<p>A question about Greek life. All the students I happen to know, have joined a fraternity or sorority. My child has no interest in that, and would want to be in the Honors section. Would my child feel left out?</p>
<p>UA has a fairly high percentage of “greek” students. (last i read about 30+%)…at one time “they” were the power house of the university, re sga etc…that is apparently dwindling a bit and students dont have to join in order to have a good time at UA…it does still have a significant role…but a student can be very happy without joining any.</p>
<p>UAB only as 4 fraternites and about 13 sororities (about 6% of students join)</p>
<p>One more question- at my nephew’s school if you are in a suite with a bathroom shared by only 2-4 people, the students are responsible for cleaning the bathroom.* DN **is already complaining about that and how messy his roommates are. My DD was wondering if it is the same at UA- students clean their own bathroom? *</p>
<p>LOL…well, I can tell you that boys aren’t likely going to clean their bathrooms like girls will. Sorry for the sexist comment, but it’s true.</p>
<p>In the super suites, each student shares a bathroom with ONE other student. Between the 2 kids, they should work out a cleaning schedule or something…like…one student cleans on 1st and 3rd Saturdays…and the other cleans on 2nd & 4th saturdays (or Sundays). </p>
<p>The super suites bathrooms are set up with the sink area outside of the toilet/shower area…which allows one student to shower while the other is grooming, etc.</p>
<p>If your D still would prefer a community-style bathroom, those are also on campus.</p>
<p>*A question about Greek life. All the students I happen to know, have joined a fraternity or sorority. My child has no interest in that, and would want to be in the Honors section. Would my child feel left out? *</p>
<p>Most kids do NOT pledge at Bama. My kids did not rush/pledge and have plenty of friends (since most don’t pledge).</p>
<p>Since those who do “go Greek” tend to pick housing on the south side of campus that is near their sorority/frat houses, I recommend that those who don’t want to pledge choose housing on the Honors side of campus…the north side.</p>
<p>The honors college and Bama provide enough of other activities that going Greek is not necessary at all.</p>
<p>the top 25% of students at Bama have an ACT of 30 or higher</p>
<p>The middle quartile range is 22 -29</p>
<p>I still question whether a high stats kid (near 4.0, all AP/honors, 32+ ACT) from the North will enjoy Bama. Will a kid used to being surrounded by affluent, smart, high achieving friends in the fast-paced city/suburbs be comfortable there? The Bama free ride is outstanding for such a kid, especially for engineering, but will he or she regret turning down prestigious matches like CMU/RPI/GT/Duke/etc.?</p>
<p>some will and some wont… if the kid goes in with a mind that is open to new experiences then should be fine…if has preconceived ideas of the south… perhaps not …as if you go in with an idea you will find things to support your viewpoint. There is good and bad at southern schools, just like at northern schools. The biggest difference is city vs smaller town…</p>
<p>Will a kid used to being surrounded by affluent, smart, high achieving friends in the fast-paced city/suburbs be comfortable there?</p>
<p>Setting aside the (wrong) assumption that such a child won’t be around “affluent, smart, high achieving” students… lol (totally laughing loudly at the assumption that Bama students aren’t affluent…do you really think that Brooks Brothers would have chosen Bama as one of its 20 colleges to do clothing lines if it didn’t KNOW that Bama students are affluent??? oh my!!)</p>
<p>anyway…moving on…The high stats students at Bama (and most flagships) are not equally distributed across all majors. High stats kids tend to be more concentrated in about 10-12 majors (out of over 80 majors). Those with high stats tend to be in engineering, math, physics, bio, chem, nursing, business, and the more demanding humanities. </p>
<p>Therefore, one’s classmates are likely going to be students with strong stats if one is going to be in a challenging major.</p>
<p>And, those who are in the Honors College…especially the prestigious programs of CBH or UFE will be around kids with very high stats. the stats for those applying to CBH this year were amazing…lots of ACT 35/36.</p>
<p>As for “fast paced city life”…Tuscaloosa isn’t NYC. It’s not a small town, it’s a good sized city. It’s twice the size of Manhattan. The issue of “fast paced city life” would occur at many good universities that aren’t in mega-sized cities.</p>
<p>will he or she regret turning down prestigious matches like CMU/RPI/GT/Duke/etc.?</p>
