<p>My daughter and I (along with her best friend and her mom) participated in the Discovering BAMA Campus Tour organized for us on April 30 by the National Alumni Association. The girls were treated almost like royalty all throughout our campus visit. We met with Dr. Schultz (flute instructor), Dr. Paul LeBlanc (biological sciences), and Jami Gates at Honors College. Everyone we encountered was so welcoming and friendly. Before the day was even half over, both girls had decided UA was their school of choice. Neither wants to even consider going anyplace else. </p>
<p>Brief info on my daughter: current HS junior, 32 on ACT in February, 4.0 GPA, 2 AP classes this year plus 3 more next year, All State Red Band this year, flute section leader in high school, 3-year member of Huntsville Youth Orchestra (highest level group), member of National Honor Society, youth representative to our Church Council (congregation’s governing/administrative body) for past 3 years, founded the first United Methodist Women teen circle in our district (served as president for 2 years), has logged many community service hours through flute playing, church youth group, and NHS.</p>
<p>DD plans to major in biology and minor in music and plans to pursue a Ph.D. in genetics at UAB after graduation. She wants to play in the Million Dollar Band in the fall plus concert/symphony ensembles in the spring. She will submit her application for Honors College, honors housing, and the University Fellows Experience. She’ll also definitely submit the merit scholarship application. She will also audition for band/ensemble scholarships at Honor Band in February of 2011.</p>
<p>We already know she qualifies for the Presidential scholarship. As far as I’ve been able to tell, there aren’t any additional scholarships that she would automatically receive. Is there anything else we should be doing at this point? If she’s this set on attending UA, is there really any point to applying anywhere else?</p>
<p>Thanks for any tips and pointers anyone can give us.</p>
<p>Always apply to another one or two schools – just because she might change her mind between now and next April. She needs to make sure she has at least a fall back school. I teach, and I’ve had some kids just sold on one school, only to go and visit another and change their minds. </p>
<p>Please encourage your daughter to apply to the Computer-Based Honors Program. It is not a computer program, as many believe. It is a research program. The students learn two computer languages. Fortran and C++, which can be utilized in research with their professors. </p>
<p>My son just completed his first year in CBH, and he loved it. He’s tired, because the final project takes days to do, but he loves the program. He plans to work in research this fall for one of his econ professors. The two bonded over game theory.</p>
<p>My son’s girlfriend, who is also in CBH, is a biology major. She volunteered in one of the labs this spring, and that led to a job offer for the fall. She also is working in cancer research this summer. Other freshmen CBHers are working in labs this summer on campus or doing internships in their prospective majors near their homes. </p>
<p>There may be departmental scholarships available for your daughter. I know my son’s girlfriend received an OOS biology scholarship this spring. CBH also has additional scholarship/fellowship monies that students can receive. She also could land on the top scholarships like the Crimson scholarship. One of my son’s friends (another CBHer) has one – the package is very nice.</p>
<p>Glad to hear that you had such a wonderful tour!</p>
<p>How does one sign up for this tour? We have friends that are juniors and are likely NMFs. We’ve been talking up Bama to them, and they’d love to go visit this summer.</p>
<p>The Discovering BAMA campus tours are personalized tours organized through the National Alumni Association. This page of the NAA describes the tours: [Discovering</a> BAMA | National Alumni Association](<a href=“http://alumni.ua.edu/discovering-bama]Discovering”>Discovering BAMA - National Alumni Association). </p>
<p>Students have to be recommended for the tour by someone in their local chapter of the NAA. You can find contact information for your local chapter here: [Chapters</a> | National Alumni Association](<a href=“http://alumni.ua.edu/chapters]Chapters”>Find Your Alumni Chapter).</p>
<p>I didn’t know anyone who was a current member of UA’s NAA. So I just found our local chapter and looked at their officer list. Turns out, one of the officers works at the same company DH does. So I contacted him, gave him a description of DD’s accomplishments, and asked if someone from the local chapter could recommend her for the tour. He said they’d be happy to do that, and referred me to the chapter reps who actually handled that. </p>
<p>Then I thought that DD would really like to go down with her best friend, so I asked if they could recommend her, too. I provided just the bare bones info I had, not thinking it would be enough detail, but it was. They decided to recommend her, too.</p>
<p>The local reps called the NAA office in Tuscaloosa, and a rep there emailed us, asked us detailed questions about what each girl would like to do and see while on campus, and set us up with everything we needed.</p>
<p>I cannot say enough good things about this tour. It was simply fabulous. It was very well-organized, lots of attention to detail, everyone was so friendly and welcoming. Everyone made us feel like they wanted both girls to be a part of UA.</p>
<p>You can also have Jami Gates set up a day using the students’ interests and majors. She’ll arrange meetings with your dept head and Dr. Sharpe.</p>
<p>However, before contacting Jami, I would have the people sign up for a campus tour (not the info session) and then ask Jami to work around the campus tour time. </p>
<p>Otherwise, Jami will likely schedule a day that doesn’t include a campus tour. Also ask to include an honors dorm tour.</p>
<p>jami gates 205-348-5599 <a href=“mailto:jami.n.gates@ua.edu”>jami.n.gates@ua.edu</a></p>
<p>Jami was wonderful! We had a meeting with her as the last part of our tour. Both girls are excited about being part of the honors community.</p>
<p>We had a tour of the honors dorms earlier in the day, and were able to see the model apartment in Ridgecrest South. The girls loved this split floorplan, so they could have their two rooms and bath on the opposite side of the LR/kitchen area from the other 2 suitemates.</p>
<p>feel free to contact me, through private messaging</p>
<p>Would be glad to help anyone in Atlanta receive a personalized tour of UA</p>