I doubt the acceptance rate changes much. So many have Bama down as a safety and then don’t go.
2 Likes
Their yield in the last CDS was 22.6%.
More interesting would be - yield by scholarship level.
While they give a ton to really high statistical kids, the same can’t be said for those not performing well in their statistical tables.
I’d imagine but don’t know - the yields vary - by merit level. The more you get, the more likely you are to attend.
But if you are full pay, you might be elsewhere.
But I don’t think admit wise, it will likely become hard like other schools - UGA, UF, etc. But you never know.
And its ranking likely won’t go up unless it went that way.
But given their success - and I’m not sure how they pull it off financially, ranking is likely the last thing they care about. They spend money - engineering, other programs, merit aid - like there’s no limit.
4 Likes
Wow, this is literally what I’m still doing after almost 3 years (and I think it’s the same college 
). Thankfully, lots of people I talk to are academics in the humanities, and they tend to know and appreciate the school. I know that my daughter is thriving there and receiving fantastic education, which is the most important thing.
(Sorry for the repeated post below–I wanted to include a quote and am not sure how to delete this one).
1 Like
Wow, this is literally what I’m still doing after almost 3 years (and I think it’s the same college 
). Thankfully, lots of people I talk to are academics in the humanities, and they tend to know and appreciate the school. I know that my daughter is thriving there and receiving a fantastic education, which is the most important thing.
Exactly (and, yes, the same school)! That’s when I stopped with the qualifiers…when I realized her choice was exactly right for her. Everyone once in awhile I’ll drop some famous alum’s name just for fun!
1 Like
My two older kids went to LACs and had the same issue of no one having heard of them, outside of a small circle. Seems like it’s always been an issue. I recall a conversation with a colleague decades out of college who said when he attended Williams people would ask him where he went to school and after he told them they would say, “Oh, I love Williams & Mary” LOL.
2 Likes
As you know, our D21 is at that same fabulous LAC. Her '23 sister only ever wanted a big, rah rah school with D1 football and Greek life. At one point she lamented that she’d never get into the schools that her big sister did. I reminded her that not only did she not want to go to any of those schools, but that wherever she ended up, she wouldn’t have to spend the rest of her life adding that description every time someone asked where she went to college! I mean, I still do it after 30+ years!
5 Likes
I think we all need to make a pact that from here on out we will just say the name of the school and when people look puzzled, reply with “What? You’ve never heard of it?”
10 Likes
Instead of interacting with the school, could you have an official check in with your kid once or twice a week? We’ve done that throughout this college process. It helps to set a time, to keep from randomly nagging.
2 Likes
Right! In all seriousness, the fact that an adult has not heard of a school that a kid has chosen is not the fault of the school.
Edited…the whole thing didn’t sound the way I meant.
4 Likes
But given their success - and I’m not sure how they pull it off financially, ranking is likely the last thing they care about. They spend money - engineering, other programs, merit aid - like there’s no limit.
So true. I figured Bama, like all the SEC schools, threw money like M&Ms at the athletic programs … the 21-22 CDS shows that it gave out $14.5 million in athletic scholarship money and $177 million in straight-up merit aid.
That’s a lot of bought students.
Actually, section H2 says it’s about 9,600 full-time undergrads. $15.6k average per student.
Or tunnel vision. I live in an area where many kids are interested in a different kind of college experience than what’s offered at a LAC. They don’t know because they have no reason to. I went to a LAC so that’s my universe and my child was exposed to that kind of school. It’s no skin off my back but I realized all my qualifications around it made it seem like I was trying to justify her decision.
4 Likes
When I would tell people I was going to Lafayette they would say “oh in Indiana”
1 Like
Schools vary on this. D21 (Duke) has a Duke daily emails the parent can get(university updates), as well as different FB groups (official w some moderation ) to join to keep in the loop. The portal/bursar is open to parents to make payments and see all that, but no access to classes /grades et al(as it should be). There are established contact people one can use if the student is not answering texts or there have some serious concerns that the student is going through or not able to navigate, but in general it is hands-off for parents and let the student figure it out (they have multiple advisors to help, etc)
1 Like
I was referring to the adults who say they’ve never heard about xx school a kid has chosen in a scoffing way. I would never think of a child’s choice that way. Oh my goodness! 
I think I’m having internet-me-not-understanding brain.
No, I didn’t take your comment to refer to the child. Sorry I wasn’t more clear. I was actually trying to show grace to the people who I had just made a snarky comment about. My response was more of a reminder to myself than to your reply!
1 Like
It’s worth remembering that the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is the law governing sharing of educational records with parents (and others). Basically, the moment your child matriculates at a college, you have no access to the kid’s educational records unless the student explicitly authorizes it, even if the child is a minor. It also means that even if your child explicitly authorizes it, faculty are under no requirement to disclose anything about your child’s performance (along any dimension) in a class, and many if not most see doing so as unwise and possibly even unethical.
6 Likes
S23 committed to WPI this morning and paid the deposit…then immediately spiraled into a funk worrying about whether he made the wrong choice, if he will be happy there, if he will be able to manage the class work, if everyone will be smarter than him, if he will find friends….basically everything. I think this is a way he is like his dad 
so I have some experience talking someone through this kind of anxiety-induced decision paralysis/regret.
After a few conversations throughout the morning, he perked up a bit when I mentioned how I like to make plans to help deal with anxiety about the future. He made a list of things he would need to take to college (which is only 30 miles from our house), and then suggested we go out to the store to buy sheets for his dorm bed (and of course pick up something at Starbucks).
I anticipate we’ll have more times like this over the next 4 months.
14 Likes
I have caught myself from saying the school and immediately following up with she got a full ride. Certain people might question the level of school.
4 Likes
Alabama is one of the (very!) few colleges that makes bank off of their athletic programs, and a chunk of the money they make from athletics goes to the academic scholarships.
This is a positive—more money for students, so college can be affordable!—but there are also a handful of possible negatives. One of the things that turned my D17 off of Alabama (despite being offered their now-sadly-less-than full tuition scholarship) was going to a recruitment event for students offered high scholarships, and one of the coaches gave a “Here’s why 'Bama is so great!” speech, which was fine, but he also included an explicit reminder that his sport paid for academic scholarships, and so the students should be grateful for and give proper respect to the athletics program.
2 Likes