lol…you can only edit a post for about 15 minutes, so…
But…you’ll always remember…UA, UA, UA!
Linydadtotwo, I too used AU instead of UA once and got called out. I think many OOS parents do so we all understand. However, we all DO catch it when someone else makes the mistake. Welcome and roll tide!
@LINYDadtotwo Don’t worry about the faux pas, once you visit, the abbreviation UA will “Roll Tide” right out 
By the way if you want to try BBQ in an UA atmosphere, try Full Moon at the Tuscaloosa location. Here is the link:
http://fullmoonbbq.com/
There are also a lot of supporters for Dreamland BBQ. Here is the link:
http://www.dreamlandbbq.com/Restaurants.aspx
However, I prefer Full Moon. Enjoy!!!
@LINYDadtotwo just wanted to add a few things. We are also OOS and have a long drive from PA. Your son will not be coming home all that often, not like a kid who is only 2-3 hours from home. Make peace with that. Book your flights way ahead of time, to get the best times & cheapest rates. It is a learning process & all us OOS parents are learning quickly.
This year a parent did arrange shuttle service to Atlanta. In the past it fell though as not enough interest. I believe with the increasing numbers of OOS students, this could be a great alternative to Birmingham.
I have looked into Amtrak for DS. It is a long trip. We have traveled by train in the past and we all enjoyed it. In retrospect, I wish we had tried the train for August move in. The rates are reasonable, but close to 24 hour trip just to get him to Philly. I am looking at a combination of train & pick up at station that isn’t such a long trip.
DS is in a dorm w/ 3 other OOS students and loving it. They all get along great & are good friends. We paid the housing deposit early just to get the opportunity for him to select his dorm. I despise the Greek system, and it was a huge concern for me in his attending. However, it has not been an issue at all. I would not say that w/ a girl as there are far more girls in sororities than guys in frats.
- Alabama is not New York by any means, but most students find the culture shock to be fairy minimal. Outside of some regional brands and regional specialties, one can find almost anything in Tuscaloosa. Southern culture is big on politeness and friendliness. People will hold open doors and spend significant amounts of time talking to complete strangers in the grocery store, for example. This might take some getting used to, but is a very useful skill to have.
I am definitely not a fan of driving between Atlanta and Birmingham. Noting that the unofficial speed limit rises once one leaves Georgia, the drive is 3+ hours surrounded by lots of semi trucks. If you like NASCAR or even have a casual interest in it, definitely stop at Talladega Superspeedway.
Normally, I tell people to pay the extra $0-50 per person and fly into Birmingham as the airport is extremely easy to navigate, the rental cars are in the parking garage right outside, and it’s at most 65-70 minutes to Tuscaloosa.
I came from Seattle to attend UA, so I didn’t drive home for breaks. However, my advice for those new to long distance driving is to consider taking their breaks at stops (Love’s, Pilot, Flying J, TA, Petro). Major truck stops are safe, located just off the interstates, have plenty of clean restrooms, and pretty good food options.
- UA is currently building or just completed a new baseball stadium, which meant that the D1 team played in Birmingham the past year. I knew a number of students who played club sports (mainly rugby or Ultimate Frisbee) and they really enjoyed their experiences.
- I'm not an expert on the music programs other than if one has the musical talent to join a group and is willing to practice, they will typically find a group that interests them.
- While I was not Greek, it is something I encourage students to at least consider. Greek life does not dominate campus social life unless one really wants it to.
Just to add a couple of comments…just returned from Parents Weekend visiting our DD who is a freshman. Honors College is awesome, they have done many great things to get the kids involved, and off to a good start academically and socially. Our DD is from the Midwest and has had literally zero problems with the change in culture. She did take a little good natured ribbing this weekend from her sister about her new found love for sweet tea. That, of course, changed when her sister then tasted banana pudding complete with vanilla wafers for the first time and fell in love with it. The culture is easy, friendly, and welcoming. People literally say “hi” everywhere, they are happy to help a visitor if they are lost, and the campus is gorgeous.
We just returned from our visit with our son.
Sunday: We flew from NY to Atl. No problem. Son wearing Bama shirt while traveling was getting “Roll Tide” shout outs in the Atlanta airport after the big win Sat. night. We were then upgraded to a large pickup truck for the 3 hr. drive by Alamo…fit right in in that! The drive was nice. Rolled in on Sunday at about 2 to the Hotel Capstone. You could tell there was a battle fought there the night before!!
It was overcast and rainy and we were tired. Napped, then went for a drive around campus to get our bearings. Attended the church adjacent to the hotel (brand new, large, packed!). Got a nice feel and went to bed.
