<p>Hey there - I am a new user - a Texas mom to a high school senior who is considering Bama. We are expecting her to get a National Merit Finalist letter this month. Any experiences any parent could share? How easy to get in, what does the scholarship really cover? How comfortable are you with your child there?</p>
<p>Thanks for any info!</p>
<p>Beckyww … Our experience has been EXCELLENT in every regard. We are from the Chicago area, our daughter was a NMF, and ultimately turned down all of her “original” top choices (Rice, Vandy, Tulane and William & Mary) to attend UA. UA is very objective in their application of both admission and scholarships. There is NO grey area, and it’s all published fairly clearly online. It’s almost too simple, which is why most of us parent seem to think that there must be some catch. 
but I can assure you, that with NMF status, the right ACT score, and the right grades, the Full Ride scholarship is automatic. It includes tuition and housing for 4 years. Also a laptop. I would encourage you to visit with your daughter and get the honors college to give you a personalized experience, which they regularly do. There are other departmental scholarships that are dependent on major and are not as clearly open about how they are awarded, but as for the main package and the ability of the university to entice you to give it serious consideration, it it quite clear. There are other schools that make it a point of trying to attract the NMF students, but UA seems to be the best … by a long shot! Good luck to you. Visit and you will be amazed. I just spoke to my daughter today during a break in her clases … she is just thrilled so far for her choice! Roll Tide!</p>
<p>I knew I would like this board! Thank you so much for the quick and clear reply. You have a blessed day.</p>
<p>My nmf son graduated from bama in may and is now doing his phd at a top school. My younger son has the presdential, engineering, and nm special scholarship. He’s a jr chem engg major who is also premed. </p>
<p>Their experience has been awesome. We love bama. </p>
<p>Sorry 4 typos. Typing from phone.</p>
<p>Welcome beckyww and congrats to your daughter! My daughter is a sophomore on the NMF scholarship. We are also from Texas -Fort Worth to be exact.</p>
<p>UA has been the perfect place for our daughter. It is a great blend of quality academics, school spirit, service, and fun! There are lots of Texas kids at Bama. You’ll get lots of great advice and info on this board!! Roll Tide!</p>
<p>My son is in his third year at UA. He is NM from Virginia. He turned down some great schools to go to Bama, and he has never regretted his decision. He is in three honors programs, has studied in 11 countries in his first two years (excluding the U.S.), researched with a professor, worked as an honors ambassador and earned a spot on the national board of his fraternity. He is also studying for a masters in econ while doing his undergrad work. </p>
<p>Bama has been awesome for him, and he recommends the school to many high school students looking to continue their education – including his kid brother, who is just a HS sophomore.</p>
<p>Another Texas mom here! We are from Southeast Texas. Our son has just begun his freshman year as a CBHP student and we all love Alabama. He turned down several full rides in Texas. He (and we) are convinced that the opportunities at UA far surpass the ones available here. </p>
<p>I hope you take a few days to visit the campus and meet with the Honors staff. It is a wonderful experience and you quickly realize the investment UA puts into its students. They really utilize their time and talents exponentially beyond what we have.</p>
<p>If we can help you with anything, please let us know! The people on this board are amazing and were so gracious to our family when we were in your position.</p>
<p>Roll Tide!</p>
<p>Son is a NMF from Hawaii, now in his second year at UA. He is absolutely in love with his Bama experience at virtually every level (academically, socially, recreationally, extracurricularly–is that a word?) and so are we. </p>
<p>When he left for UA last year, he feared he might be going to Mars. He’s now a fully naturalized Martian.</p>
<p>Roll Tide!</p>
<p>Congrats to your D on her upcoming award as NMF! To answer your question, I am exceedingly comfortable my daughter is at UA. It was by far the best fit for her. She is always mentioning how friendly everyone is. Your D is should definitely look at IH, CBHP, and UFE programs. Also look through the current course offerings for honors and she will certainly be excited by the myriad of choices available. The more you learn about what BAMA offers high achievers, the more you will be impressed! Generous credits for A/P and dual enrollment allows students the ability to earn 2 majors, a second minor or take additional classes in areas of interest. The best way to really appreciate the benefits of attending UA is to plan a visit through the Honors college. This will also give you a standard with which to compare other schools she is considering. Good luck on the process. RTR</p>
