@Salesboy, love your post, and I’ve pretty much argued the same thing myself. I graduated from Not Penn State in 1982, and my son (whose stats would have placed him solidly in the 50th percentile at Penn) is a happy Bama student today. I don’t think anyone would mistake Bama for an Ivy League school, but that isn’t always a bad thing. No regrets and no apologies from our family. 
I just say that the combination of free tuition and an Honors College that has more really smart kids than any other school (eg National Merit Finalists) made it a no brainer.
We have gotten it too. In fact, my own husband was like that too at first. For him, though, it was the distance. When I started telling him about it- all the perks and positives- he came around and now defends it every time someone says something. Truth is, I kinda don’t want to explain myself anymore. Best kept secret… and I’d kinda like to keep it that way. (I have 2 more girls coming up!!!). LOL!!!
I was surprised when a friend made the comment “I don’t know why your son is at UA” the summer AFTER my son completed his freshman year. A good school, growing engineering department, opportunities like the University Scholars Program, STEM to MBA, the honors college, winning football team AND (for my son) graduating from college with both his undergrad and masters in 4 years WITHOUT debt, and a job at a well-known company after graduation - that’s why!!! We sent my youngest son to UA without a second thought.
We are from the midwest (suburban Chicago). When we were asked why our daughter had chosen UA (and, FWIW, it was never asked in a way that we thought showed any negativity toward UA), I would say that she wanted a large state flagship and Alabama had the smallest “feel” of the various flagships we had looked at, plus it had a great football team and generous scholarships. And then I would admit that I suspected she really chose it for the awesome dorms.
Just had a senior tell me the other day that he toured three schools over the summer, and he loved all three. Two are in state – in Virginia. One is a prestigious, private school OOS. Then, he made some comment about student debt. I told him that if he had the scores and the grades, head south. There are schools that will reward you for your big test scores and GPA … and they offer outstanding educations, too!
I think what really got him to rethink his college path was when I mentioned that my two sons have never paid tuition. One is a Bama grad who had a National Merit scholarship. The other is at UAH on a tuition ride. The Bama grad is now starting his third year at UVA law, and he has a full tuition/fees scholarship. The younger son may follow him to UVA but in the business school. And they have had wonderful experiences – academic and social – while in the Alabama university system.
Bama seems like the polar opposite of an Ivy. But if beyond the merit offer it truly is a fit for your child it’s certainly worth a look. If your child can thrive there and launch a successful life don’t worry about the stares or questions.
Show them that one page graphic that shows all the high stats and OOS students from this year’s freshman class.
Oh and I throw the stats out in the engineering program and what they’ve accomplished and mention that the first two years, UA has cut my son a check each semester rather than the other way around. I’ve also said UA recruits high stats students like other schools recruit football players.
For the high stat’s kid:
(1) free tuition
(2) Honors College courses with Ivy-caliber professors
(3) potential eligibility for highly selective Computer-Based Honors Program and/or University Fellows Experience
(4) the chance to be yet another in the long line of UA students to have been named Truman, Goldwater, Hollings, and Fulbright scholars
(5) a geographically diverse student body
(7) and, most importantly, resources you just won’t find elsewhere!
Some clarification regarding #7 - I’m not just referring to the state-of-the-art engineering facilities, or the exemplary business & marketing program, or even the resources for students interested in sports-related fields such as athletic training. You will find prof’s in just about every department who are doing important work in their fields, and, for many areas of study, there are geographic, cultural, historical, environmental, technological, and/or business resources available that are specific to Alabama. The list goes on and on, and it is constantly evolving - there are opportunities available today at UA that didn’t exist when my son enrolled two years ago! While other state universities are cutting funding and restricting enrollment to “impacted” (over-subscribed) majors, UA is moving forward and expanding.
@dodgersmom can you please share more on the Ivy-caliber professors?
I would not compare UA to an Ivy, but it’s hardly the “polar opposite” of one either. Certainly its campus (and many of its students) can hold their own against the Ivies. This appeared in Architectural Digest back in 2011, when they ran the feature, “15 College Campuses with the Best Architecture: These universities feature magnificent architectural feats steeped in nostalgia.”
http://www.architecturaldigest.com/gallery/college-campus-architecture
Shelby Hall houses much of the College of Engineering, FYI.
Not only that, they actually recruit far more high stats kids than they recruit football players. In 2013, they had more national merit scholars than anyone else.
I am a big fan of what UA is doing (but still haven’t been able to convince my D to apply).
http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/article/20160820/NEWS/160829976?tc=cr New Strategic Plan discussed, it focuses on boosting research funding and percentage of tenured faculty
http://eng.ua.edu/about/numbers/ excellent overview of the impressive stats for UA’s College of Engineering
@LucieTheLakie are you comparing UA to the Ivies?
One is a large public. The others small privates.
One is an elite sports school. The others play Ivy League sports.
One is in the Deep South. The others in the Northeast.
One has a warm climate. The others have cold winters.
Bottom line they are quite different.
No, @ClarinetDad16, you are the one who compared UA to the Ivies - by describing them as “polar opposites.” @LucieTheLakie did no more than respond to your post.
As for your question to me regarding Ivy-caliber professors, I stand by what I said. The Honors College goes out of its way to recruit “the best of the best” of UA faculty to teach the Honors College seminars, and some of those prof’s are absolutely extraordinary. Spend a few hours researching the Honors College seminars, and perhaps you’ll see what I mean.
As for your own comparison of the Ivies to Alabama . . . well, I’d have to agree with you regarding geography, climate, and sports teams: they are not the same. As for your statement that UA is public and the Ivies private - again, agreed. None of the Ivies is particularly “small,” as that term is commonly understood, but whatever. None of this has anything to do with the topic of this thread, however, and hijacking is generally frowned upon, so if you feel that further comparison is needed, please start your own thread.
@ClarinetDad16, I specifically said, in TWO different posts here, that I wouldn’t compare UA to the Ivies, but your characterizing them as “polar opposites” isn’t accurate either IMHO.
The Ivies are all different from each other, and they’re hardly all “small.” I am a Penn grad and I love the campus (home to 20,000 FT students, BTW), but Alabama’s campus is one of the most beautiful I’ve ever seen, and its engineering complex is state-of-the-art.
As the state flagship and arguably the “best” university in Alabama, it has an air about it (and many of its students a level of affluence) that makes it feel fairly rarified if not exclusive. It does not feel like a typical “public,” whatever that means exactly.
Also, while the Ivies aren’t going to compete with the SEC in football, their Div. I athletics are hardly rinky-dink. In fact, the Quaker men’s basketball team made it to the Final Four when I was a freshman, and many Ivy teams today are top-ranked in their respective sports (crew, fencing).
No I didn’t see post 17
Did you see post #31, @ClarinetDad16 ???
Apparently I should have used more precise language for those who don’t do nuance. Rather than say “compare,” I should have used “equate.” So let me clarify: I would not EQUATE UA with an Ivy, but it is NOT a polar opposite either. For polar opposite, see: Wesleyan University or Reed College, two lovely colleges that don’t give a rat’s patootie about athletic success or Greek Life.