<p>No one can speak for every child. Some people are so prestige crazy that nothing less will ever satisfy their obsessions.</p>
<p>^ it’s not so much a prestige question, it’s a jobs question. Those are prestigious engineering schools, with outstanding recruiting and placement. Will a top prospective engineering student regret passing on those schools for Bama? Will they be hampering their opportunities for top jobs back home?</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>This is exactly the kind of reply I want to hear. Unfortunately most of us only know the stereotypes. I want those who know to present the reality.</p>
<p>To be fair, I think Brooks Brothers chose Bama because their fans may be affluent, not necessarily their students.</p>
<p>think i saw a post earlier that mentioned what companies recruit from ua…might want to check that post…and also call the other schools and see who recruits from them…then you would be comparing apples to apples. </p>
<p>tuscaloosa may be geograhically bigger than manhatten but sure wouldnt say it has a major city vibe, even birmingham which is more city than T’town i wouldnt say had a major city vibe</p>
<p>My D is a high stats kid who refused to even look at any other schools such as Vanderbilt, Duke, UNC Chapel Hill, the Ivies. Her main goal was to find a university where she could have fabulous bio research opportunities and a terrific music program that included marching band and concert/orchestra opportunities, yet also have the ability to graduate debt-free. Thanks to the Crimson Scholarship package and the Emerging Scholars program, she’s going to be able to accomplish all of her goals. Plus have a trip to Italy this May with the marching band and hopefully a semester abroad at some point (if her research projects allow for that in her schedule).</p>
<p>Granted, we’re comfortable but not affluent, and we are from the south, but she already has friends from all areas of the country and all socioeconomic levels. I’d hate to see her limit herself to socializing only or even primarily with the “affluent.”</p>
<p>*Those are prestigious engineering schools, with outstanding recruiting and placement. Will a top prospective engineering student regret passing on those schools for Bama? Will they be hampering their opportunities for top jobs back home? *</p>
<p>Do they want to work “back home”? are there jobs there? There are high tech jobs here. No matter where you go to school, there may not be jobs “back home”…you go where the jors ARE!</p>
<p>My friend’s son graduated from Columbia Engineering in 2009…still unemployed…parents paying loans…UGH…</p>
<p>The state of Alabama is home to the second largest research park in the nation…Cummings Research Park. CRP has many high tech national Fortune 500 companies…so much recruiting, internships, and co-ops. </p>
<p>Cummings Research Park</p>
<p>Some of the major companies in CRP</p>
<p>Major EmployersThe Boeing Company
ADTRAN
SAIC
University of Alabama in Huntsville
Teledyne Brown Engineering
Benchmark Electronics, Inc.
Northrop Grumman
Direct TV
West Corporation
COLSA Corporation
CSC
Redstone Federal Credit Union
ITT
Lockheed Martin
Dynetics
Raytheon Company
Yulista</p>
<p>Other companies in CRP</p>
<p>A-BAAI Corporation
AAR Summa
ACS Government Services
ADESTA
ADS Corporation
ADTRAN
Advanced Optical Systems, Inc.
Advanced Systems Development, Inc.
Advanced Systems Technology
Advancia
AEgis Technologies Group, Inc.
Aero Thermo Technology, Inc (AT)
Aerojet
Aerotek
Aerospace Products S.E.
Aetos Systems
Agility Defense & Government Services
a.i. solutions
AJT & Associates, Inc.
Alabama Supercomputer Authority (ASA)
Alabama Technology Network
ALACAD
Alion Science & Technology
Allied Electronics, Inc.
All American Semiconductor
All Points Logistics
Alutiiq
Amedisys Home Health of Huntsville
American Telemessaging Corp. (AmeriTel)
Amtec Corporation
Analytical Services, Inc. (ASI)
Apexio Solutions, Inc.
Applied Data Trends, Inc.
Applied Genomics
Applied Geo Technologies
A-P-T Research, Inc.
Aranea Solutions
Arcata Associates, Inc.
ARES Corporation
Aries Technologies
ARINC Engineering Services, LLC
Arrow Electronics, Inc.
ASRC Aerospace Corporation
Assurance Technology Corporation (ATC)
ATK
AT&T Government Solutions
Automated Managed Business Solutions (AMBS)
Aviagen North America
Aviation & Missile Solutions, LLC (AMS)
Avion, Inc.
Avnet Electronics
Avocent Corporation
Avocent Digital Desktops
Axometirics
AZ Technology, Inc.
BAE Systems
Baron Services, Inc.
Battelle, Huntsville Operations
BellSouth Corporation
Belzon, Inc.
Benchmark Electronics
Bentley Systems. Inc. (June 2011)
Bevill Conference Center and Hotel
Bevilacqua Research Corp.
