<p>Hey guys, I’m an international student from China who recently got admitted to UA with the presidential scholarship (SAT:1430/2180, GPA:3.89). Being a international student from a not-so-affluent lower-middle class Chinese family and wanting to go to a med school after graduation (I know this sounds outright crazy, but I’ve done my research and I’m willing to take the risk), I’m really taking into consideration the financial aspect of my post-secondary education and therefore UA appears as quite an attraction to me.</p>
<p>Having lived in Connecticut for the past two years ('cause my mom went to Yale for a research opportunity), I have no idea whatsoever as to what the south is like maybe except for that there aren’t that many Asians as are up in the north and the only places I’m familiar with are places like New Hampshire and Mass. Therefore sometimes I wonder if I’m making the right decision, because I have a bad feeling about going to a school dominated by football jocks and fratboys. The only vague images I have for the south are mere stereotypes from comedians like Bill Hicks or my friends (“Don’t go there they’re all bunch of racists” lol ) When I tell my friends that I’m really considering this state school in Alabama, they are all like " You are joking, right? ", which frustrates me a great deal</p>
<p>So here’s my question: How is UA / the South (Weather, people, dorms, intellectual seriousness, independents in the school, attitude towards Asians, local music scene, etc?) and how is UA for a premed student ?</p>
<p>People aren’t going to give you a hard time for being Asian. lol </p>
<p>The people are very friendly. MUCH more friendlier than what you’ve likely experienced in the NE. lol </p>
<p>The weather is:</p>
<p>Hot in the summer, but thankfully, students aren’t in school for most of the summer. It will be hot the first few weeks of school, but then the best weather appears…pleasant temps with sunny blue skies and lovely trees changing colors. </p>
<p>In the winter, it does get cold (not like the NE!!). Still, there will often be sunny blue skies with white puffy clouds…even when it’s cold. So, pants, long sleeves, jacket and warm shoes will be needed.</p>
<p>Then…ahhh…spring…gorgeous! Tulips blooming all over campus. The hardwood trees will be flowering. And the weather is just wonderful. </p>
<p>There will be occasional rain. Rain can come without a lot of warning, so I always advise kids to keep either a small umbrella or lightweight hooded foldable jacket in their backpacks for those times that it is raining while you have to walk from class to class. </p>
<p>I’ve noticed that people in the UA forum tend to talk in an exuberant way and hopefully that’ll be the indication for friendliness. </p>
<p>And thanks for the update on the weather, 'cause I’ll be heading to AL pretty soon in January.</p>
<p>My mom suggests me to major in good ol’ Bio ( She’s a dermatologist in China) but I’m actually thinking about engineering which seems to be a real good back-up plan if med school doesn’t work out ( the acceptance rate for intl’ students to US med school is pretty grim). However, I know that engineering is pretty intense a major and it’ll likely hurt my GPA. Such a dilemma, right?</p>
<p>That’s a brilliant GPA your son has, especially considering that he is majoring in engineering.</p>
<p>I do know about the extra stipend engineer majors carry. Yet I put “pre-medical” on the application, so I’m not sure if they would still grant me the money. But I’ll still try to talk to the admission about it.</p>
<p>I took an undergraduate computer engineering class from Yale during my junior year. Lab hours were grueling and tests were brutal. Regretfully I slacked during the middle of that semester which resulted in a C on my transcript. I’ve been pretty good in all my AP classes ( Calc AB,BC, Physics B, Chem, Bio) and I especially enjoy maths and physics. I feel like mechanical engineering might interest me.</p>
<p>To change your major to engineering you can just go into your mybama account and make the change. The school will pick up the change of major and send you notification of the extra 2500 shortly after you make the change. My dd originally put chemistry as her major but when we visited we met with a chemical engineering professor (an asian woman and she told dd that she could double major in chemistry and chemical engineering in order to get the extra 2500 - that is what she has decided to do (if she goes to UA).</p>
<p>I’m currently a sophomore at UA on a presidential scholarship. I grew up in NJ and went to high school in Connecticut, so I understand your position a bit.</p>
<p>The south is very different, and it took me a while to get used to it. The weather, the people, the politics, etc. are going to in some ways be pretty different from what you’re used to. There are things I like and dislike about the south, and while I would never stay here after graduation, I’m very glad I chose to attend UA.</p>
<p>For me personally, the weather and the free education I’m receiving more than make up the things I don’t like as much about the south as a region. (I’ll also add that I know people from everywhere from New England to California who absolutely love the south, so this is just one girl’s opinion.)</p>
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Weather is perfect, people are generally pretty friendly, dorms are amazing, intellectual seriousness depends strongly on your major and group of friends, I don’t think there really is any pervasive attitude toward Asians, and the local music scene is pretty good – there are some good musicians at fraternity parties, local bars, and the Tuscaloosa Amphitheater.</p>
<p>If you have any further questions, feel free to send me a message!</p>
<p>I do know about the extra stipend engineer majors carry. Yet I put “pre-medical” on the application, so I’m not sure if they would still grant me the money. But I’ll still try to talk to the admission about it.</p>
