<p>Being from the Atlanta area, I would strongly disagree with the statement regarding UGA. My daughter, NMF and Presidential Scholar, specifically chose not to apply there because it would have been just like another 4 years of a suburban Atlanta high school. She has thrived academically at Alabama in a double major while training at an intense level as a triathlete. She will graduate debt free with the ability to use our college savings for a doctoral degree in physical therapy. She is a hard core liberal despite being a native Southerner with 2 Southern parents. She doesn’t agree politically or religiously with everything she hears but that hasn’t kept her experience from being amazing in every way.</p>
<p>Some people find it difficult to let go of stereotypes due to their own prejudices. I won’t waste my time trying to understand what satisfaction they find in ■■■■■■■■ forums to spread their ignorance, but I will address what I know to be true about The University of Alabama.</p>
<p>The truth is none of us can predict a potential student’s happiness or success at the UA. While my family loves the UA, no school can be all things to all people. You’ll need to make a visit and decide for yourself. That’s all it took for my children to know for sure they’d be happy. Once they visited campus, they knew without a doubt they’d found something special at The University of Alabama and once they visited, they never doubted their choice. Our children are all top performing students academically, very mature, and embrace academic challenges and opportunities for community service. Each of our children could choose from many top colleges. They all love the UA.</p>
<p>A student’s happiness, ability to make friends, and academic success is largely dependent upon the attitude of the individual student no matter where the choose to attend. While the UA has much to offer, any student who arrives on campus with his or her own set of stereotypical expectations of the south, who harbors feelings of intellectual superiority to others, or who actively seeks opportunities to identify racial, religious, or cultural prejudices of others, will likely find what they’re looking for on any campus. Racial, religious, cultural, and Greek/non-Greek, and political divisiveness will only be a problem if a student wants it to be at The University of Alabama.</p>
<p>Is the UA perfect? No, but it certainly provides a welcoming, nurturing, inclusive, and absolutely beautiful campus chocked full of all the benefits of a large university while maintaining its southern roots of hospitality and charm.</p>
<p>Some things I’m thankful for at the UA include:</p>
<p>Generous, guaranteed merit scholarships for academically talented students (although this should not be the sole determining factor in choosing a school)
[Types</a> of Scholarships - Undergraduate Scholarships - The University of Alabama](<a href=“http://scholarships.ua.edu/types/]Types”>http://scholarships.ua.edu/types/)</p>
<p>Beautiful campus which is well-maintained
[Virtual</a> Campus Tour - The University of Alabama](<a href=“Page Not Found | The University of Alabama”>Page Not Found | The University of Alabama)
[Facility</a> Facts](<a href=“http://www.uafacilities.ua.edu/pages/facts.htm]Facility”>http://www.uafacilities.ua.edu/pages/facts.htm)</p>
<p>Excellent academic and research opportunities
[Quick</a> Facts: Did You Know? - The University of Alabama](<a href=“Page Not Found | The University of Alabama”>Page Not Found | The University of Alabama)
[Research</a> - The University of Alabama](<a href=“Page Not Found | The University of Alabama”>Page Not Found | The University of Alabama)</p>
<p>Vision and successful leadership by the administration
[Administration</a> - The University of Alabama](<a href=“Page Not Found | The University of Alabama”>Page Not Found | The University of Alabama)
[UA</a> Viewbook - Undergraduate Admissions - The University of Alabama](<a href=“Page Not Found | The University of Alabama”>Quick Facts | The University of Alabama)</p>
<p>Outstanding housing and dining
[Student</a> Affairs | Housing & Residential Communities](<a href=“http://housing.ua.edu/halls/hall_list.cfm#]Student”>http://housing.ua.edu/halls/hall_list.cfm#)</p>
<p>The UA has a heart for service
[Outreach</a> - The University of Alabama](<a href=“Page Not Found | The University of Alabama”>Page Not Found | The University of Alabama)</p>
<p>Athletics
[Athletics</a> - The University of Alabama](<a href=“Page Not Found | The University of Alabama”>Page Not Found | The University of Alabama)</p>
<p>The overwhelming sense of community in Tuscaloosa
[Tuscaloosa</a> Recovery - We Are Back (Full Version) - YouTube](<a href=“Tuscaloosa Recovery - We Are Back (Full Version) - YouTube”>Tuscaloosa Recovery - We Are Back (Full Version) - YouTube)</p>
<p>[Tuscaloosa</a> AL Tornado Tribute I Won’t Let Go - YouTube](<a href=“Tuscaloosa AL Tornado Tribute I Won't Let Go - YouTube”>Tuscaloosa AL Tornado Tribute I Won't Let Go - YouTube)</p>
<p>To the OP and any other students and families who are wondering what The University of Alabama has to offer, plan your visit to campus now. Experience the hospitality and explore the amazing opportunities for yourself. If you have questions, ask them here. You’ll find a wealth of information from the regular posters here.</p>
