<p>I think NC may become a Big Bama Feeder too. Given the snobbery, sarcasm, and snippiness I’ve been treated to, just for daring to suggest that we may not be able to afford the Almighty UNC…whew, all I can say is that it is a major turnoff. </p>
<p>My hackles go up when people tell me I should kiss the tarry ground for the awesome privilege of shelling out $80,000 to send my kids to UNC. </p>
<p>Maybe the wealthy can shrug at the difference between $80,000 and ZERO, but few North Carolinians in my circle enjoy that luxury.</p>
Very well said! I feel exactly the same way. I find myself unable to get upset at rejections from other schools, knowing that there’s a school that values me (or my test scores, at least) enough to allow to to attend for free! Thank gosh for Bama!</p>
<p>MC2K = "Florida is also a big feeder to Bama. And, at some point, I can see Illinois becoming one as well. "</p>
<p>I’d like to think that most students coming from Illinois aren’t choosing UA because they couldn’t get into U of I, but because it seems to have so much more to offer and more generous merit money in a undisputably (sp?) nicer setting :)</p>
<p>We attended the Dallas reception Monday and enjoyed hearing the engineering dean speak. He’s really funny! We are visiting this coming Monday, and I really hope we like it since the scholarship is the best my son has been offered. He is a NM Semifinalist, and was “dropped” by his first choice school when he did not become a finalist. (OU). He has TONS of smart kids in his class (nearly 40 nm semi’s), and is not in the top 10%. My fingers are crossed for a great, although short, visit next week.</p>
<p>“UT treats all kids (and parents) like a number unless they are NMF or the like.”</p>
<p>I don’t even think that’s true. UT doesn’t offer any scholarships for NMF, and have hardly any merit scholarships at all. (Of course, I’ve never much liked UT, as my parents went to TAMU)</p>
<p>i guess i just assumed that UT would treat the NMFs well. my bad.</p>
<p>3kids - how come he didnt advance to finalist???</p>
<p>@AL34 … we’re from Illinois, and my D informed us that she would not consider attending our “flag ship” U of I and indeed she did not even apply. She’s been to the campus many times for down-state theater activities, etc. and just plain does not like the place. So we knew early on that it was out for us. That being said, the fiscal situation in IL (like CA and other states I’m sure) is pretty dire. The state owes the Universities hundreds of millions of dollars at this point. They’re raising instate tuition significantly to the point that it’s not much cheaper than some of the privates and also threatening to decrease services and programming at the Universities at the same time. U of I “is” a wonderful school, but I fear many schools like it will begin to fall in ranking and prestige due to the severe state financial situations.</p>
<p>We are SO excited to have found UA … we’re headed there this weekend for the CHB interviews … and we’re ready to yet again be impressed with our visit. For those of us coming from OOS, no enough can be said about the good job UA is doing to promote itself. And while some large measure of that is due the extremely generous merit aid that they provide, I’d like to think that that alone is only the part of the equation that gets UA on the radar for many families and NOT what actually closes the “deal.” Right? If it were not for the campus, and most importantly, the people that are doing such good work in selling and showing by example that UA is a WONDERFUL place, many of those students, including my D, would turn their attention elsewhere. That CERTAINLY also includes the dedicated network of people like M2CK that make this such a wonderful place to get informed information about UA where otherwise we’d have no information at all.</p>
<p>^ I hear you Dad2ILD
DS and I visited UofI several times for Marching Band competitions, and our (huge) school here is a major feeder. Went down for the campus tour because we thought we “should” before ruling it out completely, didn’t even stay for the whole tour. It’s just dismal, and that is not including the crazy-high and rising in-state tuition. Academically I understand that it is strong but I just don’t get the appeal.
Heading down to UA tonight ourselves, time to get younger (hs frosh) son hooked it’s never too early!
Have a great CBHP weekend!
Roll Tide!</p>
<p>We went to the San Antonio reception last night and Dr Carr spoke. It was held at a very nice place with great food! There was a decent turnout and we met some really nice people from UA and the Alumni association. Headed to UA for CBHP this weekend as well!</p>
<p>Just a question, after reading about budget issues at the CA state schools as well as UofI, etc: why doesn’t Alabama have the same or similar issues? We know, for a fact, that achievement in and spending for Alabama K-12 education is nearly at the bottom of the 50 states. Does Alabama, as a State, spend its limited education dollar at the university level? Just strange that Alabama would seem to be exempt from the budget pressures afflicting every State and can hand out so many scholarships like so much confetti.</p>
<p>^^^ That’s a good question, and I certainly do not know how the scholarships are “funded” by either the university or through some private endowment, etc. I’m sure that Alabama is challenged similar to all the states during these economic times. Good question … maybe someone here knows. Philosophically though, UofI for example has NO comparable merit aid system or benefit for NMF and is similar in that respect to most of the other large public universities. This lends me to believe that those institutions that are doing it like UA, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Arizona, etc. are getting the money for it from some “separate” source. But, this is only speculation on my part as I have no real knowledge of how it is accomplished.</p>
<p>FWIW, in talking to a Bama recruiter, my understanding is that the large percentage of UA students paying OOS tuition enables the institution to offer so many assured merit-based scholarships to top scholars.</p>
<p>the scholarships are funded by donations and the capital pledge drive…not by taxpayers. OOS tuition may also contribute as well.</p>
<p>*Alabama K-12 education is nearly at the bottom of the 50 states. *</p>
<p>kelly…k-12 education issues are a whole nuther animal. That is based on “overall test scores” which include the poor, rural areas.</p>
<p>When you look at the test scores of those in the cities, those scores are fine. When you look at the scores for the very low income and rural areas, that’s where the problems are. </p>
<p>When you look at the PSAT cutoff for Alabama, Alabama isn’t near the bottom at all. Alabama’s NMSF cutoff is the same or higher than about half of the states…see Bolded</p>
<p>Originally Posted by National Merit Scholarship Corporation </p>
<p>AL - 210
AK - 214 AZ - 209
AR - 203
CA - 219
CO - 212
CT - 219
DE - 215 FL - 210
GA - 215
HI - 215 ID - 208
IL - 214
IN - 212 IA - 209
KS - 211 KY - 208
LA - 210
ME - 213
MD - 220
MA - 223 MI - 209
MN - 213 MS - 205
MO - 210
MT - 208
NE - 210
NV - 208
NH - 214
NJ - 221 NM - 206
NY - 217
NC - 214 ND - 202
OH - 212 OK - 206
OR - 215
PA - 216
RI - 211 SC - 208
SD - 205
TN - 212
TX - 215 UT - 203
VT - 212
VA - 218
WA - 218 WV - 202
WI - 209
WY - 202</p>
<p>I don’t think budget cuts have hurt UA because they never relied on state funding that much anyway. </p>
<p>A 20% cut on 10% of your budget is felt a lot less than a 20% cut on 40% of your budget. </p>
<p>But Dr. Witt is funding most of these merit scholarships on the backs of OOS “regular” students. UA has doubled in enrollment in the last 10 years and that is primarily due to stepped up efforts to recruit OOS kids that pay full freight to finance these merit scholarships. </p>
<p>So as the “parent” of a current OOS kid paying full freight. I’d appreciate a thank you from the lot of you and a round of drinks or two :-)</p>
<p>Gosh–if we still lived in Massachusetts (where I was born and bred), DS would have just barely made it into the National Merit Semifinals / Finals!</p>
<p>Those MA brainiacs…whew!!</p>
<p>One thing we’ve learned from this entire college-app experience is that the PSAT is the most important test a kid can take. At least if the kid wants merit aid!!</p>
it’s never too early!