New Automatic Merit Scholarships for U of Alabama

<p>notre dame AL, thanks, good to know about the airport. And yes, I do still have a lingering image of racism from where I grew up in the south (K-8), but I know that this is not the norm. Lingering thoughts are just hard to shake. From what you say it sounds like Alabama is open minded as a whole, which is exactly what I am looking for. Also, is admission to football games free for students/discounted/how much would it be for season tickets?</p>

<p>Also, does anyone know of any other schools that have automatic merit scholarships? Or is Alabama alone in this?</p>

<p>arnold...JL50ish, once again thank you. I have lived in the south (Tennessee), and can attest to the general kindness of its people, despite the large amount of racism and general ignorace where I lived, especially when compared to where I am currently (Chicago suburbs). I lived in California (San Diego) also, and loved it, mostly because of how laid back everyone was. How do you think Alabama compares to California?</p>

<p>The dorms are a big selling point to me to be honest. Something about living without a roommate, but near people, sounds excellent to the introvert in me.</p>

<p>I am a football friend, and have a few friends that are football fanatics going to UT Knoxville, so the SEC rivalry will be fun, and an excuse to meet up.</p>

<p>Is the campus in a big town? Small town? College town?</p>

<p>Does your son have any regrets or can you point out any negative aspects?</p>

<p>Will my stuff be instantly stolen?</p>

<p>Sorry about the massive amount of questions, just trying to make an informed decision.<<<</p>

<hr>

<p>LOL.... My son has never had anything stolen... he lost his cell phone and the person who found it went to a lot of trouble to get it back to him. The honors dorms are pretty much crime free (I don't have "crime" info about the regular dorms since all my son's friends are in honors.) Only students who live in a residence hall have "card key" access to them - so students who don't reside in that dorm cannot just "wander" in unescorted by someone who does live in that hall. It's not unusual for UA kids to accidentally leave something somewhere, and then come back and find it right where they left it. </p>

<p>The school is in a "college town," but because it is a big SEC school, the are has all the necessities that a person needs: full-sized hospital, stores, restaurants, hotels (pricey and inexpensive), etc. There is a lot of new building going on - on the campus and around the surrounding areas (as old stores get torn down or "face lifts". On the "strip" (the nearby street with a lot of college "hangouts," there are both familiar food places (such as Five Guys and Cold Stone) along with local favorites. On one of the main roads on the way to the university a beautiful upscale "outdoor mall" was built across the street from the regular indoor mall. So... it has the best of both worlds.... the convenience of a city, without the traffic craziness of a big city (of course there is traffic when there is a home football game since the stadium is on campus)</p>

<p>Mercedes Benz recently put in a factory near the city of Tuscaloosa, so it's not like the university is in the middle of "nowhere."</p>

<p>I am from Southern California (Orange County), and when I first visited Alabama (the state), it reminded me of Orange County before all the orange groves were gone and it all got built up. We live near Huntsville, AL - about 250 miles away from Tuscaloosa (we live near the TN border), while Tuscaloosa is about 55 miles west of Birmingham.</p>

<p>If you have any more questions, don't hesitate to ask.... :)</p>

<p>BCEagle >>> How do you know that colleges prefer AP test scores to Community College courses?</p>

<p>I check the quality of the CC courses that our kids have taken, are taking or will take and will supplement their courses if they are not up to my standards. I found that UIUC NetMath courses are as tough as what you'd find in university courses and you can go quite far above what AP offers. <<<<</p>

<p>Is this question for me??? I didn't say that colleges prefer AP credits over cc credits. My comment was that I don't understand how high schools are able to teach qualify AP courses, but somehow some/many cc's can't teach quality gen ed courses.</p>

<p>OOPS... sorry.... I now see that your question was for someone else.... sorry</p>

<p>parent56... University Fellows/Academic Elite are rather new. I did talk to the dean about it last week and I'll write more tomorrow.... Bed time..... snore.....</p>

