinnati
U Idaho
UMN-Twin Cities- visited
U Nebraska- Lincoln
She applied to many other schools as well. Some chasing non-NMF merit $. Some because she heard they had a good oboe prof, or the were close enough to home that we visited early on and she liked . We had plans to visit more schools over spring break in March, but not sure now.</p>
<p>The story is she decided out of the blue 6 months ago she wanted to major in oboe performance. As we visited and investigated, this modified to wanting to double major math/music BA w. performance emphasis. Not knowing anything about music and time being short, she sent apps to a broad range of schools, mostly medium-to-large, mostly public, near reasonable size towns or cities, the kind of places she seems to like best. I insisted on a few with guaranteed or relatively sure merit aid, which lengthened the list. My husband and teen son were incredulous and mocking. “Why are you applying to these places? She’s not going to go live in Texas, or Arizona, they scoffed.” She felt the same about some of them- Texas, ASU, UMiami, because of concerns about hot weather. We’re from WI. I understood ASU has a good music program but she wouldn’t even look at it. Then she talked to older musician friends who majored in music at ASU and found they loved their time there. Her oboe teacher knows the prof there and recommended him. So she begrudgingly agreed to audition at ASU. Barrett paid for her plane ticket. You can guess the ending by now. Love at first sight. The winter weather- awesome, drive away SAD just like that. The honors college-Barrett, can’t say enough about it, wonderful place. The oboe prof she fell in love with and all the students in his studio. She came home just sighing about how she wants to go to school there and so anxious about getting in. I insisted she continue with auditions but her heart is not in it. We’re driving around the country in blizzards to audition at these places and all she talks about during the trips is ASU. Now the ASU prof has accepted her informally in advance of official music school acceptance (along with prof at a non-NMF school that has done the same). My husband is less than thrilled, worried about the quality of academics at the school so that we have to be producing lists to convince him, all the NSF grants that math profs have there, where Barrett grads go to grad school, what kind of competitive fellowships they win, articles about how Barrett ranks among honors colleges, etc. So tiring. But I get to think privately ‘I told you so.’ We had no way of knowing which of the long list of schools might be the one that would capture her heart.</p>
<p>Supposed to audition at Cincinnati and Nebraska soon, but she wants to stop auditioning now. “I just want to go to ASU! The prof promises he won’t change his mind.”</p>
<p>And with the big ASU scholarship easing finances, we can get a new car and give old one to teen son!!</p>