A little about myself:
Im 24 years old born and raised in Chicago
I’ve been on active duty in the Marine Corps since 2012 (I get out in November)
Im also african american
I’ve applied and have already been accepted for spring 2017, and i plan on utilizing the pre law program (Hoping to attend University of Chicago Law School). I’ve read alot about Alabama and some people say its still racist and others say its not. So I was wondering how someone in my predicament would fit in with the student body and whether or not it would be an enjoyable college experience for me? Also, i was wondering if they still dont allow blacks in fraternities or not?
I agree that you need to visit, and spend some time on campus getting a feel for the place. I’d hazard a guess that many of the naysayers have never even been to Tuscaloosa . . . but it’s certainly not problem-free, either. You’ll likely experience both ends of the spectrum, but I’d hope that the good outweighs the bad. UA has a proud history of serving veterans, so I’d like to think you’d fit in just fine. As for fraternities, although they all accept blacks, many of the more traditional ones are still predominantly white. But they’re not the only game in town - there are also multicultural, special interest, and African-American fraternities and sororities.
If you can possibly get to campus for a visit when you get out in November, you should. Have you made any housing arrangements yet?
Not yet, i havent fully committed to going there as im still exploring my options. But I have looked at off campus housing (too old for dorms) and I saw some within my budget range. Im looking for roommates though because im not going to know anyone and it would be easier to meet people that way.
I assume you’ve already been in contact with UA’s [Office of Veteran and Military Affairs](https://vets.sa.ua.edu/), but I’d suggest reaching out to them and requesting that they put you in touch with some current student veterans, who may be able to provide some insight into what you can expect if you enroll at UA. Explain that you’d be interested in talking to both veterans who are Alabama natives, and vets from other parts of the country who’ve relocated to Alabama just to attend college.
We have just had a bit of publicity about a 27-year-old Air Force veteran who is enrolled and just joined a sorority at UA. Copy and pasted this into your browser to read about it: www.cw.ua.edu/article/2016/09/veteran-sorority-feature
As dodgersmom says, there are a LOT of fraternities, from the old-school ones in the big brick mansions where you have to know someone to even be invited to a party to non-housed fraternities that welcome men of all ages - and are a LOT cheaper to be a member of. I def second getting in touch with the Office of Veteran and Military Affairs for more info.
My DS is mixed as I’m his mom and am half AA. He has yet to experience racism. He’s pledging a professional fraternity that is very diverse. His group of friends are also diverse.