Out of state students - what brings you to UA? :)

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Alabama
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<p>LOL…We’re from Southern California (living in AL for the last 9 years), and I can tell you that UA is not the “deep south” AT ALL!!! When I’m on the UA campus, the kids are no different than what I found on California campuses. </p>

<p>And, if you get an undergrad catalog or go online, you’ll see that most of the profs were educated at top 25 universities…Ivies, Duke, Vanderbilt, Mich, UCs, Stanford, UVirginia, UNY, Notre Dame, Georgetown, etc. UA has done a fab job recruiting the best talent for its profs. </p>

<p>You have to understand that the major cities in AL (where many of UA students come from) are populated with “transplants” since the economy is strong and has been growing for a long time with high tech jobs. There is also a major Army base in my area (which is why I have 2 generals living on my street…LOL )</p>

<p>Plus, since UA has so agressively recruited from across the country; kids are from every state. I rarely ever hear a southern accent on the UA Tuscaloosa campus or in the Huntsville area (where I live). I live in Madison County which has the highest concentration of PhDs in the the US. Since Cummins Research Park is here, the area attracts all the top high-tech companies and highly educated employees. </p>

<p>Have you visited UA? I realize that such a trip might be difficult coming from NJ. You would be surprised. We are Catholic, so I was first concerned that my Catholic kids would be “unusual” on campus…until I saw the big Catholic parish across the street from the school (Tuscaloosa has 2 big Catholic parishes - a surprise to me.) Actually, the campus is surrounded by churches of all stripes, a Jewish temple, and Moslem, Buddhist and Hindu worship places.</p>

<p>Politically, the school is also diverse…the Young Repubs, the Young Dems,and the Green Party are vibrant. And, of course, the campus has the same hundreds of clubs that all other campuses do…even the so-called more controversial ones.</p>

<p>The school is also racially diverse. It was “low” with the Asian students (compared to NE or western campuses), but that is quickly changing…largely because of the agressive recruiting, the generous academic scholarships, and the strong programs.</p>

<p>Even tho I’m not from the NE…I think that since we’re from Southern California, our experience can be applied to you.</p>

<p>If you get a chance to visit, you should. If interested, you might want to read my thread about tips for touring UA…</p>

<p>Roll Tide!</p>

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<p>Re: NE to UA</p>

<p>There is a parent forum that is “hosted” by UA and there are several parents from the NE who have studens at UA. I know that there were some problems with girls from out-of-state who tried to pledge (many felt that there was no chance for a Northern girl). The froum has tons of good info and lots of parents who are willing to help will EVERY different question that a parent could have
<a href=“http://familyconnection.ua.edu/[/url]”>http://familyconnection.ua.edu/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>ROLL TIDE!</p>

<p>PS My son also found that as far as fraternities go - if you are from out of state, much of the recruiting is done PRIOR to the school year, so it’s hard to get in.</p>

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<p>Long time lurker, first time poster.</p>

<p>For me, I first learned about Alabama from posts here on CC. Being from WA, I heard little about Alabama until I started reading the legendary OOS scholarship threads. The thought of a guaranteed scholarship and the fantastic dorm situation got me interested. Oddly enough, a rep decided to stay for the NACAC Seattle College fair (the national conference was in Seattle during 2008) and I decided to check out the Alabama booth. I applied a week later and was accepted two weeks after that with the Presidential Scholarship (full tuition). </p>

<p>Though Alabama now has over 28,000 students, it is still very personable. A simple e-mail can get you a meeting with almost anybody on campus. Dr. Sharpe is really nice and Dr. Halli is still very much a part of the Honors College as Founding Dean Emeritus. I’m a business major and have encountered the same friendliness as the honors college.</p>

<p>Alabama’s recruitment is amazing and dwarfs the effort put forth by all the other colleges I applied to. While Bama is a state school, it doesn’t always seem that way. It has a strong OOS presence and really defies any stereotype about the south. Much of the time, I forget that I am even in Alabama. If a student has any qualms about going to school in the south, do visit Alabama. You will be amazed at the friendliness, technology, and educational opportunities at the University of Alabama, among other things. Even without a major scholarship, Alabama is an amazing school. The scholarship money is truly icing on the cake. ROLL TIDE ROLL!!!</p>

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<p>I happen to be near UA for business, so I checked out the law school as well as the rest of the campus for my son. I LOVED the campus. Everything was pristine and well kept. I met a number of kids who were polite and well- spoken. I just loved the campus. </p>