BFA Systems Inc.
BizTech, Business Technology Center, Inc.
Boeing
Bonham Technologies, Inc.
Booz Allen Hamilton
BRANAE
Brockwell Technologies
Building Plastics
Byte Size, Inc.
[edit] C-ECalhoun Community College
Camber Corporation
Carina Technology, Inc.
CAS, Inc. (now ITT CAS)
Casa Designs
Catholic High School (CHS)
CATI Training Systems
CFD Research Corporation (CFDRC)
Chugach Alaska Corporation
Cimmaron
Cobham Analytical Solutions (SPARTA, Inc.)
Cobro, a Westar Company
Collazo Enterprises, Inc.
COLSA Corporation
Conversant Healthcare Systems
Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC)
Computing Technologies, Inc. (CoTs)
Corporate Resource Solutions
Crystal Mountain Natural Spring Water
Cummings Aerospace
Davidson Technologies, Inc.
DCAA (The Defense Contract Audit Agency)
DCS Corporation
dealnews.com, Inc.
deciBel Research, Inc.
Decisions & Advanced Technology Associates (DATA), Inc.
Decisive Analytics Corporation
Defense Acquisition University
Delta Research, Inc.
DESE Research, Inc.
Diatherix Laboratories, Inc.
Digital Fusion, Inc.
Digital Operations Corporation
Digium
DirecTV Customer Services, Inc.
DRS Test & Energy Management, Inc.
DMD, LLC
Dynamic Concepts, Inc.
Dynetics, Inc.
EADS North America
Echotek Corporation (now owned by Mercury Computers)
EDAW, Inc.
EDS PLM Solutions
Edward Jones Investments
EER Systems, Inc.
EGEN
EG&G Technical Services (URS)
Elbit Systems of America
ELCOM, Inc.
ELMCO Inc.
enGenius Consulting Group
EPS - Engineering & Profession
ERC, Inc.
E-Ring, Inc.
[edit] F-IFaulkner University
FPMI
Foster Wheeler
Future Electronics
Future Research Corporation
Frontier Technology
Garver
General Dynamics Decision Systems
Genesis Engineering Solutions, Inc.
Getronics Government Solutions, L.L.C.
Gleason Research Associates, Inc. (GRA)
Global Majic Software, Inc.
Goodrich Corporation
Gray Research, Inc.
Gryphon Technologies
GRC International (GRCI)
Halo Monitoring
Hamilton Sundstrand
The Harding Group
Harlan Lee & Associates
Hawk Enterprises
Hewlett-Packard
HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology
IBM
ICRC Aerospace Services
iCubate, Inc.
IKON Office Solutions
Infinity Technology, Inc. (ITI)
Information Engineering, Inc.
InfoSurv, Inc.
Inter-Coastal Electronics, Inc. (ICE)
International Space Systems, Inc. (ISSI)
Intuitive Research and Technology Corporation (IRTC)
IOCAD Engineering Services, Inc.
iRepertoire, Inc.
[edit] J-MJAYCOR
JB Management Inc.
Johann A. Krause, Inc.
Johnson Controls
Kancharla Corporation
KAYA Associates
KBM Federal Systems Division
Keystone Foods
KMC Telecom, Inc.
Koniag Services Inc. (KSI)
Kottmann, Inc.
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions
Kwajalein Range Services, LLC
L-3 Communications
Layer 8 Technology
Lanier Worldwide, Inc.
Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company
Lockheed Martin Information & Technology Services
Logistics Management Engineering, Inc.
MagnaCom, Inc.
Management Technology Associates, Inc. (MTA)
Martin Technologies, Inc.
M.B. Kahn
McLaughlin Research Corporation (MRC)
Measurement Specialists
MEI Technologies, Inc.
Mentor Graphics
Metters, Inc.
Microarrays Inc.
Millennium Engineering and Integration Company
Miltec Corporation
Mission Research Corporation
MIT Lincoln Laboratory
Moog, Inc.
M-Squared, Inc. (M2I)
[edit] N-ONational Space Science and Technology Center (NSSTC)
National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office
NATO MEADS Management Agency
Nektar Therapeutics
NeXolve Corporation
Nexus Energy Center
New Century Technology High School
New World Solutions
nLogic, Inc.
Nortel Networks
Northrop Grumman, Electronic Systems (ES)
Northrop Grumman, Huntsville Engineering Center
Northrop Grumman, Mission Systems
Oak Ridge-Huntsville Partnership Office
Oceaneering Space Systems
OCERIS Corporation
OMI, Inc.
