That’s why I’m waiting to take my son to campus for his official visit in March - the place looked ‘dead’ and although we’re from CT I’d love the place to make as much a nice impression as their awesome scholarship offer has
@5FuzzyLabz What place looked dead?
For those planning campus visits, most campuses do not “look lively” if you visit on weekends, particularly weekend mornings. Classes aren’t being held, students SLEEP IN or lounge around their dorms, are quietly studying or working in labs, or working part time jobs.
As mom2cks said in another thread, my DD is a sophomore civil eng major at UA, STEM MBA, and she is doing two tracks in civil eng (which only adds 3 classes, other track is architectural eng). She did come in with some AP credits. She has an excellent internship lined up for this summer with an excellent construction company (is national and international) - has position with office that is local to parents’ home. Summer 2017 will be with 9 hours graduate business courses before her senior year of engineering (graduate 2018 and finish MBA May 2019 if following her current path).
Civil eng is an excellent field, esp with all the water/sewer projects under way in old major cities, new construction/growth, etc. DD went to UA’s week of their HS summer program SITE (Student Introduction to Engineering, which of course also covers CS which is in Eng College) and figured out the field she liked the best.
One of DDs room-mates for the last 2 years is high stat, is in eng and in a sorority, but many in eng are not. DD has another sophomore friend in sorority who is high stat, desiring to go into medicine.
DD is in Million Dollar Band (MDB), so that is her ‘tribe’ plus some other activities and having met other students. Last night they went to the Tuscaloosa NCAA regional gymnastics tournament (UA first place, then Cal, Boise State, KY, WVA and Bowling Green) - the Ann Arbor NCAA regional gymanastic finals standing had AU tied with Stanford for first, then MI, Eastern MI, Penn State, and New Hampshire. UA’s gymnastic meets are entertaining and exciting (UA student attend for free, but I don’t know about a regional tournament…)
Going to one of the honors programs before school starts (OA, AA) or Camp 1831, or early college does help students acclimate and meet others. MDB Rookie Camp goes on at the same time Sorority Rush goes on and some of those other camps. DD joined SWE (Society of Women Engineers) but hasn’t been active. There is a co-ed eng fraternity that is relatively low cost compared to other Greek.
Happy to answer any UA prospective questions @SumusPrimiQS @LostTexan @ChaddsFord .
If a student has a ride or transportation home, they may go home more than once a semester, but being 3 hours from Atlanta airport isn’t an issue when the airfare is at a pretty big savings, or direct or one stop flight home. B’ham rates are often good for some destinations. The shuttle service, ride share, or student driving to airport all are used by UA students. Sometimes parents come to campus to meet up with their student - some moms/dads miss their student and are ‘homesick’ for them more than the student is.
Hopefully students and parents can evaluate which school is best for them.
Someone mentioned College Station - I got a graduate degree at TAMU so can speak to that, general or private messaging questions.