Still scratching my head about this one…Daughter’s is bright, outgoing and athletic. Her college interests: Business/Pre-med, Greek life and school spirit (football). So with a nice scholarship offer, Alabama is a must see…
Wife and daughter went down to visit a couple of weeks ago. From the start, everyone they dealt with was very friendly and helpful. Arrived Sunday evening in time to attend Mass on campus. Her faith is important to her so she was pleased to see that there is a nice Catholic community there. Next day was MLK so they spent their time touring the area. Campus was beautiful, the town OK, food was hit or miss, but she’s a picky eater. Next day met with Dean of LAS and Honors college rep. Great presentations. Wife tells me that after my daughter asked a few questions, the Dean pretty much zeroed in on her and laid out her academic path plus all the other possibilities…MBA + premed? Sure! Study abroad in Japan and Cuba? Why not? The sky is not the limit at UA…
Greek counselor didn’t show (I’m not a fan, so I could care less). But she got the information she was looking for and was very impressed with the sorority houses. Lunch with Honors college student was informative. Business major; not in a fraternity but very involved with other campus activities. She was happy to see that he was pretty “normal.” She was concerned that the Honors college would be full of socially awkward, nerdy types. So after meeting him, felt she would fit in just fine. Afternoon campus tour was well done, impressive facilities.
So after she tells me all this on the drive back from the airport, I’m thinking Roll Tide! Next day she says that even though she could see herself there, it’s not the winner. Why I ask? Just didn’t care for the location. I smile and think to myself, how is South Bend, College Station or Waco any better? And if she is basing her choice on location, I guess Pepperdine here we come! So the search continues…
Perhaps give it a little time to gain perspective. Our daughter left her visit 16 months ago with location a question. Then while visiting other schools, she became aware that other Honors Colleges don’t offer the depth of programs that UA does, the Greek systems do not have the same amenities or high yield rates, and the kids in Honors were more “geeky” than normal. We then had the financial discussion. After all of those things, she began to reconcile her location issues. She talked to several UA students about the location, and became convinced it was a non issue. She’s a second semester freshman and has had an outstanding first four months of college. And location has never come up once…except when she brags on the weather while we are freezing at home.
I lived in South Bend area for 3 years…and my son did look at ND…but the weather there… UGH (unless you just love snow – LOTS of it – and cold winds)! And there’s the little thing about coming up with the $$$$$$$$ Thanks for the update, TuckerTroy. Good luck to your daughter!
HONORS COLLEGE: A lot of people don’t realize that the Honors College at UA is quite large; over 2,000 of the 7,000 entering freshmen in Fall of 2014 were entering as member of the Honors College. So it’s a good cross-section of people…certainly not all “super nerdy” types
No, it’s not Notre Dame, but it’s got a LOT of nice perks for a Roman Catholic student, including attending Mass regularly with one of the greatest football coaches of all time.
FWIW, I met a mom at Bama Bound two years ago who had another kid at Notre Dame, and she felt Bama held its own, for a WHOLE lot less dough.
Well, I would agree that Tuscaloosa and even the campus, doesn’t “show” as well in the winter. Grass is “dead looking” except for the few places that overseed with Rye. I remember my SIL saying, “what’s that yellow/brown grass?” She’s from Calif and used to year-round green fescue.
She’d never seen dormant bermuda type grasses.
Mass with Nick Saban is a perk, for sure. lol. (not that that’s the point of Mass… )
I can’t imagine giving up a huge cost savings if med school is on the horizon. Many parents agree to help or pay for med school if undergrad doesn’t cost much.
OP, as parents have you stated to your daughter what your favorite choice is? Maybe she doesn’t want to go to mom or dad’s first choice. Perhaps she will reconsider as she thinks more about it.
I can relate. My daughter applied to and visited Alabama as a favor to me. Her biggest issue with Bama was its location - too far from home, and located in the south and she hates heat and humidity and prefers cold weather. Well, she’ll be graduating from Bama at the end of the semester, is thinking of staying in Tuscaloosa for grad school and wants to live somewhere in the southeast when she finishes school. Sometimes they surprise you.
I know with my two it was a “gut feeling” after spending time on each of their ultimate campuses. They had done their research up front and knew the schools they visited would all technically “fit” – but each of them found after spending time on campus they had one that just felt better to them. Sometimes it can be subtle signals they pick up that can be hard to explain and might seem strange to a parent.
Trust your daughter, @TuckerTroy. Not everyone is going to love every school. That being said, I’d just back off and see where things shake out after all the offers are in hand, and she can lay out the full cost of attendance for each school.
There’s a thread in the Parent Forum where parents have posted why their child didn’t like/choose a particular school. Sometimes the reasons are something the parents easily understand, sometimes they’re not. Hey, there’s a post about a kid who didn’t like the kind of grass a school had.
One thing that we noticed when taking our kids to visit schools is that sometimes our hotel wasn’t in a part of town that we’d choose if we visited again, or maybe the restaurants we chose were “blah”…and OFTEN we found that a campus can have several entrances…some pretty…some not-so-pretty. If you enter from the “wrong entrance” it can affect the whole mood.
Maybe she saw something that turned her off and she didn’t want to mention it. Easier to make a location excuse. Either way I’d get more college visits in. I’ve heard some say it just clicks after they visit so maybe she is hoping for that still. She still has some time. I’d get her to compare them all financially too. That’s what was the final push to UA for my DS.
There is so much truth to that, weather on the days you’re there too. I purposely booked an apartment just blocks away from campus so we could walk in and out the entire weekend. We went to one very nice option on what turned out to be the coldest day of the spring, and it definitely affected the overall vibe.
Your daughter has some fine options there and none of them appear to be bad choices, just more expensive ones. I hope it works out well for you and your daughter
I understand the location issue. D has that same issue though Alabama is currently sitting on top of her list. She really didn’t like Tuscaloosa. Its too big to be charming, but too small to have all the benefits of a city. But she is trying to overlook that to just focus on the school. She loved the school and loved the people. Of all the schools we visited, it was the best visit. We are visiting her current number 2 choice in a couple weeks in the middle of February which should be interesting. I’m hoping the weather doesn’t play too much of a factor in the decision and that she can just focus on the schools.
Thanks for the update, TuckerTroy. Good luck to your daughter!