<p>Y’all make your way down to Tuscaloosa and the rest will be history. Roll Tide! :)</p>
<p>“She is a hard core liberal.”</p>
<p>Universities are becoming increasingly radicalized.</p>
<p>[Survey</a> finds that professors, already liberal, have moved further to the left | Inside Higher Ed](<a href=“http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2012/10/24/survey-finds-professors-already-liberal-have-moved-further-left]Survey”>Survey finds that professors, already liberal, have moved further to the left)</p>
<p>One of the appeals of UA to me is that I feel that he’s less likely to get indoctrinated there than at the midwest public universities he’s considering.</p>
<p>Avita01 is a current freshman at Auburn and looking to transfer. Perhaps he/she is generalizing the experience at Auburn to the entire state of Alabama and to UA in particular. We are from the north and our impression of UA when we visited could not have been more different from Avita01’s description. We are confident that our NMF, high achieving, probably non-frat-participating Northern Jewish son will have a fantastic experience at Bama.</p>
<p>Bamagirls, well said! My S is a freshman at UA. Having lived most of his life in PA, he had no problem adjusting too life in the South. He loves it! His experience at UA has gone so well that my D, who is a current HS junior, is hoping to follow him there. 
Funny thing is that two of this three roommates (who are OS) also have younger siblings who are interested in attending UA. That should say something! Roll Tide! :)</p>
<p>:) Thanks, proudbamamom. I composed my post quickly and while distracted, so I apologize for the typos. I felt compelled to respond because I’d hate for someone to dismiss the opportunities available at the UA based upon a fallacy.</p>
<p>It’s great to hear that your family has enjoyed being a Bama family. I’m betting Lisa’s family and the others will be posting the same next year.</p>
<p>I would encourage anyone who is considering multiple schools in the South to visit each since there are many differences between the campuses and feel of The University of Alabama, auburn, UGA, Georgia Tech, and Emory. I wouldn’t begin to judge all of them without visiting each individually.</p>
<p>For those of y’all with high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors, I also recommend you take a look at opportunities through The University of Alabama Early College.</p>
<p>[University</a> of Alabama UA Early College](<a href=“http://uaearlycollege.ua.edu%5DUniversity”>http://uaearlycollege.ua.edu)</p>
<p>Take a moment to visit the website or send me a PM if you’d like. :)</p>
<p>Roll Tide!</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>In general “indoctrination” comes from religion, not higher education. It stands to reason that faculty with PhDs have honed their critical thinking skills over many years and thus fall on the liberal side of the spectrum. Being liberal, by nature, SHOULD imply tolerance of a variety of points of view rather than strident adherence to a single one. I know that is not always the case, but I don’t think your child would have any more to worry about at Wisconsin or Michigan or Ohio State than he would at Alabama.</p>
<p>lisa6191, congrats to your son. I think for my Jewish friends the fear of not being accepted is one of their reservations about the south. I was just talking with my friend from NJ/Philadelphia the other day and was astonished to learn she had never set foot in the south–not even a big city like Atlanta or Nashville or New Orleans.</p>
<p>We are currently raising our sons on on the northshore, north of Chicago…an amazing area with highly competitive public high schools. Illinois has become one of the biggest feeder states for Bama, including a good number of midwest born and bred kids from my son’s high school. Everyone one of them I’ve talked to has been very happy at The University of Alabama, feel very comfortable in Tuscaloosa. I have not talked to a single one who has found the cultural differences difficult or uncomfortable.</p>
<p>For what it’s worth, we’re a pretty culturally diverse family; I’m 1/2 Mexican, plus we have Indian & Korean Aunt, Uncle & cousins. Although native southerners, have relocated to the midwest twice and Europe once (for 7 years). My experience is, no matter where you live, there’s all kinds of folks. Hang out with the ones that lift you up, challenge you to do your best!</p>
<p>Sally305 - It probably helps that I have some experience with the south. I went to Duke undergrad (admittedly not really southern the way UA is southern), and we lived in rural northwest Tennessee for two years when my DS was little. There are certainly issues being Jewish in the Bible Belt, but for the most part we found people welcoming, friendly, and eager to learn about new things (most people we encountered in Martin Tennessee had never met a Jew before). I do think one’s own attitude often ends up defining one’s experience. Our DS couldn’t be more excited about coming to Bama, so I think he will do fine! :)</p>
<p>I am sure he will! I think it’s true that having some (any?) experience with another part of the country helps one feel comfortable there. There is no one perfect place, either. There are kind people everywhere. I think a person who visits or moves to a new area with an open mind is going to be greeted warmly, unless their behavior is EXTREMELY different or “out there” to the locals.</p>
