Need help, Alabama or Auburn?

College Search & Selection
1

<p>I'll say first off, I'm an Alabama fan, and always have been. And I've always wanted to be in the Million Dollar Band, Alabama's marching band.</p>

<p>White male, ACT 30, GPA 4.0 unweighted, planned major is software engineering/computer science.</p>

<p>I like both campuses. I've visited both of them and I feel like I could live comfortably on them and have a lot of fun. I plan on applying to either's honors college.</p>

<p>I want the school that gives me the best education and the best chance of succeeding in the workforce. I need help. Which school do you recommend, and why?</p>

2

<p>4.0? Can’t you do a little better than these schools?</p>

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<p>I have financial limits, unfortunately, and in-state options are about all I’ve got, because both Alabama and Auburn pay for tuition with my ACT scores. I have no chance of getting anything need-based; I’m working primarily from merit-based scholarships.</p>

4

<p>I graduated from Auburn a long time ago so my information is dated.</p>

<p>I classify both of these schools as 'lifestyle" schools. Large, decent, fun, and really wrapped around Fall SEC football. Both school’s offer good educations and workforce reputation. Neither qualify as “tough” schools for competing for entrance into top tier graduate programs.</p>

<p>There are sites and respected books that will rank the reputation of the Schools within both universities to assist your decision. You, of course, will have to decide how much import to give the school’s rep and ranking.</p>

<p>For instance, looking at the 2006 edition of The GOURMAN REPORT, the only school in the SOutheast with a national reputation in Computer Science is Georgia Tech (Ranked 19th).</p>

<p>For Computer Engineering, GA TECH is rated 10th and Univ of Florida 23rd.</p>

<p>In a category called “Rating Academic - Athletic Balance” both Alabama and Auburn were rated “Unsatisfactory.” But Alabama was rated higher at 53 and Auburn at 82.
For reference, Cornell U was rated #1, followed by Harvard #2.</p>

<p>They are both good schools with great football focus and a Fall season of SEC football is pageantry not to miss. For my own son and daughter with your performance and good SAT scores, I had them aim higher.</p>

5

<p>Ok, with financial constraints an in-state school is a good option. Remember workplace performance quickly replaces “What college (undergraduate) you went to” so apply yourself well to your studies at either school. Use internships wisely for entree to companies you eventually want to work for.</p>

<p>Both are good schools.</p>

<p>And … WAR EAGLE … BCS National Champs!</p>

6

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<p>Looks like you answered your own question. </p>

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<p>Roll Tide Roll! </p>

<p>Both are solid schools though, but I’m not really into CS/engineering, so I can’t really comment on that aspect.</p>

7

<p>Neither. You can get a fine education at either school, but geography is going to kill you when it comes time for a jobsearch. You’ll be stuck with the few companies that come to the career fair. If you don’t find something good there, you’ll be stuck applying online—which is a black hole for resumes and cover letters. </p>

<p>Plus, neither school has a strong alumni base outside of the Southeast, which will further work to your disadvantage. Your best bet is to attend either school for your freshman year and make straight A’s. Then transfer out to strong regional science/engineering universities—Texas A&M, UT-Austin, Georgia Tech among them. Take out loans if you mus. It will be worth it. </p>

<p>Shoot, with your grades now, you should be applying out-of-state right now. You should be able to get some aid.</p>

8

<p>^ Spoken like a person who doesn’t have to pay for it.</p>

<p>OP, you’re very smart to think of the cost before applying. There are some other schools which you might be able to afford:
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/848226-important-links-automatic-guaranteed-merit-scholarships.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/848226-important-links-automatic-guaranteed-merit-scholarships.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>Duecey- that is really bad advice. These are both wonderful schools and this poster is FROM Alabama and may want to stay in the southeast! Both schools have decent reputations in Atlanta, Nashville, Birmingham, Louisville, Charlotte etc. ESPECIALLY the honors colleges and engineering schools. Besides that, the OP may want to go to graduate and professional school and these schools will serve him just fine as far as admissions.</p>

10

<p>I’d vote for Auburn, which just finished a $550 million endowment campaign designed primarily to increase scholarships to attract the best and brightest, as well as fund new buildings and teachers. Significant emphasis at Auburn now on following the Duke path (use sports to leverage brand, to leverage lots of applications, to attract high stat kids), as well as to fund new research initiatives in order, quite simply, to take on the role of “flagship” institution in the State of Alabama. It’s not as if Alabama is taking the challenge lying down, but Auburn is a much better locale to launch from.</p>