<p>"Your kids may take rigorous courses, but others may not, whereas AP scores are standardized for everyone."</p>

<p>AP scores tell you what someone received on one test for a year's work. The community college course generally provides for multiple methods of examination a semester at a time.</p>

<p>I've seen kids here that have done well on AP test while struggling in math and those that have done well on the AP test doing well in math and engineering courses that require calculus. One can certainly teach to the test or choose to teach the material that universities expect from incoming community college students (part-time).</p>

<p>I will be the first to admit that there can be conflicts between revenue generation and quality courses. But I think that there are comparable quality issues with AP Calculus courses.</p>

<p>Arnold, you should post a separate thread inquiring about automatic merit scholarships. And research! For example:</p>

<p><a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/198853-schools-have-automatic-merit-awards.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/198853-schools-have-automatic-merit-awards.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Keilexandra sorry, and will do. The trouble is just finding these without being a national merit finalist/semifinalist, and not being in NHS.</p>

<p>arnold...</p>

<p>Since this thread is about automatic scholarships from U of Alabama, I don't see anything wrong with including Q and A about U of A. Seems apropriate to me.</p>

<p>JL50ish when you spoke to the school, did they give you any idea of the average stats of those who were accepted into the university fellow program or of those that received the academic elite scholarship? I have also been looking at uab's science and technology honors program. Great program from what i can tell and in speaking with the school, but such a different setting (middle of downtown B'ham and no real college feel to me). Son is supposed to be home for a few days, end of this month and my fingers are crossed he may be in the mood to start this discussion again.
ps loved your post about how your son had a fit re: out of state/cost etc, know i'm not alone at least ...</p>

<p>When I talked to the dean about the Fellows/Academic Elite, I didn't get a clear formular of how the whole selection process works.</p>

<p>First of all, the program is new, so all the "kinks" haven't been worked out. I was told that on one night each week, the fellows meet to plan/discuss their future community projects. The fellows do a lot of community service in the low-income minority areas. </p>

<p>A tiny number of fellows are selected to receive the "Academic Elite Scholarship" and that is based on a combination of stats, past record of community service, and leadership positions.</p>

<p>it is kind of vague on the website too. i think someone my son knows got accepted and may even have recieved the elite scholarship, maybe i can get him to ask for some more specifics. dont know if he has a way to get in touch with him though</p>

<p>parent56 >>> I have also been looking at uab's science and technology honors program. Great program from what i can tell and in speaking with the school, but such a different setting (middle of downtown B'ham and no real college feel to me). <<<</p>

<p>UAB is another great school - especially for those majoring in medical fields and business management (UAB's med school is highly rated.)</p>

<p>Actually, I was in the area two weeks ago (hadn't really visited the UAB area before), so I was surprised that the campus and the "Five Points" area (the college hang-out area) are both very nice. "Five Points" is an area where 5 streets all meet in the center, and the streets are lined with fun restaurants, pizza places, etc. </p>

<p>A few of my son's friends go to UAB and are very happy there. They are preparing to become doctors and dentists, so the school is a great choice for them. I believe the school has some sort of either accelerated med-school program or a guaranteed admittance program for select new students.</p>

<p>UAB offers some nice oos merit scholarships (Tuition/ fees for an out-of-state student is only $10,400 (for nine months). (I wonder if an even better scholarship is available for OOS students who score ACT 32 or ACT 33 and above - usually there are. For those who fit that description, I'd ask.) Also, individual departments (such as "Arts and Sciences" also offer scholarship money. </p>

<p>For OUT-OF-STATE residents who are freshmen: </p>

<ol>
<li><p>$9000 with an ACT of 28 or higher and a cumulative GPA of 3.8 or higher ($6000 plus a $3000 on-campus housing allowance per year)</p></li>
<li><p>$5500 with an ACT of 26 or higher and a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher ($3500 plus a $2000 on-campus housing allowance per year)</p></li>
<li><p>$3500 with an ACT of 26 or higher and a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher ($2500 plus a $1000 on-campus housing allowance per year)</p></li>
<li><p>$2500 with an ACT of 24 or higher and a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher</p></li>
</ol>