<p>At first I thought that, being from Maryland,which is sort of southern in its own way, might have been a culture shock for my son. However, everyone was incredibly nice. </p>

<p>I have to admit, I was taken with the campus charm, the applomb of everyone we met, the nice facilities and great price. If I had to do it again, I might have recommended UA for one of my kids who was an accounting major. It really does seem to be a great place to go to school.I truly think that UA is one of those gem schools that few folks know enough about.</p>

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<p>This is the first I’ve ever heard about the Greek pledging problem for out-of-state kids. I do know that UA does host some kind of “meet the houses” day in the spring…and many kids get adults to write recs for them (adults who are Greek alums). I wrote several recs for girls who wanted to pledge my sorority. Even though Sorority Rush doesn’t occur until right before school starts (Frat rush is later), I can see where OOS kids who didn’t know/participate in the spring “meet and greet” are at a disadvantage. </p>

<p>This problem should be brought to the attention to the “powers that be”… I will contact UA myself about this problem. It sounds like the school moved ahead with OOS recruiting, but the Greek system weren’t advised to alter it’s schedule to accomodate.</p>

<p>I will let you know what UA’s response will be to this concern.</p>

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<p>This is sooo true… When DS1 was a freshman, he got very sick…he ran a 105 fever for eight straight days. Dr. Sharpe was very concerned about him. </p>

<p>We have found that most profs at UA are very caring…when a student emails a question or concern, it is usually answered within an hour…often within minutes…even if they’re out of the country at the time.</p>

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<p>Thank you for responding in such a positive manner about the school and how my daughter should not feel tremendous culture shock there. I had her email the admission rep for our area to set up a meeting with her to discuss the school. hopefully this will put my mind to rest. My daughter will not be in on any scholarships so it will be full out of state tuition for us. Not anyy different from any of theother schools she is applying to.</p>

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<p>My son is a freshman, also from out of state. He had received offers of admission from several outstanding schools but chose UA for a variety of reasons – he is a NM Scholar so he has full tuition and honors housing, along with several other benefits, for four years, is a member of the three honors programs, got tons of AP credit which gives him junior status and will finish his four years with two degrees and a masters. He loves the place so much that he has no desire to return home until Thanksgiving.</p>

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<p>PegV420…</p>

<p>Hope your DD’s meeting with the university rep goes well… </p>

<p>Have you done the online virutal tour? [Virtual</a> Campus Tour - The University of Alabama](<a href=“Page Not Found | The University of Alabama”>Page Not Found | The University of Alabama)</p>

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<p>For DD, Bama was a solid safety (as it probably is for most CC kids) and a financial safety for me. She took the virtual tour and it offered her major and the school spirit she wants. She wasn’t really thrilled at first but appeased dear old dad and applied. The early acceptance and honors college invites solidified the choice. </p>

<p>Between UA and getting a conditional acceptance from her top choice, her college search is done. She may apply to a few other reaches but as her best friend said yesterday: “Why bother? We’re all just getting started. You’re done. How are you going to be motivated to do ANYTHING this year?” DD just smiled.</p>

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<p>Between UA and getting a conditional acceptance from her top choice, her college search is done. She may apply to a few other reaches but as her best friend said yesterday: “Why bother? We’re all just getting started. You’re done. How are you going to be motivated to do ANYTHING this year?” DD just smiled. <<<</p>

<p>You’re right about UA being a “solid safety” for many “College Confidential” families since CC students tend to be amongst the top 25% of their class (that is just my personal assessment - no facts to back that up :slight_smile: ). Therefore, most CC kids “know” that their stats meet the “formula” that UA requires for admittance.</p>

<p>And, you’re right about the “positive feelings” a senior has once he/she has received acceptance and honors acceptance from UA…after my DS2 received his acceptances and scholarships from UA early last fall, he was sooo ready to go…he kept asking…"why do I have to continue with senior year in HS…why can’t I just go now… LOL :)</p>

<p>BTW…Has your DD visited the campus?</p>

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<p>As far as out of state female students being offered fewer sorority bids than in-state students…it’s just not true.
About a month ago, the UA Greek life office issued this year’s recruitment statistics. Here’s part of their press release:</p>

<p>· For the first time ever, non-resident women were placed to chapters at a higher percentage than students from Alabama (84 percent placement for non-residents, compared to 81 percent for in-state students). The myth that non-resident students have a harder time joining sororities at Alabama SIMPLY IS NOT TRUE.</p>