On-Line Applications Research Corporation (OAR)
Open Biosystems
Optical Sciences Corporation
Optimization Technology, Inc.
Option One
Orbital Sciences Corporation
[edit] P-RParadigm Technologies
PASS Network, Inc.
People Tec
Perkins Technical Services, Inc.
Pesa Switching Systems, Inc.
Powell Electronics
PowerComm Systems, Inc.
Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, Inc.
Premier Preschool
Premier Professional Systems, Inc.
PrSM Corporation
QinetiQ North America, Systems Engineering Group
Qualis Corporation
Quality Research, Inc.
QuantiTech
Quantum Research International, Inc.
Quantum Technologies, Inc.
Radiance Technologies, Inc.
Raytheon Systems Company
Raytheon Systems Company - Business Development
Red Hat, Inc.
Redstone Federal Credit Union
Reptron
Research Analysis and Maintenance, Inc. (RAM)
ResearchSouth, Inc.
Rockwell Collins
RS Electronics
RVSI Acuity CiMatrix
Ryco Engineering, Inc.
[edit] SSAIC
Schafer Corporation
Scientific-Atlanta, Inc.
Scientech, A business unit of Curtiss Wright Flow Control
Sci-Quest, the North Alabama Science Center, Inc.
SDC, Inc.
SELEX GALILEO
Sentar
Shaffer Solutions Corporation
Shearer & Associates
Siemens
Sierra Nevada Corp.
Sigma Services of America
Sigmatech, Inc.
SimSTAFF
Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation
Southeastern Institute of Technology
SourceCF, Inc.
Southern Digital Products
Spacehab, Inc.
SPARTA Inc.
Sparta, Inc. - Defense and Space Systems Sector
SpecPro, Inc. (See also: Badger Army Ammunition Plant)
SSS Optical Technologies
Stanley, Inc.
[[State of Alabama, Department of Revenue
Strata-G Solutions
Strata Form
SunGard Asset Management Systems
Sverdrup Technology, Inc.
SYColeman
Syntegra
System Dynamics International, Inc. (SDI)
System Studies and Simulation, Inc. (S3)
[edit] T-UTechnical Micronics Controls, Inc. (TMC)
Tec-Masters, Inc.
Tecolote Research, Inc.
Teksystems
Teksouth
Teledyne Brown Engineering, Inc.
Teledyne Solutions, Inc.
Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)
TetraTech
TFE Technology, Redstone Division
Three D Research Corporation
Time Domain Corporation
Titertek Instruments, Inc.
Trideum
Troy7
Toroid Corporation
United Controls Corporation
United International Engineering
United Space Alliance, LLC
United States Army Space and Missile Defense Command (USASMDC)
Universal Solutions
Universities Space Research Association (USRA)
University of Alabama in Huntsville
US Social Security Administration Office
Utility Automation Integrators (UAI)
[edit] V-XVeridian Engineering, Inc.
Verizon Wireless
Werd Interactive Inc.
West Corporation
World Response
Xerox
Yulista</p>
<p>Why not visit the school and the area to realize that old stereotypes don’t exist?</p>
<p>set up a campus tour time online…try for the early morning one.
