<p>Another Alabama parent weighing in here. We’re in the DC area, and I went to college in NYC. We absolutely love the University of Alabama. As M2CK says we fell in love with the school when we visited. UA has a very diverse student body that is over 50% from OOS. The Class of 2018 was 60% OOS. Do you want to go to a school with great school spirit, top ranked sports, large Greek scene, great weather during the school year, great national alumni network, and fantastic facilities (new dorms, new engineering buildings, new gyms, new dining facilities, etc.)? At this time of cutbacks at many state schools (like UC), UA has a very bright fiscal picture with plans for expansion. </p>