<p>· For the second consecutive year, there were more non-resident students participating in recruitment (53 percent) than students from Alabama (47 percent).</p>

<p>· We saw significant increases in placement rate among women from key recruiting areas compared to last year:</p>

<p>o Colorado – 75 percent increase</p>

<p>o Florida – 7 percent increase</p>

<p>o Georgia – 11 percent increase</p>

<p>o Indiana – 43 percent increase</p>

<p>o Kentucky – 16 percent increase</p>

<p>o Maryland – 21 percent increase</p>

<p>o Missouri – 25 percent increase</p>

<p>o Ohio – 15 percent increase</p>

<p>o South Carolina – 19 percent increase</p>

<p>o Tennessee – 8 percent increase</p>

<p>o Texas – 11 percent increase</p>

<p>o Virginia – 14 percent increase</p>

<p>OK, Amy here again…I would tell an OOS student the same things as an in-stater:

  1. GET RECS. This is required. Preferably from sorority alumnae, not students. You will need one for each sorority. The recs will go from the alumna directly to her sorority chapter at UA. You can provide them a resume and photo(s), and the chapter address to send the rec to ([Sororities</a> : Panhellenic Association](<a href=“http://www.uapanhellenic.com/sororities.php]Sororities”>http://www.uapanhellenic.com/sororities.php)). They should take care of the rest. Don’t forget to send her a thank-you note! Who do you ask? Friends, wives of friends, teachers, church friends, neighborhood friends. Some areas may have an alumnae panhellenic to help with this: [National</a> Panhellenic Conference](<a href=“http://www.npcwomen.org/alumnae-panhellenics/directory.aspx]National”>http://www.npcwomen.org/alumnae-panhellenics/directory.aspx) Start doing this about a month before graduation. They may also need a school transcript from you. You may also want to check out the greekchat (a different forum) for advice.
  2. KEEP AN OPEN MIND ABOUT THE CHAPTERS. They’ll hear a lot of gossip about sororities that is simply that - gossip. Students need to judge the groups from their own personal experience with them, not from what somebody heard from somebody else.
  3. Fraternity recruitment works differently. Most fraternities have more than one pledge class a year, so that if a student doesn’t pledge in the fall, they can pledge in the spring. The key is to get out and meet people.
  4. Historically black fraternities and sororities, and the Latino/Latina groups recruit in an entirely different manner, as well.
  5. Although there’s a lot of emphasis on being greek at UA (about 30 percent of students are greek), there are plenty of non-greek students, and plenty of activities beyond the fraternities and sororities. Encourage your student (even if they do join a fraternity and sorority!) to join some interest groups, meet plenty of other people and try different things.</p>
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<p>If you want to know why OOS kids are interested in applying to Alabama, here are four reasons we think Alabama looks good:

  • the football team
  • Alabama weather
  • merit scholarships
  • the honors dorms
    :D</p>
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<p>Amy,</p>

<p>Thanks for the info for OOS girls and sororities…</p>

<p>BTW…if someone needs a rec for a sorority, PM me. My sorority is at UA. :)</p>

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<p>Sounds good to me… When I brought a friend of mine (transplant from IL) down to Bama with her son, she and I decided we wanted to move into the Honors Dorms and call ourselves a sorority of Menna Paza Mommas. :)</p>

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<p>Since there are some new people visiting this forum, I thought I’d raise the question again. :)</p>

<p>I met a nice lady (thru PM) last night whose NMF son applied from the Pacific Northwest. :)</p>

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<p>Here is why my daughter applied. A, she wants warmer weather then we have here in NJ (can’t blame her), B, our hs is on the smaller side and she wants a big university with all the rah rah that goes along with it. C, Rutgers is really a reach for her and honestly, the price of instate is not horrendously different from many large out of state schools. D, she does not want to run into a single person she knows from home. Her GC believes she might be the first student ever from our hs to apply to Alabama.</p>

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<p>*Her GC believes she might be the first student ever from our hs to apply to Alabama. *</p>

<p>I love it. LOL Well, someone has to be the first! :)</p>

<p>Apologies if you’ve already told me, but does she know what she’ll major in? Is your D interested in teaching? (I’m sorry if I’m getting people confused. )</p>

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<p>She thought she might want to teach but has changed her mind. Honestly, she has no clue and that is perfectly ok with me. College is the time to figure it all out.</p>

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<p>^^^</p>

<p>Absolutely! I think that’s one of the good things about Core Requirements/General Ed classes. You get to get a taste of different majors. :)</p>