<p>Students who wish to be considered for academic scholarships should be admitted to UAB by our Priority Admission Date of December 1st of the senior year in high school. Students admitted after that date will be considered for academic scholarships on a funds available basis.</p>

<p>we actually visited uab this summer and had a tour and met with people in the science/tech honors program.
It amazed me that uab tuition is so low... total cost per year with dorms meals etc is only about 12 k/ Son wanted to go to see about the guaranteed med school program and also look at the possibility of md/phd through uab. Uab is actually ranked 18th in NIH funding, has a great med school. but then we hit that bump...perhaps i got to enthusiatic about in-state too soon.</p>

<p>uh oh! wonder what this means for scholarships... will they decrease in number or amount
State</a> Budget Cuts Push Tuition Higher - WSJ.com</p>

<p>parent56....</p>

<p>I think I'm getting confused... I've been PMing and posting with several people so please forgive me.... Would you be "in-state" or "out of state" for Alabama (a few here are in-state and I'm getting everyone mixed up! :(</p>

<p>If you would be "in-state" for UAB, then not only would you get the better scholarships, but also.... in-state med school at UAB is REALLY CHEAP (which is why my younger son wants to go to UAB med school - for sure !!!! )</p>

<p>parent56...</p>

<p>Also... is your child a junior or senior? (again, sorry that I am getting everyone confused - I need to make a little "cheat sheet" next to my computer with everyone's screennames and their kid situations!</p>

<p>If your child is a senior, I'd suggest getting everything submitted ASAP. My son has already received his scholarship in writing for next year.</p>

<p>we are instate. live north AL and son goes to high school in Mobile.</p>

<p>he is currently a junior. but as he is so far away, we had started the college search, then hit the snag of he wants oos ie vandy, duke etc, I want finances to rule (we qualify for no financial need aid) and he is an excellent student with great grades, test scores so far and could qualify for scholarships here in state (may also qualify for other schools, but the ones he has mentioned are really limited in merit) just took psat and no idea how that went but that will also play a role.</p>

<p>parent56...</p>

<p>Thanks for refreshing my memory... I now remember your situation. Son lives away for high school. </p>

<p>At this point, do what you're doing... Don't get into big arguments with son about money yet (because he may "see the light" within the next year or so and actually want to go to a less expensive place.) Tell him that everyone needs to keep an "open mind" and look at many options because "money doesn't grow on trees" and y'all can only afford to pay XXXX. Once my son was admitted into the Computer-based Honors Program, my son was excited to go to UA because he knew that he would be entering a very challenging program. (Once our son got "turn-on" to that, the arguments ended)</p>

<h2>Copy/Pasted the below info for someone who asked to see this </h2>

<p>My family has used these tips to improve test scores. My 17 year old son recently used these strategies to help his best friend improve his scores so that the friend could be in my son's honors dorm next year. The system worked so well that the friend improved his ACT score from a 25 to a 31 (he was only "aiming" for a 28 to qualify for honors). The friend's score improved so much, that now he qualifies for a full-tuition scholarship (his parents are very grateful - they never went to college!)</p>

<hr>

<p>Plan on taking both the SAT and the ACT tests because some students score higher on one type than the other. If the school that you are applying to only considers the Math and CR, then those two scores are what you need to be comparing to the ACT equivalent score. For example, one of my kid’s Math + CR = 1510. Colleges consider that to be a higher score than his ACT 33. A 1510 is the equivalent of an ACT 34. However, some kids score higher on the ACT. It will all depend on each student’s individual strengths and weaknesses.</p>

<p>Also, if the schools on your "application list" only consider Math and CR for the SAT, don't spend too much time practicing the Writing section (you don't want to do badly in that section, but you don't need to really "knock yourself out" studying for it, either.)</p>