Monday: Woke up Monday morning and met the honors staff. They were great. Met with Engineering Prof. He was great!
Met with Honors Student for lunch in Lakeside. Excellent ambassador for the University. National Merit, CBH, STEM/MBA. Engineering. Answered many of our questions about quality of student and atmosphere as well as academic rigor etc.
Did the standard university tour and obtained a better feel for the dimensions and overall layout of the university. This was on a bus that started in the south end zone of the stadium and ended in the center of campus.
We then met with CBH. Loved the feel and energy of the CBH lab. They seem to really know what they are looking for and I don’t think it is purely stats. based. It seemed to be more of a “who is a good fit” vibe. Very interesting program. My son wants to apply to this program.
We then attended the $1Mil Band practice. It was amazing. We had many of our music questions answered. Seems like he would have to transition from bass clarinet to clarinet, but also they have piano and synth keyboard from the band on the field so he will audition on keyboard as that is his main instrument as well as the clarinet. In his mind the student body gets to attend some of the games…but the M$B MUST attend all of the games!!
We then sought out some BBQ and ended up at Jim and Nicks. It was late and dark and although we heard many Archibald and Dreamland recommendations…we went with something closer. I can’t imagine they could be much better than Jim and Nicks…but I hope to be able to compare varieties over the next 4 years.
My son then took his laptop to the bar at the Hotel Capstone so he could talk to everyone that passed or came in throughout the night to get more information and better feel.
Tuesday: We went to the Student Activity Center to find out about the club baseball team. We found a member of the team manning the entry desk area and obtained the needed info. We then went into the music building to get a feel for piano practice room availability etc.
We left at around 1 and returned home through Atlanta back to Long Island.
Great trip. My son loved it. My wife still isn’t crazy about the distance, but she just requested better carry on luggage for Christmas!
Impressions:
- Everyone at the University and surrounding area was helpful, friendly, and seemed genuinely happy to be there and to meet with us. It did not in any way feel like a 37,000 student university. It felt so personal and comfortable. Contrasted greatly in feel to NY.
- The campus is beautiful, spacious, new and under construction. Everything is well maintained and clean.
- The academic caliber of student that we interfaced with was very strong. It seems that the honors program is attracting the type of student that will continue to build a strong alumni network which will occupy leadership positions in industry, government and the community in general for years to come. Dr. Witt’s vision is becoming a reality.
- Everyone we spoke with was “in the building” Saturday night for the LSU game.
- It is far for us!
My son does not have acceptances from, or hasn’t applied to, all of the schools that are on his list. He is working through the process. His feeling is that there will probably not be a place that is better suited for him than Bama. He will keep an open mind and continue through the process, however, it will be tough for any combination of academics, athletics, extracurricular activities, economics, and attitude to supplant this opportunity as his primary focus.
Thanks again to all who helped on this site to give great advice.
Roll Tide!
Thank you for your update! Glad to hear that your trip went well!
Another fun fact for you, If he loves playing piano, some of the dorms have pianos in them. To list a couple, Ridgecrest south has one on the first floor. In the riverside community center there is one on the top floor. In Presidential Village 1 there is one on the seventh floor. All of these pianos are nice baby grands that they keep up with tuning them.
Congrats @LINYDadtotwo ! Sounds like a great trip. We were there on Monday, but drove back to Atlanta Monday night. We, too, really enjoyed our time there. I was surprised at the energy level after that crazy fun weekend.
The suggestion, upthread, to spring for the flight to BHM is spot on. We will be doing that from now on (though this time we drove from Atlanta to Huntsville [UAH] and then on to Tuscaloosa).
LINYDadtotwo: What a great trip report! No doubt will be very helpful to many who are considering UA. ROLL TIDE!!!
@LINYDadtotwo Thanks for the updated report after your visit, seems like you had the opportunity to meet interesting students and faculty. I am very excited to hear that your family liked T-Town and that your son felt very comfortable on campus. By the way, Jim 'N Nicks is great BBQ!
Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions that you have about travel, UA, or CBH. I believe that you have been given my contact information, if not, PM me. 
Thanks for the feedback. Son got a Presidential Scholarship and then an additional School of Engineering Scholarship this week. Going down to Capstone day on Jan 16 to check out the fit. Currently it’s a safety but, sounds like you guys loved it a lot. Maybe a day will change things:)
Just noticed this thread, somehow I missed it. As another LI NY dad to two, one being a senior at UA, feel free to aak or contact me with any questions.
^ Somehow I always thought Chardo was a mom, lol.