<p>My son qualifies as a UA Presidential Scholar - free tuition for four years + an extra $10,000 should he decide to major in Engineering. But he has been consistently dismissive when I’ve mentioned UA. We’re in GA, so Georgia Tech and UGA could be tuition-free as well, as long as grades stay at a certain level. I’m from Virginia and when I was growing up, my friends and I told jokes about people from West Virginia. Apparently, my son’s buddies tell similar jokes about Alabamans - that’s not helping.</p>
<p>What would you say are Bama’s best selling features?</p>
<p>Schedule an Honors visit, UA sells itself.
We visited a lot of schools, they all started to ‘seem the same’
until we visited UA. After that my son did not want to discuss other options. Georgia Tech is a great engineering school also, what is there a
reason to pump Alabama except the extra $10,000?</p>
<p>I’ll answer your question with a single word: VISIT.</p>
<p>The list is long and distinguished (I live with one!) of high school seniors who visited UA with no expectations (or pejorative preconceived notions) and the college shot to the top of the list in a single visit. Once you see the beautiful campus, feel the school spirit, meet the genuinely nice and helpful people, see the wonderful educational opportunities, it’s GAME OVER.</p>
<p>Has he visited yet? That is usually the thing that makes students (or reluctant parents) see the light about UA. If he hasn’t, I’d set up a visit through the Honors College for him. Let him see the facilities and the dorms, and let him have some face time with the Honors College staff as well as some Engineering faculty. As a parent I’d frame it as “look, let’s just go spend the day. If you hate it, I won’t bug you anymore.” Sounds like you have additional financial safeties in UGA and GT. </p>
<p>As much as I love UA, it’s not the right school for every student. But a lot of people out of area have preconceived notions that are dismissed once they see for themselves. </p>
<p>One thing we told our D: taking the full ride freed up $$ for other things that wouldn’t have been possible otherwise. Right now she’s at a study abroad program that we wouldn’t have been able to fund if we were paying for other things. Some parents offer to help with grad school if the undergrad is covered.</p>
<p>gadad - My D was in the same boat when I first mentioned UA. Once she found out about scholarships and such, she reluctantly put it on her list. I suggested we visit and she agreed. We went first to a University Day and arrived on a horrible weather day (pouring rain, 35 mph winds and 35-40 degrees). We had arranged for a quick visit with Dr Sharpe that ended up being close to 2 hours (we met a bunch more people as well). My D could not get over how nice everyone was.</p>
<p>Fast Forward - my D will be a Freshman moving in within a month. She applied and was accepted as a CBHP student. Her friends gave her a hard time as well. She just smiles and laughs back at them. </p>
<p>Try to get your son on campus for a visit. The campus and the people sell the university. We have not regretted our decision for a second. </p>
<p>vlines,
"what can you tell me about honors at UA? "
Ahhhh…
That’s ONE very open ended question, what is it you want to know?
(It’s large, popular and multifaceted) [Honors</a> College - Home](<a href=“http://honors.ua.edu/]Honors”>http://honors.ua.edu/)</p>
<p>You don’t need to do anything to promote the college, it promotes itself on first visit. Do whatever it takes to get him there. He will thank you for the rest of his life.</p>
<p>They told Columbus the world was flat and you know what he discovered.</p>
<p>When did Georgia all of a sudden become a cosmopolitan state? Other than Atlanta being mecca for black professionals, I really don’t see how the two states differ a whole lot. </p>
<p>UGA is a good school and Athens is a fun town. You couldn’t pay me to go to G’Tech because I prefer a college town atmosphere to a big city school.</p>
<p>I’d bring him over for a visit and let him see for himself that the kids at UA are pretty much the same as the kids he’ll see at UGA.</p>
<p>Just get your son to visit…the school sells itself…</p>
<p>set up a campus tour time online…try for the early morning one.
[Campus</a> Visits - Undergraduate Admissions - The University of Alabama](<a href=“http://gobama.ua.edu/visits/]Campus”>Visit)</p>
<p>send an email to Allison Verhine in the Honors College </p>
<p>In the email, include:</p>
<p>tour time and date
student name & contact info
test scores and GPA
(if a likely NMF, indicate so)
intended major
professional interests (pre-med, pre-law, pre-dental, etc)
interest in Computer Based Honors program and/or University Fellows Program (if desired)
Also, include any thing else that interests you about the school…such as touring the new Science and Engineering Complex and Shelby Hall. </p>
<p>Allison will arrange the rest of the day…meeting with dept heads, honors faculty, touring honors dorms, etc.</p>
<p>Allison Verhine - Honor College Recruitment Coordinator
269 Nott Hall
205-348-5534
<a href=“mailto:allison.verhine@ua.edu”>allison.verhine@ua.edu</a></p>
<p>Also…since I know from the past that your S is a very strong student, so he’d be an excellent candidate for the CBH program…which can sometimes provide add’l scholarship dollars to non-NMF kids. </p>
<p>vlines -
CS department is rigorous and small. Part of the College of Engineering so the basic requirements seem more intense than the CS majors we looked at when a part of College of Arts and Sciences at other universities. This also makes it a bit more difficult if you plan to double major outside of the College of Engineering as the core requirements are different, you’re kind of on your own as far as scheduling that. Like other Engineering majors, not a lot of room for extras unless you come in with APs to free up some slots. Difficult but DS likes it.</p>
<p>gadad: Look how many replies you received in half an hour! My D looked at GT as well. I wasn’t thrilled with the surrounding town. Sorry! UGA doesn’t have much in the way of engineering. That’s why it came off of our list. </p>
<p>Like all the others said, just visit. Have your son apply to the Honors College, CBHP, IHP, and/or University Fellows. They are all great programs. My D made it into CBHP and that was the tipping point for her. She met her new roommate when she interviewed for CBHP. We are so happy for our D and her decision to attend UA. </p>
<p>If you have any other questions, ask away. You know the Bama CC board has many contributors.</p>
<p>This also makes it a bit more difficult if you plan to double major outside of the College of Engineering as the core requirements are different, you’re kind of on your own as far as scheduling that.</p>
<p>It is true that it’s hard to double major while in the College of Engineering because of Core Req’ts of Arts and Sciences…</p>
<p>But…if you come in with lots of AP/dual/CLEP, then you’ll have nearly all your Core done anyway for A&S.</p>
<p>Sometimes in engineering, it’s just easier to do more minors…you get to pick and choose classes that interest you, and you don’t have to take classes that you don’t like…and no worries about extra Core classes.</p>
<p>My ChemE pre-med son doesn’t have a second major, but he does have 3 minors…chemistry, biology, and math. He probably could have done a second major, but it probably would have req’d some summer classes or not being pre-med.</p>
<p>However, what I’ve recently learned is that Bama has a nice Computer Science/ Pre -med and Pre-law track. </p>
<p>Here is the “semester by semester” plan for classes for a:
<p>gadad, four words: Science and Engineering Complex</p>
<p>Almost 1,000,000 NEW square feet devoted to research and teaching. The Complex consists of four phases, with two completed, one almost done, and one about to get started. The buildings in this complex are gorgeous, and enclose a new quadrangle green space. Check it out via the links below, and make sure to check it out when you visit campus. </p>