<p>So, is it safe to say that if you DID make semi-finalist for UFE, then you would have already received an E-MAIL in your Crimson e-mail… but if you did NOT make it, then you will probably receive a rejection letter by snail mail? </p>
<p><em>sigh</em></p>
<p>I would say that if you haven’t yet been contacted about being a semi-finalist, then it’s likely that the time has passed. Sorry.</p>
<p>Well, DS just received the rejection letter by snail mail. We are deeply disappointed, and frankly pretty surprised. We offer sincere congratulations to those who made it, but would love to know what kind of profile was offered by the students who WERE accepted. Supposedly the grades and test scores were NOT considered…only activities and EC’s. It would be pretty hard to match his…so we’re just curious about the criteria that UA was looking for.</p>
<p>probably most of the kids who apply have pretty good credentials. if not, why bother.</p>
<p>sorry your kid didn’t make it. mine didn’t either (last year).</p>
<p>UFE gets a lot of apps. I really don’t understand the reasons why some are chosen and some are not.</p>
<p>I don’t know if they are looking for a particular kind of ECs? Such as those that involve innovative charity work???</p>
<p>While grades/scores are not strongly considered, it’s not like they don’t count at all. However, having super stats is not a “hook” as far as I can see.</p>
<p>I also don’t know if they try to “read between the lines” to get an idea of how much the student wants to go to Bama. I know it’s frustrating to select finalists who then end up going elsewhere. I don’t know if they try to detect if the student will not likely attend Bama.</p>
<p>The thing is…since nearly every applicant is “qualified,” then logically they have to turn down a whole bunch of qualified people.</p>
<p>The same thing happens with CBH…nearly all the kids have high stats and impressive resumes…yet only a limited number are chosen.</p>
<p>It is a bummer when your kids get rejected, especially when they’re high achievers. D didn’t make the UFE cut either last year; I remember after on-campus interviews last year that some of our regular posters who attended were blown away by the caliber of the candidates. Which isn’t to say that your son isn’t in that category. However the 500+ kids who did apply self selected in and all probably felt that they met the criteria. Kind of like how there are kids with 2400 SATs who apply to Ivy’s & don’t make the cut. </p>
<p>As I’ve said before, while CBHP & UFE are outstanding programs and an amazing opportunity, there is way more to UA Honors than that. At this point I don’t think D even remembers the disappointment of not getting an interview for UFE; she’s making the most of her time at UA.</p>
<p>Son received UFE finalist notification in mail today.</p>
<p>Congrats and good luck to your son, ethalo!</p>
<p>Re:scores, grades, etc.-- Don’t want to post too many specifics. But suffice it to say that his scores were in 99th percentile, grades (weakest area) are close to 4.0, he has followed his passion since early teens, and has risen to pretty much the highest level you could possibly hope for in that field. Leadership, charity work, glowing letter of rec from prominent person, very interesting life experiences, amazing public speaker, and gifted writer. Wants to serve his country by making a difference. Polite, outgoing, presents well, etc. Go figure.</p>
<p>Too bad; he would have added a lot – he’s well-rounded and a lot of fun, besides. At the risk of sounding like “one of those” parents (and we all know some of those, don’t we?)…everyone who knows him is shocked.</p>
<p>He’s been wearing a Bama sweatshirt; we’ll see if he keeps it on.</p>
<p>I know how you feel HowtheHeck (I also have excellent ECs, including some on a national and international level, high test scores, GPA, etc)… though perhaps more personally because I personally was rejected. I’m certainly not attempting to diminish the accomplishment of anyone who was selected, but I was very disappointed by not even making semifinalist status. </p>
<p>At this point (perhaps childishly) I’m somewhat disappointed in Bama in general, even though logically I know it has a lot to offer and the school overall certainly isn’t responsible for letting me down. I just feel like I’d like to know WHY I wasn’t good enough…</p>
<p>^^^</p>
<p>It’s definitely NOT because you weren’t good enough. The UFE program has to turn down a bunch of super qualified applicants. </p>
<p>Keep in mind the belonging to UFE is not the “end all, be all.” There are many, many other honors opportunities at Bama.</p>
<p>I got the finalist letter letter todayyy</p>
<p>Two of my friends were not semi-finalists, and they’re both awesome and over-acheiving.