[Campus</a> Visits - Undergraduate Admissions - The University of Alabama](<a href=“http://gobama.ua.edu/visits/]Campus”>Visit)</p>
<p>send an email to Allison Verhine in the Honors College </p>
<p>In the email, include:</p>
<p>tour time and date
student name & contact info
test scores and GPA
(if a likely NMF, indicate so)
intended major
professional interests (pre-med, pre-law, pre-dental, etc)
interest in Computer Based Honors program and/or University Fellows Program (if desired)
Also, include any thing else that interests you about the school…such as touring the new Science and Engineering Complex and Shelby Hall. </p>
<p>Allison will arrange the rest of the day…meeting with dept heads, honors faculty, touring honors dorms, etc.</p>
<p>Allison Verhine - Honor College Recruitment Coordinator
269 Nott Hall
205-348-5534
<a href=“mailto:allison.verhine@ua.edu”>allison.verhine@ua.edu</a></p>
<p>chardo as you can see from the admission stats, there will be a wide variety of appitudes at a state school, anything from 20 act and above. some will be affluent, some will not, Alabama’s school systems for elementary and high school are not the best, so some students will be more prepared than others.</p>
<p>^^</p>
<p>True…but that won’t really be an issue in the STEM or other challenging majors. And, Bama has a large number of OOS students. The students in those majors are typically the best prepared…because they went to city schools, private schools, or they’re from OOS. </p>
<p>Again, it is irrelevant that some kids with modest stats are somewhere else on campus majoring in less-challenging majors. </p>
<p>STEM majors have their weeder classes…just like pre-med. Those who can’t cut it, generally change course after a semester or two.</p>
<p>And, of course not every student is affluent. There are low income kids on EVERY campus…even the elites. My nephews (who are attending elites) each have VERY low income roomies…from welfare families. No biggie. So, no matter where you go, you’ll get exposed to some lowish income kids. no big deal…that’s life.</p>
<p>^^^geez that sounds elitist!! i didnt make friends in college by asking what their act scores were…i made alot of friends outside my major… as did my sons at college… hopefully whoever goes to college doesnt isolate themselves based on their scores</p>
<p>Would love to visit, but that’s a major cost in time and money.</p>
<p>*geez that sounds elitist!! i didnt make friends in college by asking what their act scores were…i made alot of friends outside my major… as did my sons at college… hopefully whoever goes to college doesnt isolate themselves based on their scores *</p>
<p>I have no idea what you’re talking about. Of course my kids have friends outside of their majors…and they NEVER ask what other kids ACT scores are…don’t know where you got that from. </p>
<p>However, since my kids are/were in Honors housing, most of their friends were either in their classes or in their housing area. It’s not unusual to make friends with kids who you are taking classes with. That’s often a source for friendships. Another source is often one’s residence hall. Another source is often one’s clubs or associations that are affliliated with one’s major.</p>
<p>Don’t you folks know that the South is full of nothing but rednecks, hillbillies, and farm animals? We aren’t all that affluent, and we generally have very few teeth.</p>
<p>Stereotypes exist due to ignorance. I’m a Southerner who has spent a lot of time in the northeast on business, and I can tell you they exist bigtime up there.</p>
<p>The national economy notwithstanding, the area with the fastest growth rates remain in the SUN BELT, i.e., from Florida, through Texas and out to Southern California. The large state universities in the South have made great strides in the last few decades despite recent budget cuts. Underestimate us at your own risk. If you want to believe that Southerners are somehow inherently inferior to you (whether academically, socially, or otherwise), then please… stay home.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Chardo: while my tag on CC says Tennessee, DH & I spent the 1st 4 decades of our lives in NJ. D1 went up till middle school in NJ, so I can probably give you some perspective. </p>
<p>Is life in the South different? Yes, to some degree but I’ve found the changes to be mostly positive: friendly people who REALLY do want to help you, lower cost of living, less stress, more emphasis on family. I haven’t found the blatant “in your face” name calling racism down here, like I had seen/heard in the North. The ugliest emails I received during the last election weren’t from anyone down here; they were from nimrod relatives in Monmouth County. </p>
<p>When D1 was in college search mode, she visited a number of colleges in the South, both big & small, research & LAC’s. We were always made to feel welcome. When we did a Northeast trip, particularly our Princeton stop, she was stunned at the abrupt, uncaring attitudes of the admissions staff. She’d forgotten what it was like 
And realized she didn’t miss it.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>To get into the UA Honors College, you have to have a 28 ACT/1250 SAT or above. I’ve heard that there’s a record number of incoming freshman honors college students this year (1200-1500? m2ck can probably share a more accurate number.) Since most of these kids tend to live in the honors housing their freshman year, your student would be surrounded by this group of high scoring kids. To put it in perspective, Brown has 25-75% ACT scores of 29-33 with a freshman class of 1450-1500. So this group of UA Honors College kids stacks up pretty well against the incoming freshmen at many of the top colleges across the country. </p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Wemel: My D did not go Greek. She had considered it as a way to meet people, but frankly Panhellenic Preview Day overwhelmed her. Just not her gig. She had a blast last year. If your D chooses to live in Tutwiler (the all girls freshman dorm) and doesn’t go Greek, she’ll feel it since the majority of girls who live there do go through recruitment. And yes, there are girls & boys who live in the Honors dorms who do go Greek. In that population though, the percentage is much lower than the rest of campus. D is rooming with 2 great girls she met last year, she has a good sized group of friends who go to the football games together each week, and they have get together’s all the time.</p>
<p>well said slippy… but dont think anyone that posted really thinks that… but we all know how stereotypes work…what you dont know leaves you worried sometimes. I’m originally from up north and i had a few of those thoughts when we moved here 27 years ago… thankfully enlightenment was quick :)</p>