RRSP

My son was offered a spot, also. He accepted and immediately told us he was headed to Bama. Roll Tide! We are so excited for him!

May I ask, does anyone know what they are looking for in the student? Edit to add: say student
is NMF, high SAT, GPA, rigor, but average ECs

DS19 denied. NMF, high SAT and GPA, 6 APs, very strong high school, average EC. According to him, most of those accepted were premed. When should we ping UA for airfare reimbursement?

@BingeWatcher

Prior to applying, the advice my son got was to really pay attention to the essay–it is not enough to have high test scores, NMF, AP classes because almost everyone applying will have that–those things won’t set you apart. If I recall correctly, the essay asks why you would be a good fit for the program, but also why the program would be a good fit for you. I think researching the program and having compelling answers to these questions is what will set you apart

Thank you so much @Colorado19and22 and @Le Professionnel, I am sorry to hear your son was denied. D will major in engineering, most likely electrical.

DS19 will be a physics major said he thought almost everyone was NMF. Said he thought decision was mostly about fit. Most kids he met also OOS.

May have to release RRSP offer… OOS w/ Presidential is still too expensive, comparatively… several private scholarships likely won’t be decided until too late.

@matchfit Is UA (with RRS) your first choice of you can make the money work?How much do you need (either in scholarship or cost reduction to make it work? I know the OOS cost of attendance on the UA website has the room costs at the price of the new suite-style dorms, but I think you could pick a traditional hall and save about $3,000. There are other little adjustments you could make too–lower the book costs by renting books, etc.

Are you planning on engineering? I’ve seen that they have a scholarship. I’ve also heard (but never seen in writing, so not sure if it is true) that there are a very limited number of scholarships for RRSP. Have you called the program?–they might have ideas too.

There are still a few weeks before the RRSP acceptance deadline. If you want it, don’t turn it down until you absolutely have to. It seems like a great opportunity.

Good luck!

@“Le Professionnel” I’m sorry your ds was denied. His observation about most students being premed, however, is an inaccurate assessment of RRS and most likely just the snapshot of those he hung around. The program always has a very wide range of majors represented.

Agree with @Mom2aphysicsgeek , a range of majors is typically represented.

Accepted as ChemE major!

@agfoes. Congratulations! That’s great.