<p>Go to MyBama and click on the Academics Tab. Scroll down on the left column to change your major to an eng’g major. Pre-med isnt’ a major. I wish UA didn’t list premed as a major since that’s confusing.</p>
<p>@mom2collegekids: I am basically in the exact same situation as your S. I am leaning towards Alabama and chemical engineering major! Your S has my dream GPA for med school and I was just wondering how difficult it was for him in this specific major? Did he find himself constantly consumed in studies? I really want to have a good time as well as maintain the grades I need for med school, and I’m just a bit worried chemical engineering will be stressful.</p>
<p>My son does study, but he also attends football games and a few parties. During most of his college years, he’s had a girlfriend, so he’s has a social life. He’s also worked part-time during his college years. However, one semester he did work very little since he was taking Orgo II that semester. </p>
<p>Balance is key. Don’t let yourself get behind. Balance harder classes with lighter classes. Take advantage of AP credits when you can.</p>
<p>RicketyRicky, I am a Texan living in Illinios. When I moved here I thought here would be less prejudice because it’s not in the South. To be honest, I see no difference, people are people. Most are good, some a closed-minded…and I just avoid them. I believe you will find Southerners very friendly and accepting.</p>
<p>It’s good to hear that there isn’t any pervasive racial attitude against us. Yet then again I agree that people are people, I remember running into a jackass picking on me (for being Asian) the first day I went to my current high school. However I soon found my niche among a group of decent kids and that never happened again. I think I was just mainly worrying about making friends in a whole different environment like everyone else who’s going to college.</p>
<p>I just recently received the invitation to the Capstone Scholar Day and my mom is gonna book our flights and hotel tomorrow. We’ll be renting a car and staying there for the whole weekend, hanging around the surrounding area and probably Birmingham. Just checked out UA’s housing website and from the photos the dorms look pretty awesome. Is there any dorm tour available in January ?</p>
<p>Don’t go to a school in the south. With your credentials, you are going to be miserable in a school like Alabama. You have too high a GPA. You’re too smart and the students will be below you. Perhaps I’m too much of an educational elitist in that aspect, but there are plenty of northern schools with prices comparable to Alabama. In the south, diversity isn’t a strong suit. Neither is progressive thinking or open-mindedness. Of course you have your exceptions (UGA for example, they actually have a wonderful program and are great for pre med… Something to consider if you’re set on the south), but Alabama is not one of them. Frat culture there is huge and the hazing was so terrible that they had to get rid of pledging all together. Maybe you will end up liking the culture there, but honestly it is very stereotypical. A HUGE culture shock from the north.</p>
<p>Absolute rubbish. My son is a NMF who nailed a near perfect score on the SAT and was educated at one of the finest college prep academies in the nation. He’s had no problem finding intellectual peers.</p>
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<p>The only thing stereotypical here is the author’s characterization of Alabama. A great example of the pot calling the kettle black.</p>
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<p>Nonsense. Read the posts in this forum about the numerous northern students who’ve experienced zero culture shock coming to UA. My son is from the most racially and ethnically diverse state in the country. He is of mixed race himself (including East Indian and Filipino). Zero culture shock for him as well.</p>
<p>Visit UA if you can and discover for yourself what so many of us have discovered about this wonderful place. Don’t let the fear mongers scare you off.</p>
<p>By the way, in this so-called huge fraternity/sorority culture over 70% of the student body belongs to neither and half the incoming class is from out-of-state.</p>
<p>Speaking of this year’s freshman class…not only are over half out of state but there are 240 NMF’s and hundred’s (if not thousand’s? UA doesn’t publish the #'s) of Presidentials, UA Scholars and the like…</p>
<p>Don’t listen to the nay sayers…they don’t know what they are missing…check it out for yourself!</p>
<p>Funny, coming from the most closed-minded poster on this thread.</p>
<p>My son is at a small southern LAC, and he expected it to be a change coming from a very liberal northern college town. It has been–but in only good ways. There are students from all over the world, even though the majority are from the south. His roommate is from China. Both of them love their school and are thriving. Their fellow students are similarly smart and open-minded. My son loves being around people of backgrounds different from his, and exploring a new part of the country on weekends and breaks.</p>
<p>I also think the comparison between UGA and Alabama is off. Alabama seems to be making a concerted effort to attract smart kids from all over the country and world, and offering them substantial scholarships to do so.</p>
<p>I always find it ironic that the people who are most vehement about the failings of a culture or people are personifying the actual traits that they claim the others have - closed minded and biased. Sorry, aviata01 - you can’t judge people you haven’t met based on what you see on TV.</p>
<p>I am happy to say that Hollywood is not always right. Just like New Jersey is not a state of Snooki’s and Jionni’s, the south is not comprised of rednecks and idiots. Please come and visit and decide for yourself.</p>
and she told dd that she could double major in chemistry and chemical engineering in order to get the extra 2500 - that is what she has decided to do (if she goes to UA).</p>