Honestly, when it comes to something as absurdly selective as UFE, it’s impossible to tell why they select who they do.</p>
<p>Seriously, UFE could choose a whole 'nuther group and still have to leave out super qualified kids. They get sooooo many apps. </p>
<p>But…do not let any of this stop you. There are many, many other opportunities for students at Bama.</p>
<p>Congrats to all the finalists.</p>
<p>^^^^I have to chime in with mom2ck. PLEASE do not let a single rejection stand in your way of an amazing college journey. There are other awesome opportunities to be had at Bama. The honors college is a fantastic collection of super smart fun students and you can be one of them. Most of them DO NOT belong to UFE.
There are academic/scientific/research/athletic/musical and other pursuits open to you as a student (yes, even as a freshman). Open your mind to additional possibilities and I believe you will thrilled with UA</p>
<p>To those of you disappointed by the Fellows results, your feelings are understandable. And when the pain subsides, go out there and prove them wrong (preferably in Tuscaloosa). :)</p>
<p>Fourteen players in the NFL Hall of Fame were not even drafted. Nobody thought Einstein was a good enough physicist after college to offer him a job in the field. “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” was rejected by a dozen publishers. Oops!</p>
<p>In the immortal words of that prescient sage, Frank Sinatra, “The best revenge is massive success.”</p>
<p>Thanks for the encouraging words. We are still sad, and pretty puzzled. DH and I find ourselves (privately) turning over possible reasons for S being passed over, not even a semi-finalist. Things that make ya go Hmmmm…</p>
<p>But you’re right, success is not defined by, or restricted to, the UFE experience. Thomas Edison was so disruptive in primary school that his mother had to take him out and teach him at home. Albert Einstein was considered “ineducable” because he hardly spoke until he was 3. (He never learned his own phone number; he reportedly said, “Why would I waste space in my mind to learn a number that I never call?”) Owen Wilson was expelled from school in 10th grade and sent to a military academy. Doris Day wanted to be a dancer, but a terrible car accident at age 21 crushed those dreams (literally) and she had to “settle” for singing and acting. The unified theory may have been solved last year by a surfer dude from Hawaii who splits his time snowboarding in Tahoe:
[Surfer</a> dude stuns physicists with theory of everything - Telegraph](<a href=“http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/large-hadron-collider/3314456/Surfer-dude-stuns-physicists-with-theory-of-everything.html]Surfer”>http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/large-hadron-collider/3314456/Surfer-dude-stuns-physicists-with-theory-of-everything.html)</p>
<p>And let’s look at the young years of Bill Clinton or George W. Bush…</p>
<p>My son is not angry, or terribly sad. He said he’s just thankful for the many awards and achievements that he HAS enjoyed, and the experiences he’s had while serving others in various ways. Everything he’s done in life, he did because he believed in it all…not just to pad a college resume. He has already had quite an amazing life, and the future looks very bright. I’m glad he has such a positive perspective. I hope UA doesn’t lose a lot of other gifted leaders & achievers whose accomplishments, talents, and passion aren’t enough to make the cut, or somehow aren’t the right flavor.</p>
<p>We know the Honors College is full of bright, promising kids who care about school. But we’ve been told that about half the students at UA are in the “Honors” college. If that’s true, somehow that just doesn’t seem like such a unique opportunity.</p>
<p>^^^Whoever told you that half of UA’s student body is in the Honors College (no quotation marks needed) didn’t bother to check the facts. As of Fall 2010 there were about 4,000 students in the program. Source: [Rapid</a> Growth in Honors College’s Short History | changingtides.ua.edu](<a href=“http://changingtides.ua.edu/?p=578]Rapid”>http://changingtides.ua.edu/?p=578)</p>
<p>I wouldn’t say the Honors College is unique. I would say it is outstanding and affords students many, many service opportunities and enriched curricula outside the Fellows experience.</p>
<p>Best of luck with your college selection.</p>
<p>Howtheheck: I don’t believe that half the kids at UA are in the Honors College. Maybe half are eligible but my understanding last year was that about 1000 incoming Freshmen enter UHP (I think I remember someone saying there were about 5000 Honors College members total; hopefully M2CK can jump in with accurate numbers.) IHP is a much smaller number (kids might not want to study abroad or fulfill the language requirement.) </p>
<p>Just being IN the Honors College gives you access to the honors classes. But being ACTIVE in the Honors College is a different story. It’s all about getting out what you put in.</p>