Thanks. We did visit U of A in April and did enjoy the visit. The city was very nice and all the cities leading into Fayetville were also nice. Wasn’t 100% sure of engineering dept. What made you think they were strong? What other schools have u considered?
If he liked Colorado Mines, there are similar small engineering focused schools in New Mexico and South Dakota, with significantly lower prices.
SD was on our list but it’s very small even though the price is very good. I think he’ s wanting a more “flagship” school even though, if we could afford Mines, he’d go. Just a surreal campus and city.
@raven2016, it sounds like you’ve got a good plan in place.
FWIW, my son just completed his freshman year at Bama in ME and he’s presently doing a co-op in state with another co-op student from Mississippi State. (Their boss is an Auburn grad. 
)
ME is one of the strongest engineering departments at Bama, so if he likes the overall package, and given his stats, I’m guessing he’ll do just fine there. But if your son is specifically interested in SEC schools, he should look at Auburn and possibly even Vanderbilt, depending on your family’s financial situation as they are fairly generous with need-based aid. (Their football team stinks, however! :D)
Another school in the SEC to consider is the University of Kentucky. A friend recently visited the College of Engineering with her son, and was very favorably impressed. Here is a link to merit scholarship awards at UK: http://www.uky.edu/financialaid/scholarship-incoming-freshmen
Yet another school in the SEC to look at is the University of Tennessee; your son might qualify for a full tuition scholarship there: http://onestop.utk.edu/your-money/covering-costs/scholarships/volunteer-scholarship/
A non-SEC school you might want to look at is the University of Cincinnati, which has a good mechanical engineering program. Here is a link to merit scholarship information there: http://admissions.uc.edu/scholarships.html
Oh no, another backyard brawl between the tigers and the elephants.
Thanks for the info. The big reason we are interested in the SEC schools is their “generous” scholarships based on academics compared to other schools. Plus it’s also an opportunity to branch out of state. Ole Miss, MSU, U of Ark,and UAL were paying for tuition with Alabama giving the most - $25,000 plus $2500 for engineering. That’s without any competitive scholarships that he would still apply for. I also do like the looks of UK.
As you know, it’s crazy and can be overwhelming.
@raven2016 Your son should also look into Bama’s Computer-Based Honors Program. He’d be a strong candidate, and that can also mean more merit money.
BTW…you asked if honors programs are nerdy…lol…no, they’re not.
What’s the difference between that and Honors College? Thanks
It’s an elite program within the Honors College, @raven2016. Student has to go through a formal process more akin to applying to a highly-selective university: http://honors.ua.edu/computer-based-honors-program/
The amount the school is giving u needs to be evaluated in light of the net cost…Bama is much more than Ole Miss to start with, I believe. .
Also, these schools all seem similar on paper, but once u visit u realize each has a very different feel. Bama is beautiful, but I can see some people being overwhelmed by its size…its huge and there’s construction everywhere. Ole miss seems cozy and manageable in comparison.
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and there's construction everywhere.
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This is not true. I live in Tuscaloosa. I’m on campus frequently. There is not “construction everywhere”. There is very limited construction going on.
Picking a school is a balance between school reputation and price. You can check engineering school ranking in the web. If the school is too expensive, skip it.
Visit the school and check out the facility (computer labs, machine tool labs, dorms) and average class size.
Find out if professors are actually teaching the classes.
Determine where your son wants to live after graduation. If he wants to live in Colorado, pick a school there.