<p>Hi becky - We are also from Texas (DFW area) and our son is a freshman. I was <em>very</em> nervous about having him so far away… until I visited campus, and met faculty and staff that are genuinely concerned about their students. I have no doubt that he is in great hands. </p>
<p>His English Prof heard that he is a golfer, and has emailed about playing in Tuscaloosa. Where else would that happen???</p>
<p>In case you haven’t checked, there are at least 6 non-stop flights every day from Dallas to Birmingham (AA and Southwest). I figure I could get there quicker than I could drive to A&M/College Station or Tech/Lubbock. </p>
<p>And wait til you see the UA Honors College - - they offer so much more than any Texas school we visited.</p>
<p>Feel free to PM me if you have any specific questions, I’m happy to share our experiences so far.</p>
<p>Dear Becky,</p>
<p>My DS is a ‘native born Texan’ (we moved to NewMex after he made NatMerit), and we all thought he’d take one of the generous offers the Texas schools made. But after every visit to UA, he was more convinced that Tuscaloosa was for him. He enjoyed the attention to undergraduate education there, and was very impressed with the two honors classes he sat in on (one seminar, one techie engineering course) - not only with the profs/material, but with the interest, commitment, and abilities of the students he saw in those classes.</p>
<p>Just visit once… you’ll see why we’ve learned to say “Roll Tide, ya’ll”.</p>
<p>P.S. It’s also incredible to get all UA has to offer without any debt. The math is clear: Presidential+NMS+Engineering=Zero Debt</p>
<p>Welcome Beckyww, you came to the right place to ask questions and gain the perspective of both students and parents.<br>
I am from Ohio and never had concerns about having our kids attend college far from home. I have two boys at UA. My Senior is a NMF in the CBHP and my Freshman accepted the Presidential and Engineering Scholarships.
Our entire family is very grateful for UA’s generosity and love for their students. Pres. Witt is committed to providing EACH student with opportunities not available at other schools. This summer, the University asked my son (current Senior) to apply for the Rhodes Scholarship. They believe my son has the qualities and academic credentials to represent the University of Alabama in Oxford, England. This is such an honor for my son but UA is committed to guide and mentor him through the lengthly application process. Roll Tide Roll!</p>
<p>^^^</p>
<p>Congrats!!!</p>
<p>Becky, are you a Cowboys fan? If so, then welcome to UA. If not, I hear auburn is accepting students. :-)</p>
<p>Mom2ck and many others who have NMF kids will be much more helpful than I when it comes to answering your questions about academics. </p>
<p>But if you have questions about football, hotel rooms, restaurants, bars, fraternities, obnoxious yankees, and how to hate auburn properly. Then I’ll be glad to be of help :-)</p>
<p>Momof3boyz…Congratulations to your son and your family on the Rhodes opportunity! That is such an honor. I’m just tickled over it and so happy for your son and I don’t know your family I hope you all have the best of luck and please keep us updated! </p>
<p>I agree completely with the opportunities UA provides to our students. We have scoured offers from across the country and nothing compares with UA!</p>
<p>My son’s preliminary interview with a UA pnel is this Wednesday.</p>
<p>good luck to your S momof3boyz!!!</p>
<p>NJBama, I hope you didn’t mean yankees with a capital Y…</p>
<p>^^^</p>
<p>As a New Jersey guy, he could be a Yankees or Mets fans…we’ll have to wait to hear the verdict.</p>
<p>Opportunities abound at UA, and the scholarship is amazing. But here’s a slightly different perspective. My daughter was always a little isolated by her “overachiever” status in high school. It didn’t help that all of her triathlon training took place with adults. To our delight, she has found a wonderful circle of friends in her first few weeks at Bama, has attended parties, tailgated and gone to a football game, and is the happiest I’ve ever seen her. She is enjoying her classes and the rigor they require. So, for my family at least, it sure does seem to be the perfect place for her!</p>