<p>"In general “indoctrination” comes from religion, not higher education. It stands to reason that faculty with PhDs have honed their critical thinking skills over many years and thus fall on the liberal side of the spectrum. Being liberal, by nature, SHOULD imply tolerance of a variety of points of view rather than strident adherence to a single one. "</p>
<p>Universities became the most authoritarian institutions in America. </p>
<p>Fortunately, there is a conservative legal aid organization that defends freedom of speech on college campuses.</p>
<p>[The</a> Foundation for Individual Rights in Education - FIRE](<a href=“http://thefire.org/]The”>http://thefire.org/)</p>
<p>riprorin, no need to derail this thread. We are talking about whether people from a variety of backgrounds would feel comfortable at Alabama. I say yes, as do many of the other posters here. Most major universities have both conservative and liberal groups. And if a family is not comfortable with a variety of viewpoints being expressed and tolerated on campus, there are institutions (generally not state flagships) where they can find more like-minded people and fewer “threats” to their way of thinking. Try Liberty, Oral Roberts, Hillsdale, etc. if you are genuinely worried about liberal/secular viewpoints taking hold of your child.</p>
<p>Why would you suggest that I am “threatened” by different points of view? On the contrary, I believe in academic freedom. Sadly, many universities have limited free speech in the spirit of political correctness.</p>
<p>Thanks for recommendations, but I am more than capable of forming my opinion on where I should send my children to school.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Because you mentioned your concern with “indoctrination” by left-leaning professors? If you were fine with academic freedom, it wouldn’t bother you one way or another. Especially when, as I stated earlier, “liberal” implies “tolerance” and (in most cases, anyway) an absence of religious ideology–which by nature is based on beliefs and not science. To me the alternative, which I experienced in middle and high school, is far worse–teachers using a set of mythical beliefs to tell students how to think, and denying scientific facts.</p>
<p>The problem is there isn’t academic freedom at most universities. Just because “liberal” implies tolerance, that doesn’t it’s the case. You obviously didn’t look at the link I sent you which documents egregious cases of violations of freedom of speech on many college campuses.</p>
<p>You clearly have a phobia against religion. If religious people are anti-science and incapable of logical thought, how do you explain the large number of eminent Christian scientists?</p>
<p>[Scientists</a> of the Christian Faith: A Presentation of the Pioneers, Practitioners and Supporters of Modern Science](<a href=“http://www.tektonics.org/scim/sciencemony.htm]Scientists”>http://www.tektonics.org/scim/sciencemony.htm)</p>
<p>I simply suggested that for a large flagship state school it appears that UA is more tolerant and less fanatically left-wing than similar institutions. For some reason, that set you off on an anti-religion tirade.</p>
<p>Can we please drop the discussion of Indoctrination, Liberal vs Conservative, and the merits of Religion? I’m sure there are better sites for this than CC.</p>
<p>I actually think the issue of “culture” is relevant to this discussion, especially when the question is how comfortable people of different backgrounds might feel on a certain college campus. riprorin and I may disagree, but I respect her (?) interest in discussing some of the factors that go into making a campus feel welcoming and intellectually stimulating. I am happy to let it go if it bothers you, though.</p>
<p>The basic premise of the OP is that northeast universities are inclusive and universities in the south are not. That’s rubbish.</p>
<p>From my experience at a top northeastern university (albeit 30 years ago), students from China were shunned by both American students and Chinese students born in the US. The American-born Chinese (ABCs as they were called), clung together in groups and interacted very little with other students.</p>
<p>I personally developed a very close friendship with a student from Bejing University who I respected greatly. For those who shunned these students, it was their loss.</p>
<p>Should be “whom I respected”. Too late to edit.</p>
<p>Here is my take on college (and the real world). If you go into it with an open mind expecting to meet people from every walk of life, differing views politically and religiously, from different areas of the country and world, etc you will be just fine. If you go into it thinking you are only going to befriend those that are just like you, you are going to be miserable no matter where you go. The poster that is unhappy at auburn is going to be unhappy no matter where they attend IF they are not willing to experience more. This great big world has a lot to offer and I feel very sorry for those that stay closed minded and do not care to venture out of their bubble nor care to even experience this world nor the people of it. And this is coming from a girl that is religious but has traveled this country and the world and loved every minute of it!</p>