<p>To prepare for the PSAT/SAT & ACT, buy the SAT practice book that is put out by College Board (the company that makes the SAT), and the ACT practice put out by the ACT company – both are sold online and at bookstores. Later, you can buy other companies practice books later if you like.</p>

<p>Then, without timing yourself (and stressing out), sit down and do a section. Anytime that you decide to guess an answer, circle that number. Then when you're done with that one section, look at the answer key and look at the section that explains why the correct answer was correct. Also, if any of your "guessed" answers were correct, read why they were correct (even though you guessed correctly, you need to learn WHY that guess was the correct or best answer.)</p>

<p>Once you've practiced a few sections, then you can begin timing yourself to teach yourself how to "pace yourself."</p>

<p>Now, whenever you have a few spare minutes (while waiting for someone, while in the car, whenever), look thru the math sections for questions or equations that are put forth in an unfamiliar way. Do those problems. The more that you do problems that are "set up" or worded differently than what you are "used to," the less time you'll waste during an actual test trying to figure out what the question is really asking (that can be a big "waste of time" to those who don't "test well." ). You may want to purchase some additional SAT practice books so that you can expose yourself to the different ways math questions are presented.</p>

<p>Study common SAT vocab words. There are lists (found on internet and in the practice books) of common words and definitions found on SAT/PSAT exams. Knowing more words will prevent you from losing "easy points" simply because there was a word in a passage or question that you didn't understand. Keep those SAT vocab lists in areas that you will frequently review them – by your bedside, at your desk, in your school binder, in the car, - anywhere that you might have time to review them.</p>

<p>Tip for "slow readers": while reading passages, do not silently “pronounce” each word in your mind (that is a big waste of time). To improve your reading, read with your finger gliding under the words forcing you to move across the page. "Faster readers" do not "form" each word in their heads as they read - Slower readers do that (I had to cure one of my kids from doing that - it is called sub-vocalization.)</p>

<p>Learn about “idioms.” Students often miss questions because they aren’t able to identify improper word usage because improper word usage has seeped into our speaking language.
There are usually a few Writing section questions that test proper use of vocabulary, or usage. For example, what’s wrong with the following sentence?</p>

<p>The film had a powerful affect on me.</p>

<p>Affect is not the word you need; effect is correct. Affect as a noun means “emotion” or “mood”; effect as a noun means “an outcome or result.” Affect as a verb means “to influence,” whereas effect as a verb means “to cause to occur.” A different example: noisome means “offensive smelling,” not noisy.
• Incorrect She prefers skiing over snowboarding.
• Correct She prefers skiing to snowboarding.
• Incorrect I don’t have a favorable opinion toward Beethoven’s music.
• Correct I don’t have a favorable opinion of Beethoven’s music.
Now, while reading passages, do not silently “read” each word in your mind (that is a big waste of time). To improve your reading, read with your finger gliding under the words forcing you to move across the page. "Faster readers" do not "form" each word in their heads as they read - Slower readers do that (I had to cure one of my kids from doing that - it is called sub-vocalization.)</p>

<p>Don't forget.... the rule is... you must pick the answer that is the "best" answer. There may be two "correct" answers, but only one of them is the "best answer." For instance, one question might ask you to pick which best describes the mood of someone who is "elated." One choice may be "in a good mood." Another choice may be "in an ecstatic mood." Even though both answers are technically "correct," the second answer is the "best answer." </p>

<p>Also, if you go to collegeboard.com, then you can have the SAT question of the day sent to you by email every day. All you do is open the email, answer the question and it will tell you if your answer is right or wrong, then it will tell you why the correct answer is the correct and best answer.</p>

<p>As I think of more of the tips that we use, I'll add them. I have them on a different computer. The above is just "off the top of my head." Please excuse any typo's, etc. - I just quickly put the above together from memory (except I "borrowed " the idiom part from a website.)</p>