11

<p>I still think Auburn is about to go down for recruiting and pay to play issues. You have not heard the last…</p>

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<p>Auburn will not “go down.” The NCAA needs the SEC, the NFL needs the SEC, the other teams in the SEC need Auburn. So, it won’t happen. I know some in Tuscaloosa wish it would, but it won’t. Sorry.</p>

13

<p>If your a huge Bama fan, go there.</p>

<p>I know as a ND fan, I couldn’t live with myself if I went to USC or Michigan. </p>

<p>Roll Tide.</p>

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<p>I think Auburn will go down but I doubt it will be a death penalty</p>

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<p>WAR EAGLE!
My dad actually graduated from Auburn and he says he really liked it, and I’ve always seen Auburn as the better of the two.
But I’m probabyl biased.</p>

16

<p>Alabama has the better honors program, by far.</p>

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<p>I agree with Erin’s Dad’s point, in fact I don;t think the NCAA will ever again give a school a Death Penalty. The last one was SMU and it crushed the school for 25 years. NCAA admits it never anticipated that big an impact.</p>

<p>That said I wouldn’t be surprised if the allegations have legs, Football is way too big a money draw to lose a Heisman calibre player.</p>

<p>AU '76</p>

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<p>Agree that the Death Penalty may be overkill, looking at the situation at Southern Medthodist University during the last 20 years. But don’t look for tears from the SEC if Auburn goes down for Newton and Pay to Play. Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Louisiana State, the SEC powers, won’t have any sympathy for the War Eagles. Let’s not even discuss how Alabama would vote if there’s a poll about whacking Auburn. And remember, this is just the most recent scandal at Auburn. Wasn’t Coach/A.D. Pat Dye “advised to resign” over improper aid to football players? And Terry Bowden got into to trouble too, but he kept his mouth shut [that’s what he essentially said he was required to do in a TV interview I saw] to keep his contract $everance pay.</p>

19

<p>*Neither. You can get a fine education at either school, but geography is going to kill you when it comes time for a jobsearch. *</p>

<p>LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL</p>

<p>What an ignorant post! Do you realize that the state of Alabama is home to the SECOND LARGEST RESEARCH PARK in the nation! Cummings Research Park…google it! Technical jobs are plenty at the MANY top companies that are in the state. The city of Huntsville has probably the highest concentration of engineers…it does have one of the highest concentrations of PhDs. Even if someone didn’t want to work forever in Alabama, simply working a few years at one of these Fortune 500 companies would open the doors to jobs elsewhere. And, of course, these schools have recruiters from all these companies. </p>

<p>Please, inform yourself before posting such (I’ll be nice) posts.</p>

<p>To the OP…</p>

<p>Bama should give you free tuition PLUS $2500 per year for your stats as long a you put Computer Science or some area of engineering as your major.</p>

<p>Bama is completing Phase III of its mega-sized Science and Engineering Complex (will complete Fall 11). When the Complex is complete, it will be the best (or near best) in the nation.</p>

<p>* but Auburn is a much better locale to launch from. *</p>

<p>It’s not a bad locale to launch from, but it’s not a “better” locale. </p>

<p>Bama has the FAR superior honors program. And, lots more honors super suites housing. Auburn has 298 honors super suites beds…Bama has over 2500. </p>

<p>Bama has more money, a larger endowment, and more alumni support. It is…and always will be…the flagship institution. </p>

<p>Auburn is one and done for football. It will be one of the rare defending national champions that will not have a high ranking for the next season. The school will likely get sanctioned over the Cam issues. It does look like Auburn alumni paid to fix Cam’s dad’s church…that is a huge no no. </p>

<p>Bama is likely to be ranked either number 1 this fall…or very close to it. </p>

<p>Both schools are good schools, but since you’re a Bama fan…then… </p>

<p>Roll Tide!!!</p>

20

<p>I would also add that the larger honors dorm has helped it build a more diverse honors populations at Alabama. With the full-ride opportunities available for NMF it has been able to attract kids from all over the country. That can make for interesting social life and classroom discussions.</p>